In an effort to stop Mary, who was ready to get more food, Peter quickly said,
"Oh no need Mary, the three of us are actually on our way out. Jessica's friends
are up from Florida, and so we are all going out to dinner..."
As a concerned urgency crossed Mary's face, she responded, "Dinner with
Jessica? I didn't know..."
And then a puzzled Mary turned to Jacob, and asked, "So you will not be
presiding over the children's traditional Christmas Card Session tonight..."
To which Jacob questionably expounded, "Tonight? But you and I just spoke
about the session, and decided it would take place tomorrow!"
In reply Mary with a trembling chin, explained, "I know we did, however the
children became so excited talking about the Christmas decorations and the
upcoming holiday during my Creative Cursive Class, they asked if we could have the session moved up to tonight, and so well since I didn't think it would be an issue, I said it would be all right."
As a thought occurred to Mary, she inserted, "I did ask Mouse to tell you about
the change...however, I guess he didn't..."
Upon thinking back, Jacob said, "Well he did come to see me, but it was to tell
me about Catherine's dire situation, never mentioned anything about the session.
Clearly he was preoccupied, over his concern for Catherine. Oh Mary, what a
dilemma."
Realizing earlier Mouse was on a mission when he asked for Jacob's
where-a-bouts, Vincent took the blame, as he explained, "I am afraid I am the one who took Mouse off task Mary. I asked him for help gathering the sentries to escort Catherine..."
To which Mary agreeably said, "Yes well of course your request would have taken precedence Vincent...as we are all concerned for Catherine's welfare...but as far as the session being changed, I never would have said it was all right if I had I known you had plans..."
To which Jacob explained, "Unfortunately I do...Jessica and her friends are
leaving town tomorrow, SO tonight was our only opportunity to see them before
they left."
And then Jacob looked a bit sheepishly, because he knew Vincent knew the whole truth, and kind of squeaked out, "I should have mentioned it I suppose..."
To which in response, Mary disappointedly said, "Yes, but not because you need
to check in with me about your active social life, but only if you had, I would have known, and I would have asked the children to be patient and wait for a time, when you wouldn't be otherwise engaged."
And because Peter was the one who spilled the beans, he tried to help by asking,
"Can't you just do it another night?"
To which Mary informatively said, "Unfortunately, the supplies are dispersed, and the children are already gathering. I don't see how I can cancel at this point in the preparation."
And then downheartedly, Mary lamented, "I can see now, I had no right to give permission without talking to you Father...I am afraid I overstepped..."
In an effort to bestow credit where credit is due, Jacob responded, "Nonsense
Mary...you had every right to give permission...this just serves me as a reminder
of how important communication is."
And so in an effort to diffuse this whole situation, Vincent kindly offered, "I know
I am no substitute for Father, however I would be glad to take Father's place
Mary..."
To which in response, Mary tearfully smiled, as she replied, "That would be
splendid Vincent, the children won't be nearly as disappointed then."
Looking downward to hide her own disappointment, Mary cleared her voice, and putting the focus back on Catherine, Mary looked toward her and said, "Well...I hope you enjoy the soup Dear."
To which Catherine said, "Thanks so much Mary, I'm sure I will."
And then kindly Charles also thanked Mary, saying, "That's nice of you to look
out for my daughter Mary."
Sweetly Mary looked over at Catherine, as she told Charles, "I was happy to do
so...your daughter is very special to all of us."
As Mary and Catherine shared a moment, Mary then expelled a breath, as she
said, "Well I better go...the children are most likely waiting."
And because Jacob was feeling like a heel, he conveyed, "I truly am sorry to miss the session tonight...and wish I had told you about this outing..."
But then, taking partial responsibility for the mis-communique as well, Mary said, "And before I said yes to the children, I should have came to you...and asked..."
And they then all stood silent, as they watched Mary sadly leave.
Vincent then, raising only his eyes to look at his father, wondered if he was affected by Mary's tearful exit.
And so it was Peter who finally spoke up, and asked, "Fill me in...is Mary upset you are not making the Christmas cards, or is she upset about your "Hot Date" with Jessica?"
Scratching his chin, Jacob finally looked up with a puzzled expression, and softly said, "It is unclear...perhaps both..."
Jacob then turned a bit irritated, as he said, "...and by the way Peter...I wish you
would not refer to my going out to dinner with my good friend, as a
quote-unquote, Hot Date!"
To which Peter replied, "Hey don't get mad at me! I mean I realize you are
disappointed about missing the Christmas card thing. Heck, I feel bad about it too!"
And because they all felt bad that the timing of these two distinctive events were colliding, Charles who was curious what this event actually was, asked, "And so what is THE Christmas Card Session exactly?"
And because Catherine was wondering too, she intently listened as Jacob cleared his throat of tension, and explained the occasion, by thoughtfully saying, "It is when the children plan, design and make the annual Christmas Cards we deliver to all of our Helpers."
To which Peter acknowledged, "Oh yeah, the kids always do a great job with the cards!"
With a nod, Jacob replied, "You would know Peter, as you have been a recipient, for the past triad of a century plus a few additional years!"
To which Peter declared, "Yes, and I have saved every last one! And a few of the cards Vincent made...back when he was a kid of course."
Upon hearing this, Catherine smiled and teasingly said, "I would love to see the Cards, especially the ones "A" little Vincent made!"
With a nod, Peter promised to show Catherine some time.
To which Jacob proudly shared, "Yes, you will be impressed Catherine! Vincent had quite an artistic flare which made its presence known when he was very young!"
In response, Vincent looked shyly downward, as he jokingly said, "Yes, artistic...but only through the eyes of a father..."
They all shared a bit of a chuckle, when Jacob replied, "Well...not only through my eyes, but others too! Even Elizabeth said so. But truth would have it said, that all children, with their uninhibited innocence, display an artistic talent of some sort..."
And then Jacob said, "Now let's see where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you about the session. Well after the cards are finished, it is then I read a Christmas Story to the children, while Mary serves the treats William prepared for them...and then I finish up by re-telling the story of the Tunnel's First Christmas...you know a bit of a history lesson of our tunnel world. Oh it is a big night for the children...for us all really..."
And then Jacob lamented, "All this talk is making me realize of how much I do hate missing out on the fun this year."
And then getting fired up again, Jacob spouted, "If only I had gotten the message, we could have cancelled the session in plenty of time, and then I wouldn't be in this pickle!"
Thinking it was partially his fault, as well as his Father's, Vincent inserted, "I am sorry for my part in this, I am the one who detoured Mouse, but then of course, if a certain someone would have been more forthcoming about sharing his plans for the evening..."
As Jacob looked guiltily at his son, he responded, "Enough said...AND point taken!"
And then Catherine turned firstly to Father, and then to Vincent as she regretfully inserted, "I'm the one who needs to apologize Vincent, I am the reason you detoured Mouse, and Father, I am the reason you didn't get the message."
Feeling like a cad for making the two feel responsible, Jacob humbly said, "Oh Dear Catherine I didn't mean to make you feel badly...or you either Vincent, we
all know I should have shared my plans...the fault lies at my feet."
And then Jacob softened his demeanor, as he humbly added, "...when you see Mary and the children at the session, please try to convey how sorry I am to miss this auspicious tradition. And tell them if I had been consulted, or if I would have gotten the message...OH never mind...perhaps the less said the better...just tell them I am sorry."
Assuredly, Vincent said, "I will extend your apologies Father."
As Jacob thanked his son for filling in, it occurred to him to invite Catherine and Charles to the upcoming Christmas festivities. And so he graciously requested, "All this talk of the Christmas Card session, reminds me of how quickly Christmas is coming, and so I wish to invite you Catherine and Charles to join us here if you can, to our Christmas Eve and to our Christmas Day gathering as well. Peter will be here as always."
To which Peter excitedly enforced, "Hey, you two should!"
Meantime, Vincent pleased his Father remembered to invite Catherine and her Dad, stood hopeful, and because he already knew Catherine would like to, he with a tip of his head waited for a response from Charles.
With hope, Catherine also turned to her Dad, waiting to see what his reply might be
to the invitation. For so many years, it was just the two of them on Christmas.
And...Catherine was unsure if her Dad wanted to change this routine. But she
was pleased, when Charles looked at his daughter, and said, "Sounds good to
me, how about you kiddo?"
As Catherine hugged her Dad's arm, she replied, "Sounds good to me too Dad."
Looking over to Jacob, Charles spoke for them both, replying, "We'd love to Jacob...so kind of you to include us."
To which Jacob chuckled as he responded, "I dare say as our friendship has
expanded of late, well we'd feel quite a void if you don't come...so like it or not,
you two have entered our circle."
Warmed by Jacob's words, both Catherine and Charles said they felt honored this was so, and meanwhile as Vincent watched on, he himself was touched by his Father's hospitable heart.
With a nod, Peter added, "Well this will be fun, glad you're both coming with me this year."
With that said, a thought occurred to Charles, and so he looked over at Peter,
and said, “Hey, it's all so clear to me now, why you were always in a rush to
leave our house on Christmas Day! It's because you were also coming here!”
Catherine then too, thoughtfully relayed, “We wondered why, no matter what,
we could never talk you into staying.”
With a bit of a chuckle, Peter shrugged and said, “Well now you
know the rest of the story!”
With a warmness, Charles patted his shoulder and said, “I guess we do...I guess we do."
Pleased his invitation had been accepted, Jacob beamed saying, "Very good then, very good indeed!
The three Amigos then said good night to Vincent and Catherine, and just as they were about to leave the safe confines of the Tunnels, Mouse came racing up, and said to Jacob, "Father, Father, forgot to give you Mary's message, better tell you now or I'll be in hot water!"
And because the message was being delivered too late, Jacob resignedly replied,
"Ah yes Mouse, well Mary just gave me the message herself, and the hot water
you speak of, needn't worry dear boy, I am in it instead, up to my neck!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So after everyone left, Vincent stood at his writing table, and said, "Catherine,
come, while the soup is still warm."
Realizing she was hungry, Catherine complied, and as she took her first taste, she noted, "It is so good..."
Pleased to see Catherine was taking some nutrition in, Vincent replied, "Yes...soup is William's specialty."
And so as Catherine ate, they talked about their fathers, about Mary, and then
speculated about Steven too. And it was then when Vincent mentioned Joe's
suggestion that Catherine lay low until Steven is arrested, noting, "You will be safe here Catherine."
Pondering Joe's suggestion, Catherine questioned, "I have to wonder if it is the right thing to do?"
Excitedly Vincent responded, "Catherine...of course it is the right thing to do! There is no denying it now...you are in danger! Steven is a sinister man, who is single handedly, poisoning the city!"
Calming himself, Vincent then went on to reason, "Now since Joe and your Father have officially determined Steven to be quite menacing, you too know in your
heart he is not to be trusted...not on any level."
Resignedly Catherine admitted, "You are right Vincent...I do know that now..."
Catherine then looked downward as she took in a breath, and tried to better
explain how she felt about giving in, and hiding from this man she once knew so well. And it wasn't only that she felt it would be a cowardice act to do so, but she felt it was the wrong message to send not only to Joe, but to her future colleges as well. This new job, as Paul told her the other day, was based on a trust...a trust that they each had one another's back out in the field! And so she determined, n hiding out till the coast was clear, was not the way she wanted to begin her new career.
And so as Catherine took Vincent's hand in hers, she then said, "Even though it was Joe who suggested I hide out, I would be starting out on the wrong foot if I
do...I have so much to prove not only to Joe but to the others in the D.A. too."
Vincent raised his eyes, as he pointedly asked Catherine, "Are you sure it is to the others you must prove something to?"
And upon hearing Vincent's question, which she knew was warranted, because it wasn't only to the others she wanted to prove her worth, but to herself as well. Since the day she committed herself to this career change, she knew it would test her like she had never been before. And so as Catherine admitted to what Vincent suspected to be true, she then asked, "Please understand."
Though Vincent hated to admit it, he did understand, and so as a slow resigned blink concealed his beautiful blue eyes, it made Catherine sad, as she saw the worry envelope him.
So in an effort to be compliant, Catherine suggested, "How about this? What if I
go home for my clothes, and you can send a trillion sentries to go with me if you
want, and then I will come back, sleep here, and in the morning, I will go to work
from here."
Vincent tipped his head, indicating he thought Catherine's idea seemed like a viable compromise, and though he would be going with her, instead of a trillion sentries, he simply said, "Very well then, we will go directly after supper, but firstly I must go to conduct the Christmas card session with the children."
Appreciating Vincent accepted her plan, Catherine then curiously asked, "Is the Christmas Card Session, something I can help with too?"
Loving the fact Catherine asked, Vincent answered, "Of course, and I could only
speculate, that your presence will surely lessen the disappointment of Father's
unexpected absence."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So together they headed for the Community center, where they were met with a
warm grateful smile from Mary.
As Mary approached them, she took Catherine's hand and said, "I am so happy you are here too...what a treat for the children. I already broke the news Father could not be here, and of course at first they were devastated, until I told them Vincent would take his place...but once they see you are here too Catherine, their joy will be two-fold!"
To which Catherine replied, "It will be a treat for me, the way Father described the session, it sounded like so much fun."
And because Catherine mentioned Father, Mary inquisitively asked, "Father told you about the session?"
With a nod, Catherine sweetly said, "Yes, Father told both my Dad and me, how special the session is and of how sad and badly he felt about missing it."
To which Mary looked up at Vincent, who was nodding in affirmation of how his Father felt, asking, "Father said all that...well I hate he's feeling so badly."
Mary then heaved a regretful sigh, and sadly replied, "If only I had known of Father's plans, or if only I had consulted Father first about changing the day, or if only Mouse had told him of the change...then Father wouldn't be missing out...if only, if only if only! If only there was a way to still involve Father..."
It was then at that exact moment, a thought occurred to both Mary and Vincent!
Though they didn't say anything aloud at first, the look they shared indicated they were both thinking there must be a way that Father could still contribute.
And so Vincent with a tipping of his head, simply said to Mary and Catherine, "Perhaps there is a way..."
And so Mary with a tinge of hope, smiled, and gleefully asked, "Ooooo Vincent... please share...what is your plan?"
And because Catherine was also emotionally invested in the outcome of Father's ill-fated scenario, she bit her lip, waiting to hear of Vincent's plan too!
Well because Vincent didn't actually have a plan etched in stone as yet, he knew something would come to him, and so to put Mary and Catherine at ease, he simply said, "No time to discuss...just please leave everything to me."
Upon saying she would trust Vincent, Mary then motioning toward the threshold, asked, "Very good then...shall we?"
And as they entered, the children all excitedly cheered, and came rushing toward
the couple. And so lovingly, Vincent and Catherine greeted the children, and
sweetly returned their hugs too.
So because word spreads fast through the tunnels, and because the children have very large ears, Kipper asked Catherine, "We're glad you're safe! We heard some guy tried to kill ya! But you fought him off and got a way! Wow, that's pretty brave Catherine."
Being a little surprised by all the facts the children knew, Catherine confessed,
"Not so brave Kipper, I was pretty scared..."
Of course all the other children chimed in too, and it was Eric who asked, "So you told the cops on him?"
To which Catherine answered, "That's right Eric, I told the police all I knew. I felt it was my duty to our city to do so."
And then Joseph expounded, "Hope they catch 'em before he DOES kill ya!"
Sounding frightened, Samantha expressed, "Well he won't find you here, right? I
mean you are safe here, right?"
Again, Catherine felt badly for the angst her situation brought to the tunnels, and especially to the children, so she soundly said, "This is the safest place on this earth, and no Samantha, he could never find me here. So there is no need to worry."
And because Vincent also saw the children were so concerned for Catherine, he assured them, "Yes Catherine is right, she is safe here, and the police are doing all they can, so everyone will be safe up top as well."
It was then Mary stepped in, and redirected their attention, as she firmly said, "Children we have gathered here to have a joyous time, and Catherine is here to help us. So, let us show our Christmas Spirit and put all troubles behind us for
now, because we have much to do. So all on board, and let us begin our scheming for our Christmas card's theme for this year. So Vincent, if you please..."
Gingerly, Vincent paced in front of the attentive children, and told them, "To
begin, I want to let you know how sad Father is he could not be here with
you...and hopes you understand he had previously made plans which could not be changed."
Then with a glance over to Mary, he added, "...Father hopes ALL of you understand."
Lowering her eyes, Mary gave Vincent a grateful nod, feeling thankful for the
message intended specifically for her.
After agreeing to tell Father they all understood and weren't mad at him, Vincent looked about, and after noticing all the reindeer and snowmen pictures, he said, "I would like to compliment you on all of your art work you have exhibited here. So colorful, and creative!"
To which Heather explained, "The older girls took us to the Painted Tunnels earlier today so Elizabeth could help us. We wanted to have some decorations for tonight! Mine is in the middle."
With a nod of approval, Vincent looked over the pictures once more and said, "Nice, very nice."
Walking across the floor, Vincent then shared, "You know...it does not seem all that long ago, when I was a boy sitting here with the other children, just like you are now..."
To which Seth asked, "Hey Vincent, who did you grow up with?"
Curious about this tidbit too, Joshua questioned, "Yeah, who else was a kid, here when you were a kid here?"
To which Vincent replied, "Well let's see, there would have been my brother Devin, Pascal and Rebecca of course...there was Lisa, Winslow, Gregory, Mitch, our Sentries, Mortimer and Daniel, and a few others."
And then Zach anxiously added, "I really like hearing stories when you were
growing up here, specially when you got into dutch! Can you tell us about another time when you got into trouble Vincent? Pascal sure told us a doozy at Thanksgiving!"
To which Vincent with a smile in his eyes answered, "Oh yes, there were a few times...I remember one occasion when..."
And then as Vincent began to share a tale with the children, his story was cut to
the quick by Mary's throat clearing!
With an apologetic nod toward Mary, and a self conscious look toward
Catherine, Vincent veered back on coarse, saying, "Perhaps I shall save that
story for another time, however tonight, I wanted to share with you what I
remember about making Christmas cards when I was a child here in the tunnels.
I can remember we would debate, and sometimes argue, over what the leitmotif
should be to grace that particular years Christmas card. And the only real
restriction Father and Mary placed on us was, it had to be ONE unified theme
of which we all agreed upon."
Turning toward Mary, Vincent asked, "I trust that has not changed through the years Mary?"
Smiling Mary assuredly said, "It has not Vincent."
So with this rule established, Vincent asked, "So...who would like to be the first to share an idea? Just throw an idea out there and we shall discuss."
Meantime, as Kipper sat looking around, he noticed the funny chimney hat Jacob would always wear for this special session! And so he wildly waved his hand so he could tell Vincent about it.
And because Vincent thought Kipper was ready to contribute an idea, Vincent called on him, saying, "Ahh, wonderful, looks like we have a live one, yes Kipper?"
Pointing over at Jacob's chair, Kipper instructed in a sing song tone, "Hey Vincent, you're supposed to wear the Chimney Hat!"
To which after Vincent looked about to see what Kipper was referring to, he picked up a peculiar, yet albeit humorously festive hat from the chair his Father would have sat in. And after Vincent inspected it, he questioned, "Hmmm, do you mean this hat?"
Confirming, the laughing and giggling children all said, "Yep! That's the one! Wear the hat Vincent! Pleeeeeese? You gotta, Father always does!"
And because of his Father's somewhat sophisticated high hatted demeanor, (no pun intended) Vincent could not really envision him wearing this silly hat! And so looking toward Mary, Vincent questioned, "Father? Really?"
To which Mary nodded as she chuckled, saying, "He does Vincent, he gladly wears it for the children."
Vincent then shared a look with Catherine, and after seeing how tickled she was, Vincent played it out a bit more by saying, "Ah children, I do believe you could let me off the hook and not request this of me, after all Catherine is here, and I am trying to impress her."
It was then Kipper, who originally requested this of Vincent, said, "But Vincent, Father says it's now part of the tradition."
And so Vincent tipped his head, and reluctantly yielded, declaring, "Well, if it's tradition...as you wish."
And after placing it on his head, Vincent looked at his captive little audience, who were joyfully cheering and asked them, "Well? How do I look?"
To which the children all shouted differing versions of FANTABULOUS!
And then turning toward Catherine, he splayed out his hands as he asked, "What say you Catherine?"
Bringing her hands up to hide her smile, Catherine giggled a little as she said, "I think you look very festive...and for the record, I have never been more
impressed by anyone in my life Vincent. I love it."
With a gallant tip of his head, Vincent replied, "Thank you Catherine. Your words have dispelled any silliness, I previously owned."
One more round of laughter rang out through the children, Mary and Catherine too.
After Vincent gathered his dignity, he thoughtfully suggested, "Now since I am in costume...let us begin..."
And so Kipper anxiously raised his hand again,
But instead of sharing an idea, Kipper asked, "Hey Vincent, just wondering if you are gonna write our ideas on that chalk board back there like Father would be doin' if he was here?"
Looking behind himself, Vincent noted the chalk board, and with a raised brow said, "Ah, revolutionary! Yes, looks like things have evolved. And of course, like Father, I shall use this innovative mode of collecting and keeping track of all your ideas."
And then Kipper offered, "Guess you better erase all our Thanksgiving stuff that's on it though before you can use it."
So as Vincent gave the lad a look which indicated he figured this out already, Vincent then stopped in his tracks as Kipper next pointed out, "Just use the eraser that's right under it, oh and the chalk is there too. See?"
Trying to be gallant, Vincent nodded a thank you to the helpful little stinker, and after he fastidiously erased the Thanksgiving graphics, he pulled the rolling chalk board forward, and poised with chalk in hand, Vincent said, "Now unless anyone can come up with any other instructions, suggestions or insights for our session, I believe we are NOW ready for some Christmas Card ideas."
To be continued
Chapter Nineteen
"Oh no need Mary, the three of us are actually on our way out. Jessica's friends
are up from Florida, and so we are all going out to dinner..."
As a concerned urgency crossed Mary's face, she responded, "Dinner with
Jessica? I didn't know..."
And then a puzzled Mary turned to Jacob, and asked, "So you will not be
presiding over the children's traditional Christmas Card Session tonight..."
To which Jacob questionably expounded, "Tonight? But you and I just spoke
about the session, and decided it would take place tomorrow!"
In reply Mary with a trembling chin, explained, "I know we did, however the
children became so excited talking about the Christmas decorations and the
upcoming holiday during my Creative Cursive Class, they asked if we could have the session moved up to tonight, and so well since I didn't think it would be an issue, I said it would be all right."
As a thought occurred to Mary, she inserted, "I did ask Mouse to tell you about
the change...however, I guess he didn't..."
Upon thinking back, Jacob said, "Well he did come to see me, but it was to tell
me about Catherine's dire situation, never mentioned anything about the session.
Clearly he was preoccupied, over his concern for Catherine. Oh Mary, what a
dilemma."
Realizing earlier Mouse was on a mission when he asked for Jacob's
where-a-bouts, Vincent took the blame, as he explained, "I am afraid I am the one who took Mouse off task Mary. I asked him for help gathering the sentries to escort Catherine..."
To which Mary agreeably said, "Yes well of course your request would have taken precedence Vincent...as we are all concerned for Catherine's welfare...but as far as the session being changed, I never would have said it was all right if I had I known you had plans..."
To which Jacob explained, "Unfortunately I do...Jessica and her friends are
leaving town tomorrow, SO tonight was our only opportunity to see them before
they left."
And then Jacob looked a bit sheepishly, because he knew Vincent knew the whole truth, and kind of squeaked out, "I should have mentioned it I suppose..."
To which in response, Mary disappointedly said, "Yes, but not because you need
to check in with me about your active social life, but only if you had, I would have known, and I would have asked the children to be patient and wait for a time, when you wouldn't be otherwise engaged."
And because Peter was the one who spilled the beans, he tried to help by asking,
"Can't you just do it another night?"
To which Mary informatively said, "Unfortunately, the supplies are dispersed, and the children are already gathering. I don't see how I can cancel at this point in the preparation."
And then downheartedly, Mary lamented, "I can see now, I had no right to give permission without talking to you Father...I am afraid I overstepped..."
In an effort to bestow credit where credit is due, Jacob responded, "Nonsense
Mary...you had every right to give permission...this just serves me as a reminder
of how important communication is."
And so in an effort to diffuse this whole situation, Vincent kindly offered, "I know
I am no substitute for Father, however I would be glad to take Father's place
Mary..."
To which in response, Mary tearfully smiled, as she replied, "That would be
splendid Vincent, the children won't be nearly as disappointed then."
Looking downward to hide her own disappointment, Mary cleared her voice, and putting the focus back on Catherine, Mary looked toward her and said, "Well...I hope you enjoy the soup Dear."
To which Catherine said, "Thanks so much Mary, I'm sure I will."
And then kindly Charles also thanked Mary, saying, "That's nice of you to look
out for my daughter Mary."
Sweetly Mary looked over at Catherine, as she told Charles, "I was happy to do
so...your daughter is very special to all of us."
As Mary and Catherine shared a moment, Mary then expelled a breath, as she
said, "Well I better go...the children are most likely waiting."
And because Jacob was feeling like a heel, he conveyed, "I truly am sorry to miss the session tonight...and wish I had told you about this outing..."
But then, taking partial responsibility for the mis-communique as well, Mary said, "And before I said yes to the children, I should have came to you...and asked..."
And they then all stood silent, as they watched Mary sadly leave.
Vincent then, raising only his eyes to look at his father, wondered if he was affected by Mary's tearful exit.
And so it was Peter who finally spoke up, and asked, "Fill me in...is Mary upset you are not making the Christmas cards, or is she upset about your "Hot Date" with Jessica?"
Scratching his chin, Jacob finally looked up with a puzzled expression, and softly said, "It is unclear...perhaps both..."
Jacob then turned a bit irritated, as he said, "...and by the way Peter...I wish you
would not refer to my going out to dinner with my good friend, as a
quote-unquote, Hot Date!"
To which Peter replied, "Hey don't get mad at me! I mean I realize you are
disappointed about missing the Christmas card thing. Heck, I feel bad about it too!"
And because they all felt bad that the timing of these two distinctive events were colliding, Charles who was curious what this event actually was, asked, "And so what is THE Christmas Card Session exactly?"
And because Catherine was wondering too, she intently listened as Jacob cleared his throat of tension, and explained the occasion, by thoughtfully saying, "It is when the children plan, design and make the annual Christmas Cards we deliver to all of our Helpers."
To which Peter acknowledged, "Oh yeah, the kids always do a great job with the cards!"
With a nod, Jacob replied, "You would know Peter, as you have been a recipient, for the past triad of a century plus a few additional years!"
To which Peter declared, "Yes, and I have saved every last one! And a few of the cards Vincent made...back when he was a kid of course."
Upon hearing this, Catherine smiled and teasingly said, "I would love to see the Cards, especially the ones "A" little Vincent made!"
With a nod, Peter promised to show Catherine some time.
To which Jacob proudly shared, "Yes, you will be impressed Catherine! Vincent had quite an artistic flare which made its presence known when he was very young!"
In response, Vincent looked shyly downward, as he jokingly said, "Yes, artistic...but only through the eyes of a father..."
They all shared a bit of a chuckle, when Jacob replied, "Well...not only through my eyes, but others too! Even Elizabeth said so. But truth would have it said, that all children, with their uninhibited innocence, display an artistic talent of some sort..."
And then Jacob said, "Now let's see where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you about the session. Well after the cards are finished, it is then I read a Christmas Story to the children, while Mary serves the treats William prepared for them...and then I finish up by re-telling the story of the Tunnel's First Christmas...you know a bit of a history lesson of our tunnel world. Oh it is a big night for the children...for us all really..."
And then Jacob lamented, "All this talk is making me realize of how much I do hate missing out on the fun this year."
And then getting fired up again, Jacob spouted, "If only I had gotten the message, we could have cancelled the session in plenty of time, and then I wouldn't be in this pickle!"
Thinking it was partially his fault, as well as his Father's, Vincent inserted, "I am sorry for my part in this, I am the one who detoured Mouse, but then of course, if a certain someone would have been more forthcoming about sharing his plans for the evening..."
As Jacob looked guiltily at his son, he responded, "Enough said...AND point taken!"
And then Catherine turned firstly to Father, and then to Vincent as she regretfully inserted, "I'm the one who needs to apologize Vincent, I am the reason you detoured Mouse, and Father, I am the reason you didn't get the message."
Feeling like a cad for making the two feel responsible, Jacob humbly said, "Oh Dear Catherine I didn't mean to make you feel badly...or you either Vincent, we
all know I should have shared my plans...the fault lies at my feet."
And then Jacob softened his demeanor, as he humbly added, "...when you see Mary and the children at the session, please try to convey how sorry I am to miss this auspicious tradition. And tell them if I had been consulted, or if I would have gotten the message...OH never mind...perhaps the less said the better...just tell them I am sorry."
Assuredly, Vincent said, "I will extend your apologies Father."
As Jacob thanked his son for filling in, it occurred to him to invite Catherine and Charles to the upcoming Christmas festivities. And so he graciously requested, "All this talk of the Christmas Card session, reminds me of how quickly Christmas is coming, and so I wish to invite you Catherine and Charles to join us here if you can, to our Christmas Eve and to our Christmas Day gathering as well. Peter will be here as always."
To which Peter excitedly enforced, "Hey, you two should!"
Meantime, Vincent pleased his Father remembered to invite Catherine and her Dad, stood hopeful, and because he already knew Catherine would like to, he with a tip of his head waited for a response from Charles.
With hope, Catherine also turned to her Dad, waiting to see what his reply might be
to the invitation. For so many years, it was just the two of them on Christmas.
And...Catherine was unsure if her Dad wanted to change this routine. But she
was pleased, when Charles looked at his daughter, and said, "Sounds good to
me, how about you kiddo?"
As Catherine hugged her Dad's arm, she replied, "Sounds good to me too Dad."
Looking over to Jacob, Charles spoke for them both, replying, "We'd love to Jacob...so kind of you to include us."
To which Jacob chuckled as he responded, "I dare say as our friendship has
expanded of late, well we'd feel quite a void if you don't come...so like it or not,
you two have entered our circle."
Warmed by Jacob's words, both Catherine and Charles said they felt honored this was so, and meanwhile as Vincent watched on, he himself was touched by his Father's hospitable heart.
With a nod, Peter added, "Well this will be fun, glad you're both coming with me this year."
With that said, a thought occurred to Charles, and so he looked over at Peter,
and said, “Hey, it's all so clear to me now, why you were always in a rush to
leave our house on Christmas Day! It's because you were also coming here!”
Catherine then too, thoughtfully relayed, “We wondered why, no matter what,
we could never talk you into staying.”
With a bit of a chuckle, Peter shrugged and said, “Well now you
know the rest of the story!”
With a warmness, Charles patted his shoulder and said, “I guess we do...I guess we do."
Pleased his invitation had been accepted, Jacob beamed saying, "Very good then, very good indeed!
The three Amigos then said good night to Vincent and Catherine, and just as they were about to leave the safe confines of the Tunnels, Mouse came racing up, and said to Jacob, "Father, Father, forgot to give you Mary's message, better tell you now or I'll be in hot water!"
And because the message was being delivered too late, Jacob resignedly replied,
"Ah yes Mouse, well Mary just gave me the message herself, and the hot water
you speak of, needn't worry dear boy, I am in it instead, up to my neck!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So after everyone left, Vincent stood at his writing table, and said, "Catherine,
come, while the soup is still warm."
Realizing she was hungry, Catherine complied, and as she took her first taste, she noted, "It is so good..."
Pleased to see Catherine was taking some nutrition in, Vincent replied, "Yes...soup is William's specialty."
And so as Catherine ate, they talked about their fathers, about Mary, and then
speculated about Steven too. And it was then when Vincent mentioned Joe's
suggestion that Catherine lay low until Steven is arrested, noting, "You will be safe here Catherine."
Pondering Joe's suggestion, Catherine questioned, "I have to wonder if it is the right thing to do?"
Excitedly Vincent responded, "Catherine...of course it is the right thing to do! There is no denying it now...you are in danger! Steven is a sinister man, who is single handedly, poisoning the city!"
Calming himself, Vincent then went on to reason, "Now since Joe and your Father have officially determined Steven to be quite menacing, you too know in your
heart he is not to be trusted...not on any level."
Resignedly Catherine admitted, "You are right Vincent...I do know that now..."
Catherine then looked downward as she took in a breath, and tried to better
explain how she felt about giving in, and hiding from this man she once knew so well. And it wasn't only that she felt it would be a cowardice act to do so, but she felt it was the wrong message to send not only to Joe, but to her future colleges as well. This new job, as Paul told her the other day, was based on a trust...a trust that they each had one another's back out in the field! And so she determined, n hiding out till the coast was clear, was not the way she wanted to begin her new career.
And so as Catherine took Vincent's hand in hers, she then said, "Even though it was Joe who suggested I hide out, I would be starting out on the wrong foot if I
do...I have so much to prove not only to Joe but to the others in the D.A. too."
Vincent raised his eyes, as he pointedly asked Catherine, "Are you sure it is to the others you must prove something to?"
And upon hearing Vincent's question, which she knew was warranted, because it wasn't only to the others she wanted to prove her worth, but to herself as well. Since the day she committed herself to this career change, she knew it would test her like she had never been before. And so as Catherine admitted to what Vincent suspected to be true, she then asked, "Please understand."
Though Vincent hated to admit it, he did understand, and so as a slow resigned blink concealed his beautiful blue eyes, it made Catherine sad, as she saw the worry envelope him.
So in an effort to be compliant, Catherine suggested, "How about this? What if I
go home for my clothes, and you can send a trillion sentries to go with me if you
want, and then I will come back, sleep here, and in the morning, I will go to work
from here."
Vincent tipped his head, indicating he thought Catherine's idea seemed like a viable compromise, and though he would be going with her, instead of a trillion sentries, he simply said, "Very well then, we will go directly after supper, but firstly I must go to conduct the Christmas card session with the children."
Appreciating Vincent accepted her plan, Catherine then curiously asked, "Is the Christmas Card Session, something I can help with too?"
Loving the fact Catherine asked, Vincent answered, "Of course, and I could only
speculate, that your presence will surely lessen the disappointment of Father's
unexpected absence."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So together they headed for the Community center, where they were met with a
warm grateful smile from Mary.
As Mary approached them, she took Catherine's hand and said, "I am so happy you are here too...what a treat for the children. I already broke the news Father could not be here, and of course at first they were devastated, until I told them Vincent would take his place...but once they see you are here too Catherine, their joy will be two-fold!"
To which Catherine replied, "It will be a treat for me, the way Father described the session, it sounded like so much fun."
And because Catherine mentioned Father, Mary inquisitively asked, "Father told you about the session?"
With a nod, Catherine sweetly said, "Yes, Father told both my Dad and me, how special the session is and of how sad and badly he felt about missing it."
To which Mary looked up at Vincent, who was nodding in affirmation of how his Father felt, asking, "Father said all that...well I hate he's feeling so badly."
Mary then heaved a regretful sigh, and sadly replied, "If only I had known of Father's plans, or if only I had consulted Father first about changing the day, or if only Mouse had told him of the change...then Father wouldn't be missing out...if only, if only if only! If only there was a way to still involve Father..."
It was then at that exact moment, a thought occurred to both Mary and Vincent!
Though they didn't say anything aloud at first, the look they shared indicated they were both thinking there must be a way that Father could still contribute.
And so Vincent with a tipping of his head, simply said to Mary and Catherine, "Perhaps there is a way..."
And so Mary with a tinge of hope, smiled, and gleefully asked, "Ooooo Vincent... please share...what is your plan?"
And because Catherine was also emotionally invested in the outcome of Father's ill-fated scenario, she bit her lip, waiting to hear of Vincent's plan too!
Well because Vincent didn't actually have a plan etched in stone as yet, he knew something would come to him, and so to put Mary and Catherine at ease, he simply said, "No time to discuss...just please leave everything to me."
Upon saying she would trust Vincent, Mary then motioning toward the threshold, asked, "Very good then...shall we?"
And as they entered, the children all excitedly cheered, and came rushing toward
the couple. And so lovingly, Vincent and Catherine greeted the children, and
sweetly returned their hugs too.
So because word spreads fast through the tunnels, and because the children have very large ears, Kipper asked Catherine, "We're glad you're safe! We heard some guy tried to kill ya! But you fought him off and got a way! Wow, that's pretty brave Catherine."
Being a little surprised by all the facts the children knew, Catherine confessed,
"Not so brave Kipper, I was pretty scared..."
Of course all the other children chimed in too, and it was Eric who asked, "So you told the cops on him?"
To which Catherine answered, "That's right Eric, I told the police all I knew. I felt it was my duty to our city to do so."
And then Joseph expounded, "Hope they catch 'em before he DOES kill ya!"
Sounding frightened, Samantha expressed, "Well he won't find you here, right? I
mean you are safe here, right?"
Again, Catherine felt badly for the angst her situation brought to the tunnels, and especially to the children, so she soundly said, "This is the safest place on this earth, and no Samantha, he could never find me here. So there is no need to worry."
And because Vincent also saw the children were so concerned for Catherine, he assured them, "Yes Catherine is right, she is safe here, and the police are doing all they can, so everyone will be safe up top as well."
It was then Mary stepped in, and redirected their attention, as she firmly said, "Children we have gathered here to have a joyous time, and Catherine is here to help us. So, let us show our Christmas Spirit and put all troubles behind us for
now, because we have much to do. So all on board, and let us begin our scheming for our Christmas card's theme for this year. So Vincent, if you please..."
Gingerly, Vincent paced in front of the attentive children, and told them, "To
begin, I want to let you know how sad Father is he could not be here with
you...and hopes you understand he had previously made plans which could not be changed."
Then with a glance over to Mary, he added, "...Father hopes ALL of you understand."
Lowering her eyes, Mary gave Vincent a grateful nod, feeling thankful for the
message intended specifically for her.
After agreeing to tell Father they all understood and weren't mad at him, Vincent looked about, and after noticing all the reindeer and snowmen pictures, he said, "I would like to compliment you on all of your art work you have exhibited here. So colorful, and creative!"
To which Heather explained, "The older girls took us to the Painted Tunnels earlier today so Elizabeth could help us. We wanted to have some decorations for tonight! Mine is in the middle."
With a nod of approval, Vincent looked over the pictures once more and said, "Nice, very nice."
Walking across the floor, Vincent then shared, "You know...it does not seem all that long ago, when I was a boy sitting here with the other children, just like you are now..."
To which Seth asked, "Hey Vincent, who did you grow up with?"
Curious about this tidbit too, Joshua questioned, "Yeah, who else was a kid, here when you were a kid here?"
To which Vincent replied, "Well let's see, there would have been my brother Devin, Pascal and Rebecca of course...there was Lisa, Winslow, Gregory, Mitch, our Sentries, Mortimer and Daniel, and a few others."
And then Zach anxiously added, "I really like hearing stories when you were
growing up here, specially when you got into dutch! Can you tell us about another time when you got into trouble Vincent? Pascal sure told us a doozy at Thanksgiving!"
To which Vincent with a smile in his eyes answered, "Oh yes, there were a few times...I remember one occasion when..."
And then as Vincent began to share a tale with the children, his story was cut to
the quick by Mary's throat clearing!
With an apologetic nod toward Mary, and a self conscious look toward
Catherine, Vincent veered back on coarse, saying, "Perhaps I shall save that
story for another time, however tonight, I wanted to share with you what I
remember about making Christmas cards when I was a child here in the tunnels.
I can remember we would debate, and sometimes argue, over what the leitmotif
should be to grace that particular years Christmas card. And the only real
restriction Father and Mary placed on us was, it had to be ONE unified theme
of which we all agreed upon."
Turning toward Mary, Vincent asked, "I trust that has not changed through the years Mary?"
Smiling Mary assuredly said, "It has not Vincent."
So with this rule established, Vincent asked, "So...who would like to be the first to share an idea? Just throw an idea out there and we shall discuss."
Meantime, as Kipper sat looking around, he noticed the funny chimney hat Jacob would always wear for this special session! And so he wildly waved his hand so he could tell Vincent about it.
And because Vincent thought Kipper was ready to contribute an idea, Vincent called on him, saying, "Ahh, wonderful, looks like we have a live one, yes Kipper?"
Pointing over at Jacob's chair, Kipper instructed in a sing song tone, "Hey Vincent, you're supposed to wear the Chimney Hat!"
To which after Vincent looked about to see what Kipper was referring to, he picked up a peculiar, yet albeit humorously festive hat from the chair his Father would have sat in. And after Vincent inspected it, he questioned, "Hmmm, do you mean this hat?"
Confirming, the laughing and giggling children all said, "Yep! That's the one! Wear the hat Vincent! Pleeeeeese? You gotta, Father always does!"
And because of his Father's somewhat sophisticated high hatted demeanor, (no pun intended) Vincent could not really envision him wearing this silly hat! And so looking toward Mary, Vincent questioned, "Father? Really?"
To which Mary nodded as she chuckled, saying, "He does Vincent, he gladly wears it for the children."
Vincent then shared a look with Catherine, and after seeing how tickled she was, Vincent played it out a bit more by saying, "Ah children, I do believe you could let me off the hook and not request this of me, after all Catherine is here, and I am trying to impress her."
It was then Kipper, who originally requested this of Vincent, said, "But Vincent, Father says it's now part of the tradition."
And so Vincent tipped his head, and reluctantly yielded, declaring, "Well, if it's tradition...as you wish."
And after placing it on his head, Vincent looked at his captive little audience, who were joyfully cheering and asked them, "Well? How do I look?"
To which the children all shouted differing versions of FANTABULOUS!
And then turning toward Catherine, he splayed out his hands as he asked, "What say you Catherine?"
Bringing her hands up to hide her smile, Catherine giggled a little as she said, "I think you look very festive...and for the record, I have never been more
impressed by anyone in my life Vincent. I love it."
With a gallant tip of his head, Vincent replied, "Thank you Catherine. Your words have dispelled any silliness, I previously owned."
One more round of laughter rang out through the children, Mary and Catherine too.
After Vincent gathered his dignity, he thoughtfully suggested, "Now since I am in costume...let us begin..."
And so Kipper anxiously raised his hand again,
But instead of sharing an idea, Kipper asked, "Hey Vincent, just wondering if you are gonna write our ideas on that chalk board back there like Father would be doin' if he was here?"
Looking behind himself, Vincent noted the chalk board, and with a raised brow said, "Ah, revolutionary! Yes, looks like things have evolved. And of course, like Father, I shall use this innovative mode of collecting and keeping track of all your ideas."
And then Kipper offered, "Guess you better erase all our Thanksgiving stuff that's on it though before you can use it."
So as Vincent gave the lad a look which indicated he figured this out already, Vincent then stopped in his tracks as Kipper next pointed out, "Just use the eraser that's right under it, oh and the chalk is there too. See?"
Trying to be gallant, Vincent nodded a thank you to the helpful little stinker, and after he fastidiously erased the Thanksgiving graphics, he pulled the rolling chalk board forward, and poised with chalk in hand, Vincent said, "Now unless anyone can come up with any other instructions, suggestions or insights for our session, I believe we are NOW ready for some Christmas Card ideas."
To be continued
Chapter Nineteen
| Treasure of my Heart! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Eighteen _____________________________ |
