A Christmas for Eve

A Chrtismas for Eve
by Darby Ross

Note from the author: This is the 4th story in a series. Gary is married and he and Bailey (his wife) have a son, Gene, who is 13 months old.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Christmas for Eve

Chapter 1

*Click*

Looks like a white Christmas is in the forecast for Chicago. The current temperature is 34 degrees and that will be our high for today. Get your snow shovels out, there is a 90% chance of snow by this evening.

Gary slapped the radio off and returned his arm to its original resting place, wrapped around his wife.

She smiled against his chest and sighed happily. "Snow?"

"Yup."

"Sorry," she said half heartedly.

One corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile. "No, you're not. You love snow."

She shrugged. "I can't help it. It's just so peaceful.....magical."

"Not when you're slippin' and slidin', tryin' to get from one place to another in a hurry to stop some mishap."

She raised up and opened her mouth to respond when they heard the all too familiar call.

"Meow! *thump*

Gary groaned. "Go away!" he said before turning to face Bailey. He threw his leg over hers and buried his face in her neck.

"Make him go away," he mumbled against her skin, causing her to giggle.

"Meow!"

"He's still there," he said as he kissed her neck.

"Go away, Cat!" Bailey ordered.

"Meow!"

"I don't think he's listening," she said sadly.

"Well, we tried," Gary sighed as he unwrapped himself from her arms and climbed out of bed.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that patience is a virtue?" Gary asked as the cat trotted by and jumped up on the bed, curling up in a ball in the spot Gary had just vacated.

"That cat thinks he owns this place," Gary frowned.

Bailey laughed as she stroked the cat. "What's on the schedule for today?"

"Hmm," Gary muttered as he began to scan the headlines.

"A girl breaks her ankle at the skating rink when the blade on her rented skates breaks. Parents sue. A fight at a department store sends two to the hospital. Looks like the usual stuff........." Gary's voice trailed off as he began reading another article.

"Gary, what is it?" Bailey asked as she got out of bed and walked over to where he was standing.

He began to read the article out loud. "Michael Martinez was hospitalized after he dove into the Chicago River to try and rescue a teenager who jumped off of the Michigan Avenue bridge. Martinez was driving across the bridge at approximately 9 P.M. last night, when he witnessed a young girl, approximately 16 years old, with long blond hair, jump from the bridge. He pulled his car over and ran down the steps to the river's edge before diving in. After several tries, he
located the girl and pulled her out of the freezing water and began giving her CPR. Emergency services were called but the unidentified girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Martinez was hospitalized for exposure." Gary looked up to see a pained expression on Bailey's face.

"Bailey?"

She shook her head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I...I just hate these kinds of stories."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," he said as he ran his hand softly over her hair.

Bailey smiled at his confidence. Sometimes he amazed her with his ability to handle dire situations.

She covered his hand with hers. "I know you will."

Chapter 2

"Okay, sweetie. It's time for bed," Bailey said as she picked Gene up and grabbed his bottle.

"No!"

"No? That you can learn. What about Mommy? Can you say Mommy?"

"Dada."

Bailey couldn't help but laugh.

She carried Gene upstairs and dressed him for bed before she sat down in the rocker to give him his bottle. She sang softly to him as she rocked him to sleep.

~Little toy trains, little toy tracks
Little toy drums coming from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red little boy don't you think
it's time you were in bed

Close your eyes, listen to the sky
All is calm all is well
Soon you'll hear Kris Kringle
and the jingle bells

Bringing little toy trains and little toy tracks
Little toy drums coming from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red Little boy don't you think
it's time you were in bed~

Once he was asleep, she placed him in his crib and covered him with a blanket.

The phone rang and she hurried to answer it before it woke up the baby.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Hon. It's snowing," Gary said as she answered.

"Is it?" Bailey asked as she walked to the window and peered out. "How's it going?"

"I'm waiting at the bridge. So far no one's showed up......God, it's cold out here."

"I know. The snow doesn't help either, does it?" she asked in a sympathetic voice.

He laughed. "It's not your fault. Hon, I better go. I'll be home as soon as I can. Love you."

"I love you too," she said as she hung up the phone.

Gary ended the call and stuffed the phone in his pocket, then rubbed his gloved hands back and forth briskly, trying to generate some heat. He scanned the bridge in search of the jumper as he bounced up and down.

He desperately wanted to go home to the shelter of his house and the warmth of his wife's arms. Instead he shoved the sleeve up on his jacket to look at his watch. 8:50. Gary let out his breath, creating a cloud of smoke.

'Maybe she changed her mind,' he thought to himself as he pulled the paper from his coat. The headline remained unchanged and he replaced the paper before he spotted a young girl with blond hair, walking along the bridge. She stopped and peered over the railing.

Cautiously, Gary began to approach her. He saw the girl wipe her face and close her eyes before turning her face upward.

Gary stepped on a slick spot and slid. "Whoa!" he cried out as he caught himself.

The girl opened her eyes and looked at him warily.

He smiled sheepishly. "Rough night to be out on the streets, huh?" Gary asked.

She narrowed her eyes and didn't say anything.

"It's kind of late for you to be out here by yourself, don'tcha think?"

The girl took a tentative step backwards.

Gary took a quick look over the railing of the bridge. "That's a long way down and I'm pretty sure that the water is too cold for a leisurely dip," he stated.

"I....I don't know what you're talking about," the girl replied as she pulled her windbreaker close around her.

"That's good, cause I was afraid you might be thinking of jumping."

She looked around. "What do you want?"

"I want to help," Gary said sincerely.

"Who are you? Superman?"

Gary laughed. "No, not quite. I'm Gary Hobson. Just a very cold and very tired man who wants to get home to his family."

"Go! Who's stopping you?" she yelled.

"That..that's not what I meant to..to say. I....I.."

"You're not very good at this," the girl said wryly.

"You'd think I'd be after all this time," he mumbled under his breath."No...no, I'm not. So I would appreciate some help."

The girl sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Gary was almost positive she was trying to hide a smile.

"You know, whatever it is that brought you here can't be that bad," Gary began.

The girl snorted. "Really? What do you know? You in your expensive leather coat and Doc Martin boots. What do you know?"

"You're right. I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

"Why should I? What difference does it make to you if I tell you how awful the last few years have been? Or...or if I just go ahead and jump right now?" she challenged.

"Because...because," Gary stammered as he searched for the right words. "Because it may make a difference to someone else a few years down the road."

"What?"

"I know of someone who, when..when they were about your age, felt like you do and wanted to end it all too."

"You?" the girl asked as she cocked her head.

"No, my wife. Someone helped her and if they hadn't, I .....I never would have met her and my life wouldn't be complete. I would have missed out on the best thing that happened to me."

"Are you yankin' my chain?" the girl asked skeptically.

Gary chuckled. "No, it's the truth. Here, let me show you a picture," he said as he pulled his billfold out and walked over to her.

"She's.....she's.....things turned out okay for her? She's happy?" she asked as she looked at the picture.

"Well," Gary dropped his head as he returned his billfold to his pocket. "Yes, she's happy and she makes me very happy."

"Why did she want to...to..?" she asked as she waved her hand out towards the river.

"She was unhappy. She and her father had some problems."

"Did he hit her?" the girl asked.

"No, I don't think he did. He just wanted things for her that she didn't want, but she tried hard to please him. I don't think she felt like she ever measured up in his eyes. She had an accident and it ruined what he wanted for her and...and I'm not really sure of all the reasons, but she thought that ending her life would be easier than facing her father's disappointment. Thank God someone helped her."

"But I can't do it. I don't have anyone. I can't do it on my own any more," she cried.

"There's no one at all? No family or friends?"

"No, no one. I'm all alone. My mother died when I was eleven and my dad is a drunk and I ...he....my boyfriend...he said he loved me and would take me away from all of that and he just took me here and left me at some gas station when I went to use the restroom. I have no place to live, no money, nothing to eat. The only clothes I have are what I'm wearing. If I don't kill myself, I'll freeze to death out here," she hiccupped.

"What's your name?" Gary asked as he handed her his handkerchief.

She took it and blew her nose. "Eve."

"Eve, look. It's late. It's very cold. You look like you could use some food and a good night's rest. So, why don't you come home with me and we'll figure something out tomorrow," Gary suggested.

"Go home with you?" she asked warily.

Gary nodded his head. "If you can put up with my son. He's teething and has been pretty fussy at night. But the bed is comfortable and the house warm and I'm sure my wife has some food waiting."

Eve's stomach rumbled. "Your wife won't mind?" she asked hopefully.

"No, she won't mind. Come on. Let's get a cab and I'll give her a call to let her know we are coming."

Chapter 3

Bailey had already placed the pot of stew on the stove top and put the corn bread in the oven to reheat. She walked into the living room and turned the stereo down a notch before trying to straighten the house a bit. Gary would soon arrive home with their guest.

She had been so relieved when Gary called and everything was alright, but was a bit surprised that he was bringing a save home. Well, not really surprised. Just unprepared.

~~

Gary and Eve got out of the cab and made their way up the front walk. Eve stared in awe at the house. It looked like something right off of a Christmas card. Smoke was billowing out of the chimney, releasing the scent of burning wood. Icicle lights hung from every eave and gable, twinkling as the snow floated by.

Gary looked up at his home and a feeling of warmth seeped through his cold body. The house was aglow with lights and would look welcoming to any stranger. More so to this man who knew the open arms of his wife would be waiting on the other side of the door.

"This is your house?" Eve asked.

"Yeah," Gary replied simply as he held open the door for Eve to walk in.

~I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
with every Christmas card I write~

Christmas music softly played, the faint scent of pine lingered in the air mixed with cinnamon and spice. Eve's stomach rumbled in response.

Gary closed the door behind them. "Bailey? We're here," he called out, but quietly enough not to wake his son.

Gary took a couple of steps and Eve tentatively followed him. She looked into the living room and saw a huge tree in the corner, aglow with thousands of tiny white lights and ornaments of all kinds. A fire crackled and popped invitingly in the fireplace.

Bailey tossed the last of Gene's toys in the basket and made her way over to Gary and Eve.

When Eve saw Bailey, she knew Gary had made up the story about her attempted suicide. There was no way that the woman walking towards her, with the carriage of confidence and her friendly smile, could have ever been at such a low point in her life that she wanted to end it.

She looked up at Gary and noticed the look on his face. It was obvious he loved his wife. 'What if his story was true? Could I find someone as nice and handsome as Gary and have a home like this one day?' Eve wondered to herself.

Bailey extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Bailey. Gary's wife."

"Hi, I'm Eve," she replied as she shook the offered hand.

"I've got stew and corn bread reheating. Would you like some?" Bailey asked.

Eve's stomach rumbled again and Bailey laughed. "I guess that's a yes. If you want to wash up, the bathroom is right down the hall, last door on the left."

"Thank you," Eve uttered quietly.

As Eve walked away she looked over her shoulder and saw Bailey take a step closer to Gary and wrap her arms around him.

"What's this?" Gary asked as he nodded his head, indicating the music playing.

Bailey laughed. "It just happened to be the song playing when you walked in....Honest," she insisted.

"Sure," Gary said, unconvinced, before he placed a kiss on her mouth.

Eve continued on down the hall and thought to herself. 'Is this what it's like to have a happy home?'

When Bailey saw that Eve had closed the bathroom door, she said to Gary, "Poor thing. She's so thin and dirty. Was she living on the streets?"

"Yeah, she doesn't seem to have anyone. I didn't know what else to do but bring her here," Gary explained.

"I'm glad you did. Come on, let's get you something to help warm you up."

~~

Eve walked out of the bathroom and followed the sound of voices to the kitchen.

Gary looked up and saw her. "I'm sorry. We just walked off and left you."

"That's okay," she said as she dropped her eyes.

"Why don't you sit down at the table and I'll get the stew, " Bailey suggested.

Eve followed Gary to the table and they both sat down. Bailey brought the pot of stew and the corn bread and placed it on the table.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Bailey asked.

Eve nodded.

Gary dished some stew into Eve's bowl and sat in down in front of her, then scooted the corn bread and butter towards her.

She filled a spoon and blew on it before taking a bite.

"Mmm, this is so good. Thank you."

The look on her face and the tone of her voice almost brought Bailey to tears.

Bailey brought the mug of hot chocolate to the table and set it down before she took a seat at the table also.

Eve tried hard not to eat too quickly. She remembered her mother teaching her table manners when she was little. Funny, she'd forgotten what her mother looked like, but she could remember how to act like a lady at the table.

When she ate her last bite, Gary asked if she would like some more. She really did but didn't want to seem too desperate. Desperate, who was she kidding? Gary had found her on a bridge, ready to jump into the river.

"It's okay. I think I'll have some more too," Gary said as he smiled at her.

Eve held out her bowl. Gary seemed so nice and so did his wife. She had begun to think that people like them no longer existed.

"Eve, are you sure you don't have any family that we can call?" Gary asked.

"Just my dad and I don't want to go back there. Please don't make me go back," Eve pleaded, her eyes wide with panic.

"We won't make you go anywhere you don't want to go, Eve. Don't you have any grandparents?" Bailey asked.

"I do on Dad's side of the family, but they aren't any better than he is," she shrugged. "I don't know about my mother's parents. They used to visit a lot, then one visit they got in a big fight with my parents and left. I never saw them again. They still sent me gifts and cards, up until my mother died, then they stopped. I liked them, they were always kind and my grandpa would give me piggy back rides. But I doubt they'd want to be bothered with me now," she said sadly.

"Eve, how old are you?" Bailey asked.

"I'll be 18 on the 24th."

"Christmas Eve?"

"Mmm hmm. That's how I got my name. My mom was so great. She really loved me a lot. But she worked all the time cause Dad never could keep a job. I don't know how she ended up with someone like him," she said before stifling a yawn.

"It's late and you're tired. Let me show you the guest room and get you something to sleep in. We can talk some more in the morning," Bailey suggested.

As they got up from the table, Bailey turned to Gary. "Just leave this and I'll clean up when I come back down," she said before she leaned over and kissed him.

"Mmm hmm," he replied as he smiled up at her.

"Good night, Eve."

"'Night."

Bailey took Eve upstairs and showed her to the guest room. "The bath is in there if you want to take a shower before you go to bed. Let me get you something to sleep in and I'll be right back." Bailey returned quickly with a nightgown and robe and a pair of sweats and socks. "I bought these today, they've never been worn. I hope they fit," she said as she laid some undergarments on top of the clothes. "We're right across the hall if you need anything."

Bailey walked into the bathroom and showed Eve where the towels and wash cloths were located before she turned to leave.

"Mrs. Hobson?"

Bailey turned to face her. "Call me Bailey."

"Okay, Bailey. Thank you."

"Oh, well, you're welcome. I'm glad we could help. Sweet dreams."

Eve watched as the door closed behind Bailey. 'Sweet dreams'. Her mother always said that to her. She looked around the room and sighed. She actually had a bed to sleep on and blankets to cover her body. She walked over to the bed and ran her hand over the spread and smiled. It was goose down and very soft.

Eve took a quick shower and dressed in the borrowed nightgown, before she crawled under the covers and snuggled up to the extra pillow.

She hadn't prayed in a very long time because she didn't think God was listening. But earlier today, when she had been digging through the garbage for something to eat, she had cried out in desperation. "God, please help me!"

She watched the snow as it fell softly past the window. The flakes glittering as they caught the light from the street lamp.

Had God heard her plea today and sent Gary to help her?

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Thank you," she whispered before she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 4

"What should we do? She'll be of legal age in a few days," Bailey said as she slipped her nightgown over her head, then pulled the covers down on the bed.

"I don't know. Maybe we could help her find a job," Gary suggested as he took his jeans off and tossed them on a chair.

"It will take her forever to save enough money for a place to..... Gary, maybe she could stay here for a few days and give me a helping hand. Since Gene's walking now, I spend all my time running after him and I don't know how I'm going to get everything done before Christmas. That way, it will give us a few days to talk with Eve and see if we can figure something out," Bailey said as she sat down on the bed.

Gary climbed into bed and turned off the light before pulling Bailey close to him. "She seems like a nice enough kid. If she can help you out, that's fine with me."

"At least till after Christmas. That way we can help her have a good holiday."

"It looks like she could use a break," he said before he kissed Bailey.

She snuggled up close to him and laid her head on his chest. "Good night."

" 'Night."

~~

"Gene, don't bang your bottle like that. You'll wake up Eve," Bailey said to her son.

"I'm awake," Eve said as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning!" Bailey said as she looked up. "Did you sleep okay? I hope Gene didn't wake you."

"No, he didn't. I slept like a log. That bed was so comfortable," she gushed.

"I'm glad. What would you like for breakfast?" Bailey asked as she poured hot milk into a mug and added cocoa mix and stirred it.

"Oh, whatever. A bowl of cereal is fine."

"How about pancakes? I have some batter left over from when I fixed Gary's breakfast earlier," Bailey suggested as she handed Eve the mug of cocoa.

"That sounds good. So this is Gene?" Eve asked as she walked over to the high chair he was sitting in.

"Yes, that's our little guy."

"He looks like his dad," Eve commented.

"Yes he does, which I am very happy about. Those were definitely some genes that needed to be passed on," Bailey laughed.

"Your husband is very cute."

Bailey laughed. "He is, isn't he?" she said as she winked at Eve. Bailey poured the pancake mix into the hot skillet. "Speaking of Gary. He and I were talking last night and we wondered if you'd like to stay with us for a few days? I really could use some help around here, keeping things picked up and helping with Gene while I'm out shopping. If you agree, that would give us some time to help you figure out what to do next."

Tears began to roll down Eve's face. "You're so nice to me....But I don't want to take any more handouts."

"Oh, honey. It wouldn't be a handout. I really need the help."

Eve sniffed. "Are you sure?"

Gene had been watching the exchange between the two, bottle in hand, held by the nipple, still banging it against the tray. Suddenly the rubber tip popped out, sending the bottle flying across the kitchen and causing juice to splatter everywhere.

They both looked at the mess on the floor, then each other. "Yes! I need your help," Bailey sighed.

Eve giggled. "Okay, you've got a deal."

~~

"So, she's staying at your house? For how long?" Marissa asked.

Gary shrugged. "We don't know, but I couldn't just leave her out on the street."

"Of course you couldn't. She has no family at all?"

"Her father and his parents are alive but she says her dad's a drunk and she begged us not to call him. I got the impression he beat her," Gary explained.

"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Marissa wondered.

Gary scratched his head. "I don't see any reason for her to lie. She's just a few days shy of 18 so she can pretty much do as she likes," he stated. "She did mention her mother's parents. They kept in touch with her until her mother died. At this point they look like our best bet."

"Does she know why they stopped communication when her mother died?"

Gary shook his head. "We really didn't get a whole lot out of her. It was late and we were all tired."

"If you could find out her grandparents' names and where they lived, I could do a search on the internet and see if I could find them," Marissa suggested.

Gary opened his mouth to respond, when the door to the office swung open and music from the bar filtered in.

~And then I heard some footsteps
   coming down the hall outside my door
   The same old Christmas trick my dad
   had played since I was four
   He stands outside my bedroom
   yelling 'Ho ho ho ho"
   because he knows I don't believe in
   Santa Claus, no way
   He knows I don't believe in Santa Claus~

Chuck burst into the office. "HO HO HO! Merry Christmas!!"

"Wouldn't that be Happy Hanukah to you, Chuck?" Marissa smiled.

"Happy Holidays, then. Are you satisfied?" Chuck retorted.

"Happy Holidays, Chuck," Marissa replied cheerfully.

"What brings you by?" Gary wondered.

"I need to borrow your beige funnel neck sweater," Chuck stated.

"My what?"

"Your sweater. Emily thinks that color compliments my complexion and brings out the color of my eyes. I don't own anything in that color."

"Emily said that, huh?" Gary asked raising an eyebrow.

"Uh huh. So can I borrow it?"

"Chuck, my sweater would swallow you whole," Gary replied flatly.

Chuck looked him up and down. "Oh yeah, you're probably right."

"You a little nervous about something, buddy?" Gary asked, trying to hide a smile.

"To tell you the truth......." Chuck began. "Nah, I'm not worried. So, I'm spending the holidays with Emily's family. There's no need to worry. I can charm the socks off 'em. They'll love me."

"Of course they will. What's not to love?" Marissa said sarcastically.

"Exactly!" Chuck replied, ignoring her tone.

"Anyhoo, Emily and I'll drop by tonight with our gifts and I can pick up mine. You gonna be home or does the paper have you otherwise occupied?"

"If I'm not there, Bailey will be."

"Okay, then. I'll see you kiddo's later," he said as he headed toward the door. "Oh, Marissa. Santa will be dropping by your place tonight too."

"I have your gift all wrapped and ready, Chuck." Chuck grinned from ear to ear. "Swell! Ciao`."

Chapter 5

Gary stepped into his house that evening and was welcomed by the aroma of roast beef and the sound of his son's laughter. He took off his coat and hung it in the closet before he walked into the kitchen.

Eve sat on the floor, playing with Gene, and it looked as if she had him totally entertained.

"Looks like you two have made friends," he observed.

"Dada!" Gene cried as he reached for Gary, who picked him up.

"Hey, partner," he said as he hugged him.

"Hi, Mr. Hobson. Yeah, I think we have," Eve quipped.

"Eve, you can call me Gary."

She smiled up at him.

"How was your day?" Bailey asked after she had placed a kiss on his lips.

"Not bad. What did you three do today?"

Eve stood up and began excitedly relaying the things she had done. "We went shopping and Bailey bought me some new clothes and then we came back here and I got to rock Gene to sleep and give him his bottle, then Bailey and I baked Christmas cookies and watched 'While You Were Sleeping'. We were gonna watch 'Singin' in the Rain', but it was time for her to start dinner and so I played with Gene so she could do that."

"Whew! Sounds like you had a busy day. 'While You Were Sleeping'?" he asked as his eyes twinkled devilishly.

"Don't start. I hadn't watched it yet this season and Eve had never seen it."

"Ahh, I see. A new convert," he teased.

"I loved the movie. It was so funny and romantic, and I really liked Jack. I don't know why Lucy ever fell for Peter in the first place," Eve commented.

"You have done well, Jedi Master," Gary said as he dodged the dish towel that Bailey tossed at him.

"Behave or I can take your gifts right back to the store," Bailey warned.

Gary stooped to pick up the dish towel. "Mmm hmm. Speaking of gifts, Chuck and Emily are coming by tonight to drop off their presents."

"That's right, they're leaving tomorrow for her parents'. I hope things go alright on their trip. She's a little worried about Chuck meeting her folks," Bailey commented as she took the towel from Gary.

"I can't imagine why," Gary laughed.

Bailey cocked her head. "You're in a frisky mood tonight."

Gary started to reply then remembered Eve was in the room.

"Dinner's about ready so if you....."

The doorbell rang, interrupting her.

"I'll get that," Gary said as he set Gene down and headed towards the door.

"Chuck! Emily! Hi. Here, let me help with those," Gary offered as he took some packages. "I wasn't expecting you this soon."

"I told Chuck it was too early and you probably would be sitting down to dinner," Emily stated.

"Why do you think I wanted to come so early? Mmm, is that roast I smell?" Chuck asked as he sniffed the air.

"We're not staying for dinner," Emily frowned.

"Hi guys! Merry Christmas!" Bailey greeted as she walked into the room, followed by Eve and Gene.

"Chuck, Emily. This is Eve. She's our house guest for a while," Gary introduced.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you," Eve said bashfully.

"Dinner's ready. Why don't you join us?" Bailey invited.

"We'd love to." "I don't think so." Chuck and Emily spoke at the same time.

"We are just dropping off the gifts," Emily insisted.

Bailey took her hand. " *And* you're joining us for dinner."

~~

Chuck shifted his weight on the sofa to make himself more comfortable. "That sure was a good meal," he commented as he rubbed his stomach.

"I'd have to agree, Chuck," Gary replied, smiling happily.

"So, how did Eve end up here?" Chuck asked.

"There was a story in the paper...."

"Ah, I see. How long is she staying?"

"I'm not sure. I guess until we can find some family or she can get on her feet."

Chuck didn't seem to be paying attention to what Gary was saying.

"I wonder what they're doing up there?" Chuck asked as he cocked his head, listening for some kind of sound.

"Who knows?" Gary replied, somewhat miffed about being ignored.

"They're awfully quiet."

"Probably because Gene is asleep."

"I don't like it when Bailey and Em get together and get all quiet. You don't think they're cooking up anything do you?" Chuck asked, ignoring Gary's comment.

"Like what? Some plot to get you and Emily married?" Gary asked.

Chuck's head snapped around and a blush crept up his neck to his face.

Gary threw back his head and laughed. "You know, the second time around is much better," he offered.

Chuck waved his hand in the air, dismissing Gary's comment.

They both turned their heads toward the doorway as they heard the laughter of the three women as they came downstairs.

Gary and Chuck were both shocked when they saw Eve. When she had gone upstairs with Emily and Bailey, her hair had hung limp and lifeless below her shoulders. Now, after Emily cut it, it rested on her shoulders in a bobbed cut that allowed her hair to swing freely.

"Well? What do you think?" Emily asked as she took her fingers and mussed the top of Eve's hair just a touch, to add some volume.

"Very nice," Chuck commented. "Emily's a whiz when it comes to hair and makeup."

"So, that is what you were up to? Chuck thought....."

"Em, we better get going. We still need to go by Marissa's," Chuck interrupted as he glared at Gary.

Emily looked at her watch. "You're right."

"Thank you for dinner. It was delish. Eve, it was a pleasure. And you watch out for this guy. He's trouble," Chuck said to Bailey as he put on his coat.

"Thanks, Chuck. You have a safe trip and a good holiday," Bailey offered.

"Merry Christmas!" Emily said as she followed Chuck to the door.

"Merry Christmas!" they called after them before Gary closed the door and turned to put his arm around his wife.

"Do you mind if I go up to my room?" Eve asked.

Gary shook his head and Bailey said, "You go ahead. Thank you so much for all your help today."

"You're welcome and thank you. Very much," Eve said as she hesitated a second before turning and trotting up the stairs.

Chapter 6

~Oh the weather outside is frightful
And the fire is so delightful
Since we've no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Well it doesn't show signs of stopping
And I brought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow~

Gary and Bailey sat curled up together by the fire.

"Eve seems to be doing okay today," Gary said, breaking the silence.

"I think she is. We had a long talk and I told her all about me and what I went through. I told her that no matter what happens to her in the future, we'd always be here to help."

Gary rubbed his hand up and down Bailey's arm. "Did she tell you anything else about herself?"

Bailey nodded her head slightly. "Her last name is Finney and her dad's name is Jacob. Her mother's name was Victoria and she thinks her mother's dad's name is Victor Oliphant. She couldn't remember her grandmother's name."

"Does she know where they lived?"

"Somewhere in Wisconsin, she thinks. I find it strange that her grandparents would only keep in touch with her while her mother was alive. I wonder what could have happened?"

"Marissa said if I could get the grandparents' names and where they lived, she could do a search on the internet and try to locate them."

Bailey took Gary's arms and wrapped them around her and snuggled closer to him. "I think that's a good idea. At least we can find out if they would want her or not. If for some reason they don't, I thought maybe she could stay here with us. She's been such a help to me today. We could enroll her in school and go from there."

Gary placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face towards him and gently kissed her.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Because you're the best wife I could have asked for."

~~

"You do this every year?" Eve asked as she helped Bailey wrap packages to take to the hospital.

"I've done it for a while. For a long time I didn't live near any friends and I didn't have any family, so Christmas was pretty lonely. One year I decided to buy some gifts and take them to the children who were hospitalized. I had so much fun, I've done it every year since."

"Are the kids real sick?"

"Some of them are very sick, yes."

Eve crinkled her nose. "Isn't that depressing to see?"

Bailey stopped wrapping the package she was working on. "It is very sad that they are sick, but if I can do something to make their Christmas a little happier, well, I feel I've helped them, if even just a tiny bit."

"How come you're like this?" Eve asked.

"Like what?"

Eve shrugged. "Helping people. You and Gary both. Why? What do you get out of it?"

Bailey placed a final piece of tape on the package, then tied the ribbon around it before answering.

"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'it's better to give than to receive'?"

Eve shook her head.

"Well, for instance--when I bought the clothes for you, the look on your face was a gift to me in return."

Eve eyed her for a moment. "What about people who don't have money to buy things for somebody? Wouldn't they feel bad because they can't give gifts?"

"You don't have to have money to give things that matter. Visiting someone who doesn't get a lot of company is a gift. A helping hand to someone who is struggling, a hug or a smile. Those are all gifts that don't cost a penny. No matter what you give, give it from the heart."

Eve nodded her head and went back to wrapping packages.

Cautiously, the cat made his way into the room and began to play with the ribbon.

"Hey! There you are," Eve stated.

Bailey looked up. "Wha....what do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Yesterday morning I thought I heard a cat meow in the hallway, then again this morning. But I hadn't actually seen him."

"Oh," Bailey sighed, relieved. "He kind of comes and goes as he pleases."

"Here kitty, kitty," Eve called. "What's his name?"

"Cat. I know, it's not very original, but Gary never got around to naming him and well, Cat seems to fit."

Cat walked over and crawled up on Eve's lap then laid down and began to purr as she scratched his chin.

Bailey wondered how Gary and Marissa were doing in the search for Eve's family.

~~

Gary stomped his feet on the sidewalk outside of McGinty's, trying to rid his feet and legs of clinging snow, before he opened the door and walked in.

~Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on
our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
From now on our troubles will be far away~

"Hello, Mr. Hobson. Mrs. Brown wanted to see you in the office as soon as you returned."

"Thank you, Jake," Gary replied before he first went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Marissa," he said as he walked into the office and set his cup down on the desk.

"Hello, Gary. I was able to locate a few Victor Oliphants in Wisconsin" she said as she handed him a piece of paper.

He looked at it and frowned before handing it back to her and taking his jacket off.

"Would you mind telling me what's on that? I haven't mastered braille yet."

Marissa laughed. "Oh, I guess not."

She laid the paper on the desk and ran her fingers over it. "There are five listed in Wisconsin. I checked surrounding states also and found one more in Michigan. I didn't call any of them because I wasn't sure what you wanted me to say."

Gary sat down at the desk and ran his hands through his hair. He drew a deep breath before speaking again.

"I don't know what to say either. What if I find her grandparents and they don't want her?"

Marissa crossed her arms on the desk in front of her and leaned forward. "I don't know Gary. There are probably some shelters, or halfway houses, she could go to," Marissa suggested.

"No, I wouldn't want to do that. Bailey suggested she stay with us. I don't have a problem with that, not really, it's just....."

"No privacy?"

"Exactly. It's not that she's in the way....it's ..it's... boy, I feel guilty for feeling this way."

"Gary, don't beat yourself up over this. It would be hard on anyone to have a teenager move into their home. Why don't you try the list first, then you can worry about if Eve has to stay with you."

"You're right. Can you read the numbers off to me?" Gary asked as he picked up the phone.

~~

Gary slammed the phone down. "Looks like I'm batting a thousand."

"Maybe you'll get lucky with the next one," Marissa said hopefully.

Gary dialed the number as Marissa read it off to him. He frowned. "Answering machine. Ah, ah, hello. This..this is Gary Hobson and I'm trying to locate Victor Oliphant. Uh, ah, who had a daughter, Victoria, who was married to Jacob Finney. They, they had a daughter named Eve. Um, Eve is staying with my wife and me. It's a long story, but if you are this Victor Oliphant and would like to see Eve...."

Gary finished the message with numbers where he could be reached.

He sighed as he hung up the phone. "What's the next number?"

Chapter 7

Gary opened his front door that evening and it sounded like all Hell had broken loose. He could hear Gene screaming and crying at the top of his lungs, and Lois's wails almost drowned him out. He could hear his dad apologizing profusely and harder to hear, was Bailey's voice trying to soothe her son's cries.

"What's going on?" Gary asked as he entered the living room and ran smack into Eve.

"Oof. Sorry, Gary," she said as she hurried on by.

"Dada!" Gene cried as he reached for Gary.

"Uh oh, looks like someone is gonna have a goose egg on their forehead," Gary said as he took Gene in his arms and kissed the knot on his head.

"I'm so sorry. It's my fault," Bernie apologized.

From the look on his face he seemed to be in as much agony as Gene.

"Bernie, you should have known better," Lois scolded.

"Bernie, it's okay. He's not hurt bad," Bailey said as she placed her hand on his arm.

"What happened?" Gary asked.

"Fawdan, goboo."

"Oh," Gary laughed as he pulled his son close.

"Bernie was chasing him, and he slipped and fell and bumped his head," Lois stated.

"Aww, I bet you'll be alright, won'tcha, partner?" Gary asked his son, who sniffed in reply.

"I think a doctor should see him," Lois suggested.

"It probably wouldn't hurt to at least call him," Bailey said. "Oh, welcome home, honey," she said as she stretched up and kissed Gary on the cheek, before going to call the doctor.

Gary laughed. "It was a little crazy when I walked in. Hi Mom, Dad. When did you get here?"

"A couple of hours ago. You're looking good, son. Marriage and fatherhood seem to agree with you," Bernie observed.

"Yes, they do, Dad," Gary said as he leaned over to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"You forgive your Pawpaw, Gene?" Bernie asked.

"Pway gin," Gene sniffed as he reached for Bernie.

Bernie laughed before taking his grandson.

"Here's the ice," Eve announced as she re-entered the room.

Bernie sat down and placed the ice pack on Gene's forehead.

"Ooh, co," Gene said as he tried to push the ice away.

"It will make your owie feel better," Bernie explained.

"I called the hospital and they said if Gene didn't black out, he should be okay. We should just keep an eye on him," Bailey said as she came back. "How about you?" she asked as she turned her attention to Gary. "Can I get you anything? Are you gonna be here for dinner?"

Gary looked at his watch. "I have one more sa....uh, errand. One more errand to take care of," Gary caught himself when he realized Eve was in the room.

"Eve, could you take Gene in the kitchen and fix him some juice?" Bailey asked.

"Sure," Eve replied as she took Gene from Bernie and left the room.

Bernie stood up quickly. "Whatcha got son? Anything I can help with?"

Gary looked behind him before he pulled the paper from his pocket.

"There's a purse snatching on the lower level of the Northbridge Mall," Gary relayed.

"What time?" Bernie asked.

"About 6:40."

"Come on, let's go," Bernie said as he headed for the door.

"Wait! Let me get my coat. I'm coming too," Lois informed them.

"Howzat?"

"I didn't know Eve would be here and tomorrow is that child's birthday, then the next day is Christmas. I can't have her sitting here with no gifts to open from us."

Gary did little to hide the grimace on his face.

"Gary, if you don't want me to go, just say so. I can go tomorrow," Lois said as she gave him her best sad face.

"You won't take all night, will ya?"

"Nope. Scout's honor. You and your dad can take care of the purse snatcher, and I'll just run into Nordstrom's and grab her something real quick," Lois said, a smile appearing on her face. "Oh, alright. As long as you hurry. I'd like to get home to my wife as soon as I can," Gary said as he smiled at Bailey.

"Dinner will be ready at 7:30 and we won't wait on you," Bailey said as she winked at Gary.

"I promise! We'll have him home by 7:30. No later," Bernie declared as he placed his hand over his heart.

Bailey kissed Gary on the cheek. "You better get going," she said as she shooed them out the door.

~~

The incident at Northbridge averted, Gary and Bernie went on a search for Lois; which proved to be more difficult than the purse snatching.

"Good grief. We'll never find her in this place," Gary groaned as he looked around at the throng of last minute holiday shoppers.

"Maybe we should have her paged?" Bernie suggested.

"Where is the women's department in this store? That's probably where she is," Gary commented.

Bernie shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me."

They finally located the women's department and were scanning the crowd for Lois when they heard, "Gary! Bernie! Over here!"

Gary groaned when he saw the pile of bags stacked next to his mother.

"Mom! You promised!" he moaned.

"I promised I'd hurry and I did. Here, take some of these and we can get going," she ordered.

"Anything in there for me?" Bernie asked as he tried to look into a bag.

Lois slapped his hand. "Keep out of the bags. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Got caught snooping under the tree again?" Gary laughed.

"Your mother is like a blood hound. She catches me every time," Bernie complained.

"Mom always was pretty good at knowing those things," Gary offered.

"You oughta know, son. I caught you more than once," Lois smiled.

"Boy, don't I know."

Chapter 8

Bailey stepped into the long black skirt and zipped it up, before putting on a red cardigan sweater with a black faux fur collar. She sat down on the bed and pulled on a pair of black boots, then stood up and walked over to the dresser and put her jewelry on. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and tucked her hair behind her ears, then placed a black hat with a rolled brim on her head.

She ran her hands over her sweater to smooth it, causing her engagement ring to wink in the light. She held out her hand to admire her ring. It was hard for her to believe it had already been three years since Gary had given it to her. It was three years ago tonight, when he had surprised her at the hospital with the ring and a proposal. She remembered being so upset and certain that she had lost Gary for good. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered the moment that Gary got down on bended knee.

She dabbed at her eyes carefully, so she didn't ruin her makeup, and made her way downstairs so they could go to the hospital.

Lois and Bernie had asked if they could play Santa and Mrs. Claus this year, and Bailey had found costumes for them. The hospital administrator took them to a room where they could change and then arranged for several orderlies to bring in the gifts.

~~

Gary looked at the article. 'Melee over toy sends one to hospital and one to jail.'

"Well, Merry Christmas!" Gary grumbled.

He looked at his watch, hoping this wouldn't take long, because he didn't want to be late for the festivities at the hospital.

He read the article to determine where the mishap would take place and made his way to the indicated aisle. He arrived just as a man and woman reached for the last big, floppy, brown teddy bear.

"That's mine!" the woman stated.

"I was here first," the man retorted.

"No, you weren't!"

"Yes, I was. I touched it first!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Gary interrupted.

"Oh no you don't, mister! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" the woman screamed at Gary.

"Howzat?"

"Yeah, get lost, buddy. You're a day late and a dollar short," the man growled.

"I don't want the bear...."

"Sure you don't," they both replied in unison as they continued to tug on the bear.

"Listen, there are other toys...."

"GET LOST!!!!"

"Lady, if you don't let go of this bear, I'll......"

"You'll what?" the woman dared the man.

"Oh boy. Uh uh, come on, it's Christmas. You know, peace on earth...." Gary tried.

The man yanked forcefully on the bear but the woman held her grip, and the arm of the teddy bear ripped off, causing the man's hand to fly back and hit Gary on his right eye. Gary staggered backwards into the display rack behind him, and it came crashing down underneath him.

The woman looked at the damaged bear in her hand. "Here. I don't want it," she said as she tossed the bear to the man, who let it fall to the floor.

"I don't want the stinking bear either," he replied as he dropped the bear's arm and gave Gary a dirty look before quickly leaving.

Gary lay in a heap, his hand covering his eye, mumbling under his breath.

"What's going on over here?" an employee asked as he ran down the aisle.

"What a mess! What's your problem, mister? Just who do you think is going to clean up this mess? Huh?"

"Oh boy!"

~~

"Shouldn't Gary be here by now?" Lois asked Bailey.

She shrugged her shoulders. "You never know with the paper. He'll be here as soon as he can. I'm sure."

"Eve is awfully quiet tonight," Lois commented as she looked across the room at Eve, who sat at a table by herself, doodling on a napkin.

"I'll think she'll perk up once she finds out what we have planned for tonight," Bailey stated.

"Have you seen any of her doodles?"

"No," Lois answered.

"She draws all the time and she's very good. I got her a sketch pad and some pencils. I hope she likes them."

"I'm sure she will. She seems so grateful for all you and Gary have done. You are so good with her. Have you thought of trying for a daughter soon?" Lois asked hopefully.

Bailey laughed. "I don't have time for another child right now. Maybe when Gene's a little older. But I definitely want to have more kids."

Lois seemed satisfied with Bailey's answer. "Has Gary been able to locate her grandparents?"

Bailey shook her head. "None of the ones he has called were the right family. He left a message for one Victor Oliphant, but Gary hasn't heard back from him," Bailey explained.

Bailey knelt down to hand Gene a toy that had rolled out of his reach, and he continued to play with the other children.

"Don't you wish you had the power to heal every hurt in this room?" Lois asked.

Bailey sighed. "Yes, I do."

"Ho, ho, ho!! Merry Christmas!!" Santa called out as he walked into the room.

Excited cries of the children filled the room as they hurried to Santa Claus.

Bernie took his place and began handing out the gifts with Lois's help.

Bailey picked Gene up and held him in her arms as the children anxiously awaited their name to be called.

Gary walked into the room and scanned the crowd looking for Bailey. He spotted her talking to another mother, and his mind drifted back to three years ago when he walked into this room, his heart in his throat and his palms sweaty with fear. Fortunately, Bailey had accepted his proposal and his life became complete.

Bailey spotted him and smiled brightly before it faded. She excused herself and quickly made her way across the room.

"Gary, are you alright? What happened?"

Chapter 9

Gene pointed a tiny finger at his father's eye. "Boo boo."

Gary smiled wanly. "Yeah, we have matching ones."

Bailey gently placed her hand on his face. "Are you alright?"

He took her hand in his. "I'm fine. I just happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"It looks like it hurts. Let's get you some ice," she said as she led him to the refreshment table and placed some ice in a napkin and handed it to him.

"You two look like the Bobsey Twins," Bernie laughed as he walked over.

"Funny, Dad," Gary frowned as he placed the ice to his eye.

"Santa Claus is your daddy??" a young girl, who was standing close by, asked in awe.

"No! Uh, oh, yeah, I guess Santa *is* my dad," Gary stammered as he caught himself.

"Wow!" the child uttered breathlessly before she walked away.

"Sorry, I missed out on the gift giving. I had a slight mess to clean up at the toy store," Gary explained.

"Is that how you got the black eye?" Bailey asked.

"Nope, I got that when the teddy bear used in a tug of war between two customers ripped apart and the guy's hand swung back and hit me. I ended up in a pile of toys on the floor, creating a mess that the clerk made me clean up," Gary stated as he threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

Bailey placed her hand over her mouth to cover her smile. "Are you done for the evening?" she asked, laughter evident in her voice.

Gary's eyes twinkled. "Yeah, I'm done for the night."

"Bailey, they're bringing the cake in. Ooh, what happened to your eye?" said Lois as she joined the group.

"It was nothing. I'll tell you later. Looks like we have a party to join," Gary said.

One of the orderlies entered the room, pushing a cart with a large cake, lit with 18 candles. Bailey started singing 'Happy Birthday' and the crowd joined in. Eve's eyes lit up as she realized it was her birthday cake.

She had been enjoying the evening. It was fun to see how happy the children were with their gifts, but guilt had assaulted her when she felt a little sorry for herself that it was her birthday and everyone else was getting gifts. Eve knew better than to feel that way. Most of these kids didn't have much of a future, and Gary Hobson showing up tonight wasn't going to change that fact for them. She was lucky he had shown up on that bridge and even luckier that he and Bailey had taken her in.

Eve had just decided to stop feeling sorry for herself, because all in all this was the best birthday or Christmas she had experienced in a long time, when Bailey started singing 'Happy Birthday'.

Lois walked over and took her hand.   "Come on, birthday girl. It's time for you to make a wish."

~~

Gary closed the door to their bedroom behind him and turned the lock. He watched as Bailey turned on a lamp, then took off her hat and hung it on the bedpost. She ran her fingers through her hair before using the toe of one boot to hook the heel of her other boot and pull it off, then repeated the same movement to take off the other one.

"I think Eve was really surprised tonight. I'm so glad she seems happy," Bailey stated, her back still towards Gary.

He walked up to her and placed his arms around her. "Merry Christmas," he whispered in her ear.

She turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Merry Christmas," she replied before he leaned his head close and kissed her.

Gary slid his hand up her back and underneath her hair to cradle the back of her neck. He moaned softly as she took a step closer to him.

Her satiny hair brushed against his hand as she moved her head. The scent of her shampoo teased his senses as he got lost in the feel of her, the smell of her, the taste of her.

He began backing her towards the bed as he moved his other hand to the front of her sweater, where his knuckles grazed her skin as he worked with the buttons. One hand still securely behind her head, holding her close to his body.

After freeing two of the buttons he ran his forefinger gently down her throat to skim the top of the camisole that she wore.

Suddenly she pulled away. "Gary," she said breathlessly. "Your parents are in the next room and Eve's across the hall."

Gary's eyes were fastened to the area of skin that lay exposed above the camisole. Her chest rose and fell quickly and her rapid heartbeat caused the material to flutter. He raised his gaze to her eyes and lingered there.

Bailey swallowed hard and her eyelids flickered briefly before Gary buried his head on her shoulder and groaned.

She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"No sorrier than I am," he mumbled against her skin before he drew his mouth slowly up her neck to her ear, satisfied with her quick intake of breath.

"How quiet do you think we can be?" he whispered.

She laughed softly as she pulled away from him. "Are you serious?" she whispered, scandalized and a bit intrigued at the prospect.

His eyes twinkled in the lamp light as he raised one eyebrow as if to challenge her, and a smile began to form on her lips.

"Gary!"

He placed a finger to her lips. "Shh," he whispered as his lips captured hers. His teeth nibbling gently on them before he once again caressed them with his soft lips.

The sound of the phone ringing quickly brought them back to reality. Bailey grabbed the phone before it could wake Gene.

"Hello?" she answered as she placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm her beating heart and to catch her breath.

Gary ran his hand through his hair in irritation.

"Yes, he is. Hold on a second." She held out the phone. "It's for you."

Chapter 10

"Meow!" *thump*

Gary stretched and yawned before realizing that Bailey wasn't beside him. He smiled before he got out of bed and made his way to the door. As
always, Cat sat on top of his early edition of the Sun-Times.

"It's a stupid thing to ask, but I'm gonna ask anyway. Could I have the day off?" Gary asked the cat as he bent to pick up the paper.

"Meow!"

"Gary? Who are you talking to?" Eve asked as she stood in her doorway.

Gary stepped back startled, and clutched the paper to his chest. "Oh, just, well, Bailey isn't here and the cat was....I *didn't* expect him to answer."

Eve laughed. "I hope you didn't," she frowned slightly. "You trained your cat to bring your paper to your bedroom?"

"Howzat?" Gary asked as he scratched his head.

"Every morning that I've been here, I heard a meow and a thump. This morning, curiosity got the best of me and I had to see what the thump was."

"Oh, uh.." Gary stammered as he looked to the cat for some kind of help.

"Hey, you're up," Bernie said as he appeared at the top of the stairs. "Hurry up, you two. Santa's been here."

"Okay, Dad. I'll get dressed and be right down."

"Hurry. Your mother won't let me open anything till everyone's downstairs."

Gary walked into his room and shut the door.

"Meow!"

"Meow, yourself. We almost got caught. All I need is someone else finding out about this thing," Gary said as he opened the paper and scanned the headlines.
He looked down at the cat. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Meow!"

Gary looked through the paper once more just to make sure. "Well, Merry Christmas to you too."

~~

~Christmas day is here again
Time to see our long lost friends
And we'll have snow and wishes now
Mistletoe and kisses now
For the ones we love.

I hear bells a ringing now
Tiny tots are singing now
Everyone is feeling gay
What a lovely Christmas day
Thank you, Lord above~

Bernie and Gary were trying to get the Lionel train set put together, without much luck; Gene kept pulling the track apart.

"Bailey, can you get him?" Gary asked, frustrated.

"Well, Gary, he wants to play too," she teased.

"Come here, sweetie. You come play with Gammaw. Let's see what all this fire truck does," Lois coerced.

Eve sat on the floor next to Gene and showed him the buttons to push to make the lights flash and the sirens wail, while Cat was enjoying playing with the discarded wrappings.

Bailey walked over to Gary, coffee cup in hand, and squatted down. "When do you have to leave?" she whispered.

"I don't. I actually got the day off," he replied.

"Really?"

"Really," he stated before he leaned over and kissed her.

Eve got up and left the room, only to return shortly with two rolled up papers, tied with ribbon. She handed one to Bailey and Gary and the other to Bernie and Lois.

"It's not much, but I wanted to give you something for being so kind to me. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I'm very grateful that you took me in and gave me a safe place to stay," she said as her voice cracked with emotion.

Bailey untied the ribbon as Gary watched. She gasped when she saw what was on the paper. Eve had drawn a picture of Gene; a big smile on his face and his eyes crinkled with laughter.

Bernie urged Lois to open theirs . When she did so, she revealed a drawing of Gary, Bailey and Gene. Bernie examined the drawing that captured the image of his son's family perfectly. "Wow! You have some kind of talent, kid."

"It's not much," Eve protested.

"Eve, they're beautiful. Thank you so much," Bailey said as she stood to hug her.

The doorbell rang, startling the cat who tried to get traction on the wrapping paper and ended up sending it flying in the air. Eve and Gene laughed.

"I'll get that," Gary said as he winked at Bailey.

Eve picked up a ribbon and dangled it in the air. "Here, kitty, kitty. It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you," she coaxed.

Cat peeked his head from behind Gary's recliner, then turned his head to the doorway.

"Meow!"

All heads turned in that direction to see a couple, in their late 50s or early 60s, standing next to Gary.

"Eve, this is Victor and Nancy Oliphant. Your mother's parents," Gary introduced.

Chapter 11

Eve stood there, stunned, still holding the ribbon aloft for the cat.

"Grandma and Grandpa?" she whispered.

Tears sprang to her grandmother's eyes. "Yes dear, we're your grandparents. Oh my! You look so much like Victoria," she said as she placed her hand over her mouth in order to keep from crying.

"How...how did you find me?" she asked as she looked first to Gary, then Bailey.

"Mr. Hobson called and left a message on our answering machine. We were gone and didn't get his message until last night. We called and talked to Mr. Hobson as soon as we got it. We wanted to come as soon as we could," Victor explained.

"Why..why are you here now?" Eve asked them.

"Why are we....?" Nancy said as she took a step closer then looked at Bailey.

Bailey picked Gene up off the floor. "Maybe we should leave you alone for a few minutes so you can talk?" she suggested as she looked at Eve for an answer.
She nodded and everyone else left the room.

"Eve, we're here because we wanted to see you," Nancy explained.

"But you got in an argument with my parents the last time you came to visit. You left and never came back."

"I know. We were upset with your mother because we didn't want her to stay with your father. We wanted Victoria and you to come home with us. Your father...he wasn't very nice to your mother."

"He hit her," Eve said.

Extreme sadness flashed across Nancy's face.

"Yes, he did and that made us very angry. But your mother wouldn't leave him and that made us angry at her. We never stopped loving Victoria or you. I tried calling some months later and the phone had been disconnected. I kept sending gifts, then a few years later when I mailed your gifts, they came back. We should have tried to find you. We were wrong not to. I've...we've gone to bed every night regretting our decision. To think we left you and your mother with .....and now she is gone...and you....what you went through," Nancy said before she began to cry.

Victor placed his arm around his wife, and Eve took a hesitant step forward, then another, before she finally was close enough to put her arms around her grandmother.

~~

"Do you think we did the right thing? Maybe we should have told her that her grandparents were coming," Bailey wondered.

"Well, it's too late for that now," Gary replied.

"What if she thinks we didn't want her?" Bailey asked, as she began to second guess their decision.

"I would think Eve would be very happy to find out she had family who loves her and wants her with them," Lois said before pouring fresh coffee in her cup.
They all looked up when they heard footsteps.

"Gary, Bailey. Could I talk to you alone?" Eve asked.

"Of course. We'll just take our coffee into the living room and visit with your grandparents," Lois said. "Bernie, why don't you bring Gene along?"

Eve waited until they had left the kitchen.

"Howzit going in there?" Gary asked.

Eve nodded. "Good. My grandparents told me what happened...why I didn't hear from them. I...I think I understand. They...they want me to...to come live with them."

"Would you like that?" Bailey asked.

Eve fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. "I think so. They say they have a big house with lots of land and horses. I always wanted a horse."

"Sounds like a pretty good place to me," Gary responded.

Eve shrugged.

"Eve, if you don't feel comfortable going there...." Bailey began.

"No, it's not that. I wanna go. But ..I'll....I'll miss you guys. You've been so nice to me--giving me a place to stay, clothes to wear and food to eat, and ....and a Christmas like I've never known."

Bailey wiped tears from her face, and Gary found his throat was thick with emotion.

Bailey stepped forward and embraced Eve. "I'm gonna miss you too. I really enjoyed having you here. Wisconsin isn't that far away and maybe you can come visit, and you can always call," Bailey suggested.

"Can I really?"

"Of course you can," Gary stated.

"Do you think your grandparents would like to stay and have Christmas dinner with us?" Bailey asked.

"Oh, can we?" Eve asked happily.

"That's fine by me. Why don't you go ask them?" said Gary.

Bailey followed Eve out of the room with Gary not far behind.

"Meow!"

Gary turned to see the cat sitting on a chair. Cat raised his chin and blinked his eyes, before opening his mouth slightly.

"What are you smiling about?" Gary asked.

"Meow!"

"Well? Come on," Gary said as he nodded his head in the direction of the living room.

Cat jumped down off the chair and followed him. Gary stopped just inside the doorway, and cat trotted over to Lois and jumped up in her lap. He saw that Bernie had the train up and running. Gene was sitting in his lap, clapping.

Bailey walked over to Gary and wrapped her arms around his waist. He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him.

Eve was sitting on the floor at her grandparents feet, showing them all she had been given for Christmas. She looked up at Gary and Bailey and smiled.

~And here we are
On Christmas morning
Everything seems so right
Children awake at the dawning
Cause they saw Santa last night

Icy winds, but they are warm
All because my family's home
Yes we'll rejoice in many ways
Giving thanks and giving praise
On this Christmas day.~

The End ~

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!
And may the New Year bring each and every one of you the things you deserve the most. God bless :)

y Darby Ross

Email the author: darbyross@webtv.net

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