CHAPTER 13
Betsy skipped ahead and pointed. “Look, Mommy. Pink decorations.”
“Do you like those?” Adam asked.
Betsy nodded as he piled two boxes of shiny, pink ornaments into the cart. The little girl marched toward a variety of small and large wreaths decorated with traditional red, green, silver, gold, and even a few with pink flowers and ornaments.
Betsy stood beneath a pastel wreath. “Pink.”
“I didn’t realize how much you liked pink,” Madison said.
“Pink, pink, pink,” Betsy shouted.
Madison watched as Adam plucked the pink wreath off the wall and added it to their cart. “Your daughter knows what she likes. I think we have a theme here.”
Madison winked. “And they’ll go nicely with my red and green reindeer theme at home.”
“Perfect.” He took Madison’s hand while Betsy bounced up and down the aisle like a stray basketball.
“Not exactly designer colors like the gorgeous décor at the Redbud,” Madison said.
Adam waved his hand. “No way. We don’t want modern-rustic-Italian. We want girly stuff.”
Betsy tugged on Adam’s pants. “Can we get more?”
“Betsy.” Madison warned.
Adam steered them toward another aisle. “Do you have a tree topper?”
Madison shook her head. “I guess we do need something for the top of the tree. What do you think, Betsy?”
The youngster ran up and down the aisle twice before settling upon a beautiful white angel. Standing on tiptoe, Betsy tried to reach the ornament but knocked it over. The angel fell to the floor and shattered. She started crying. Loudly.
Adam rushed over, picked her up, and slid the glass fragments out of the aisle with his foot. “Don’t worry. It’s okay. Accidents happen. We’ll get another one.”
Betsy sobbed as her shoulders rose up and down. “I’m sorry. It pwabwy costs lots of money.”
“It’s fine. There’s another one just like it. Let me get it for you.” Adam carefully plucked the angel off the hook and handed it to the little girl who carried it like she’d never let go.
Teary-eyed, Madison steered the cart, marveling at how well Adam had handled her upset daughter. As they approached the cashier, she said, “Let me pay for some of this.”
He had already plucked out his Discover card. “This is my treat. It was my idea, remember.”
Betsy tugged on her mother’s green sweater as the cashier rang up the purchases. “Mommy, we’ll have the most beautiful Cwismas tree ever.”
“We sure will. You chose beautiful decorations, sweetie.” Madison bent down and kissed her daughter on the cheek. “Having fun?”
The little girl bobbed her head so hard her blonde curls bounced.
Holding the bags, Adam turned to them. “Speaking of trees, we had better go get one unless you’re hungry now. I thought we could get pizza afterward.”
“Pizza,” Betsy’s eyes widened. “I love pizza.”
After deciding to get the tree first, Adam glanced at his Smart phone. “I Googled tree farms and found one nearby.” He studied the map and motioned with his elbow. “Follow me. It’s about ten minutes that way.”
“You’re always on top of everything.” Madison buckled Betsy in her car seat and slid behind the wheel. Adam waited until they were behind him before pulling out of the lot.
After they arrived at the Christmas tree farm, Madison’s mouth fell open. Seemingly hundreds of pine and evergreen trees filled the lot. Families walked arm in arm or hand in hand as they stepped from row to row to choose the perfect tree. “I never knew this was here.” For once, the holiday season didn’t depress her.
Inhaling the pine fragrance, she felt happy and at peace. As they stopped before small, medium, tall, crooked, and almost-perfect trees, Madison noticed Betsy reached for Adam’s hand. Her heart swelled. Betsy likes him. Her acceptance was all I needed.
Adam pointed to tree after tree, the bigger the better, it seemed. Betsy wove between nearly every tree, touching the branches, and dancing to the Christmas music. Occasionally, she stopped to tie her sneakers but soon acted nonplussed about their tree-finding mission.
Disappointed in her daughter’s lack of enthusiasm, Madison wondered what was wrong. She didn’t want to disappoint Adam on their first outing.
Seemingly reading her mind, Adam whispered, “Give her time. She’ll get excited when she finds the tree she wants.”
“I hope so.”
When they passed a short, scrawny tree, Betsy stood in front of it and pointed. “This twee. I wuv this Cwismas twee.”
Madison and Adam exchanged glances. “Are you sure?” Madison asked. “It’s kind of scrawny. We have room for a bigger tree.”
“It’s perfect,” Adam said. “I love it.”
“Me too. Those pink decorations will be pwetty,” Betsy said.
An ax-wielding employee sauntered over and frowned. He regarded Madison and Adam. “We have much nicer trees.”
Adam shook his head and pointed toward the insignificant tree. “This is the one we want.”
The employee shrugged, chopped it down, and wrapped it in netting before loading it inside Madison’s trunk. Thankfully, she had remembered to hide the Christmas toys and bike the week before. Even though the tree was small, the trunk wouldn’t close, so the employee used twine to fasten the trunk lid to the latch.
Adam checked to make sure the tree was secure and paid the guy. He turned toward Betsy. “Who’s ready for pizza?”
“Me, me, me,” Betsy yelled.
“Sounds good.” Madison stood on tiptoes and kissed Adam. “Thanks for everything. You’re amazing.” She whispered, “If I didn’t believe in Santa before, I do now.”
“Mommy, you’re kissing.”
“It’s okay, honey. We’ve been dating. Adam is a wonderful man. I want you to get to know him.”
Adam bent down to speak to Betsy. “How do you feel about that?”
Betsy shrugged. “It’s okay. You’re nice. Can we eat now?”
Adam and Madison both laughed. Madison rubbed her belly. “I’m famished. Where are we going?”
“I know the best pizza place in town. Follow me.” Adam waited until they got behind him in traffic and drove to Roco’s Pizza.