Читать книгу A Child's Christmas - Kate James - Страница 14

CHAPTER SIX

THE DAY BEFORE Christmas, Paige felt sluggish and achy. She’d been working long hours and odd shifts so she could take Jason for his various doctors’ appointments. She had her checkbook, her phone and a pile of bills in front of her. Her bank balance had been teetering on the brink of overdraft for weeks now, but with the extra hours she’d worked, she’d been able to keep it in the black.

She slid another bill toward her. She paid it through the automated system and checked her balance—precariously close to zero. She would definitely be dipping into overdraft this week, and she’d barely done any Christmas shopping. Between work and taking care of Jason, Paige had had the chance to buy him only one gift so far. She’d wait until Jason lay down for his nap and call Mrs. Bennett to watch him for a couple of hours before their daughter picked them up. That way she could slip out for a bit and do some shopping.

She glanced up when Jason walked into the kitchen. He was wearing his pale blue pajamas, adorned with Squidward Tentacles, Patrick Star and some of the other characters from his favorite cartoon. He wore furry dog slippers and had his teddy tucked under his arm. He was dragging his feet, a sure sign that he was tired.

Paige got up and went to him. Crouching down, she cupped his cheeks in the palms of her hands. She could see the sheen of perspiration on his face, and touched his forehead lightly, checking his temperature. He had a slight fever. She’d have to make a note of it in his health journal.

“Let’s get you some juice before your nap, okay?”

He nodded sadly.

She poured him a small glass of orange juice, and she held his teddy while he drank it. Ill as he was, he still shuffled over to the sink and put his empty glass in it before reclaiming his teddy. With Paige’s hand on his shoulder, they walked to his bedroom.

Paige tucked him in and lowered his blinds. She sat with him as he read aloud from The Hobbit until his eyelashes fluttered closed and the rhythm of his breathing changed. Paige dropped a kiss on his forehead and turned off his bedside lamp.

She watched him until she was satisfied that he was napping comfortably.

Closing his bedroom door, she started for the kitchen to call Mrs. Bennett. Suddenly, the room swam in front of her, and she leaned heavily on the doorframe to keep from falling. Brushing her hair back with her free hand, she noted that her own forehead was warm, too. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself. “Okay. I’m okay,” she whispered. “Just a little tired.”

She pushed away from the doorframe and moved slowly into the living room. Before she went shopping, she’d sit down and rest for a few minutes. She lowered herself gingerly to the sofa and sighed in relief as she rested her head against the cushion. She’d close her eyes for a little while, and she’d be fine.

She bolted up at the pounding behind her temples and winced at the sharp pain that followed it. She grabbed her head with both hands. When she heard the banging again, she realized with a measure of relief that the racket was not in her head but at her door. Disoriented, she checked her watch. It was well over an hour since she’d sat down and closed her eyes.

The knocking resumed. She rose as quickly as her throbbing head would allow, worried that the noise would wake Jason. Groggy, she swayed as she went to answer the door.

Two delivery men stood in the corridor. They held large cartons overflowing with Christmas-wrapped packages.

“Ah...may I help you?” she asked with some confusion.

The younger of the men jiggled the carton he was holding and leaned an edge against the doorframe. He flashed her a crooked smile. “Yes, ma’am. We have some gifts for you.” He jostled the carton again and raised his right knee to balance it on his upper leg. “They’re darn heavy.”

“I don’t understand...”

The two men exchanged a look. It was the other, older man who spoke. “Are you Ms. Summerville?”

“Yes,” Paige replied hesitantly.

“These are for you, from the Wish I May Foundation.”

Paige belatedly recognized the Foundation logos on their jackets and raised a hand to her forehead. “Oh, I’d forgotten. This...” She gestured at the large cartons. “This is all from the Foundation? For us?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“May we come in, please?” the younger man asked again, obviously struggling not to drop his carton.

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Paige stood back, opened the door fully and motioned for them to enter. As they did, she snuck into the kitchen to take a couple of painkillers for her headache. When she returned, she was surprised to find not only the two large cartons but also a smaller box of decorations, another box with some nonperishable groceries and a large cooler she assumed was filled with food. A bound Christmas tree leaned against her living room wall, and the two men were busy assembling a tree stand.

With everything else on her mind, she had forgotten about the Wish I May Foundation. Clearly its executive director, Laura, had delivered on her promise. Paige shook her head in amazement at all the boxes in her living room.

“Where would you like your tree?” the older man inquired.

A tree was something else Paige had planned to get that day. Dazed, she looked around the room and pointed to the corner behind the armchair. “Over there, please.”

“Good choice. That way you can see it from your sofa and your dining room.”

“Can I get you some coffee or juice?” Paige offered.

The older man glanced at his partner, who shook his head. “No, thanks. We’re fine.”

They spread out a large sheet to keep the pine needles from getting all over the floor and began unwrapping the tree and setting it up.

The tree was absolutely beautiful! It had to be at least seven feet tall. In the stand, it nearly reached the ceiling.

Finished with the tree, the men gathered up the twine, the packaging for the stand and their tools and moved to the door. “Have a merry Christmas,” they said with cheerful smiles.

“Oh, wait. Just a minute, please.” Paige rushed into the kitchen, returning a moment later, rummaging through her handbag. “Here.” She pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and held it out to the older man. She couldn’t really afford the tip, but they’d taken such care and effort setting up the tree, and it was a blessing to have received so much.

The older man raised both hands, palms out. “That’s very kind, but no, thank you. It’s been our pleasure.” They both wished her a merry Christmas again as they left.

Paige turned and leaned against the closed door. She steepled her fingers and held them in front of her mouth. Her gaze roamed from carton to box to cooler to the Christmas tree. “Oh, my goodness,” she whispered.

Although she felt much better after the nap and the painkillers, she certainly didn’t need to go shopping now. She checked her watch again. Another thirty minutes had passed. Jason usually didn’t nap longer than two hours. She probably had about thirty minutes to get things organized. Her lips trembled as she smiled, and she gave silent thanks to Laura and the Wish I May Foundation.

Unsure of where to start, she looked in on Jason first. He slept peacefully, one arm around his beloved, slightly frayed teddy bear. Paige backed quietly out of his room to get to work. She could hardly wait to see his reaction when he woke up.

Paige put away the food from the cooler first, then unpacked the gifts. She was surprised to discover that, at the bottom of one of the cartons, there were a few presents with her name on the tags.

After the gifts were neatly stacked and the cartons collapsed and stored by the apartment door, she put away the nonperishable food. Just as she finished, Jason padded into the living room. He still wore his pajamas and clutched his teddy tightly to his chest. He looked around the room, his eyes wide. “Mom...?”

Paige held out her hand. When he put his small one in hers, she led him to the tree. “How about we make hot chocolate and decorate our tree?”

His eyes lit up at the mention of hot chocolate before his face turned serious again. “Mom, where did all this come from?”

As much as Paige tried to shelter her son, she knew he was astute enough to understand that they couldn’t afford such luxuries. “Santa?” She tried for levity, knowing he hadn’t believed in Santa for a couple of years.

“Mooom...”

She thought of Laura and improvised. “A wonderful angel.”

The little boy in him prevailed, and a smile spread across his face.

For those precious hours—as they drank hot chocolate, decorated the tree and arranged the presents beneath it—Paige was able to forget about her son’s illness and her financial woes. Jason’s cheerful laughter, something she so seldom heard these days, warmed her right down to her toes.

At the end of the evening, they were curled up on the sofa together, sipping more hot chocolate and watching A Charlie Brown Christmas—one of Jason’s favorite holiday shows. When the closing credits rolled, it was well past his normal bedtime. Paige turned off the television and took their empty mugs into the kitchen. By the time she returned, Jason’s head had drooped to the side, and he was sound asleep. The glow of the Christmas tree lights—the only illumination in the room—gave his face a rosy tint, masking the paleness of his complexion. In sleep, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth; a bit of cocoa was smeared on his upper lip. Jason looked so healthy, happy and normal, Paige wanted that moment never to end. He stirred, seeming to grope for his teddy, before his hand fell limply onto his lap again.

Paige lowered herself beside him and watched him breathe. Such a simple thing, really, but to see him do it without strain was its own kind of miracle. She rested a hand on his narrow shoulders. When he stirred again and reached for her, she gathered him in her arms, then lifted him up and carried him into his bedroom.