Christmas Sugar (Insta-Spark)

She leaned forward conspiratorially. “He’s at that age. You know, Dylan.”

I nodded, not wanting to tell her exactly how well I knew. I knew Seth wanted our little talk from earlier to be private, so I kept it to myself.

“What about you?” I asked, indicating the small room down the hall.

She shrugged. “I only sleep there. Once my day is over, I relax in here. It’s not a big deal.”

She got up and went to check on dinner. My gaze followed her every movement.

How much time did she ever really get to relax?

Regardless of what she said, it was a big deal. At least, to me. But I knew I had no right to say anything.

A fact that made me sadder than I realized.

Dinner was loud and entertaining. Unless it was business-related, or the occasional meal with Arlene and her husband, I was used to eating alone, and my meals were quick ones.

But not tonight. Alex’s pot roast was, without a doubt, the best thing I’d ever eaten, and there was indeed pie for dessert. Seth and Noelle teased and joked, doing much more laughing than eating, although Seth did manage two helpings. When Alex rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, I pulled Noelle onto my knee and brought her plate close, handfeeding her mouthfuls while she chatted and giggled. It didn’t even bother me when she fed me off her plate—something I never would have imagined in my life. But it was Alex’s pot roast, and I had already eaten three plates, so I felt asking for a fourth seemed rather greedy.

I helped clear the table and assisted Seth with dishes, while Alex bathed Noelle. When she returned, we had

coffee on the sofa, and Noelle snuggled up next to me, tucked under my arm as though she belonged there. Alex put in a movie and we all watched, full from dinner and a long day of shoveling and games. Noelle grew heavier, leaning into my side until I shifted and carefully lowered her head onto my knee. Seth stood, yawning.

“I’m going to go catch up on homework. I might read after I’m done. I’m tired.”

Alex smiled knowingly. “Sure, kiddo.”

I glanced at my watch, seeing it was barely after nine. I hid my smirk, wondering if homework meant he’d be texting his dream girl for a while before “reading” in bed. From the smile on Alex’s face, I was confident she knew exactly what would happen once he was alone.

Seth waved as he walked out the door, and Alex stood, reaching for Noelle.

“I’ll get her,” I whispered and slid out from beneath her sleeping form. I lifted her into my arms, liking how she curled into my chest, nuzzling the little old rag doll still clutched in her hands. I grinned at her bright nightgown and the red polka-dot slippers on her feet. Following Alex, I waited as she drew back the blankets, and I hesitated. “Should we take off her slippers?”

“No. Trust me. She’ll want to sleep in them. She won’t take them off until she absolutely has to.”

Grinning, I slipped her under the warm covers and pulled them up around her shoulders, and without a thought, kissed her forehead, then ran my hand over her curls. “Night, Little Owl.”

Turning, I saw the bemused expression on Alex’s face before she bent, kissed Noelle, and turned off the light. She closed her door, then we went back and sat on the sofa.

“Her lisp,” I began hesitantly. “How did she lose her teeth? I don’t know much about kids, but don’t they usually stay in longer?”

“Oh,” Alex replied. “Yes, they do. She was on the swings at the playground and fell off. Face first into the ground and knocked out both her teeth. I rushed her to the dentist, but the cost of any type of repair was more than I had in the bank. He assured me she could do without them for a couple of years, and I really had no choice.” She smiled sadly. “Her speech was quite good before, and once her teeth come back, it will be again, or at least I hope so.”

I could tell how guilty she felt over the lack of funds. “I’m sure it will be. In the meantime, to be honest, I find it endearing. She is adorable.”

“You’re very good with her.”

I shrugged, somewhat self-conscious. “I shouldn’t be,” I admitted. “I have no experience with children.”

“You are with Seth as well. You talk to him like a man. He needs that influence.” She sighed. “I can’t give him that, and George is too tired most of the time.”

“Your father?” I asked, leaving the words hanging in the air.

“My parents were killed when I was eighteen.”

I felt my chest tighten. She’d suffered so much loss.

“I’m sorry.”