ON CHRISTMAS EVE, just after sunset, Emma and Thad walked into the arena of Madison Square Garden and entered a dazzling, enchanted winter wonderland. The carnival vendors and ride owners had worked with the arena staff to pull off an incredible feat of both engineering and magic. From the Ferris wheel and the carousel they’d set up inside the space, to the snow falling gently around them from the artificial snow makers perched in the rafters, it was amazing. Most spectacular was the fact that it was all accessible to every one of the children, regardless of their situation.
“We did it,” Emma whispered to Thad as they stood near the edge of the festivities, watching as the families of the PICU patients from around the city made their way around the carnival.
“Yes, we did.” He kissed her sweetly, his hand atop hers on his forearm. Thad still couldn’t quite believe that he’d finally, after all these years, done something to prove he was worth something outside of his surgical skills. They’d made little Ricky’s wish come true, because of all the hard work and effort of the woman beside him. The same woman he now got to call his girlfriend. There’d been so many lonely nights where he’d stood at the window in his office, watching life pass him by, fearing he’d never be a part of it. Not knowing how to be a part of it. But Emma had shown him the way. She’d given him a path to return to life. And that was a gift he could never repay.
“Look over there,” she said, pointing at two giant snowmen near the carousel, greeting the riders as they waited for their turn. “Did you hire them?”
“I did.” He grinned. “Well, actually my foundation did, since I’ve been busy with surgeries all week. But I gave them carte blanche to get the very best the city had to offer.”
“Nice.” They began walking the circuit around the carnival, nodding to families as they passed. Near the center of the enormous arena floor, a small ice rink had been set up as well for the kids to enjoy. Enough snow had fallen now, too, that people were making snowballs and snow angels. Thad had worried it would be a mess to clean up afterward, but the staff had assured him it was not a problem.
As they neared the carousel area, tinkling Christmas tunes drifted their way and they stopped in front of it to watch and listen. It was a beautiful piece of early twentieth-century art, with the carved wooden horses painted in bright, vivid colors, with polished gilded poles. Interspersed with the ponies were winter carriages and sleds large enough for wheelchairs.
“It’s so beautiful,” Emma gasped, clapping her hands. “We should ride it later.”
Thad wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back into him, resting his chin atop her head. “We should. Do you think the carnival turned out well?”
She turned to gaze at him. “I think it turned out perfect. Thank you for helping me.”
His pulse skyrocketed at the words, and he swallowed hard. “No, Emma. Thank you. This was all you from start to finish. I just got the venue.”
Even with all his epiphanies and moves forward in his private life, coming here tonight had been a bit of a struggle, he wasn’t going to lie. Socializing with so many people was a lot for him, but he refused to let Ricky and his parents down and he’d summoned his courage. Because with Emma by his side, he could do anything.
Eventually, they continued on around the arena floor, stopping at vendor booths to buy hot chocolates or check out the items they had for sale. Emma even won a stuffed dog at one of the games. Thad did his best to soak up all the sights and sounds of childhood heaven he’d been denied as a kid. The scents of cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn and fried doughnuts. The colorful game booths showing off huge silly toys for prizes. Music blasting through the speakers, and his eyes dazzling with the blinking array of rides and ornaments and tinsel for the season. Delight and satisfaction swelled inside him.
We did this. Together.
His only regret was that Everett wasn’t here to enjoy it with them. But he was doing better, awake and alert and even speaking again, though with a slight slur. The doctors expected him to make a full recovery in time, with help and lots of rehab. Thad intended to be by the man’s side for all of it.
“Oh, look who’s over there.” Emma pointed. “Dr. Franklin and Jane Ayashi from HR. And they’re with Ricky Lynch and his family. We should go say hello.”
She tugged on his hand but for a moment Thad couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, as a long-forgotten memory rushed back. His mother had brought him to a carnival like this as a small boy, before everything had gone sideways in his life. They’d had such fun, just him and his mother, and if he listened closely, he swore he heard the lilt of his mother’s laughter on the air, like a sign he was on the right path now. For himself and for the future. Thad closed his eyes and said a silent thanks to his mother, or fate, or whoever had brought Emma into his life. She’d given him back his heart. His soul. She meant everything to him.
“Well, well,” Dr. Franklin said as they approached. “You both pulled it off. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Emma said, squeezing Thad’s hand. “We make a pretty good team. Just like I thought.”
“Hmm.” Dr. Franklin nodded at Thad. “I never knew you had it in you, Dr. Markson.”
“That makes two of us,” Thad joked, and they all laughed.
“It really is amazing.” Jane Ayashi beamed, looking around at it all. “Can’t imagine what it took for the two of you to pull this off so quickly.”
“Elbow grease,” Emma said, winking at Thad. “And a whole lot of trust.”
“Exactly.” Thad kissed Emma’s mittened knuckles, ignoring the looks of their two colleagues.
“Dr. Markson, how is your friend in the ICU?” Dr. Franklin asked. “I heard it was thanks to your and Nurse Trudeau’s quick reactions that he’s still alive.”
“Yes.” Thad straightened, taking a deep breath. “Everett’s awake and alert and from the last report I got earlier from his neurosurgeon, he should make a full recovery. I plan to move him out of Manhattan West as soon as he’s ready and set up a private rehab unit in my town house for him.”
Before anyone could ask more questions, a small, excited voice broke into their conversation.
“Dr. Markson!” Ricky Lynch yelled, running up with his parents. For someone so sick, Thad was astounded at the kid’s energy. Then again, it was a magical night, and this carnival was proof miracles could happen, if you just believed enough. Ricky hugged Thad first, then Emma, his pale cheeks flushed with excitement. “Thank you, thank you for my wish. It’s more than I ever imagined.”
“You’re welcome, Ricky.” Thad patted the boy’s back, then straightened to shake his parents’ hands. “And it’s good to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Lynch.”
“Same,” Ricky’s dad said, shaking Thad’s hand, then putting his arm back around his wife’s shoulders. “Our son was just enrolled in a new clinical trial for his specific type of brain cancer. The results have been incredible and we’re feeling hopeful. Several kids with the same type of tumor as our son have gone into full remission, so we’re cautiously optimistic.”
“The best kind of optimism to have.” Thad smiled. He was still attempting to go full optimist like Emma, but some days were easier than others. “I’ve read the findings of the study you’re talking about, and I think it’s great you got Ricky a spot in the trials. He will hopefully do very well.”
The clinical trial was the result of more than thirty years of research and used a viral immunotherapy injected directly into the patient’s tumor, causing their own immune system to attack and destroy the cancer itself, without the use of harmful chemotherapy drugs. So far, they had a 90 percent response rate in pediatric patients with the same form of brain tumor as Ricky had, and the overall survival rate of the children in the study had more than doubled.
“And how do you feel about the trial, Ricky?” Emma asked, crouching to put herself at eye level while still holding Thad’s hand.
“I’m just glad my parents aren’t so worried anymore.” Ricky glanced up at his mom and dad, who were smiling and looked happy. “I try to tell them that I’ll be okay no matter what, but then they cry, so...” He shrugged, his knit hat crooked on his bald head. “Anyway, I don’t want to talk about that stuff. Tonight’s all about fun!” He hugged Emma around the neck, then pointed at a nearby booth. “Can we get some cotton candy, please? And then I want to go on the Ferris wheel with all my friends from the PICU. This is the best night of my life!”
He ran off to play with his friends and Emma straightened, sliding her arm around Thad’s waist and hugging him tight. “We’re both really thrilled for you and Ricky with the new trial. He’s a strong kid with a great attitude. That will take him far in life.”
“Thanks,” Ricky’s mom said. “We hope so. And thank you both again for all of this. It’s such a blessing to us and to all the other families of sick children here tonight. It helps take them away from their problems for a little while. And that’s such an important thing. You really have given us all the merriest of holidays.”
They spent the rest of the evening walking around the carnival they’d created greeting guests. shaking hands and treating each family like they were the most important people on the planet. Emma still had to pinch herself every so often to make sure all of this, and Thad, were real. There’d been such a transformation in her life in such a short time. Her life before him hadn’t been bad at all. She’d had her work and her sister and plans for the future. But now she could see how much better it all was with Thad in their lives. It had nothing to do with his money and everything to do with the amazing person he was inside.
And speaking of amazing...
People continued to approach them as one group of families left and another arrived. Grateful families continued to thank them personally and Thad pushed further and further beyond his boundaries and his Grinch-like past to blossom before her eyes, chatting and playing with the kids, even picking some of the smaller ones up—with their parents’ permission—to give them a friendly cuddle. He spent time discussing each child’s condition with their parents and even offering information about medical studies he’d seen or giving them names of experts to contact about this or that. All trace of his previous coldness and awkwardness seemed to have vanished. Even with his colleagues he was more open and friendly. And when Emma’s sister Karley showed up with a couple of her school friends, Thad greeted them with the same enthusiasm he had the other kids, talking and even cracking a couple of jokes. Emma was impressed. And more than a little smitten with her newfound ho-ho-holiday hunk. As Thad walked Karley’s friend over to one of the game vendors, Karley sidled up to her sister.
“I like him,” her sister said. “And I can tell you do.”
“I do,” Emma agreed, any denials about her feelings for Thad way behind her. She wasn’t quite ready to say the L-word yet, but things here definitely headed that way. “I really, really do.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
“You are?”
“Yes. I didn’t want you to be alone when I go off to Howard next fall. Now you won’t be.”
“You sound awfully sure about yourself.” Emma nudged her sister with her shoulder as they stood side by side watching Thad. “It’s not like we’re committed or anything.”
Karley scoffed. “Girl. I see how he looks at you. And that man adores you. He’s not going anywhere.”
“You think?” Heat prickled Emma’s cheeks despite the snow still falling around them.
“I know. Maybe you should take him to Green-Wood. Meet the parents, after the holidays.” Karley winked, then pulled away from her sister. “I’ll go rescue him from my friends and send him back. Have fun tonight.”
“You, too!” Emma called, feeling so blessed to have such a wonderful sister. She took a seat at a nearby table to wait for Thad’s return. She should take Thad to the cemetery. It was a special place to her, and she wanted to share it with him. In fact, she’d ask him about it later, after they got home. They could write their secrets and add them to the collection. Hers? Well, she’d met her Prince Charming, disguised as a Grinch, and won him for her very own. Not such a secret, maybe, but still the one that made her heart sing this Christmas.
Woof!
“What the—” Emma barely had time to turn around before a familiar black Lab ran up out of nowhere to put his paws on her jeans-covered knees, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. She laughed and scratched the dog behind the ears. “Hello there, Baxter. How’d you get here?”
“I had someone from the foundation staff stop by the town house to bring him,” Thad said, strolling up to her table. “He could use the exercise and since I’ll miss his nightly walk, I figured this would be as good a place as any for him to run around. Plus, the kids seem to love him.”
“Of course they do,” Emma said, snuffling his adorable doggy face. Usually it was verboten to distract a service dog from his work, but Baxter was off-duty tonight and it was Christmas Eve. He deserved a little fun, too. “Who’s a good boy, huh? I think you are. Yes, I do. Aren’t you, Baxter?”
“Having a good time?” Thad asked, straddling the bench on the other side of the table.
“The best time.” She grinned over at him. “We should grab a couple extra hot dogs from the vendor over there for a treat for Baxter. If that’s okay with you?”
She glanced over at Thad then, only to find him watching her. She wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but then Ricky Lynch and his parents walked by their table again. They were on their way from the carousel to the Ferris wheel, and she’d never seen the boy look happier. As they passed, Baxter pulled at his leash until Thad nodded and Emma let the dog go and run up to the boy, licking and nudging Ricky, who laughed and laughed until Thad finally collected the dog and brought him back to their table.
The rest of the night passed in a blur for Emma, caught up in more people wanting to thank her and Thad, or pet Baxter. It seemed like she’d talked to more people that night than she had in all her years in the ER. And not one person commented on Thad’s old reputation as a Grinch. Nope. It seemed that had disappeared as quickly as footprints in the falling snow.
And when it was all over and only Thad and Emma were left in the arena as the vendors tore down their booths and carnival rides, Thad held out his hand. “Emma, would you ride the carousel with me?”
Heart swelling with joy, she gave him a dazzling smile. “Yes, of course.”
He escorted her to the now-empty pavilion and claimed one of the carriages, large enough for both of them and Baxter. They rode around and around, holding hands and laughing, same as the kids had done earlier, as the dog barked happily.
When their magical ride ended, he leaned in to kiss her, whispering, “I’m so glad I found you, Emma Trudeau. I can’t imagine my life without you now.”
She blinked hard against her tears of happiness. “Me, too, Thad. Me, too.”
They kissed, sweet and deep, before he pulled back slightly to say against her lips, “Should I buy this for the gardens in back of the town house?”
Emma laughed with delight. “Nah. Let’s wait until Everett’s better, then we can all celebrate together.”
“Deal.” Thad grinned, then kissed her again.