“Me too. What if there were labels? Would it be easier for people to choose if they didn’t have to ask?” Nick had been thinking about this idea a few years now. A few people put a little sign with their pie but not everyone, and the arrangement was all rather haphazard for his tastes.
“Yes. They need a system.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Nick’s heart might have skipped a beat. This was a kid who understood his orderly soul. And now he had a ready accomplice to help with his quest to corral the McNally chaos. Even her neat, blocky writing was similar to his. And what better way to introduce her to people than with a purpose? They worked their way around the table, asking questions of others when their best guesses failed them.
“Excuse me, Liza, Natalie needs to know what kind of pie that is. We’re on a mission.” Nick smiled at Teddy’s sister-in-law as she set something with a double crust down on the table. Natalie was busy with a stack of folded index cards and a sharpie, but she looked up with a tentative smile.
“Hey, Natalie. It’s a caramel apple pie with a butter crust. Great to see you again.” Liza offered Natalie a high-five. She and Teddy’s brother, Charlie, had brought their brood around twice already to meet the kids one-on-one before this big holiday dinner. “And look at your labels! Are you going to do the buffet next? I really don’t want to confuse tuna and chicken noodles again this year.”
“Tuna? In noodles? That definitely needs a label.” Natalie did an exaggerated shudder, but she grinned broadly at the prospect of more work.
I could get used to this kid. His heart clenched around that thought. Out the window, he could see Teddy and James joining in a rousing snowball fight with some younger kids. James’s smile was almost as wide as Natalie’s and Teddy’s was wider still. Now that was a welcome sight. Teddy had been tense and stressed far too much the last few weeks. Seeing him enjoying the day was every bit as gratifying as Nick’s project with Natalie. What happened going forward was still uncertain, but Nick wasn’t going to regret any of these moments, because even the hard ones made smiles like those even sweeter.
Chapter Four
December
“That’s right. Perfect job!” Teddy cheered as James cut a straight line across the wrapping paper. “Now we need ten more pieces that same size.”
“Why do we have to wrap all these?” Groaning, Natalie gestured at the mountain of toys that had arrived at the resource center for the giving tree and assorted toy drive efforts for needy kids. The three of them had turned the back conference room into an assembly line where James would cut, Teddy would fold and tape, and Natalie would add the label and stack.
“Because we’re Santa’s helpers this year.” Teddy tried to keep his voice cheery. The kids alternated between coming here after school and going to after school activities, and Natalie had made no secret of the fact that she’d rather be doing indoor running club with Samantha than helping Teddy sort and wrap presents for others.
“I’m not an elf,” Natalie grumbled, expression enough like Nick’s that Teddy had to laugh. She and Nick were buddies now, organizing the pantry to make room for school lunch supplies and talking serious first responder business while making more endless pots of noodles for James. The kid lived on carbs and cheese, but at least he seemed to be settling in a little more these days. Fewer breakfast appearances from Snuggles and less crying at bedtime were big wins.
“I like being an honorary elf.” James stuck his tongue out at her. “We see all the good stuff. Now I know what to ask for.”
“You know Santa’s not—” Natalie started, but Teddy cut her off with a warning look. Way back in November, he’d danced around the Santa question, and Natalie had rolled her eyes and said neither of them believed anymore. Which was fine, but James had been making little comments like this that had Teddy thinking he wanted the fun of a Santa surprise. And they were getting presents regardless, but if James wanted to play along, Teddy was all for it.
“Tell me about your list,” he urged, setting his tape down for a second. “Do you want to write a letter?”
“We did that in school.” James’s nose wrinkled. Unlike Natalie and her surprisingly neat writing, James and letters didn’t get along, with him struggling in developmental literacy classes at school. They’d already made it through two IEP meetings for him, and Teddy tried to give him extra opportunities to practice writing even as James balked at the notion. “Mrs. Brown said Santa can’t make Grandma Ivy walk or talk better again.”
“Oh.” Teddy had to swallow hard, try to ease the sudden pressure in his chest. Much as he loved having the kids around, he’d give anything to make that happen for them. “I wish. We all wish that. We would if we could.”
“I know.” James gave him a sad smile and a pat on the hand, as if he were the one reassuring Teddy and not the other way around. “But Santa could bring me a drone.”
“A drone?” Teddy had been expecting a request for a pricey video game system.
“Like that one.” Sly glint to his eyes, James pointed at a box in the stack of items for older kids. “It flies.”
“I think it says twelve and up—”
“You could help me with it.” His lower lip came out. “Or Nick might.”
Nick would probably love a drone even if it wasn’t something he’d ever go out and purchase. Teddy slowly nodded. “Maybe. Tell me more about your other wishes.”
That brought a whole litany of video game requests, but Teddy kept mulling the idea of a flying toy over in his head.
“And you?” he asked Natalie as he handed her another completed present.
“I’m too old—”
“She wants the American Girl doll that looks like her,” James reported confidently.
“I’m ten. That was last Christmas I asked for that,” Natalie retorted sharply, but Teddy didn’t miss the wistful expression in her eyes. “This year I want a phone. So I can message Samantha and take pictures for Grandma Ivy when we do something cool like the fire station or tree cutting.”
“I bet Grandma Ivy would love more pictures.” No way was Teddy doing a real cell phone for a ten-year-old, but a digital camera or tablet under the tree held real possibilities.
“Yeah. We need to take some of Nick when he dresses up as Santa for the center on Saturday.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“I want one with all of us.” James nodded sharply, and Teddy’s heart hurt all over again, but the ache was sweeter this time.
“I want that too,” he admitted. A family picture. Wow. They’d taken many pictures at Thanksgiving and when cutting the tree, but James asking, that meant something to Teddy, made this all the more real and precious.
“Knock. Knock. Thought I might find you back here!” Liza opened the door, a cheery Santa hat on her head and a toddler on her hip.
“What’s up?” Teddy came around to give her a hug.
“We’re having movie night at our place tomorrow. Some of the other nieces and nephews are coming and Charlie’s going to put a big pot of chili on. We did cookies earlier today and more tomorrow. We’ll have popcorn and watch holiday movies.”