Christmas Wishes (11 page)

S
ophie gunned the
car into the parking spot before anyone else could take it. She’d known the mall would be busy the week after Thanksgiving, but she was prepared for the crowds. Tonight, in addition to the shoppers, there would be hundreds of kids, all coming to the annual Santa’s Workshop. From Black Friday until Christmas Eve, children could watch as elves put together small toys and wrapped them in the workshop set up in the center of the mall. For a price, students could take home one of the wrapped packages.

Joanie had caught a terrible cold, and Dave was needed to care for both her and the baby, so Sophie had offered to take Joey to the mall. She had some shopping she wanted to do herself and was glad
for the excuse to drive into Grand Rapids. Since it was a school night, they left as soon as Joey got out of school and planned to eat supper at the mall’s food court.

Joey skipped along beside her.
“What do you think I’ll get from Santa’s Workshop, Aunt Sophie?”

“
I have no idea, Joey. We’ll find out on Christmas morning.”

The boy stopped in his tracks.
“Do you think Mom will really make me wait that long to open it?”

Sophie laughed.
“I don’t know. But if we don’t go inside and get in line, you won’t have a present to open!”

Christmas shopping always put Sophie in a cheerful frame of mind. She wasn
’t sure if it was the colorful decorations, the music, or the message of hope and joy, but her step became lighter as she passed through the mall doors. Knowing how eager Joey was, they went straight to the Workshop in the center of the mall before doing any shopping. They heard Santa’s booming “Ho, ho, ho!” long before they saw any sign of the elves.

“
Come on, Aunt Sophie!” Joey cried as he hurried to the edge of the platform where an elf dressed little teddy bears in various outfits. Frowning in distaste, he moved on to the next elf and watched him paint wooden trains. The next elf put together toy drums, and the next put together some little cars. Joey walked slowly along the sides, taking it all in. Santa strolled among the elves, barking out directions in his jolly voice and overseeing their workmanship.

They finally made their way toward the end of the platform where wrapped gifts were stacked high. Sophie handed her money to the elf at the register.

“Do you need a boy gift or a girl gift?”

“
Boy gift, please.”

The elf handed her a blue voucher.
“Here you go. Show that to the Elf at the very end.”

“
Thank you.” They got in another line for the presents. The tall elf handing out the gifts reminded Sophie of someone… but it couldn’t be. That high-pitched, nasal voice didn’t belong to—

“
Sophie?” The elf’s hands paused as he held a package out to Joey.

“
Nate?” Familiar blue eyes stared back at her. Eyes that had held hers as he’d promised they would work together to make their dreams come true. Eyes she hadn’t seen in seven years.

The elf blinked, and the moment was gone, though she noticed the ears beneath their points had started to turn red.

“Here you go, young man,” he said in his squeaky elf voice. “Have a Merry Christmas.” He looked up at Sophie. “And if you’re good to your mommy, you’ll probably get more good presents.”

“
Thank you,” Joey replied. “Come on, Aunt Sophie.” He stepped away from the platform and another child hopped up. Sophie followed her nephew in a daze. Had Nathaniel Vosman, AKA Nate Vos, really returned? Was the great thespian really working as an elf in Santa’s Workshop? Her mind spun.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn
’t hear her name being called until Joey tugged on her arm.

“
Aunt Sophie, There’s Angie Carson and her dad.”

Sophie blinked and focused on a bundle of energy hurtling toward her.

“Miss Sophie!” Angie called, dragging her dad behind her. “Are you shopping for clothes, too?”

“
Well no, not really. I brought Joey to Santa’s workshop.” She noticed the identically wrapped bundle under Mitch’s arm. “I see you’ve been there, too.”

“
Yeah, it was fun,” Angie agreed. “But now I need a new dress for the Christmas pageant, and Daddy doesn’t know how to look for them. Can you help us?”

“
Sweetie, Miss Sophie’s probably busy—”

“
But Daddy, Sophie’s a girl. She knows where to find dresses that don’t cost a-a arm and a leg, like the ones in that store we went to. Maybe if Joey needs something for a boy, we can trade.”

“
I don’t know—” Sophie began.

“
Hey, that’s a good idea,” Joey interrupted. “Aunt Sophie, you can go look for a dress with Angie, and Mr. Carson can take me to the arcade.” He leaned toward Mitch and added in a stage whisper, “Aunt Sophie doesn’t know much about the arcade games.”

“
Please, Miss Sophie? Daddy will take care of Joey if you shop with me.”

“
Well, I suppose I could do that. Do you need shoes and tights and a dress coat?”

“
I’m not sure my budget could handle a new coat right now, but if you could get her set with a dress and whatever she needs to go with it, I’d be in your debt.” He named a budget and suggested that they meet in the food court. “Here’s my cell phone number. Call me when you’re ready.”

Sophie took Angie to a department store she knew carried children
’s clothing at reasonable prices. Within an hour, they found a dress and all the accessories she needed. She learned Angie was a savvy shopper who knew exactly what she liked and what she didn’t like. And she’d been ingrained with a sense of style. She must have inherited that from her mother and grandmother. Sarah Lester had always looked polished when appearing on the news, and Melinda was a fashion paragon. Nana Billingsworth might not approve of the outfit Angie had picked out, but she would certainly fit in with the other little girls in the Zutphen Community Church.

She called Mitch to let them know they were finished, and the four of them met in the food court for a light supper before making the drive home. Joey happily shared the news that he had beat Mitch in his favorite arcade game, and Angie proudly showed off her dress to her father. Sophie produced the receipts for Angie
’s purchases, and insisted Mitch subtract what he spent for Joey’s arcade games.

We
’re just like a little family,
Sophie mused.

The mall
’s food court boasted a large carousel, and the music enticed children to come and ride. Angie and Joey both wanted a turn, so they moved to a table next to the carousel where Sophie and Mitch could watch closely. Tickets were purchased, and the kids eagerly chose their mounts. Joey rode on a large green frog, while Angie climbed aboard a white pony.

“
This is a nice mall,” Mitch said as they watched the kids ride. “I’m sure Angie will want to make this a regular visit. Thanks again for helping her find just the right dress. I had no idea where to look.”

“
It’s no problem at all,” Sophie insisted. “She pretty much knew what she wanted, and I got a chance to find some little girl things for Joanie’s baby. It was fun. And thanks for taking Joey to the arcade. I get pretty bored there.”

“
Joey’s no problem. He behaves much better than a lot of the kids in that place.”

“
His parents would have his hide if he didn’t!” Sophie laughed. “Joanie and Dave are quite strict about his manners.”

“
Good for them. Sarah was that way with Angie. I can’t take much credit for the way she’s turned out.”

Sophie gasped and stared.
“Of course you can! In addition to being well-behaved, she’s one of the most loving and caring children I’ve met. She wouldn’t be that way unless she’d experienced that kind of love. Anyone can see that the two of you adore each other. She feels safe and secure because of you.”

He cast her a dubious look.
“You really think so?”

“
I know so. While we were shopping, she’d find something she liked. And then she’d speculate about whether or not she thought you’d like it. Your approval means a lot to her. Sarah might have taught her manners, but if you show her how much you appreciate her good behaviors, she’ll continue to use them.”

Mitch nodded.
“I guess that makes sense.” He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her to his side. “Hope the same goes for you. I appreciate having you here, Sophie, helping me with Angie, being there for moral support, and making me realize that moving here was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Sophie was speechless. The gesture was
totally unexpected, but to her surprise it felt natural. The warmth of his embrace set off sparks she’d never experienced with Nate. She reached around him and squeezed back.

The ride ended, and the kids got off. Since Angie and Mitch had parked on opposite sides of the mall, they parted ways.

“See you on Wednesday, Miss Sophie,” Angie called.

Their path to the parking lot took them past the Santa
’s Workshop again. Even though she told herself not to, she peeked at the tall elf on the end. She might as well have called his name aloud. Nate looked up and his gaze connected with hers. He gave her a small wave and made a “call me” sign with his thumb and pinkie. She nodded, but wondered — should she call him?

Did she even want to?

S
ophie’s indecision nagged
her the rest of the week. In a town as small as Zutphen, she’d probably run into him. So she didn’t call him, but she kept her eyes open for him — at the roller rink, at the grocery store, wherever there were tall, blond guys. Which, in this town, was everywhere.

Getting ready for Wednesday night church, her unease flared up again. Nate
’s parents attended Zutphen church, and if Nate was staying with them, he’d probably be there. She began her rehearsal with the kids by closing the door firmly, as if closing him out of her thoughts. For some reason, the children behaved, and they seemed to know what they were doing. The twins, now that various family members took turns sitting with them, settled down and participated in the rehearsal. She’d almost forgotten about Nate until she was on her way out of the church.

Nate
’s parents followed her.

“
Hello there, Sophie. How have you been?” Lila Vosman asked.

“
I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”

“
We’re just wonderful, now that Nate is back. He told me he saw you at the mall a few days ago.”

“
Yes, that was quite a surprise. I didn’t know he was coming back.”

“
We didn’t either, until he showed up at our door.” She leaned toward Sophie as if sharing a secret. “I think he missed you.”

Sophie chose to ignore that comment.
“Did Nate come tonight?”

“No, he had to work
. He works every night except Sunday and Tuesday. He’ll be in church on Sunday morning.”

Great, I
have another four days to decide whether or not to call him.

~~~~

On Sunday morning
,
Sophie sat with her sister’s family in the front pew. That wasn’t their usual place to sit, but today little Abigail would be baptized. Just before the organ prelude ended, the Vosman family slipped into the pew behind them. Nate entered the pew behind his mother, casting a nod her way before sitting down. Though Pastor Sikkema delivered his usual rousing sermon, Sophie barely heard it at all. Most of her energy was taken up resisting the urge to turn and look at Nate. She tried to block out all thoughts of him, but questions kept running through her mind. Was he visiting his parents, or had he moved back? Was he here to stay? What had happened to his acting career? She’d caught a glimpse of him in a commercial or two. And his first few letters to her had been full of casting calls and callbacks and promises of success. He’d even hinted at a few writing jobs for her. But then suddenly the letters and emails had stopped. She’d assumed he’d found someone else.

She gave herself a mental shake. She was here in church to listen and learn, not to dwell on her own thoughts. But it was no use. She woke up once when Joanie, Dave, and Joey rose for the baptism. Sophie stayed seated, though Joanie gave her a stare and crooked her head toward the front. Sophie shook her head. No, she wasn
’t really a part of the family. She watched, smiled, and clapped when Pastor Sikkema took the baby up and down the center aisle to introduce her to the congregation. Each time she witnessed one of these, her heart ached a little for the children she’d hoped to have by now.

Before she knew it, the congregation was standing for the final hymn. And then the organist began playing the postlude and
everyone turned to leave. She made to follow Dave and Joanie.

“
Sophie,” a soft baritone voice called from behind her. His hand touched her shoulder.

She schooled her expression to one of polite interest before turning around.
“Hi, Nate. What a surprise. Are you visiting your folks for the holiday?” The pitch of her voice seemed a bit high, but otherwise she was proud of the way she held it together.

Nate grimaced.
“I guess you could say that. I’m here for an extended visit.”

“
You must be between projects. Say, I’d love to chat, but I’ve got to get to the choir room for Sunday School.”

“
All right. But, Sophie, we need to talk. Can I call you?”

She hesitated.
“Sure. The number’s the same.” She scooted off before either of them could say more. If she stayed, she’d probably turn into a blubbering mess, demanding to know why he’d stopped writing and calling.

Why he
’d stopped caring.

~~~~

On the other
side of the aisle, Mitch watched the tall, lanky guy who’d stopped Sophie. Who was he? She didn’t seem all that excited to see him. He’d been sitting with Herb and Lila Vosman. Was he one of the Vosman boys, or was he a guest? Herbert Vosman was the town’s barber — he cut hair for the men at the Gentleman’s Cut, while his wife Lila worked on the local women next door in the Ladies’ Clip. He’d heard Herb talk about his son the actor in California and had seen pictures of him on the wall. This kid looked like the handsome young man in the eight-by-ten glossies. He’d be about Sophie’s age.

Why was he worried about the men who may or may not be part of Sophie
’s life? She’d grown up there, and she already knew everyone. Work, that’s what he needed. Maybe editing his photos would distract him from this obsession with Sophie and whatever man she happened to talk to. He took Angie to Sunday School and went home. But before he booted his computer, he set a timer so that he wouldn’t be late picking her up. Melinda might be off his back, but he had no intention of leaving his daughter unattended.

Thanksgiving had gone much better than he
’d expected. It had been great having his family around, especially after the confrontation with Melinda. And thanks to his kind-hearted daughter, he’d kept his relationship with his father-in-law. But even with all those people in his house, he hadn’t been able to help missing Sophie. She would have fit right in with his family. Much better than Sarah had. He’d always attributed Sarah’s unease at the Carson family gatherings to shyness. But deep inside he’d known she really couldn’t identify with their working class concerns, their casual dress, and their simple hearty menus.

Yes, he
’d learned his lesson.
Stick to your own kind
, his grandmother had told him. He’d thought then she was being narrow-minded, but if he’d listened to her, things might have turned out different. Of course, then he wouldn’t have Angie. And he couldn’t regret having her, no matter what.

Sophie came from working stock, like him. She
’d grown up in this small town, and had values like those he’d been raised with, and like he wanted to pass on to Angie. But she didn’t want to stay. Or had her plans changed? She hadn’t mentioned moving lately. And she hadn’t shied away when he’d hugged her at the mall.

Was there a chance for them?