The Christmas Shoes

After the end of the 2^nd movie, Silvia decided to go to bed, and kissed both her grandmother and Nora goodnight. Elise didn't move, looking at Nora expectantly. Once they were sure Silvia was upstairs, Elise asked, "Are you okay?"

"No. I want to fall in love with your son, and I want him to fall in love with me."

"Well, I'll give you credit; you don't beat around the bush," said Elise.

"I've finally found what I need in my life, so I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers."

"What exactly is it that you need? When I look around, it looks to me like you have everything you could need or want." Elise was provoking her, intentionally.

"I can see why you would say that, but the opposite is actually true. I've had money all my life. If you lived in Charlotte, you would probably recognize my parents - the dynamic lawyer duo. They came from money and feel the need to fit in with the 'higher class of people.' You know, give the little peons someone to look up to or for the low to have an image to revere. My brother bought into that crap, but I never did. My friends at my private school envied their money. I envied some of my friends' families - the one thing money cannot buy."

"Are you trying to buy into our family?"

"What? No! That wasn't very nice." Said an exasperated Nora

"I'm just trying to keep them safe. I'm glad you do nice things for us. It's appreciated. Just make sure we see the real you."

"You want to see the real me? I'm the person that has wanted a family all my life; a family that loved me because I was family and a good person. I'm not worried about my looks or my money. I'd give this house away, if I could move into your house tomorrow. That's how envious I am of any of you and all of you."

"You know Daniel is still extremely hurt. Right? What if he isn't ready to get close to someone right now?"

Nora replied, "then I guess I'll just have to wait a little longer."

"You seem awfully sure that he's the one."

"How many men do you know that would give up everything he owns for his daughter, while at the same time he could have told his mother to just file for bankruptcy, but he didn't. He's helping his mother pay her debts. He instilled such a sense of love and caring in his daughter that she took it upon herself to try and convince strangers to give her money to help him out. She's only thirteen! How many men do you know that have and inspire that kind of devotion? I suspect that is a short list. I want to share the rest of my life with that kind of love and devotion. I want to match that with my own."

Elise certainly like what she was hearing.

"I'll admit that I'm still damaged too. At Thanksgiving my fiancé left me, or I left him depending on how you look at it. My parents, using their money and connections, found him a new position with a surgical group in Charlotte. He just finished his residency here in Raleigh, but they thought if he moved there, that I would just follow him. I wasn't even consulted. I have a successful business here that I've been building for almost a decade while he finished medical school and his residency. They expected me to just follow him to Charlotte, near my parents, which is exactly where I don't want to be. Who are they kidding? I probably make twice what he makes, but I'm supposed to just give that up? They have no idea how successful I am, nor do they care. It's insulting, and they only want me there to 'fit in' with their country club friends and become part of their collective. No thank you."

"So what now?" asked Elise.

"I don't know. Honestly, I love being around you and Silvia. I'm hoping our doing things together will give me the opportunity to be around your son more, and maybe there will be a spark between us."

Elise replied, "I think that's a good start. I wish you could have seen his face when he knocked on your door last Saturday. He was struggling with seeing his daughter all grown up, while standing next to such a beautiful woman. I'm sure he wished he could have had time to appreciate you both."

Nora sighed, "I wasn't sure. I barely got a hug and kiss goodnight before he left."

"I suspect the idea of a beautiful woman wanting him is a little worrisome right now. The last one didn't work out so well."

"I realize that, but I don't have a love for money or fame. Just so you know, owning my business isn't who I am. It's just what I do. I'm a lot more like you guys than you realize. I'm not like his ex. I promise."

Elise smiled, feeling very comfortable at the moment, "Oh, I know you aren't. If you were like her, you wouldn't have come to dinner at my house when I invited you. There was nothing to gain from your eating with us, but you came anyway."

"You see, that's where you are wrong. Everything you have that I want is literally priceless, but you have it in such abundance that you give it to me freely. It is I who question what I have to give to your family."

"No. My dear. Never question that. You are welcome and wanted; even needed. Thank you for staying up a few minutes with me. You've made me very happy." Elise stretched and prepared to go to bed.

Nora walked over to help her off the couch and then clung to her. After a few seconds, Elise could feel her trembling. "Shhh. Don't worry my dear. He has three women in his life that want this to happen. He wants it too, but his sense of responsibility is such that getting him not to work so he can spend more time with you, may take some effort on our part."

"Actually, I have an idea regarding that."

The two women spent a few more minutes tossing around ideas before they both went to bed.

________________

Elise was up making breakfast for her girls the next morning. That's right; her girls, plural. She found the ingredients for pancakes and was preparing the batter when Nora came in and began helping her.

They watched one movie and then went out for lunch, after which they stopped by the grocery to pick up some steaks and food for dinner. More movies in the afternoon and then it was time for Daniel to arrive.

When he knocked on the door, Silvia opened it and latched on to her dad. She looked so happy. It melted his heart to see her that way. He wished he could be the one giving her that happiness. She drug him inside to the kitchen where dinner was being prepared. He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, and Nora cleared her throat, "uhhhmm. Doesn't the cook get a kiss?"

When he reached Nora, she didn't wait for him to kiss her. Like Silvia, she hugged him first, then she presented her cheek to him for a kiss. "I could get used to that," he thought.

"Welcome to my home. Let's give you a tour."

Elise kept working on dinner while Nora and Silvia showed him around. He really liked the outdoor kitchen, grill and patio area. The back yard was spacious and gorgeous, complete with a pool and built in hot tub. They toured the inside and finished the tour by stopping in the room Silvia slept in.

She said, "Daniel, I'd like for you and Silvia to do something for me. This is Silvia's room, and as soon as you are between jobs, I want you and her to do to this room something similar to what you've done in her other rooms. I know you both have good taste, so come up with a plan and give me an invoice and I'll pay it, including your time. This isn't a freebie."

This was a surprise to the other two and excited Silvia tremendously. She didn't miss the 'her room' remark. "Please, Daddy, please. I know we can do this. Please," she pleaded.

Nora tried to keep her tone and expression neutral, but it was difficult to do.

Daniel asked, "Nora, the room is already beautiful. Are you sure you want us to change it?"

"I'm sure. I've been thinking about this since I saw Silvia's room at your mom's house."

"I guess we could come up with something."

Nora was hopeful, but said, "Take your time. Just let me know if and when you are ready to move forward. I'm going downstairs to help with dinner while the two of you talk. When you come down, can you grill the steaks?"

He nodded in agreement. When Nora left the room, she could hear Silvia talking 100 miles per hour, which caused her to smile.

During dinner Elise asked Daniel about the previous night. He told them about the different clients he picked up while working as an Uber driver. Friday nights were always good for pickups and tips, except for the drunks late at night; though occasionally funny, those were usually the worst.

Arriving home to an empty house in the late hours of the night and waking up alone to go to work made him realize that he did the right thing by having 100% custody of Silvia. If he had taken the other option, he would never see his daughter or have to fight for what time he was given. No. He was certain he made the right choice. Seeing how happy Silvia seemed at that moment lifted his spirits.

The steaks and the rest of dinner were delectable, and they really enjoyed their time together, again.

Hearing how Daniel and Elise shuffled their schedules on Saturday and Sunday to ensure that Silvia didn't spend the whole day by herself, Nora offered, "She can always come into work with me. If I'm not hosting all of you, I'm usually working. I'd be happy to have her."

The look in Silvia's eyes, begging, ensured that they weren't going to say, "No." So, plans were made for the following weekend, and they liked that their lives were going to be intertwined for the foreseeable future.

This time when Daniel left, there was no hesitation in giving hugs and kisses to Nora, which made everyone happy.

_____________________

Life continued for the four of them, and they continued to share between one and two days together each weekend and some weeknight dinners. Silvia enjoyed spending time with Nora. By early April, Daniel and Silvia were ready to start on 'her' room at Nora's house. Daniel told her it would take him several days to finish everything, and he would need someone he knew to help him one day to carry some things.

Nora had been waiting for this and simply tossed him a key and fob to the security system and told him to lock up when he was done. Daniel was surprised by this, because he couldn't believe she would simply open up her house to him that way. She said, "Daniel, I trust you. By now, I know how meticulous you are. I'm not worried at all."

Then she asked, "Before you get started on this project, I want you to meet me for lunch one day. There are other properties on which I'd like your opinion of the interior painting. Again, this is a business transaction. I need your professional opinion."

Nora was trying to reassure him so he wouldn't worry about the money. Unfortunately, Daniel began to wonder about how things stood. He thought it was weird that she was so intent on paying him for his time when he would gladly give her his time for free.

____________________

Monday the next week, prior to their lunch Daniel met her at her office and she took him to show him several properties which she had listed. Some needed some painting, and some didn't. He gave her his thoughts on what could be done quickly and cheaply to help the homes sell.

She asked him, "I know you have a good eye for painting and interiors. Do you have experience in other areas as well?"

"Other than foundations, electrical and plumbing, I can do most anything. When I was younger, I did roofing and siding, and found that I didn't really like working outside during the heat of the summer and cold of the winter. I did that for a couple of years. Then I moved inside to framing, which I was pretty good at. One day a builder needed some help fixing a finished wall that was framed poorly by a different crew, so I fixed the framing, redid the sheet rock and repainted the wall. He liked my work and that led to my working in sheet rock and painting. Eventually, I started my painting business and here I am."

Nora, thinking about all the different ways she could use him, genuinely replied, "Oh, I could use you. From time to time, I buy properties that aren't selling, fix them up and either rent them or flip them. I won't take a chance on some of those properties because I don't know enough about fixing the underlying problems. If you could do that for me, I could probably take on more distressed properties, fix them and sell them at a nice profit. Would you be interested in that?"

Daniel wasn't so sure about the sincerity of the offer. He wondered if this was just because of their relationship, which hadn't progressed beyond cheek kisses and hugs, due to his reticence. Neither of them realized how badly his confidence had been damaged by his first wife.

He said, "Let's talk about it at lunch," which they did.

She asked him to think about either coming to work for her or working for her part time. She owned several properties, and her agency viewed more than a dozen each week. If she added even a few additional homes to her portfolio, she would need someone to oversee the various tasks that needed to be done. She thought he would be perfect. He liked the idea but was hesitant to accept. He asked her if he could think about. Of course, she agreed, hoping he would accept. He had to admit that it was an enticing offer.

After a couple of weeks, he still hadn't accepted. Nora didn't push him, because he was busy with his current jobs, but she was hoping that he would agree and would start soon.

__________________

That same week was Take-Your-Child-to-Work-Day. With permission from Daniel and Silvia's school, Nora had a whole day planned for her and Silvia. They went shopping the previous weekend and Nora bought her a 'work' outfit that was similar to the one she planned to wear -- a nice skirt with matching blazer, a pretty blouse, carefully selected accessories, plus new shoes, along with her pearls.

Silvia spent the night at Nora's, and they started their day together early -- a quick breakfast, coffee on the way to work, and an early review with Nora's team at the office. By now, Sandy had met Silvia several times and was thrilled that the whole family was growing closer. Sandy wondered what was holding Daniel back from getting more serious with Nora.

After the morning meeting, Nora took Silvia with her to meet a new client and also to show a listing to a family that was moving into the Raleigh area. It was an upscale home, and there was a girl and boy a little younger than Silvia accompanying their parents. When looking at the children's bedrooms, Silvia told the siblings, "Imagine what you could do in here to decorate the room." She had spent so much time with her dad looking at possibilities for her room at Nora's house, that she had many different ideas that she suggested. By the time she finished, the kids were hanging on her every word.

She continued, "Here let me show you my room," and she pulled out her phone and began showing the pictures.

After seeing a few pictures, the mother asked, "Do you know someone that could do this for us." Nora and Silvia were talking over each other to tell her that they did.

When they began discussing the price of the painting, Nora said, "If you only ask for paint, including the custom hand painting, it's included in the price of this house." She knew she would pay Daniel for the work, and that his price would be fair.

The parents could see their children's faces and knew that rooms specially painted to their wishes would help make their transition to a new town a more pleasant one. The dad made an offer on the house and Nora, knowing the sellers wishes, accepted. Sold!

Silvia was awed by the whole experience. Once the family left, her eyes were huge. "Did we just sell this house!?" She was ecstatic.

Nora smiled at her and said, "No. You did. I would pay you if you were old enough. You would have made a lot of money today if you were working for me," which gave Nora an idea. She smiled at her young protégé and said, "I should bring you more often."

That thrilled Silvia, and they left for lunch near Nora's attorney's office, who they had planned to visit after lunch anyway.

Capital Grille in North Raleigh, the swanky, expensive, restaurant with the white linen tablecloths, deep leather banquettes, wood paneling and open-air kitchen, is THE place in town for power lunches. Nora, hoping they might get to spend the day together, had booked a table a couple of weeks earlier.

When their waitress arrived to take their drink order, Nora said, "We'd like your best bottle of sparkling apple cider, with two flutes."

"Yes, ma'am," replied the waitress. She asked, "What are we celebrating today?"

Nora proudly told her, "today is Take-Your-Child-to-Work-Day, and Silvia sold her first house today. She really did. I'm not just making it up."

Silvia could see the love and pride in Nora's eyes as she said that, and her heart swelled.

The waitress said, "Congratulations, Silvia. I can tell your mom is really, really proud of you. I'll be right back with your sparkling cider."

They both smiled at each other because of the waitress calling Nora, Silvia's mom; something they both wished were true.

Silvia was enthralled by the whole experience. If those other restaurants she visited with Nora recently were nice, this one was over the top. Nora ordered off the menu and basically told the waitress to bring them a little bit of everything so they could sample many different things. The waitress poured their sparkling cider into the champagne flutes and Silvia felt like she was twenty years old. Soon thereafter, food began to arrive, and it was one new taste and texture after another.

When dessert arrived, they were both full and slowed down eating the food but were still quite happy. The restaurant was now packed. Nora asked for their check and payed, and they began to make their way towards the exit for their next meeting. They made the sharp turn towards the maître d' stand, when Nora felt Silvia clamp down on her hand like someone had grabbed her. Nora turned to see her frozen in place, looking up at a woman, part of a large group, waiting to be seated. She didn't have to wonder long who it was.

Janet Pratt, formerly Janet Acosta, was also having a good day. She and her husband, Thomas, had a good morning meeting with a large private university in Raleigh. They were a client of Thomas' financial advisory firm, who managed their endowment, and he had convinced them to talk to Janet about outsourcing some of their accounting activity. The meeting went very well, and Janet could get a nice piece of business if they signed up with her.

As Janet was looking around what was her favorite restaurant, she looked over and was struck by the mesmerizing blue eyes that were looking back at her. Silvia! In an instant, several different thoughts flashed through her mind. What was she doing here? Who was that woman she was with? Why was she dressed like she just came from an office? Janet couldn't believe how much she had grown in the past fifteen months. She looked like such a little lady in those clothes and her hair styled up the way she had it.

Janet thought she could accomplish a number of things at the moment; reconnect with her daughter, introduce her husband, and impress her potential clients with her wonderful looking daughter. "This is a great opportunity," she thought.

So as to make a big production in front of her prospects, Janet said loudly, "Silvia! Honey! It's so good to see you. I've missed you so much. Here let me introduce you to my husband, Thomas Pratt. He's your stepfather. These other people are business associates of ours. Our businesses have done quite well. Give me a hug."

Nora could feel her hand being squeezed harder and harder; that young lady has some strength in her hands. Silvia still hadn't said a word, nor moved.