Andi is flying around the kitchen, making dinner for everyone. Her famous Christmas chili will feed an army like this easily. I’m pulling baked potatoes out of the oven when Eli comes around behind me with a set of oven mitts in his hands.
“Here, allow me.” It’s a sweet gesture, one I thought would be offered by Gabe, not Eli. But Gabe seems to be doing everything in his power to avoid me tonight. I would know since I’ve spent most of the evening trying to get his attention so we can find somewhere to talk about what this is between us.
The only time we even made eye contact, was when Avery came over to tell us we were all going to have to stay in the clubhouse tonight and she was going to need everyone’s help to convert the clubhouse into her wedding chapel since the barn was damaged. I had hoped maybe Gabe would offer for me to stay the night with him, instead of in the kid’s room upstairs, but he never said a word.
Maybe he isn’t interested anymore. Maybe when I ran away this morning, I sealed our fate.
“Thank you, Eli.” I point to the empty space on the island. “Just put them there on the trivets, and I’ll grab all the fixin’sfrom the fridge for everyone to dress up their own however they like.”
Cash moves the chili pot over next to the potatoes while Andi stacks bowls and silverware on the end of the counter. Skyler directs Ethan to put the cooler full of Capri-Sun and sodas on the floor where the kids can reach them.
Kaylie comes up to the island, using her elbows for leverage, with her little tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. She climbs onto a stool. Her little feet swing, hitting the wall under the bar.
“Kaylie,” Everly whisper-shouts at her sister. “Baby, stop kicking the wall with your feet. Miss Liz is going to have your backside if you scuff her walls all up with your shoes.”
“These are my pretend dress-up shoes, Ever. Not my real ones. These have a hole in the toe. They match my pretty princess costume. Remember, the one from Halloween with the pretty ti-a…ti-er—with the crown.” She’s so cute. Andi and I share a look. Watching that sweet little girl struggle to sound out her words is adorable.
“Well, they can still leave marks, and you don’t want Miss Liz to yell at you for dirtying up her walls, do you?” Everly scolds.
“No, ma’am.”
“I would do nothing of the sort!” Liz shouts, playfully slamming her hands on her hips. “I might make you scrub my walls clean, but I would never yell at such a precious child.” Liz winks at Kaylie, and her shoulders visibly relax. “Now, one of these hooligans,” Liz wags her finger around at the men in the room. “I would yell at.” She leans down and whispers loud enough for all to hear, “But they always get everything dirty.” Kayleigh giggles.
“Be that as it may, Miss Liz.” Everly stresses Liz’s name, drawing Kaylie’s eyes up to meet Liz’s. “Kaylie needs to learn to respect other people’s homes and their things. So, she’s notgoing to kick the walls anymore. As a matter of fact,” Ever leans down to Kaylie’s height. “Why don’t you take your pretty shoes off and put them on the ground under your seat? Then maybe you won’t scuff the walls with them. Okay, baby?”
Kaylie nods, then quickly flips her shoes off and lets them fall where they may. I feel the frustrated sigh that leaves Ever’s lips. When Trevor was small, I used to feel the same way. I’d tell him to put his clothes away neatly in his drawers and find them a wadded-up mess the next morning.
“Why, Miss Kaylie!” Liz calls out, sounding appalled. “Those shoes aren’t fit for a princess such as yourself. We need to get you some new ones. Those look like you’ve outgrown the toe.”
“Oh, you don’t have to buy me new ones, Miss Liz. I asked Santa to bring me some for Christmas in my letter. I wrote him a long list of everything I wanted. I’ve been extra good this year. Right, Ever?” Kaylie squeals.
Everly looks up with sadness in her eyes. “Of course, you have, Kaylie. But remember what we talked about.” Everly sighs. “Santa doesn’t always give you everything on your list. Sometimes he may bring you only one nice thing, and we should be grateful for whatever we get, right?”
Kaylie’s little face scrunches up like she smells something nasty. “No. That’s not how it works, Ever. Good girls and boys getlotsof presents. Don’t you watch the movies? There’s always lots of presents under the tree! That’s why you always see him at the mall.”
“I thought Santa’s elves made the toys?” I ask, because I find this all too amusing. I must know the theory behind her story.
“They do. But they can’t make all the toys. My friend Josh says the Apple guy won’t let Santa make the phones or iPads or the eletonics. Josh says Santa has to buy those from the stores in the mall,” she says it so determined, I have to bite my lip tokeep from laughing. Meanwhile, Everly’s face is beet red with embarrassment.
“Kaylie.” Ever groans.
“You know, sweetheart?” Eli interrupts, leaning his arms on the island. “When I was your age, Santa didn’t bring electronics and cell phones. He didn’t want children to have those things because they can rot your brain, and having to buy all those things would put his elves out of a job. Santa couldn’t pay them if he spent all his money on electronics, could he?”
Kaylie’s hands go to her head. Her eyes are wide with concern as she turns to her sister for clarification. Everly, bless her, pinches her lips, holding back her own laughter. She nods instead.
“They’d lose their jobs?” Kaylie whispers. “Then they’d have no food or home, right, Ever?”
Oh, the poor baby. She’s really worried about the elves.
“But you can help the elves, and Santa too,” Eli quickly recovers, seeing the eyes of every woman in the room glaring at him.
“How?”
“Well, Kaylie, let’s write Santa a new letter and ask him for toys and things the elvescanmake. Like your pretty shoes and baby dolls. Maybe art supplies and board games. You like all those things, don’t you?” Eli asks. “I’ve seen you and Mason color in coloring books and play your matching game. Why don’t you ask for things like those that you can share with Ever?”
“And Mason!” Kaylie shouts. “I share my toys with Mason too. He babysits me sometimes so Ever can sleep, and we share my colors and my games, and we watch movies. Right Mason?” She shouts across the room. Mason is helping put the archway together and setting up chairs, but he stops immediately when he hears Kaylie call his name.
“What do you need, Squirt?” he calls.
