Longing to Belong - Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Birch Creek, December 1999
The last few months hadn't been easy at all. Nothing major happened, and there had been a false semblance of normalcy in their routine. Yet, there was a palpable uneasiness that thwarted pretensions of contentment. Teaspoon thought that time would make things easier, but as months passed, both he and Louise felt Mary’s absence more sharply.
Lou was still struggling with everything that had happened. The last blow had been to learn that Teaspoon wouldn't adopt her as he had told her he would. Her birth father wouldn't allow it, and all her excitement to become Teaspoon’s real daughter came crushing down. She had cried miserably, and even though Teaspoon had done his best to comfort her, assuring her that they were as good as father and daughter, and a paper wouldn’t change that, she was inconsolable. Lou could be very stubborn, and she kept insisting that she knew that all that did matter very much.
“I wanted everybody to know that you’re my daddy, nobody else!”
“And I am, honey. I am.”
“No, you’re not!” Lou cried. “And that’s what the lawyer’s paper says!!!”
“Sweetheart, what matters is not what is written in ink, but what is etched in our hearts… what we believe and feel. For what is worth, you’re my daughter, and that’s what the world knows and sees.”
“But it’s a lie,” Lou replied in a very soft voice, still in tears.
There had been no way to ease her pain. Teaspoon had finally dropped the matter, and he knew it was very much alive in the girl’s mind. During the summer weeks that followed, he tried to find ways that could bring Lou some tiny happy moments as the therapist had told him. So almost every day he came up with plans… different things to do: jaunts to the movie theatre, the swimming pool, the park, shopping trips, and they even spent weekends away. Lou seemed to enjoy everything, but Teaspoon felt that despite her smiles and excitement, there was something missing.
When the time to return to school came, Lou was more subdued than usual. It was hard for Teaspoon to see her cross the gates that morning, as weeks went by, Lou seemed to perk up a little. Her grades weren’t worse than usual, and she studied and worked hard. When Emma Cain went on maternity leave at the end of November, the girl obviously missed her teacher and didn’t seem to warm up to her replacement. Thankfully, that didn’t appear to affect her too much as she still got to see Emma quite a lot when she stayed with her on the days Teaspoon had the evening shift at the station. Then when Emma had her boy at the beginning of December, Lou fell in love with the baby and constantly talked about him at home. Teaspoon was glad to see her more animated and alive, a sigh she was in higher spirits even though there were still moments when Lou’s mood seem to succumb and go into free fall. Fortunately, those occasions were becoming scarcer.
Tonight was Christmas Eve. Teaspoon had been worried about the holiday for weeks. Mary’s absence would be too evident, and there was no way she wouldn’t be missed. However, he wanted to give Louise a proper Christmas, and even though he knew the girl would be thinking about the year before when her mother had been sick and alive, Teaspoon wanted to make this year’s celebration good for her.
It was Sam Cain who came up with a great idea. He and Emma usually rented a rural cottage not far from town, but still a good distance to give them some peace and quiet in these boisterous festivities. Although this year little Frank was only a few weeks old, they still would flee the town, and Sam had asked Teaspoon if he and Lou would join them. His offering was a real blessing. Lou deserved to be surrounded by family, and unfortunately, Teaspoon had none to offer. His parents had died when he was in his twenties, and there had been no siblings for him. If there was any extended family left, Teaspoon had no idea as he didn’t remember his parents keeping in contact with any other relatives. From Lou’s part, the only relation he was aware of was her estranged criminal father, and that was the last person Teaspoon or Lou wanted around. All in all, Sam and Emma had become a surrogate family for them. Teaspoon was very fond of the couple, and he knew they loved his girl as well.
“When are we gonna get there?”
“Soon,” Teaspoon replied to Lou’s question for the umpteenth time after leaving town fifteen minutes ago. Lou was not a very accommodating passenger, and whenever they went on an outing in the car, she kept asking the same question over and over again.
They remained in silence for a while, and then Lou spoke up. Teaspoon was ready for the expected question, but Lou surprised him this time with something else. “Daddy, do you think Santa will know where we are?”
Teaspoon cast a look in the rear-view mirror and saw the girl’s concerned expression. “Of course he knows. He’s a clever guy. Besides, didn’t you add our temporary address in the letter you wrote to him?”
“Yeah,” Lou answered in a uncertain tone.
“Why do you ask, honey?”
Lou shrugged her shoulders. “It’s that Samantha Edgars said something about it.”
Teaspoon heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. That girl’s name kept popping in Lou’s questions and uncertainties more and more, and it was usually about something that confused Louise and brought up her insecurities. Only the other day the girl apparently had told Lou that she had heard that their school planned to expel all the girls who had no mother. Teaspoon hadn’t met the girl, but she was becoming a pain for both him and Lou. If that troublesome child kept bothering his little girl like that, Teaspoon was considering having a word with the teacher and her parents.
“Lou, Santa knows well enough where we are no matter what your friend Samantha has told you.”
Louise didn’t reply to Teaspoon’s comment, and no other conversation succeeded. Instead, Teaspoon started singing off tune to the Christmas carols played on the radio, and soon among giggles Lou joined in. That was the way they spent the rest of the drive.
They finally arrived at their destination. It was a stucco two-floor cottage, standing on an expanse of lawn and surrounded by a white palisade. Teaspoon stopped the car next to Sam’s minivan, and as he and Lou got out, they saw Sam and Emma emerge onto the porch. Lou instantly dashed towards then. “Hello, Mr. Cain! Hello, Mrs. Cain!” she exclaimed out of breath. “Where’s Frank?”
Emma and Sam shared a smile, and before they could answer, Teaspoon’s voice wafted to them. “Young lady, aren’t you forgetting something?”
The couple and Lou turned to see Teaspoon lifting a bag out of the car trunk pointedly. Lou’s face fell unhappily at the idea of wasting precious time with baby Frank on unpacking her suitcase. “Stop grumbling, Hunter,” Sam piped up. “Leave the girl alone.”
“We’ll help you with the luggage,” Emma added, and turning to Lou, she winked as she said conspiratorially, “Frank is inside in his portable cot, honey.”
Lou didn’t have to be told twice, and she barge into the cottage. The room was cozy and welcoming. A big fire roared in the fireplace, providing the room with light and warmth. The furniture in the living room consisted of two sofas, which had seen their heyday quite a long time ago, and a massive oak table. Apart from that, there were a few rustic paintings on the walls, and some bric-a-brac.
Feeling warm, Lou peeled off her woolen hat, scarf and gloves, and slid out of her thick coat, which she carelessly left on one of the sofas. Then she ran to the cot where baby Frank was lying contentedly. Lou bent over the cot, smiling and brushed her hand over the baby’s downy head. “Here I am, Frank, and we’re gonna have so much fun!”
The baby opened his mouth into a yawn, and Lou took it meant something specially directed to her, and her smile broadened. “You’re such a clever boy, Frank!”
Lou heard the adults behind her as they came inside, bringing in the couple of bags Teaspoon had packed for these few days. Her attention was completely caught by the baby, so she didn’t notice what was going around her, or what her dad and the Cains were talking about. Only when Emma placed a hand on her shoulder did Lou look up ad shifted her attention from Baby Frank.
“Would you like to hold him, Lulabelle?” Emma asked, using the nickname she lately called the girl.
“Oh yes, please!”
“Then hop onto the sofa,” Emma instructed, and when the girl was comfortably and safely ensconce in the couch, she picked up her son from the coat and carefully placed him on Lou’s awaiting arms. The baby let out a shrill, and Emma smiled at Lou.
“I think he likes me, Mrs. Cain.”
Emma nodded. “Yes, he does,” she agreed, sitting next to the girl and keeping hold of the baby’s head. Emma was glad that the girl was in such good spirits. “You like babies, don’t you?”
Lou shrugged her shoulders. “I like Frank,” she simply said. “I wish I cold see him more often.”
“One day you’ll probably have your own babies and will see them as much as you like,” Emma remarked, giggling when she caught sight of Teaspoon’s face as he stood with Sam at close range.
“Yes,” Lou replied, not totally sure about that baby business. Emily Metcalf had told her about how babies were made; she said that a girl from middle school had told her. Lou wasn’t sure whether to believe her friend’s shocking tale. Emily occasionally came up with stories to pull her leg, and even though this time she had promised she was telling the truth, Lou was reluctant to believe her. How could she believe that someone as nice and good as Mrs. Cain or, well, her own mother could do something… something so disgusting?
“Or,” Emma continued, unaware of Lou’s musings and feeling in the mood for teasing Teaspoon a bit more, “or you could still have a baby brother or sister… one day.”
Teaspoon pulled a face at Emma, which made both Sam and the woman laugh. Then he noticed Lou looking at him with a frown, trying to work out in her mind how that could be possible. “No,” she finally said in a clear voice. “I don’t want any brothers and sisters.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Christmas Eve turned out to be delightful, much better than what Teaspoon had imagined. Lou was more cheerful than usual and looked happy. It had been a good idea to come here with the Cains. It would have been too sad and lonely with just the two of them, and Mary’s absence would have been more obvious than it already was. Tonight his late wife had also been present somehow. In fact, Emma had deliberately brought her up to show Louise that her mom hadn’t been forgotten. For once, remembering her hadn’t been fraught with sheer bitterness, but something close to contentment, and it had done Lou good.
Teaspoon knew that Emma was a very insightful woman and had a remarkable ability to deal with children. Lou was very fond of her, and Teaspoon reckoned that in a more subtle way Emma was helping the girl with her loss more than the therapist they saw weekly. It was lucky that Lou had someone like Emma in her life, and Teaspoon wondered from time to time if Lou would have been better off with proper parents like Sam and Emma Cain. His own abilities as a father were lacking, but the truth was that he was the only person Lou had, and she was happy enough. That should answer his doubts and stopping working out improbable scenarios. Lou was happy, and that should be enough.
After a beautiful dinner, Emma retired to nurse and bathe the baby. The men volunteered to do the dishes while Lou settled on the sofa and starting solving the jigsaw puzzle she had brought along. When Teaspoon finished the chore and walked back into the living room, he caught her yawning. “Don’t you think it’s time you headed for bed, sweetheart? Santa won’t leave his goodies if he sees you’re still awake.”
Louise nodded and proceeded to put back the puzzle pieces in the box. “Goodnight, Mr. Cain.”
“Good night, beautiful,” Sam replied, patting her head as she went past him.
Teaspoon followed the girl to the room where she’d sleep tonight. “It’s warm and cozy in here,” he remarked as they stepped inside. When he had agreed to spend Christmas in this cottage, he’d imagine that the place would be draughty and dingy., so they’d have to wrap themselves up in several layers of clothing and sleep under a heap of blankets. However, he had been wrong, and the cottage was warmer than his own apartment.
“I’m ready for you to tuck me in,” Lou announced after she had changed into her pajamas and slipped under the quilt.
Teaspoon came closer and arranged the bedding neatly around her small frame. “Tonight let’s skip the storytelling. Just close your eyes and when you wake up tomorrow, Santa will have been in.”
Lou grimaced at his words and then he said, “I don’t think he’ll leave anything for me.”
“What?” Teaspoon exclaimed. “How come?”
“It’s… well, what Samantha said… she… she says that I’m now an orphan, and Santa doesn’t care about orphaned children.”
Teaspoon almost had to bite his tongue to stop the expletive bubbling in his mouth. He was sick and tired of that girl who kept harassing Lou with these tales. “What poppycock is that?” he exclaimed instead. “Lou, Santa Claus cares for all children in the world, especially the good ones, and you’ve been such a good girl this year, haven’t you?” Lou nodded uncertainly, and he added, “Besides, you’re not an orphan. I’m here, and who am I?”
“My Papa Teaspoon.”
“That’s right!” he exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, which made Lou smile. “Honey, listen to me. I don’t want you to pay any heed to all this silly stuff that friend of yours whatshername tells you. Whenever you have questions, come straight to me and ask me. Will you do that?”
Lou nodded solemnly. Then an idea popped into her mind and said, “I have one question now.”
“All right. What is it? Fire away.” Teaspoon asked, smiling from ear to ear.
“How are babies made? Emily told me something one of the older girls from school told her, but I don’t think it’s true.”
Teaspoon’s smile faded into nothing, and all of a sudden, he felt perspiration cover his forehead. “Uh, honey… I think that… that… it’s hard to explain in just … a few minutes. Why don’t you go to sleep now, and I’ll tell you everything later… soon… How about that?”
“All right, daddy,” Louise replied with a contented smile. “Goodnight.”
“And merry Christmas,” Teaspoon added, bending over to place a kiss on her forehead.
“Merry Christmas.”
Teaspoon switched off the light, and as he slid out of the bedroom, he leaned against the closed door as he breathed, “Oh goodness me.”
Birch Creek, December 1999
The last few months hadn't been easy at all. Nothing major happened, and there had been a false semblance of normalcy in their routine. Yet, there was a palpable uneasiness that thwarted pretensions of contentment. Teaspoon thought that time would make things easier, but as months passed, both he and Louise felt Mary’s absence more sharply.
Lou was still struggling with everything that had happened. The last blow had been to learn that Teaspoon wouldn't adopt her as he had told her he would. Her birth father wouldn't allow it, and all her excitement to become Teaspoon’s real daughter came crushing down. She had cried miserably, and even though Teaspoon had done his best to comfort her, assuring her that they were as good as father and daughter, and a paper wouldn’t change that, she was inconsolable. Lou could be very stubborn, and she kept insisting that she knew that all that did matter very much.
“I wanted everybody to know that you’re my daddy, nobody else!”
“And I am, honey. I am.”
“No, you’re not!” Lou cried. “And that’s what the lawyer’s paper says!!!”
“Sweetheart, what matters is not what is written in ink, but what is etched in our hearts… what we believe and feel. For what is worth, you’re my daughter, and that’s what the world knows and sees.”
“But it’s a lie,” Lou replied in a very soft voice, still in tears.
There had been no way to ease her pain. Teaspoon had finally dropped the matter, and he knew it was very much alive in the girl’s mind. During the summer weeks that followed, he tried to find ways that could bring Lou some tiny happy moments as the therapist had told him. So almost every day he came up with plans… different things to do: jaunts to the movie theatre, the swimming pool, the park, shopping trips, and they even spent weekends away. Lou seemed to enjoy everything, but Teaspoon felt that despite her smiles and excitement, there was something missing.
When the time to return to school came, Lou was more subdued than usual. It was hard for Teaspoon to see her cross the gates that morning, as weeks went by, Lou seemed to perk up a little. Her grades weren’t worse than usual, and she studied and worked hard. When Emma Cain went on maternity leave at the end of November, the girl obviously missed her teacher and didn’t seem to warm up to her replacement. Thankfully, that didn’t appear to affect her too much as she still got to see Emma quite a lot when she stayed with her on the days Teaspoon had the evening shift at the station. Then when Emma had her boy at the beginning of December, Lou fell in love with the baby and constantly talked about him at home. Teaspoon was glad to see her more animated and alive, a sigh she was in higher spirits even though there were still moments when Lou’s mood seem to succumb and go into free fall. Fortunately, those occasions were becoming scarcer.
Tonight was Christmas Eve. Teaspoon had been worried about the holiday for weeks. Mary’s absence would be too evident, and there was no way she wouldn’t be missed. However, he wanted to give Louise a proper Christmas, and even though he knew the girl would be thinking about the year before when her mother had been sick and alive, Teaspoon wanted to make this year’s celebration good for her.
It was Sam Cain who came up with a great idea. He and Emma usually rented a rural cottage not far from town, but still a good distance to give them some peace and quiet in these boisterous festivities. Although this year little Frank was only a few weeks old, they still would flee the town, and Sam had asked Teaspoon if he and Lou would join them. His offering was a real blessing. Lou deserved to be surrounded by family, and unfortunately, Teaspoon had none to offer. His parents had died when he was in his twenties, and there had been no siblings for him. If there was any extended family left, Teaspoon had no idea as he didn’t remember his parents keeping in contact with any other relatives. From Lou’s part, the only relation he was aware of was her estranged criminal father, and that was the last person Teaspoon or Lou wanted around. All in all, Sam and Emma had become a surrogate family for them. Teaspoon was very fond of the couple, and he knew they loved his girl as well.
“When are we gonna get there?”
“Soon,” Teaspoon replied to Lou’s question for the umpteenth time after leaving town fifteen minutes ago. Lou was not a very accommodating passenger, and whenever they went on an outing in the car, she kept asking the same question over and over again.
They remained in silence for a while, and then Lou spoke up. Teaspoon was ready for the expected question, but Lou surprised him this time with something else. “Daddy, do you think Santa will know where we are?”
Teaspoon cast a look in the rear-view mirror and saw the girl’s concerned expression. “Of course he knows. He’s a clever guy. Besides, didn’t you add our temporary address in the letter you wrote to him?”
“Yeah,” Lou answered in a uncertain tone.
“Why do you ask, honey?”
Lou shrugged her shoulders. “It’s that Samantha Edgars said something about it.”
Teaspoon heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. That girl’s name kept popping in Lou’s questions and uncertainties more and more, and it was usually about something that confused Louise and brought up her insecurities. Only the other day the girl apparently had told Lou that she had heard that their school planned to expel all the girls who had no mother. Teaspoon hadn’t met the girl, but she was becoming a pain for both him and Lou. If that troublesome child kept bothering his little girl like that, Teaspoon was considering having a word with the teacher and her parents.
“Lou, Santa knows well enough where we are no matter what your friend Samantha has told you.”
Louise didn’t reply to Teaspoon’s comment, and no other conversation succeeded. Instead, Teaspoon started singing off tune to the Christmas carols played on the radio, and soon among giggles Lou joined in. That was the way they spent the rest of the drive.
They finally arrived at their destination. It was a stucco two-floor cottage, standing on an expanse of lawn and surrounded by a white palisade. Teaspoon stopped the car next to Sam’s minivan, and as he and Lou got out, they saw Sam and Emma emerge onto the porch. Lou instantly dashed towards then. “Hello, Mr. Cain! Hello, Mrs. Cain!” she exclaimed out of breath. “Where’s Frank?”
Emma and Sam shared a smile, and before they could answer, Teaspoon’s voice wafted to them. “Young lady, aren’t you forgetting something?”
The couple and Lou turned to see Teaspoon lifting a bag out of the car trunk pointedly. Lou’s face fell unhappily at the idea of wasting precious time with baby Frank on unpacking her suitcase. “Stop grumbling, Hunter,” Sam piped up. “Leave the girl alone.”
“We’ll help you with the luggage,” Emma added, and turning to Lou, she winked as she said conspiratorially, “Frank is inside in his portable cot, honey.”
Lou didn’t have to be told twice, and she barge into the cottage. The room was cozy and welcoming. A big fire roared in the fireplace, providing the room with light and warmth. The furniture in the living room consisted of two sofas, which had seen their heyday quite a long time ago, and a massive oak table. Apart from that, there were a few rustic paintings on the walls, and some bric-a-brac.
Feeling warm, Lou peeled off her woolen hat, scarf and gloves, and slid out of her thick coat, which she carelessly left on one of the sofas. Then she ran to the cot where baby Frank was lying contentedly. Lou bent over the cot, smiling and brushed her hand over the baby’s downy head. “Here I am, Frank, and we’re gonna have so much fun!”
The baby opened his mouth into a yawn, and Lou took it meant something specially directed to her, and her smile broadened. “You’re such a clever boy, Frank!”
Lou heard the adults behind her as they came inside, bringing in the couple of bags Teaspoon had packed for these few days. Her attention was completely caught by the baby, so she didn’t notice what was going around her, or what her dad and the Cains were talking about. Only when Emma placed a hand on her shoulder did Lou look up ad shifted her attention from Baby Frank.
“Would you like to hold him, Lulabelle?” Emma asked, using the nickname she lately called the girl.
“Oh yes, please!”
“Then hop onto the sofa,” Emma instructed, and when the girl was comfortably and safely ensconce in the couch, she picked up her son from the coat and carefully placed him on Lou’s awaiting arms. The baby let out a shrill, and Emma smiled at Lou.
“I think he likes me, Mrs. Cain.”
Emma nodded. “Yes, he does,” she agreed, sitting next to the girl and keeping hold of the baby’s head. Emma was glad that the girl was in such good spirits. “You like babies, don’t you?”
Lou shrugged her shoulders. “I like Frank,” she simply said. “I wish I cold see him more often.”
“One day you’ll probably have your own babies and will see them as much as you like,” Emma remarked, giggling when she caught sight of Teaspoon’s face as he stood with Sam at close range.
“Yes,” Lou replied, not totally sure about that baby business. Emily Metcalf had told her about how babies were made; she said that a girl from middle school had told her. Lou wasn’t sure whether to believe her friend’s shocking tale. Emily occasionally came up with stories to pull her leg, and even though this time she had promised she was telling the truth, Lou was reluctant to believe her. How could she believe that someone as nice and good as Mrs. Cain or, well, her own mother could do something… something so disgusting?
“Or,” Emma continued, unaware of Lou’s musings and feeling in the mood for teasing Teaspoon a bit more, “or you could still have a baby brother or sister… one day.”
Teaspoon pulled a face at Emma, which made both Sam and the woman laugh. Then he noticed Lou looking at him with a frown, trying to work out in her mind how that could be possible. “No,” she finally said in a clear voice. “I don’t want any brothers and sisters.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Christmas Eve turned out to be delightful, much better than what Teaspoon had imagined. Lou was more cheerful than usual and looked happy. It had been a good idea to come here with the Cains. It would have been too sad and lonely with just the two of them, and Mary’s absence would have been more obvious than it already was. Tonight his late wife had also been present somehow. In fact, Emma had deliberately brought her up to show Louise that her mom hadn’t been forgotten. For once, remembering her hadn’t been fraught with sheer bitterness, but something close to contentment, and it had done Lou good.
Teaspoon knew that Emma was a very insightful woman and had a remarkable ability to deal with children. Lou was very fond of her, and Teaspoon reckoned that in a more subtle way Emma was helping the girl with her loss more than the therapist they saw weekly. It was lucky that Lou had someone like Emma in her life, and Teaspoon wondered from time to time if Lou would have been better off with proper parents like Sam and Emma Cain. His own abilities as a father were lacking, but the truth was that he was the only person Lou had, and she was happy enough. That should answer his doubts and stopping working out improbable scenarios. Lou was happy, and that should be enough.
After a beautiful dinner, Emma retired to nurse and bathe the baby. The men volunteered to do the dishes while Lou settled on the sofa and starting solving the jigsaw puzzle she had brought along. When Teaspoon finished the chore and walked back into the living room, he caught her yawning. “Don’t you think it’s time you headed for bed, sweetheart? Santa won’t leave his goodies if he sees you’re still awake.”
Louise nodded and proceeded to put back the puzzle pieces in the box. “Goodnight, Mr. Cain.”
“Good night, beautiful,” Sam replied, patting her head as she went past him.
Teaspoon followed the girl to the room where she’d sleep tonight. “It’s warm and cozy in here,” he remarked as they stepped inside. When he had agreed to spend Christmas in this cottage, he’d imagine that the place would be draughty and dingy., so they’d have to wrap themselves up in several layers of clothing and sleep under a heap of blankets. However, he had been wrong, and the cottage was warmer than his own apartment.
“I’m ready for you to tuck me in,” Lou announced after she had changed into her pajamas and slipped under the quilt.
Teaspoon came closer and arranged the bedding neatly around her small frame. “Tonight let’s skip the storytelling. Just close your eyes and when you wake up tomorrow, Santa will have been in.”
Lou grimaced at his words and then he said, “I don’t think he’ll leave anything for me.”
“What?” Teaspoon exclaimed. “How come?”
“It’s… well, what Samantha said… she… she says that I’m now an orphan, and Santa doesn’t care about orphaned children.”
Teaspoon almost had to bite his tongue to stop the expletive bubbling in his mouth. He was sick and tired of that girl who kept harassing Lou with these tales. “What poppycock is that?” he exclaimed instead. “Lou, Santa Claus cares for all children in the world, especially the good ones, and you’ve been such a good girl this year, haven’t you?” Lou nodded uncertainly, and he added, “Besides, you’re not an orphan. I’m here, and who am I?”
“My Papa Teaspoon.”
“That’s right!” he exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, which made Lou smile. “Honey, listen to me. I don’t want you to pay any heed to all this silly stuff that friend of yours whatshername tells you. Whenever you have questions, come straight to me and ask me. Will you do that?”
Lou nodded solemnly. Then an idea popped into her mind and said, “I have one question now.”
“All right. What is it? Fire away.” Teaspoon asked, smiling from ear to ear.
“How are babies made? Emily told me something one of the older girls from school told her, but I don’t think it’s true.”
Teaspoon’s smile faded into nothing, and all of a sudden, he felt perspiration cover his forehead. “Uh, honey… I think that… that… it’s hard to explain in just … a few minutes. Why don’t you go to sleep now, and I’ll tell you everything later… soon… How about that?”
“All right, daddy,” Louise replied with a contented smile. “Goodnight.”
“And merry Christmas,” Teaspoon added, bending over to place a kiss on her forehead.
“Merry Christmas.”
Teaspoon switched off the light, and as he slid out of the bedroom, he leaned against the closed door as he breathed, “Oh goodness me.”