Chapter Twenty-One

 

I was in my office grabbing more napkins, since my office doubles as storage space, when there was a knock on the back door. I opened it, surprised to see Melissa and Mason standing in the cold, each holding a bag over their shoulder.

“Merry Christmas, you two, come in,” I motioned, shutting the door against the cold and herding them into my office. “Mason, what are you doing here? It’s your day off.”

He set his bag down in the chair by my desk. “I know it is, but I had nothing going on and Melissa told me about her plans to be Mrs. Claus. You can’t have a Mrs. Claus and no Santa, Ivy,” he said disappointed, shaking his head. “In the bag,” he said, pointing at the black garbage sack, “is my uncle’s Santa suit. Melissa and I thought we’d sit me by the tree and the kids could come sit on my lap, pick a gift, and anything they need from the tree. You cool with it?”

I jumped up and hugged him. “I’m cool with it, thank you for thinking of it! There are dozens of kids out there. Why don’t you suit up while I bring out the napkins and when you’re ready I’ll announce you?”

They both gave me the thumbs up and I hustled from the office to set out the napkins and plate more pie. The diner was a little like bedlam. There were dishes everywhere, kids playing, and parents attempting to keep them from bothering other people. Suddenly, I was glad Mason showed up with Melissa. I checked the pie and there was plenty ready to go, so I put my fingers in my mouth and whistled the way Shep taught me. Not the classiest, but it was effective.

All heads turned in my direction and I smiled. “Sorry to interrupt your meal, but I thought the kids might like to know we have a special guest arriving within a few minutes. You definitely want to be behaving well when he arrives. I can’t tell you who it is, but I can say, he might be a little bit tired today, he’s had a loooooong night,” I teased, winking at one little boy who was bouncing on his seat. Several of the kids gasped and turned to their moms who conspiratorially whispered with them. I hoped I gave Mason and Melissa enough time, but I hadn’t heard them coming down the hall yet, so I clapped my hands. “How about we welcome our special guest with a song? Does anyone know Jingle Bells?”

Little hands shot into the air and we started singing the refrain of Jingle Bells, laughing all the way. During a pause in the second verse we heard real jingle bells and the diner went silent.

“Did I hear bells?” I asked loudly. There came another shake from behind the swinging door and one of the kids noticed black boots and red pants.

“Santa, is it you?” the boy asked and Mason rang the bells again, much to the kids’ delight.

“Ho, ho, ho,” Mason boomed as he pushed through the door and held it for Melissa. “Merry Christmas, everyone!”

The kids squealed with delight at the couple before them, several clamoring to hug Santa and Mrs. Claus who steeled themselves for the onslaught. I left the counter and motioned the couple over to the chair I had waiting. I quickly realized the kids wanted to sit on Melissa’s lap, equally as excited about her as they were about Santa, so I grabbed a second chair for her to sit in. I had to chuckle watching her play Mrs. Claus. Even if any of the kids knew her as Melissa, they would never guess it was her. She had some serious makeup skills, and you would never know she wasn’t the jolly wife of Santa known for baking cookies and helping the elves at the North Pole.

After they were settled, I held the kids back with my hands. “Kids, you all know how it works with Santa, right? We take turns on his lap and we’re respectful of others’ turns,” I instructed, all their heads bobbing. I leaned in close, so I could do a stage whisper for the kids. “And remember, Santa must be soooooooooo tired. Make sure you hug him and thank him before you leave.”

All the kids nodded as if they couldn’t imagine the distance he had traveled in one evening. I stepped back and let the first two kids run for Santa and Mrs. Claus. Gratefully, one of the volunteers offered to sit with the kids while they waited their turn, and I approached the booth and counter seating area where the parents sat.

“I hope you’re all enjoying your meal,” I said and heads bobbed in rhythm. “We partnered with the food shelf to bring the annual coat and boot drive inventory to the diner. When the kids are done with Santa, if they need a coat, boots, warm mittens or anything to get you through the winter, see Audrey and she’ll help you find the right sizes for your child. If you know of anyone who’s in need, please call or text them and have them come down. We’ll get them set up as well.” I swiveled toward Audrey. “Are you going to have coats at the food shelf, too?”

“Yes,” she said, leaning on the cart overflowing with coats and boots. “We’ll have what’s left at the food shelf next Tuesday. That said, spread the word and we’ll outfit as many as we can today and, as a bonus, they’ll get a great meal.”

I was pleased to see Audrey appeared rested and happy. Polly and several of her nursing friends had been staying overnight to take care of Alan three nights a week, so Audrey could sleep uninterrupted. Her smile was bright and her eyes sparkled, which was something I hadn’t seen in a long time.

I swung back to face the crowd and many already had their cellphones out and were frantically typing on the devices. It brought a smile to my face, the one time I didn’t mind phones during a meal.

 

 

 

The afternoon was wrapping up and I hadn’t seen Shep yet. I sent him a text to make sure he was okay, and he assured me he was. He explained he was waiting until closer to the end because he was afraid the loud diner would spike a headache and ruin our Christmas plans for tonight. I hadn’t thought of it, but he was probably right. I texted him back and told him it was nearly empty, so he could come anytime.

I looked up from my phone when the bell tinkled, and I readied my hostess persona to seat another group. Instead, Officer Ensign strolled in, holding the hand of another woman. She wasn’t in uniform, but she was clearly on police business. They came to a stop in front of me and Rita winked at me before she spoke.

“Ivy, I’d like you to meet my friend, Brittany,” she said.

I gave her a small wave. “Hi, Brittany, nice to meet you,” I said, confused as all get out, but playing along.

Brittany stared down at her shoes, but waved from waist level.

“Brittany, do you have anything to say to Ivy?” Rita asked, and Brittany finally lifted her head.

“I’m sorry I scared you by banging on the wall. I was hungry. Thank you for leaving food out for me,” she said, then dropped her head again.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Brittany was the mystery masked man, or obviously, masked woman. I mouthed to Rita, “This is her?”

She nodded and frowned, mouthing. “Homeless and scared.”

I cleared space on the counter. “Brittany, are you hungry? We have turkey and pie going for Christmas dinner. I can have a plate out here in thirty seconds.”

The woman glanced up, a smile forming on her face. “I would like that, but I can’t pay.”

I motioned to the stool by where I cleared the counter. “It’s a free meal for everyone today. There’s even pie and coffee,” I explained. “When you’re done eating we have free coats and warm mittens, too.”

Brittany slowly sat on the stool as if she was expecting all of this to be a trick. I held up my finger and stuck my head through the window to the cooks. “Turkey dinner, extra turkey, extra potatoes, asap,” I called back quietly.

I served Brittany a cup of coffee and a glass of milk and when the plate went in the window, I grabbed it immediately, setting it before her. Her eyes were the size of saucers as she stared at it, her tongue coming out to lick her lips.

“Wow, thank you,” she whispered. “I haven’t had a meal like this in months.”

I patted her hand, which lay on the counter. “You’re more than welcome, sweetie. Merry Christmas,” I said, then left her to eat.

I motioned Rita back through the swinging doors and leaned against the wall. “How did you find her?” I asked, all kinds of questions tumbling through me.

“It was a matter of asking the right questions,” she said. “Once I started asking about a woman wearing all black, several of the agencies were able to tell me who she was. She has special needs,” she explained. “Fetal alcohol syndrome. While she can function in society, she has a hard time working because she doesn’t always understand what they want her to do. The agency has found her a room in a halfway house that specializes in helping women like her.”

I put my hand to my chest. “I’m relieved. I guess she probably didn’t understand pounding on the back wall wasn’t the way to get my attention?”

Rita shook her head. “She saw the door and thought you’d answer it. The lights scared her when they came on and she reacted with violence, not unusual with her syndrome. Technically you can press charges for the broken lights as vandalism.”

I shook my head. “Absolutely not. She meant no harm, I can see as much now.”

Rita sighed. “The poor thing has no family. Her mother was her caretaker, but she passed suddenly a few months ago. There was no one else to care for her and she ended up on the street. She’s had a hard life.”

“What kind of work has she done before?” I asked, an idea forming in my mind.

Rita shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. The agency told me she wouldn’t be capable of handling money or any complicated tasks.”

“Where is the halfway house she’ll be in located?” I asked and she stared at me quizzically.

“Corner of Grand and Main, why?” she asked.

“Because it’s within easy walking distance of the diner, and we know she can run extremely fast,” I joked and Rita laughed.

“You know it.”

“I need a dishwasher. Since Lucille handed the diner over to me, business has doubled and Mason can’t keep up during the busy dinner rush. Would I be able to hire her to work here? It wouldn’t be full-time, but she could work her way through dishes and maybe start learning some simple food prep work.”

Rita put her hand on my arm. “You’d do that for her?”

“Absolutely. I assume she has a social worker or someone helping her through the system?”

“Yes, she has a social worker now. They told me they’ll be working toward getting her on disability for her mental deficiencies, but they still like to have them in a job to gain work skills and learn social etiquette. If you’re actually serious I can hook you up with her social worker.”

I nodded. “I’m dead serious, Rita. She came to my diner for a reason and I won’t turn her away. She’s obviously scared and lonely. Let’s get her in here where she’ll have a family who cares about her.”

Rita hugged me with excitement. “You’re awesome, you know that? Lucille would be proud to see you carrying on her legacy.”

I patted her back and smiled. Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit in me, but I wasn’t going to turn Brittany away. “I know what it’s like to be homeless and helpless. Lucille was there for me. I want to be there for Brittany.”

“Let’s go tell her,” she whispered, holding the swinging door open for me.

Brittany had worked her way through the dinner, sopping up gravy with her dinner roll. “Are you still hungry, Brittany?” I asked. “There’s plenty of food left if you’d like more.”

She glanced up and wiped her face of the gravy on her chin. She went to speak, but Rita cleared her throat and pointed at her own mouth, reminding her to finish chewing first. When she swallowed she answered, “Thank you, but I’m almost full. The food was yummy. I’d like some pie, if that would be okay. You always included pie in the cooler. It’s good pie.”

I smiled at her and patted her hand. “The pie is yours for the taking. I have apple and pumpkin left; would you like a piece of each?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed and Rita cleared her throat. “I mean, yes, please,” she answered.

I cleared her plate and put it in the dish bucket, winking at Rita. “Would you like pie and coffee, Officer Rita?” I asked. “After all, it is Christmas.”

Rita sat on the stool next to Brittany and put her hands on the counter. “I think I will, thank you, Ivy. How about apple?”

I busied myself with the pie and the bell tinkled overhead. When I turned and sat the pie down on the counter, Shep was standing near the register. “Hi,” I whispered, hugging him happily. His coat was chilly from being outside, but his face was bright and his eyes sparkled.

“Hi,” he grinned. “I thought I better get over here. It looks like it’s the place to be.” He noticed Rita sitting at the counter and waved. “Hey, Rita, Merry Christmas.”

She stood and hugged him carefully. “Merry Christmas, Shep. I’m glad you’re okay after your accident. We were quite worried.”

He hugged her back and then loosened his scarf. “Takes more than a curb to take out this hard noggin,” he joked.

I motioned him behind the counter with me while I handed out coffee to Rita and Brittany and trayed several more pieces of pie for the few diners we had left in the booths. Amos accepted the tray and set it on the counter, sticking his hand out for Shep to shake.

“Happy to see you’re up and about, Shep. We’ve been praying for a full recovery,” he said, his voice booming in the small diner. I noticed Brittany shrink toward the door and Rita reached out and patted her shoulder. I made a note of her behavior, so I could make sure no one raised their voice around her.

Shep shook the man’s hand. “Thank you, and thank you for helping my beautiful girlfriend with this meal. It means everything that your club would reach out and spend your day here.”

Amos picked up the tray. “The jobs we do for Yahweh are not work, but a stair built for our journey to meet Him.”

Amos left with the tray and I laid my head on Shep’s chest for a moment, rubbing his back. “It’s been a great day,” I said, pointing at Santa and Mrs. Claus who sat with a small group of children. The kids were on the floor and Mason was reading The Night Before Christmas to them. They were enthralled in the story.

“You’re absolutely the most beautiful, wonderful, and outrageously sexy woman ever,” he whispered, teasing my lips with a kiss.

Rita chuckled from her seat. “You don’t know the half of it,” she said, tongue in cheek.

I tugged Shep over to the counter where Brittany sat. She seemed to have forgotten about being scared, her fork stabbing the pie excitedly. “Shep, this is Brittany,” I said, introducing them. “She’s been coming to the diner for food every night,” I said pointedly, flipping my head toward the back entrance in a move to look like I was adjusting my hair.

His lips made an O and then he recovered his composure when Brittany glanced up. “Hi, Brittany, I’m Shep,” he said, introducing himself.

“You chased me and I got scared,” she said, and stared down at her plate again.

Shep stared at me for a second and frowned. “I apologize, Brittany,” he said, leaning down on the counter. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Apology accepted,” Brittany answered, and Shep stood, taking me aside.

I whispered a short explanation in his ear and the light came on in his eyes. “Gotcha,” he whispered back, taking a second to kiss my lips. “I love you.”

I hugged him. “I love you, too. I have something I have to do,” I said, going back to the counter where the two women were finishing their pie.

“Brittany, I heard from Officer Rita you’re looking for a job.”

The woman shrugged. “I’ve had jobs, but they always tell me to go home. I don’t always understand them and they like to yell. Yelling scares me.”

I glanced at Shep and frowned deeply. The poor woman had clearly been through a lot in her short life. He patted my back in support and I leaned down on the counter to speak to her eye-to-eye. “Here at my diner, we don’t yell at anybody. We’re all friends. We love to laugh, sing, and even dance when we’re cleaning up. Do you like to sing and dance?” I asked.

She smiled happily. “I’m a great singer!”

“See, I think you’d fit right in here in our family. Would you like to have a family?” I asked.

She nodded eagerly. “I would, but no one wants me in their family. I make problems.”

I squeezed her shoulder gently, so I didn’t scare her. I wanted her to understand we would take care of her here. “I want you in my family. Problems happen in families, but if we work together we can solve the problems and move on, right?”

“I think so?” she asked and Shep chuckled.

“I know so. The diner is busy at night. We feed a lot of people in the community and I don’t have anyone to wash the dishes when we get busy. My cook, Mason, tries, but he’s not good at dishes,” I said, shaking my head sadly.

“I’m great at dishes. I did them all the time at the shelter. I like to help make everything neat and orderly,” she said seriously.

I had already noticed in the short time she had been at the counter she had arranged all the displays with the salt and pepper and napkins in precision order. There was certainly a level of compulsion there we could use for good if we got her in the right setting.

“I noticed you like to organize things,” I said, pointing at the displays. “The dishes are never organized and it’s hard to find what we need when we need it. Your job would be to wash and dry the dishes and organize them so Mason can get them easily. Could you do that?”

She nodded eagerly. “I think I can. I might need help for a little while.”

A smile spread across my face. “Goes without saying, Brittany, we’ll help you as long as you need it. Eventually, I’ll teach you how to do other jobs like roll the silverware in napkins and fill the shakers. We’ll take it a little at a time, but you’ll be part of the Nightingale family in no time, okay?”

Brittany looked at Rita who was also smiling and she nodded at Brittany. “We’ll meet with your social worker and arrange it together. You’ll love working here with Ivy, she’s the best.”

Brittany jumped up impulsively and ran around the counter. She still shocked me with the speed she could move. Shep braced me as she plowed into me, hugging me soundly. “You’re the best,” she repeated.

Shep leaned down into my ear and kissed the lobe. “She’s right, you’re the best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shep held my hand as we strolled through the park, the lights on the tree shining brightly in the darkness. It had been a successful Christmas meal at the diner. When the doors closed the men got to work cleaning up and in an hour, we had the dishes done, the counters and tables cleaned, and the extra food stored away in the cooler.

The tree was almost bare, most of the mittens and scarves taken by the families who came to eat. Each child left with a new coat, and boots, as well as a small gift from Santa. Mason and Melissa were troopers spending hours in the hot suits with the kids, but honestly, Melissa was in heaven. I planned to speak with her in the New Year about following her heart and finding work with kids. I hate to lose her as a waitress, but there’s a difference between a job and a passion. Mason loved cooking, it was his passion. Children were obviously Melissa’s.

“What are you thinking about?” Shep asked, his arm going around my waist.

“My wonderful family,” I answered. After we closed the diner at four we drove to Shep’s mom’s house and had Christmas dinner with his family. “It was awesome to meet Felix’s girlfriend and your mom’s new beau.”

He nodded pensively. “You could have knocked me over with a feather when she told us she’s been dating him for a year. Where have I been that I didn’t notice?”

I laid my hand on his chest and stopped our forward motion. I rose up on my toes and kissed him, his lips still carrying the sweetness of his mom’s filled cookies. “She kept it to herself for a reason, and you can’t feel as if you should have seen it, Shep. I’m sure she had mixed feelings about telling you boys. It’s been three years since your dad passed, and she’s still young. She deserves to find happiness again with someone.”

He nodded and put his arms around me, resting his cheek on my head. “Logically, I understand why she did it, but emotionally I’m struggling with having a different man in the house. It feels awkward, and truthfully, it hurt a bit.”

I patted his chest, kissing the hollow of his neck. “That’s natural, Shep. Sometimes it hurts to grow and change. He’s not trying to be your dad, though. He’s not going to replace him or his memory, but he makes your mom happy. I haven’t seen her smile and laugh as much as she did at dinner tonight since your dad died. You can tell he cherishes her and respects her. I loved your dad. He was the only father I ever had and I miss him every day. That said, I enjoyed Ken. He’s an excellent conversationalist, a brilliant hand surgeon, and not too hard on the eyes,” I said, jokingly.

He took my face and gazed into my eyes. “Tell me you aren’t straying already.”

My eyelashes brushed my cheeks as I went for a smoky, sexy look. “Not a chance. I only have eyes for you.”

His lips sought mine again and he kissed me, backing up into the shadows of the woods. His tongue probed my lips, searching for an opening to break in and steal my breath. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my left hand in his hair, being careful of the stitches still in his head. I moaned softly as his hand massaged my breast and his tongue broke in, fighting to possess the kiss with a fever and passion I had yet to experience from him.

I broke the kiss when I needed air and rested my forehead on his chest while he kept massaging my breast. “If you don’t stop that we’re going to have to cut this trip short,” I hissed. I could tell he wasn’t in any better shape, so I took his hand down and held it in mine.

“Let’s finish our stroll and head home. I’m sure you’re beat,” he whispered, kissing my cheek and tucking me back under his arm.

“I’m tired, but it’s a good tired,” I answered as we strolled toward the gazebo. “Meeting Brittany topped off my whole day. I understood her pain and sorrow of being alone with no one to help her. At least I had you and your family, and Lucille. Brittany has no one, and her learning disabilities on top of it must confuse her all the time. I’m glad I could help her.”

He kissed my temple, his lips warm in the cold winter night. “I need to apologize for making fun of you for leaving the cooler out for her. I honestly thought you were crazy, but in the end, you sorted out the situation.”

I shrugged. “Call it intuition. When I was visiting Lucille I remembered how she used to sneak food to the homeless when they came to the back door. It’s been years since it happened, but it stuck in my head.”

“I know you, and I know you’ll have Brittany working, and laughing, in no time. We gained a few new family members today, which is what Christmas is all about.”

I nodded, resting my head on his shoulder as we walked. “I spoke with Amos about running the Christmas dinner together every year. We’re going to start a committee and allow other agencies and groups to get in on the event. I don’t want to do it at the diner next year, though.”

He froze and gazed down at me. “Why not? It’s what Lucille would want.”

“Maybe, but the diner isn’t big enough, Shep. It was packed and I saw several people leave before I could get them a meal to go. I want to find a venue we can use that’s big enough to serve everyone with room for Santa and the tree, not to mention the food shelf. Who knows who else might want to join in.”

He tapped his chin with his finger. “You know, we have a gigantic room in the basement of city hall. It sits unused because it’s dirty and needs some work. I could talk to the council about cleaning and preparing it to be used by the community for these kinds of events. We maybe could even rent it out for parties.”

I clapped excitedly. “Great idea, Shep! I remember they used to play bingo or something there, right?”

“Years and years ago,” he said, as we started walking again. “It’s been bugging me how it sits there empty. I’ve been thinking of reasons to use it, and now I have one.”

“We could always bring in a buffet style heating system to keep things hot. There isn’t a kitchen, right?”

He shook his head. “No, but maybe we could get the word out that we need refrigerators, coffee pots, electric roasters, and buffet equipment. There are sinks and plenty of counter space.”

I laughed into the night. “You’re getting into this,” I said. “I love it.”

He kissed my lips once, pulling away slowly. “I love you, and I love how your heart is open to everyone. It’s contagious. I want to be part of the mission of Bells Pass, and if we have a space owned by the city that’s being unused, it should be addressed.”

“I love you,” I said, turning into his chest as we stopped by the stairs to the gazebo. I noticed the twinkle lights remained on, the snowflakes having landed on them making a magical Christmas scene for the park visitors. “You left the lights up,” I whispered, staring at them over his shoulder.

“I couldn’t take them down yet. I have to give you your Christmas present,” he said, kissing my neck.

He took my hand and guided me up the steps of the gazebo, leading me all the way to the back behind the tree where we were hidden from sight of other visitors. Families were starting to come out to see the lights one last time after their busy Christmas day.

“Shep, you already gave me a present this morning,” I reminded him. “I gotta tell you, a new all-wheel drive SUV is more than a present. It’s about six years’ worth of Christmas presents.”

He chuckled and leaned in for a kiss. “The SUV was sort of a joint present, since we’ll both use it, but it was also a relief for me. I don’t like you driving in your old car on these winter roads. I worry nonstop. The SUV assures me you’re much safer when I’m not with you.”

“Your accident really spooked you, didn’t it?” I asked, caressing his face, and he nodded.

“It did. I can’t pretend I’m not scared of losing you. I am. Sometimes it’s paralyzing and I have to force my mind to forget about the danger and enjoy being with you. It’s getting easier with each day passing. I think the knock to my head scrambled my brains, which is part of the reason I fixate on the negative right now. The doctor assured me it would get better, but I never want the new respect I have for life to disappear. I want to hold on to the positive things I learned from the accident.”

I stroked his face, the hair they shaved away in a strip from his head obvious from under his stocking cap. I rubbed his temple just below it. “Which were?”

He captured my hand and kissed my palm as he held it to his cheek. “Life is precious. Time is fleeting. There’s no guarantee I’ll see tomorrow. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him tenderly. It was a kiss I hoped said how much I agreed with him. “Those are perfect takeaways from all of this. We all need to value life more than we do.”

He kissed my hand. “I’m glad you feel as strongly about it as I do,” he whispered, kneeling down on one knee. He never broke eye contact, but dug around in his coat pocket and came out with a box. “I ordered this the day I got home from the hospital.” He cracked the box open and a ring sat nestled in velvet. “I know we’ve only been going steady for a few weeks, but I don’t want to be your best friend, or your boyfriend, any longer.”

My hand came up to my mouth and I was shaking, his words and the ring rocking me to my core. “Shep,” I whispered, “what are you saying?”

He adjusted himself on the floor of the gazebo and took my hand. “I’m saying I want to be more than your best friend and boyfriend. I want to be more than your lover. I want to be more, Ivy. We’ve known each other for twenty years, a lifetime really. We thought we knew everything about each other after spending years together, but we still find new connections we didn’t know were there each day we spend together. We’ve nurtured it and cemented each other in our hearts as soulmates. Well, at least you’re cemented in mine,” he said awkwardly.

I nodded, my chin trembling and tears falling down my cheeks. “Mine, too.”

He let the smile aching to come out spread across his face. “I already knew because you told me as much when you trusted me with your body for the first time. I can’t describe to you how in love I am with you, Ivy. It’s all encompassing, and awe inspiring to be your boyfriend, but I want more. When the car hit the Gator and sent me flying, the only thing on my mind was you. How I had to survive for you. I want to spend my life with you, Ivy. I want you to be the mother of my children. I want to grow old with you and be there beside you when you hand off the Nightingale Diner to one of our children, so we can travel the world before we’re too old. You’re all I’ll ever need, Ivy. You’re all I’ve ever needed, and I know it took me too long to realize it, but I’m here now and I’m ready to be your husband.” I collapsed to my knees and he held the ring up. “I know the ring isn’t a big fancy diamond, but those rings aren’t your style,” he said as I shook my head.

“No, they’re not. This is beautiful,” I whispered, tears choking my voice. “It’s a nightingale, right?”

He smiled and wiped a tear from my cheek. “It is. I had the ring overnighted to me, and took it to the jeweler. He put a diamond here,” he said pointing to the bird’s chest. “Because you’re my heart. You’re all of my heart. Susanna Ivy Lancombe, would you go steady with me forever and ever? Will you be my wife?”

My heart burst open and I nodded as I laughed happily, joy spilling out of every pore in my soul. “Yes, Shep, yes!” I shouted as he slid the ring on my finger.

A cacophony of cheering and clapping rose up behind us and he spun around to see a crowd of community members watching us as we knelt on the gazebo floor.

He grabbed me around my waist and held me, rocking me back and forth. “I love you, Suzi Q,” he whispered over the cheers and whistles.

“I love you, Shepard James Lund. You’re my Christmas wish come true.”