The Christmas Shoes

"What do you think all those dinners at our houses have been?"

Their clothes were strewn from the kitchen to his bedroom, where they made love until the middle of the afternoon. They were both very sated and very happy when he said, "We should probably get moving. My mom and then my daughter will be home in a few minutes. We probably shouldn't let them see us naked."

"Your mom would probably be happy, and you mean OUR daughter and OUR mom."

"Yes. That is exactly what I meant. After we get married, I'd like for you to adopt Silvia. Even if you don't, you'll always be her real mom."

"I'd like that. Then maybe one day we can give her a little brother or sister?"

"Absolutely."

"Today was a good start."

He laughed, "It was... but only a start."

They got up to retrieve their clothes and were barely presentable by the time Elise walked in the door. She usually arrived at that time, so Silvia didn't have to be at home after school by herself.

When she saw them, she was so happy. They were going to be a family. Finally. She hugged both of them and then she sniffed, "okay, you two. You might want to close the door to your room and open a window unless you want Silvia to know what you've been doing all afternoon. It's one thing to suspect your parents have been doing it. It's another thing to know they've been doing it."

They both laughed and tried to do what they could to air out his room.

When Silvia got off the school bus, she saw all the vehicles in the driveway, including Nora's. She ran into the house, barely broke stride, and almost knocked Nora over when she ran to her, hugging and crying. "I thought I lost you."

"Never my girl. We were never going to be very far apart, but now you don't have to worry about that anymore."

She looked at Nora and her dad. "Really?"

They both nodded. "Really."

"Come here, Nanny."

Elise joined them for what was to be the first of many, many family hugs.

Daniel asked, "Should we go out and celebrate?"

Nora replied, "Let's do that tomorrow night. Tonight, I just want to lay next to you on the couch and enjoy being with my family."

And that's what they did.

____________________

It didn't take long for them to get married. Nora invited her family, but told them that it was going to be a small wedding in Daniel's church, and that if they were going to complain, they didn't have to come.

Neither did it take long to transition completely into Nora's house. They had to sic Silvia on her grandmother, but Elise eventually relented and took over the large in-law bedroom on the first floor. It was much easier to convince her, once they told her that new grandchildren would be arriving sometime within the next year.

Daniel and Silvia had a lot of fun doing her new room. In the end they went for an orchid and butterfly themed room with light apricot colors on the walls with beautiful orchids and butterflies intricately painted in a handful of places. A bay window, with tufted bench in dark purple was added and was Silvia's favorite place to read. Daniel found her a canopied cast iron bed, and they draped apricot and violet organza fabric from the canopy. A mahogany dresser and end tables completed the room.

Nora loved it, but more importantly, Silvia loved it. Many of Nora's prospects and clients saw pictures of that room.

Nora and Daniel were great partners together in the real estate business. Daniel hired one of his old employees to run a couple of painting crews for them. He also took over the house fixing-and-flipping that Nora had been involved in, allowing Nora to focus on listing and selling.

Silvia got back into musical theater, which she loved, and if Nora was showing a home to families with children, Silvia was asked to come along and help try to close the sale. She was successful frequently enough that she would pay for her own college by the time she finished high school, because Nora put those commissions into her college fund.

Elise only worked part time. She enjoyed meeting the customers from working the register, and she didn't want to do nothing. That is, until her new granddaughter was born. Then she, Nanny, gladly retired and became a full-time nanny to April and again when Paul, named after her late husband, was born.

They weren't perfect, but they were a strong family, and while their businesses were successful, they never lost sight of what was truly important in their lives -- each other.

Epilogue -- Five years later

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my mama, please

It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size

Could you hurry, sir, daddy says there's not much time

You see she's been sick for quite a while

And I know these shoes would make her smile...

Janet Pratt was listening to Christmas carols when the mysterious card arrived for the fifth straight year.

Mrs. Pratt,

On behalf of Toys for Lil Troops, we would like to thank you again for arranging for this year's generous contribution. We are told that your efforts and your business paved the way for a significant contribution to the children of our troops this year.

We will be sure that the new, or gently used, toys make it into the hands of children of low income and/or deployed troops by Christmas.

Thank you

Toys for Lil Troops

The first three years she called them to find out why she received the card. Each time she was told that the donors wished to remain anonymous but emphasized that without her they would never have been able to contribute the way they do. Now she just shrugs and proudly displays the beautiful Christmas card at her office along with several others she receives from her clients.

The End.

********

That's it. This story was started when my child and I were riding in my truck and we commented on it being a sweet song. Of course, after hearing it for the 4,357,623 time between last Thanksgiving and last Christmas, I had become a 'little jaded' towards the song and told my child that the boy was probably scamming the person in the song. Then when I heard the song again this year, this story was born.

I have a longer Loving Wife story coming out in the next day or so if you are interested.

Want to read a great story? Try 'A Family Torn' by laptopwriter in LW. One of my favorites.

Thank you for your time and comments.