Meanwhile, as Charles helped Willie set the table, he worriedly mentioned, "I hope the kids didn't loose track of the time Willie...it would be a shame, because you really put together a great meal for us."
To which Willie replied, "I'm sure they will be here shortly..."
And just as Willie predicted, laughter rang out through the foyer, as the sightseeing shoppers arrived, with Catherine announcing, "Hi Dad and Willie!"
And as Charles and Willie heard the kids, they rushed out to greet them with warm hugs and well wishes issued all around!
Excitedly, the kids then presented Willie her gift! To which she said, "You stinkers! You shouldn't have, ooooh, but so happy you did! Let me see what you got for me..."
As she opened, with much surprise Willie said, "Designer gloves! Well I declare, these are so gorgeous! And feel so soft! Thank you so much kiddo's!"
Proudly, Charles watched on, thinking how thoughtful this was of the kids, knowing it would mean the world to Willie they did this.
Meantime, after Willie warmly thanked them all, she brushed a tear away, and then ordered, "Come on now, put everything down, Robby, just put your garment bag, and Gerty's darling polka dot suitcase over there...and sit down everyone, Dinner is ready."
Clueless why the girls all started to laugh, Willie asked, "What did I say that was so funny?"
So with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, Robert explained, "This is actually my suitcase, I had to borrow one from my sister...mine had water damage, and so I had to carry this pink one, and the girls know I feel silly about it."
Starting to laugh too, Willie apologized, saying, "You poor kid, well put it over there anyway, and maybe you can ask Santa Claus for a new one. Now come on now, and sit down to eat."
Happily they all complied, and as they headed for the Dining Room, Gertrude and Jennifer looked around, and gushed saying how much they admired all the beautiful Christmas decorations!
To which Robert inserted, "Yes, it must be a family thing. Cathy's place looks great, and our folks like to decorate too! In fact, I just helped Dad hang the outside lights last weekend. However I must say, I think you have him beat with your display Uncle Charles. All the trees, and the peak of the house...now that had to be arduous!"
As Charles put his arm around his nephew, he confessed, "Well I'll share a secret with ya Robby, I had a service do it for me this year, in fact they just finished up today."
To which Robert said, "Well that makes sense! I hated to think you were climbing around after all you have been through! How are you doing anyway?"
As they headed to the dining room, Charles truthfully said, "I feel good, in fact I told Cathy the other day, that I finally have my energy back! Yeah, I am feeling pretty darn good."
As Gertrude slipped in under Charles other arm, she with emotion said, "We are so thankful you are all right Uncle Charley...Mom and Dad almost came down to Florida too!"
"I heard!" Said Charles, "And I am so glad they didn't! Traveling this time of year, is like "Pure Travel Hell"! So I am really glad they stayed put."
After everyone sat down to a lovely dinner of Roasted Pork Loin, Mashed Potatoes with Onion Gravy, they raved on and on of how delicious everything was!
To which Willie beamed as she told them how nice it made her feel to see people enjoy her cooking!
And so in between bites, they filled in the conversation with events of their day, telling Charles too about running into Jessica, Evelyn, and Sylvia!
And then Catherine teased, "Dad, you never mentioned how lovely Evelyn was."
To which Charles bashfully replied, "I didn't? Hmmm..."
And because of the graciousness Evelyn exhibited, Gertrude also noted, "And she seems very nice too."
Excitedly, Jennifer then added, "Oh and what a coincidence, they will be at the play tonight!"
To which Charles tipped his head, as he quipped, "Valuable information! I better comb my hair then."
Well after the giggles died away, because Gertrude still could not believe she will be going, she exclaimed, "The Phantom! I have been dying to see it for ages! AND we are actually going!"
Seeing Gertrude so happy, brought much joy to Charles, and to everyone! And because Charles had asked Willie to go earlier, he was still waiting to hear her answer, and so he asked again, "Oh hey Willie, what about you? Have you decided if you are going with us tonight?"
To which Willie regretfully shook her head, as she answered, saying, "You know, I was this close to going, but my daughter called just before the kids walked in, and she was hysterical! The store lost her lay-a-way, and now she has to search for all the hard to find hot items! So I am sorry to say I won't be going, but instead, I'll be watching the kids so Marie and her hubby Merle can go shopping."
Everyone voiced their disappointment that Willie wouldn't be going, to which Willie said, "Well that's okay, maybe next time."
And it was then Catherine thought of Peter, and suggested, "Dad, did you want to offer Willie's ticket to Peter, I mean since the ladies from Florida will also be at the theater tonight..."
But because Charles knew Peter had plans, he answered, "Peter's busy, he has a family birthday party to go to tonight, otherwise he probably would have gone. He likes the play."
It was then Robert shared, "Well just so you all know everyone, we will be seeing the 5,482nd performance of the Phantom on Broadway tonight."
And because Charles was on a roll getting a few laughs, he jokingly said, "Oh good, they should know their lines by now then, uh?"
So of course, Charles did get some laughs for his retort, and then Willie complimented Robert for knowing that tidbit! And so Willie continued with a tone of wonderment, noting, "Of course I am not surprised...even a as young boy, you were always interested in statistics. I remember one day while I was cooking, you stood at the counter, and you told me there was an average of 178 sesame seeds on each McDonalds BigMac bun! And I never forgot it!"
As everyone laughed, Robert did too, saying, "Awe, well I always loved stats! Gee, I know a million of 'em!"
And so after being prodded to share a few, he thoughtfully complied, spewing, "There is a 1/4 pound of salt in every gallon of seawater. The average smell weighs 760 nanograms. The Earth experiences 50,000 earthquakes each year. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar. And oh yeah here's a good one, The average talker sprays about 300 microscopic saliva droplets per minute, about 2.5 droplets per word!"
After hearing the last stat, Charles raised his brows and said, "Wow! Now that is a useful stat to know! I think from now on, I am gonna take an extra step back from a certain close talker I know!"
And because Catherine thought she knew who it was, she teasingly asked, "Mr Slaver Dad?"
To which in reply, Charles said, "My lips are sealed Dear Daughter! I only wish the clandestine close talker's lips were as well!"
Again everyone chuckled, especially Gertrude and Robert, because they have always loved Uncle Charles' corny jokes!
And then because his knowledge base was vast, Robert noted, "Well I'm not sure if it is this Mr. Slaver you are shielding Uncle Charles, but it sure would be ironic if it were...because slaver is a synonym for saliva, drool, dribble and so forth."
Upon hearing this, Charles had to confess, "Since this is all too good to keep to myself, I will share, Cathy is right...IT IS Mr. Slaver!"
Well Jennifer howled the loudest, but this really tickled everyone! And so finally as the laughter died down, Gertrude wiped away her tears, and said, "I don't know what's funnier Uncle Charley, what you say, or how you say it! You have a great delivery."
With a wink, Charles told his niece, "Yes, well I have been barbing all my life. Your Dad and I were always trying to make each other laugh, especially in places where we shouldn't! Oh your Dad was a rascal growing up, and ahem, may I say, we were quite a pair! Ahh yes, when we heard our full names being summoned, Charles James and Douglas James, well that's when we knew we were carrying our joking and pranks a bit too far..at least in Mother's eyes!"
Upon hearing Charles' confession of sorts, a few more stories were told of his and his brother's childhood, and so after a little more conversation, Willie really pulled out the stops, by serving them a choice of delicious Pecan Pie, scrumptious Carrot Cake or some of Catherine's farewell sheet cake too for dessert!
To which Catherine teased, "Oh my Willie! All the desserts look so good, I'm not sure which to have!"
And because everyone echoed what Catherine just said, they all decided to sample a teeny slice of the pie and carrot cake, saying they just tasted the sheet cake earlier at Catherine's!
To which Charles joked, "Ah, so "The ENDLESS Office Sheet Cake" has reared it's ugly head earlier uh?"
With a nod Catherine noted, "Endless is the operative word Dad...everyone enjoyed it at the party, but still there was tons left to give away."
Taking it all in, Willie then observed, "Yes the "Ceremonious Office Party Cake"! You can't have a party without one! And it's always a concern of how large of a cake to get!"
To which Charles thoughtfully responded, "True, so true, we debated the issue, and settled on a full sized cake. Maybe I will suggest that a half a sheet cake will be adequate next time."
So after the office party cake conversation faded, Catherine took a sip of her coffee, as she with concern asked Willie, "I keep thinking about Marie's dilema! Do you think she and Merle will have a hard time finding the special toys again for the kids?"
To which Willie said she hoped she wouldn't, but just then the phone rang, and after Willie excused herself to answer it, she came back into the dining room and announced, "Well good news! That was Marie on the phone, and in answer to your question Cathy, Marie has been calling all the stores, and has found everything pretty much at one store, except for one item, a DOLL, named "Little Baby Blue"! Which is pretty important, because it is the only doll her daughter Sarah wants! But keep your fingers crossed, Marie has someone checking their inventory to see if they can find one as we speak."
To which Jennifer tragically replied, "Well I have my fingers and toes crossed! I hope she finds that doll!"
Upon hearing Willie's story about the baby doll, a smile came to Charles, as he reminisced, "That reminds me of that one Christmas when...let's see, you girls were six or so."
Charles then looked at Robert and Gertrude as he explained, "It was when your family lived in South Jersey, and we would get together nearly every weekend visiting back and forth."
Charles then looked around the table, to include everyone in his story, and continued, "Well that year, Caroline, and Elaine tried like heck to find the dolls you girls wanted..."
Catherine and Gertrude shared a smile, knowing Charles was talking about the wide eyed dolls they loved so much, The My Friend dolls".
And as Charles went on and on about the challenge of locating these hard to find treasures, he then finished up the story of telling how happy they were, finally finding them unexpectedly at Walfords, the local 5 & Dime store!
Gertrude laughed and with a fondness said, "Do you remember Cathy? That was the best Christmas...we were so happy! I still have Becky, do you still have Mandy?"
To which Catherine smiled as she replied, "Of course...at home in my hope chest..."
Then as a melancholy washed over her, Catherine softly added, "...where she's safe and sound, all snuggled in her receiving blanket...where I will keep her for always."
Meantime, Charles got up to stretch, and as he patted his belly, he said, "Delish Willie! Delish! Hey Robby...we have a little time before we hafta get ready...how 'bout coming with me, I want to show you this book I have about the WWI infantry."
And so after the two guys took off, the girls helped Willie clear the table and fill the dish washer. And all the while they had a ball talking about their day, and about going to the play.
Willie then looked about, and in a motherly tone, said, "Now we are all done here...so you girls run along and get ready for your big night, and I am going to scoot as well!"
As the girls wished Willie's daughter good luck finding the doll, they thanked her again for the delicious supper.
Upon which Willie in turn, thanked them for her gift, and after reciprocal "Your welcomes" were exchanged, they hugged goodbye.
The three gals then went upstairs to Catherine's old room, to which Jennifer contentedly plopped on the bed, and said she was so full, she was not moving!
With a slight skip to her walk, Gertrude sat at the vanity to fix her hair, and said, that nothing could keep her from going to see the Phantom, even if they had to wheel her there! She then dreamily added she found all that mysteriousness about the Phantom...so terribly romantic!
And then with a sigh, Gertrude swooned, and added, "If only I could find MY Phantom in the night..."
To which she wistfully continued, "...the excitement of being in a romance with a dark mysterious soul...someone who finds something interesting enough in me, to want me only for himself, and would swoop me away, to love me obsessively!"
As Jennifer listened to Gertrude, she relayed, "Cathy and I were just talking about this! All those obsessive traits seem so romantic in the phantom, but yet, in real life, the guy would be labeled a psychopath!"
With a giggle, Gerty with embarrassment agreed, saying, "Oh my, I suppose you are right..."
Catherine laughed, saying, "Jen and I wondered why it does sound romantic in a fictional guy, but creepy in a boyfriend!
And then privately, Catherine thought about her own Fairy tale romance she had with Vincent, wishing she could share how magical it was, but instead she thoughtfully added, "But I know what Gertrude is talking about..."
And then looking at her cousin, Catherine said, "...you are talking about stuff Fairy tales are made of."
Happy Catherine understood without thinking she was weird, Gertrude replied, "Yes...a fairy tale romance."
To which Jennifer jokingly chimed in, "Hey, I mean I get it! I want to find my fairy tale hero too, but I just don't want to be held hostage by him!"
The girls all laughed, and then Catherine teasingly replied, "Well it's good to know Jimmy, err James isn't obsessively Phantom-like..."
Upon which Jennifer responded, "James Phantom-like? I don't think so!"
And then with a sigh, Jennifer added, "But I am not complaining, though James is not an illusive psycho-stud, he is cute."
And it was then Catherine remembered that she wanted to show Jennifer her diary, and excitedly said, "You know Jen, you have always thought Jimmy was cute...and I have the proof, just a second..."
Catherine then dug out her diary, and read the excerpts from 20 years ago, when Jennifer spoke about Jimmy Ames, and of how cute she thought he was back then.
The three girls had a good laugh as they searched and read any other mention they could find of Jimmy in the diary.
And as they closed the cover, Catherine asked in amazement, "Who could have imagined you would be actually dating him all these years later."
To which Jennifer agreeably expounded, "Not me, that's for sure! And we really did have alot of fun last night...so here I am, as happy as a lark!"
And then Jennifer asked, "And what about you Cath? How was Dinner with Vincent last night?"
To which Catherine nodded, and as she looked at both Jennifer and Gerty, she said, "We had a wonderful time."
And as Jennifer swooned, she responded, "Oh good, glad to hear it..."
Jennifer then turned to Gertrude to say, "And though I haven't met him, met him...this Vincent guy must have the most sensual voice I have ever heard!"
Upon hearing Jennifer's accurate description of Vincent's timbre, Catherine smiled, as the mere thought of him, managed to turn her sweetly inside out!
And because of the blushing of her cheeks, her cousin was prompted to say, "I am glad you are still together. The last time I saw you, you and Vincent were just patching things up, so I am glad seeing you so happy."
To which Catherine softly replied, "Yes...everything is going just fine."
In response to Catherine's reply, Jennifer exaggeratedly repeated, "Just fine? You call that indelible smile on your face, just fine? I would say things must be going better than fine!"
Self-consciously, Catherine admitted, "Vincent does make me happier than I could ever have imagined."
As Catherine tucked the childhood diary away, she turned to her cousin, and asked, "What about you Gerty...anyone special?"
Wondering if she should reveal something she had never told any other living soul, she ultimately confided, "Well there is someone...someone at work..."
Sitting up to better hear the scoop, Jennifer asked, "Tell us more!"
After clearing her throat, Gerty shyly replied, "Well, to be honest, there really isn't anything to tell...I don't think he even knows I exist...he works in a different division than I do, and I only cross paths with him in the morning when I get my latte'."
Enthusiastically, Jennifer advised, "Then you must make your self known! Come on Gerty, you are a looker, I am sure you can get him to notice you if you try!"
To which Gertrude with angst, said, "I wouldn't even know where to start!"
In reply, Jennifer suggested, "Just start out by saying good morning to him."
Explaining further, Gerty explained, "Well he is always earlier than I am, and so I only get to see him as he is leaving....but oh my! He is so handsome!"
As Catherine listened to the two, she remembered how Gertrude was always so shy around boys, and knew this would be so hard for her to make the first move.
And so Catherine threw in a suggestion herself, by adding, "Well...how about if you arrive even earlier than he does?"
Surprised she had not thought of this herself, Gertrude reiterated, "You mean change my schedule up a bit? Hmmm, I guess I could try that."
And so Jennifer excitedly said, "Yeah! Give him a chance to notice you! Now you have to keep us posted and let us know of any developments."
To which Gertrude promised, "All right...I promise...OH My! I can't believe I am going to do this!"
With a sisterly hug, Catherine told her cousin, "Just be yourself, and have some confidence Gerty...Jenny is right, you are a very pretty girl."
Humbly, Gertrude said, "Thanks girls..."
Just then Robert knocked, and as Catherine cracked the door open, he said, "Uncle Charles wanted me to tell you three that you better hurry, the taxi should be here any moment!"
To which Catherine replied, "Oh all right Robert, tell Dad we will be right down."
The girl's then excitedly moved into high gear, and changed into their evening clothes.
Meanwhile, Charles nervously looked at his watch, and was standing at the foot of the stairs, when the girl's FINALLY...one by one, began to file down past him.
Playfully, Charles gave a wolf whistle on their behalf, and Robert, who was standing beside his Uncle Charles, looked on, with eyes only for Jennifer.
And as he tried to look cool, Robert cleared his throat and squeaked out, "You look very beautiful Jennifer!"
Appreciatively, Jennifer smiled and said, "Well thanks Robby!"
Whipping off his black framed glasses, he put them into their eyeglass case, and into his suit coat's pocket before he suavely said, "Tonight...please start calling me Rob!"
Just then, the taxi arrived, and with the honking of the horn, they put on their wraps, and piled in! With a taxi full of excited theater goers, the driver wheeled off for the Majestic Theater on 247 W. 44th St.
It was a quarter to eight when they pulled up in front of the Theater. And as they stepped from the cab, Gertrude looked up at the marquee, and with stars in her eyes, she excitedly squealed, "Here I am...at "The Phantom of the Opera" in New York City! Take a picture of me in front of the marquee Robbie!"
And so Robbie took a few shots of his sister, and also of the gang too in front of the theater, when Gertrude excitedly gushed, "Oh Uncle Charley, I can never thank you enough!"
And as Gertrude hugged her dear uncle, Charles with a sheepish smile said, "Awe sure thing honey, I am just so glad this all worked out for ya."
And then added, "I gotta say though, I am feeling a little guilty getting all this credit for the freebee tickets I was given!"
Everyone laughed at Charles comment, and it may be that it wasn't all that funny, but because they were all so excited, that everything seemed to be funny and joyful!
And it was joyful until...guess what...just as they were about to walk into the theater, Steven casually strolled by the entrance!
And as Steven looked over at Catherine's group, he feigned surprise as he expounded, "Cathy, Charles...Jennifer, hello!"
As Catherine looked at him in disbelief, she couldn't believe her worst fear had come to fruition! And she now knew it was a mistake to have told Steven any of her plans!
And so suspiciously Catherine asked, "Steven what are you doing out so late?"
With a shopping bag in his hand, he held it up and gleefully said, "I was feeling so good, I just had to get out and enjoy the city. So I thought I would get in a little Holiday shopping at the same time."
To which Jennifer quizzically asked, "Shopping? In the theater district?"
Upon realizing he didn't have an answer to Jennifer's great question, he sputtered a bit, before saying, "Yes, well I guess I kinda kept walking, and well, here I am!"
Nonchalantly, Steven then looked up at the marquee, and remarked, "Ah, going to see the Phantom I see..."
To which Catherine called him out, by politely, yet assertively saying, "I told you the theater was part of our plans."
And in acting like he only just remembered, Steven said, "That's right! You did mention it...gee, The Phantom of the Opera! I have the broadway soundtrack, and always wanted to see the actual play, but like everything in my life, I kept putting it off, thinking there would be time later..."
And so pitifully, Steven raised a brow, as he sadly continued, "...and now, since the tickets are so hard to get, who knows if I ever will."
And meantime, because Catherine had not had a chance to tell her Dad about Steven's recent obsessive antics, Charles kindly offered, "Well, I have this extra ticket Steven...and you are more than welcome to join us."
To which Catherine quickly tried to discourage the offer by saying, "Dad, I am sure Steven needs to get home, he is supposed to be resting as much as possible..."
To which Steven shook his head, and said, "Actually tonight at least, I am feeling pretty good...and I would love to tag along..."
And because this was playing out better than what Steven had planned, he then looked hopefully at Catherine to seal the deal, saying, "...IF I am welcome, that is. I mean I realize this wasn't part of our agreement or anything, but since I am here...well Cathy? What do you say?"
Meanwhile, because of the odd exchange going on between Steven and his daughter, Charles began to realize he may have overstepped some boundaries with his invitation!
And so Charles, along with everyone else, uncomfortably waited for Catherine to confirm Steven's query, asking if he was welcome or not.
And so as Catherine glanced around, and became aware of everyone's eyes on her, though she hated to, she finally said, "It's fine..."
To which Steven expressed, "Wow, thanks so much Cathy...and Charles!"
It was then Steven scanned the group, and as he cleared his throat, he waited to be introduced to Catherine's cousins.
And so because of the huge hint Steven gave her, Catherine remembered her manners, as she said, "These are my cousins, Gertrude, and Rob."
As Steven enthusiastically shook their hands, he suavely said, "Pleased to meet you. All that time Catherine and I were together, it is a shame I never had the opportunity to meet the both of you before."
To which Catherine coolly reminded him, "There were plenty of invitations to go to family gatherings Steven. You were just always too busy or uninterested to go with me."
With a faraway look, Steven nodded as he replied, "That was the old Steven Cathy..."
Uncomfortably Catherine changed the subject, as she looked to her Dad, and asked, "Well, shall we find our seats?"
Happy for a sig way, Charles graciously flared out his hand, and said, "Absolutely! After you!"
The group then walked into the theater, and as they settled in to enjoy the play, Jennifer...being a true friend, made sure she sat between Catherine and Steven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Vincent finished wrapping one of Catherine's Christmas gifts he had made for her, and as he gazed upon the package, with a smile in his eyes, he felt very pleased with his efforts. He then contentedly, leaned back in his chair.
Just then, his Father arrived for a visit, and as Jacob stood for a moment, looking at his son sitting in his high backed chair, it struck him, how happy Vincent looked.
And so, hobbling inside, Jacob pleasantly asked, "Am I interrupting?"
To which Vincent politely stood to welcome him, and said, "No Father...in fact I was only just this moment, thinking of coming to see you."
With a nod, Jacob then jested, "Really? I dare say, because you looked so happy, I thought perhaps it was Catherine you were thinking about."
In reply, Vincent bashfully admitted, "It was in fact Catherine I was thinking about...hoping she will like this gift I made for her."
Vincent then reiterated, "However, in the next instant, it crossed my mind to speak with you. I was going to ask if you would like the Holiday decorations brought out of storage tomorrow."
In affirmation, Jacob nodded, and with a smile said, "Yes! And...only a short while ago, Mary had asked me the same question! It would seem everyone is getting into a festive mood, and is getting anxious to begin their decorating."
With that said, Vincent thinking on his own personal Christmas decoration, he walked over to his trunk, and as he knelt beside it, he brought out the snow globe he had since he was a boy.
And as he held it tenderly in his hands, a look of melancholy came over him as he noticed that somehow the water had evaporated, and his globe had lost it's magical fluid element.
The sight of this familiar item, made Jacob smile until he saw Vincent's reaction, causing him to ask, "Vincent?"
To which in reply, Vincent sadly said, "Father...the liquid dissipated... "
With concern, Jacob approached, and said, "Ah what a shame...I know how much this snow globe means to you."
With a thoughtful look, Vincent inspected the globe further, and deduced, "I don't believe a globe such as this can be repaired."
As Jacob took it in his hands, to inspect it as well, he agreeably said, "Tis a shame, as I don't see how it could be."
Vincent then accepted the globe back from his Father, and wearily said, "Devin gave this to me for Christmas, the year before he left the Tunnels."
To which Jacob recalled, "I remember when you unwrapped this exquisite gift from your brother...I suspected he had absconded it from a merchant!"
Looking over at his Father, Vincent confessed, "I heard the both of you arguing about it that night. Devin assured you he had not stolen it, but you didn't believe him...you insisted he was lying."
Regretfully, Jacob amusedly said, "Yes, and Winslow stood up to me as well, and told me I should believe Devin if he says the gift had not been stolen."
Jacob then laughed as he added, "As if Winslow was a credible witness, being he was a fellow pubescent crony!"
Turning thoughtful, Jacob guiltily continued, "You know...I wish I had given him a chance to explain how he had gotten your gift, but for some reason, I had never quite honed my communication skills where Devin was concerned. I consider this to be my greatest failure as a father. Seemed he was always having to play defense to my exculpatory questions."
And Vincent knew this was true, because he privately recalled Devin saying how Father would always accuse him first, before giving him a chance to explain. However knowing how this would hurt his Father to hear this, Vincent kept this exchange between he and his brother to himself.
Meantime, Jacob sorrowfully stood, as he pondered, "It is regretful some things in life, we are not given a second chance..."
After breaking through his moment of reflective regret, Jacob continued, "At any rate, I did apologize to Devin once I found out he had actually been given this gift by a representative of the "Toys for Tots" organization."
In his own defense for being so suspicious of Devin, Jacob laughed as he further explained, "However, he was not totally in the clear, as I then had to scold him for passing himself off as one of the orphans at the annual Ridley Hall's Christmas Party."
Vincent chuckled himself, as he thought of all the pranks his brother Devin used to pull.
Sadly, Jacob then shared, "Devin told me he very much wanted you to have this globe, because you loved the snow so much. And he thought the times you could not venture outside...you could at least look at the snow falling inside this little glass world."
Pensively, Vincent looked down at the snow globe, with its now dried out crystal snowflake particles, as they lay motionless around the beautiful little cottage scene, remembering how magical it once was.
And as he tipped it, he once more read the inspiring inscription some unknown person had written on be underside, before it had been donated to Toys for Tots.
And so he smiled to himself, as he walked over to his table, and positioned the globe in its usual place of honor, deciding it would still be displayed this Christmas, in it's specially reserved, prestigious Holiday spot.
After looking over at his father for affirmation, with a nod, Jacob said, "Fractured or not, it is where it should be."
To be continued
Chapter Fifteen
To which Willie replied, "I'm sure they will be here shortly..."
And just as Willie predicted, laughter rang out through the foyer, as the sightseeing shoppers arrived, with Catherine announcing, "Hi Dad and Willie!"
And as Charles and Willie heard the kids, they rushed out to greet them with warm hugs and well wishes issued all around!
Excitedly, the kids then presented Willie her gift! To which she said, "You stinkers! You shouldn't have, ooooh, but so happy you did! Let me see what you got for me..."
As she opened, with much surprise Willie said, "Designer gloves! Well I declare, these are so gorgeous! And feel so soft! Thank you so much kiddo's!"
Proudly, Charles watched on, thinking how thoughtful this was of the kids, knowing it would mean the world to Willie they did this.
Meantime, after Willie warmly thanked them all, she brushed a tear away, and then ordered, "Come on now, put everything down, Robby, just put your garment bag, and Gerty's darling polka dot suitcase over there...and sit down everyone, Dinner is ready."
Clueless why the girls all started to laugh, Willie asked, "What did I say that was so funny?"
So with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, Robert explained, "This is actually my suitcase, I had to borrow one from my sister...mine had water damage, and so I had to carry this pink one, and the girls know I feel silly about it."
Starting to laugh too, Willie apologized, saying, "You poor kid, well put it over there anyway, and maybe you can ask Santa Claus for a new one. Now come on now, and sit down to eat."
Happily they all complied, and as they headed for the Dining Room, Gertrude and Jennifer looked around, and gushed saying how much they admired all the beautiful Christmas decorations!
To which Robert inserted, "Yes, it must be a family thing. Cathy's place looks great, and our folks like to decorate too! In fact, I just helped Dad hang the outside lights last weekend. However I must say, I think you have him beat with your display Uncle Charles. All the trees, and the peak of the house...now that had to be arduous!"
As Charles put his arm around his nephew, he confessed, "Well I'll share a secret with ya Robby, I had a service do it for me this year, in fact they just finished up today."
To which Robert said, "Well that makes sense! I hated to think you were climbing around after all you have been through! How are you doing anyway?"
As they headed to the dining room, Charles truthfully said, "I feel good, in fact I told Cathy the other day, that I finally have my energy back! Yeah, I am feeling pretty darn good."
As Gertrude slipped in under Charles other arm, she with emotion said, "We are so thankful you are all right Uncle Charley...Mom and Dad almost came down to Florida too!"
"I heard!" Said Charles, "And I am so glad they didn't! Traveling this time of year, is like "Pure Travel Hell"! So I am really glad they stayed put."
After everyone sat down to a lovely dinner of Roasted Pork Loin, Mashed Potatoes with Onion Gravy, they raved on and on of how delicious everything was!
To which Willie beamed as she told them how nice it made her feel to see people enjoy her cooking!
And so in between bites, they filled in the conversation with events of their day, telling Charles too about running into Jessica, Evelyn, and Sylvia!
And then Catherine teased, "Dad, you never mentioned how lovely Evelyn was."
To which Charles bashfully replied, "I didn't? Hmmm..."
And because of the graciousness Evelyn exhibited, Gertrude also noted, "And she seems very nice too."
Excitedly, Jennifer then added, "Oh and what a coincidence, they will be at the play tonight!"
To which Charles tipped his head, as he quipped, "Valuable information! I better comb my hair then."
Well after the giggles died away, because Gertrude still could not believe she will be going, she exclaimed, "The Phantom! I have been dying to see it for ages! AND we are actually going!"
Seeing Gertrude so happy, brought much joy to Charles, and to everyone! And because Charles had asked Willie to go earlier, he was still waiting to hear her answer, and so he asked again, "Oh hey Willie, what about you? Have you decided if you are going with us tonight?"
To which Willie regretfully shook her head, as she answered, saying, "You know, I was this close to going, but my daughter called just before the kids walked in, and she was hysterical! The store lost her lay-a-way, and now she has to search for all the hard to find hot items! So I am sorry to say I won't be going, but instead, I'll be watching the kids so Marie and her hubby Merle can go shopping."
Everyone voiced their disappointment that Willie wouldn't be going, to which Willie said, "Well that's okay, maybe next time."
And it was then Catherine thought of Peter, and suggested, "Dad, did you want to offer Willie's ticket to Peter, I mean since the ladies from Florida will also be at the theater tonight..."
But because Charles knew Peter had plans, he answered, "Peter's busy, he has a family birthday party to go to tonight, otherwise he probably would have gone. He likes the play."
It was then Robert shared, "Well just so you all know everyone, we will be seeing the 5,482nd performance of the Phantom on Broadway tonight."
And because Charles was on a roll getting a few laughs, he jokingly said, "Oh good, they should know their lines by now then, uh?"
So of course, Charles did get some laughs for his retort, and then Willie complimented Robert for knowing that tidbit! And so Willie continued with a tone of wonderment, noting, "Of course I am not surprised...even a as young boy, you were always interested in statistics. I remember one day while I was cooking, you stood at the counter, and you told me there was an average of 178 sesame seeds on each McDonalds BigMac bun! And I never forgot it!"
As everyone laughed, Robert did too, saying, "Awe, well I always loved stats! Gee, I know a million of 'em!"
And so after being prodded to share a few, he thoughtfully complied, spewing, "There is a 1/4 pound of salt in every gallon of seawater. The average smell weighs 760 nanograms. The Earth experiences 50,000 earthquakes each year. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar. And oh yeah here's a good one, The average talker sprays about 300 microscopic saliva droplets per minute, about 2.5 droplets per word!"
After hearing the last stat, Charles raised his brows and said, "Wow! Now that is a useful stat to know! I think from now on, I am gonna take an extra step back from a certain close talker I know!"
And because Catherine thought she knew who it was, she teasingly asked, "Mr Slaver Dad?"
To which in reply, Charles said, "My lips are sealed Dear Daughter! I only wish the clandestine close talker's lips were as well!"
Again everyone chuckled, especially Gertrude and Robert, because they have always loved Uncle Charles' corny jokes!
And then because his knowledge base was vast, Robert noted, "Well I'm not sure if it is this Mr. Slaver you are shielding Uncle Charles, but it sure would be ironic if it were...because slaver is a synonym for saliva, drool, dribble and so forth."
Upon hearing this, Charles had to confess, "Since this is all too good to keep to myself, I will share, Cathy is right...IT IS Mr. Slaver!"
Well Jennifer howled the loudest, but this really tickled everyone! And so finally as the laughter died down, Gertrude wiped away her tears, and said, "I don't know what's funnier Uncle Charley, what you say, or how you say it! You have a great delivery."
With a wink, Charles told his niece, "Yes, well I have been barbing all my life. Your Dad and I were always trying to make each other laugh, especially in places where we shouldn't! Oh your Dad was a rascal growing up, and ahem, may I say, we were quite a pair! Ahh yes, when we heard our full names being summoned, Charles James and Douglas James, well that's when we knew we were carrying our joking and pranks a bit too far..at least in Mother's eyes!"
Upon hearing Charles' confession of sorts, a few more stories were told of his and his brother's childhood, and so after a little more conversation, Willie really pulled out the stops, by serving them a choice of delicious Pecan Pie, scrumptious Carrot Cake or some of Catherine's farewell sheet cake too for dessert!
To which Catherine teased, "Oh my Willie! All the desserts look so good, I'm not sure which to have!"
And because everyone echoed what Catherine just said, they all decided to sample a teeny slice of the pie and carrot cake, saying they just tasted the sheet cake earlier at Catherine's!
To which Charles joked, "Ah, so "The ENDLESS Office Sheet Cake" has reared it's ugly head earlier uh?"
With a nod Catherine noted, "Endless is the operative word Dad...everyone enjoyed it at the party, but still there was tons left to give away."
Taking it all in, Willie then observed, "Yes the "Ceremonious Office Party Cake"! You can't have a party without one! And it's always a concern of how large of a cake to get!"
To which Charles thoughtfully responded, "True, so true, we debated the issue, and settled on a full sized cake. Maybe I will suggest that a half a sheet cake will be adequate next time."
So after the office party cake conversation faded, Catherine took a sip of her coffee, as she with concern asked Willie, "I keep thinking about Marie's dilema! Do you think she and Merle will have a hard time finding the special toys again for the kids?"
To which Willie said she hoped she wouldn't, but just then the phone rang, and after Willie excused herself to answer it, she came back into the dining room and announced, "Well good news! That was Marie on the phone, and in answer to your question Cathy, Marie has been calling all the stores, and has found everything pretty much at one store, except for one item, a DOLL, named "Little Baby Blue"! Which is pretty important, because it is the only doll her daughter Sarah wants! But keep your fingers crossed, Marie has someone checking their inventory to see if they can find one as we speak."
To which Jennifer tragically replied, "Well I have my fingers and toes crossed! I hope she finds that doll!"
Upon hearing Willie's story about the baby doll, a smile came to Charles, as he reminisced, "That reminds me of that one Christmas when...let's see, you girls were six or so."
Charles then looked at Robert and Gertrude as he explained, "It was when your family lived in South Jersey, and we would get together nearly every weekend visiting back and forth."
Charles then looked around the table, to include everyone in his story, and continued, "Well that year, Caroline, and Elaine tried like heck to find the dolls you girls wanted..."
Catherine and Gertrude shared a smile, knowing Charles was talking about the wide eyed dolls they loved so much, The My Friend dolls".
And as Charles went on and on about the challenge of locating these hard to find treasures, he then finished up the story of telling how happy they were, finally finding them unexpectedly at Walfords, the local 5 & Dime store!
Gertrude laughed and with a fondness said, "Do you remember Cathy? That was the best Christmas...we were so happy! I still have Becky, do you still have Mandy?"
To which Catherine smiled as she replied, "Of course...at home in my hope chest..."
Then as a melancholy washed over her, Catherine softly added, "...where she's safe and sound, all snuggled in her receiving blanket...where I will keep her for always."
Meantime, Charles got up to stretch, and as he patted his belly, he said, "Delish Willie! Delish! Hey Robby...we have a little time before we hafta get ready...how 'bout coming with me, I want to show you this book I have about the WWI infantry."
And so after the two guys took off, the girls helped Willie clear the table and fill the dish washer. And all the while they had a ball talking about their day, and about going to the play.
Willie then looked about, and in a motherly tone, said, "Now we are all done here...so you girls run along and get ready for your big night, and I am going to scoot as well!"
As the girls wished Willie's daughter good luck finding the doll, they thanked her again for the delicious supper.
Upon which Willie in turn, thanked them for her gift, and after reciprocal "Your welcomes" were exchanged, they hugged goodbye.
The three gals then went upstairs to Catherine's old room, to which Jennifer contentedly plopped on the bed, and said she was so full, she was not moving!
With a slight skip to her walk, Gertrude sat at the vanity to fix her hair, and said, that nothing could keep her from going to see the Phantom, even if they had to wheel her there! She then dreamily added she found all that mysteriousness about the Phantom...so terribly romantic!
And then with a sigh, Gertrude swooned, and added, "If only I could find MY Phantom in the night..."
To which she wistfully continued, "...the excitement of being in a romance with a dark mysterious soul...someone who finds something interesting enough in me, to want me only for himself, and would swoop me away, to love me obsessively!"
As Jennifer listened to Gertrude, she relayed, "Cathy and I were just talking about this! All those obsessive traits seem so romantic in the phantom, but yet, in real life, the guy would be labeled a psychopath!"
With a giggle, Gerty with embarrassment agreed, saying, "Oh my, I suppose you are right..."
Catherine laughed, saying, "Jen and I wondered why it does sound romantic in a fictional guy, but creepy in a boyfriend!
And then privately, Catherine thought about her own Fairy tale romance she had with Vincent, wishing she could share how magical it was, but instead she thoughtfully added, "But I know what Gertrude is talking about..."
And then looking at her cousin, Catherine said, "...you are talking about stuff Fairy tales are made of."
Happy Catherine understood without thinking she was weird, Gertrude replied, "Yes...a fairy tale romance."
To which Jennifer jokingly chimed in, "Hey, I mean I get it! I want to find my fairy tale hero too, but I just don't want to be held hostage by him!"
The girls all laughed, and then Catherine teasingly replied, "Well it's good to know Jimmy, err James isn't obsessively Phantom-like..."
Upon which Jennifer responded, "James Phantom-like? I don't think so!"
And then with a sigh, Jennifer added, "But I am not complaining, though James is not an illusive psycho-stud, he is cute."
And it was then Catherine remembered that she wanted to show Jennifer her diary, and excitedly said, "You know Jen, you have always thought Jimmy was cute...and I have the proof, just a second..."
Catherine then dug out her diary, and read the excerpts from 20 years ago, when Jennifer spoke about Jimmy Ames, and of how cute she thought he was back then.
The three girls had a good laugh as they searched and read any other mention they could find of Jimmy in the diary.
And as they closed the cover, Catherine asked in amazement, "Who could have imagined you would be actually dating him all these years later."
To which Jennifer agreeably expounded, "Not me, that's for sure! And we really did have alot of fun last night...so here I am, as happy as a lark!"
And then Jennifer asked, "And what about you Cath? How was Dinner with Vincent last night?"
To which Catherine nodded, and as she looked at both Jennifer and Gerty, she said, "We had a wonderful time."
And as Jennifer swooned, she responded, "Oh good, glad to hear it..."
Jennifer then turned to Gertrude to say, "And though I haven't met him, met him...this Vincent guy must have the most sensual voice I have ever heard!"
Upon hearing Jennifer's accurate description of Vincent's timbre, Catherine smiled, as the mere thought of him, managed to turn her sweetly inside out!
And because of the blushing of her cheeks, her cousin was prompted to say, "I am glad you are still together. The last time I saw you, you and Vincent were just patching things up, so I am glad seeing you so happy."
To which Catherine softly replied, "Yes...everything is going just fine."
In response to Catherine's reply, Jennifer exaggeratedly repeated, "Just fine? You call that indelible smile on your face, just fine? I would say things must be going better than fine!"
Self-consciously, Catherine admitted, "Vincent does make me happier than I could ever have imagined."
As Catherine tucked the childhood diary away, she turned to her cousin, and asked, "What about you Gerty...anyone special?"
Wondering if she should reveal something she had never told any other living soul, she ultimately confided, "Well there is someone...someone at work..."
Sitting up to better hear the scoop, Jennifer asked, "Tell us more!"
After clearing her throat, Gerty shyly replied, "Well, to be honest, there really isn't anything to tell...I don't think he even knows I exist...he works in a different division than I do, and I only cross paths with him in the morning when I get my latte'."
Enthusiastically, Jennifer advised, "Then you must make your self known! Come on Gerty, you are a looker, I am sure you can get him to notice you if you try!"
To which Gertrude with angst, said, "I wouldn't even know where to start!"
In reply, Jennifer suggested, "Just start out by saying good morning to him."
Explaining further, Gerty explained, "Well he is always earlier than I am, and so I only get to see him as he is leaving....but oh my! He is so handsome!"
As Catherine listened to the two, she remembered how Gertrude was always so shy around boys, and knew this would be so hard for her to make the first move.
And so Catherine threw in a suggestion herself, by adding, "Well...how about if you arrive even earlier than he does?"
Surprised she had not thought of this herself, Gertrude reiterated, "You mean change my schedule up a bit? Hmmm, I guess I could try that."
And so Jennifer excitedly said, "Yeah! Give him a chance to notice you! Now you have to keep us posted and let us know of any developments."
To which Gertrude promised, "All right...I promise...OH My! I can't believe I am going to do this!"
With a sisterly hug, Catherine told her cousin, "Just be yourself, and have some confidence Gerty...Jenny is right, you are a very pretty girl."
Humbly, Gertrude said, "Thanks girls..."
Just then Robert knocked, and as Catherine cracked the door open, he said, "Uncle Charles wanted me to tell you three that you better hurry, the taxi should be here any moment!"
To which Catherine replied, "Oh all right Robert, tell Dad we will be right down."
The girl's then excitedly moved into high gear, and changed into their evening clothes.
Meanwhile, Charles nervously looked at his watch, and was standing at the foot of the stairs, when the girl's FINALLY...one by one, began to file down past him.
Playfully, Charles gave a wolf whistle on their behalf, and Robert, who was standing beside his Uncle Charles, looked on, with eyes only for Jennifer.
And as he tried to look cool, Robert cleared his throat and squeaked out, "You look very beautiful Jennifer!"
Appreciatively, Jennifer smiled and said, "Well thanks Robby!"
Whipping off his black framed glasses, he put them into their eyeglass case, and into his suit coat's pocket before he suavely said, "Tonight...please start calling me Rob!"
Just then, the taxi arrived, and with the honking of the horn, they put on their wraps, and piled in! With a taxi full of excited theater goers, the driver wheeled off for the Majestic Theater on 247 W. 44th St.
It was a quarter to eight when they pulled up in front of the Theater. And as they stepped from the cab, Gertrude looked up at the marquee, and with stars in her eyes, she excitedly squealed, "Here I am...at "The Phantom of the Opera" in New York City! Take a picture of me in front of the marquee Robbie!"
And so Robbie took a few shots of his sister, and also of the gang too in front of the theater, when Gertrude excitedly gushed, "Oh Uncle Charley, I can never thank you enough!"
And as Gertrude hugged her dear uncle, Charles with a sheepish smile said, "Awe sure thing honey, I am just so glad this all worked out for ya."
And then added, "I gotta say though, I am feeling a little guilty getting all this credit for the freebee tickets I was given!"
Everyone laughed at Charles comment, and it may be that it wasn't all that funny, but because they were all so excited, that everything seemed to be funny and joyful!
And it was joyful until...guess what...just as they were about to walk into the theater, Steven casually strolled by the entrance!
And as Steven looked over at Catherine's group, he feigned surprise as he expounded, "Cathy, Charles...Jennifer, hello!"
As Catherine looked at him in disbelief, she couldn't believe her worst fear had come to fruition! And she now knew it was a mistake to have told Steven any of her plans!
And so suspiciously Catherine asked, "Steven what are you doing out so late?"
With a shopping bag in his hand, he held it up and gleefully said, "I was feeling so good, I just had to get out and enjoy the city. So I thought I would get in a little Holiday shopping at the same time."
To which Jennifer quizzically asked, "Shopping? In the theater district?"
Upon realizing he didn't have an answer to Jennifer's great question, he sputtered a bit, before saying, "Yes, well I guess I kinda kept walking, and well, here I am!"
Nonchalantly, Steven then looked up at the marquee, and remarked, "Ah, going to see the Phantom I see..."
To which Catherine called him out, by politely, yet assertively saying, "I told you the theater was part of our plans."
And in acting like he only just remembered, Steven said, "That's right! You did mention it...gee, The Phantom of the Opera! I have the broadway soundtrack, and always wanted to see the actual play, but like everything in my life, I kept putting it off, thinking there would be time later..."
And so pitifully, Steven raised a brow, as he sadly continued, "...and now, since the tickets are so hard to get, who knows if I ever will."
And meantime, because Catherine had not had a chance to tell her Dad about Steven's recent obsessive antics, Charles kindly offered, "Well, I have this extra ticket Steven...and you are more than welcome to join us."
To which Catherine quickly tried to discourage the offer by saying, "Dad, I am sure Steven needs to get home, he is supposed to be resting as much as possible..."
To which Steven shook his head, and said, "Actually tonight at least, I am feeling pretty good...and I would love to tag along..."
And because this was playing out better than what Steven had planned, he then looked hopefully at Catherine to seal the deal, saying, "...IF I am welcome, that is. I mean I realize this wasn't part of our agreement or anything, but since I am here...well Cathy? What do you say?"
Meanwhile, because of the odd exchange going on between Steven and his daughter, Charles began to realize he may have overstepped some boundaries with his invitation!
And so Charles, along with everyone else, uncomfortably waited for Catherine to confirm Steven's query, asking if he was welcome or not.
And so as Catherine glanced around, and became aware of everyone's eyes on her, though she hated to, she finally said, "It's fine..."
To which Steven expressed, "Wow, thanks so much Cathy...and Charles!"
It was then Steven scanned the group, and as he cleared his throat, he waited to be introduced to Catherine's cousins.
And so because of the huge hint Steven gave her, Catherine remembered her manners, as she said, "These are my cousins, Gertrude, and Rob."
As Steven enthusiastically shook their hands, he suavely said, "Pleased to meet you. All that time Catherine and I were together, it is a shame I never had the opportunity to meet the both of you before."
To which Catherine coolly reminded him, "There were plenty of invitations to go to family gatherings Steven. You were just always too busy or uninterested to go with me."
With a faraway look, Steven nodded as he replied, "That was the old Steven Cathy..."
Uncomfortably Catherine changed the subject, as she looked to her Dad, and asked, "Well, shall we find our seats?"
Happy for a sig way, Charles graciously flared out his hand, and said, "Absolutely! After you!"
The group then walked into the theater, and as they settled in to enjoy the play, Jennifer...being a true friend, made sure she sat between Catherine and Steven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Vincent finished wrapping one of Catherine's Christmas gifts he had made for her, and as he gazed upon the package, with a smile in his eyes, he felt very pleased with his efforts. He then contentedly, leaned back in his chair.
Just then, his Father arrived for a visit, and as Jacob stood for a moment, looking at his son sitting in his high backed chair, it struck him, how happy Vincent looked.
And so, hobbling inside, Jacob pleasantly asked, "Am I interrupting?"
To which Vincent politely stood to welcome him, and said, "No Father...in fact I was only just this moment, thinking of coming to see you."
With a nod, Jacob then jested, "Really? I dare say, because you looked so happy, I thought perhaps it was Catherine you were thinking about."
In reply, Vincent bashfully admitted, "It was in fact Catherine I was thinking about...hoping she will like this gift I made for her."
Vincent then reiterated, "However, in the next instant, it crossed my mind to speak with you. I was going to ask if you would like the Holiday decorations brought out of storage tomorrow."
In affirmation, Jacob nodded, and with a smile said, "Yes! And...only a short while ago, Mary had asked me the same question! It would seem everyone is getting into a festive mood, and is getting anxious to begin their decorating."
With that said, Vincent thinking on his own personal Christmas decoration, he walked over to his trunk, and as he knelt beside it, he brought out the snow globe he had since he was a boy.
And as he held it tenderly in his hands, a look of melancholy came over him as he noticed that somehow the water had evaporated, and his globe had lost it's magical fluid element.
The sight of this familiar item, made Jacob smile until he saw Vincent's reaction, causing him to ask, "Vincent?"
To which in reply, Vincent sadly said, "Father...the liquid dissipated... "
With concern, Jacob approached, and said, "Ah what a shame...I know how much this snow globe means to you."
With a thoughtful look, Vincent inspected the globe further, and deduced, "I don't believe a globe such as this can be repaired."
As Jacob took it in his hands, to inspect it as well, he agreeably said, "Tis a shame, as I don't see how it could be."
Vincent then accepted the globe back from his Father, and wearily said, "Devin gave this to me for Christmas, the year before he left the Tunnels."
To which Jacob recalled, "I remember when you unwrapped this exquisite gift from your brother...I suspected he had absconded it from a merchant!"
Looking over at his Father, Vincent confessed, "I heard the both of you arguing about it that night. Devin assured you he had not stolen it, but you didn't believe him...you insisted he was lying."
Regretfully, Jacob amusedly said, "Yes, and Winslow stood up to me as well, and told me I should believe Devin if he says the gift had not been stolen."
Jacob then laughed as he added, "As if Winslow was a credible witness, being he was a fellow pubescent crony!"
Turning thoughtful, Jacob guiltily continued, "You know...I wish I had given him a chance to explain how he had gotten your gift, but for some reason, I had never quite honed my communication skills where Devin was concerned. I consider this to be my greatest failure as a father. Seemed he was always having to play defense to my exculpatory questions."
And Vincent knew this was true, because he privately recalled Devin saying how Father would always accuse him first, before giving him a chance to explain. However knowing how this would hurt his Father to hear this, Vincent kept this exchange between he and his brother to himself.
Meantime, Jacob sorrowfully stood, as he pondered, "It is regretful some things in life, we are not given a second chance..."
After breaking through his moment of reflective regret, Jacob continued, "At any rate, I did apologize to Devin once I found out he had actually been given this gift by a representative of the "Toys for Tots" organization."
In his own defense for being so suspicious of Devin, Jacob laughed as he further explained, "However, he was not totally in the clear, as I then had to scold him for passing himself off as one of the orphans at the annual Ridley Hall's Christmas Party."
Vincent chuckled himself, as he thought of all the pranks his brother Devin used to pull.
Sadly, Jacob then shared, "Devin told me he very much wanted you to have this globe, because you loved the snow so much. And he thought the times you could not venture outside...you could at least look at the snow falling inside this little glass world."
Pensively, Vincent looked down at the snow globe, with its now dried out crystal snowflake particles, as they lay motionless around the beautiful little cottage scene, remembering how magical it once was.
And as he tipped it, he once more read the inspiring inscription some unknown person had written on be underside, before it had been donated to Toys for Tots.
And so he smiled to himself, as he walked over to his table, and positioned the globe in its usual place of honor, deciding it would still be displayed this Christmas, in it's specially reserved, prestigious Holiday spot.
After looking over at his father for affirmation, with a nod, Jacob said, "Fractured or not, it is where it should be."
To be continued
Chapter Fifteen
| Treasure of my Heart! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Fourteen ________________________ |
