“I wish I had known you’d made arrangements with the grocery store last week to order a million turkeys.”
“Not a million, but a few.” Candy looked at Chris. “I ordered a very special turkey for Ralphie. The biggest turkey I could get. Tomorrow, a catering company is going to arrive at ten sharp and deliver Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. I want Ralphie to have the best Thanksgiving in the world.”
Chris could see how much Candy loved Ralphie. In the short time Candy had known Ralphie, he had captured her heart, and Candy had captured Ralphie's heart. “TheCalzonewill be very happy.”
“TheCalzone. Good grief.” Candy laughed.
Ralphie heard someone talking. He was on a mission to find Candy. When he heard Candy's voice, he stopped at the end of a hallway that connected with the hallway where Candy and Chris were standing. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but he also didn't want to interrupt them. So he listened. And why not? When he heard the wordCalzone, his ears perked up.
“Ralphie is a character. But I swear, Candy, I love him as if he were my own son,” Chris told her.
“I do, too,” Candy assured Chris. “Ralphie is a character; we all are. That's what makes us so special.” Candy took a sip of her coffee. “He may not know it, but he completes a piece of me that I never knew about. So does Sandy. I've come to love those two the way a mother loves her own children.”
“I know what you mean.” Chris looked out at the morning snow, unaware that Ralphie was listening.
“Where is Candy? Betty—”
Ralphie put a finger over his mouth and pulled Sandy to him. “They're talking about us,” he whispered. “Stay quiet and listen.”
“Like, okay, I guess.” Sandy grew silent and listened.
“I love Sandy like she's my own daughter,” Chris spoke. “I love Ralphie like he's my son. TheCalzoneis a special guy.”
“More than special, and so is Sandy. I don't think they realize just how special and loved they are and just how needed they are.” Candy focused on the morning snow. “Chris, I can't explain it, but Christmas wouldn't be complete without them. At first, when I hired Sandy and Ralphie, I wasn't sure what was happening. I felt God tell me to hire them and to take care of them. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle them.”
“Because of the way they talk and where they are from?”
Candy nodded. “Sandy sounded like a ditzy Valley Girl, and Ralphie sounded like someone in the mafia. I'm sure I sounded like some boring old woman to them.” Candy kept her eyes on the snow. “But Chris, they're both so amazing, and I need them so much. I couldn't imagine my life without them now.”
“Yeah, the same applies to me. I've come to love Ralphie and Sandy very deeply in the short time I've known them. I look forward to Ralphie saying,‘Ayo, where are the donuts with the sprinkles’ and Sandy answering, ‘Like, you're going to turn into a bag of sugar. Totally.’”
Candy laughed. “They do get at each other, don't they?”
“I wouldn't be shocked if they ended up married someday.”
“Oh, wouldn't that be nice. Can you imagine what beautiful children they would have?” Candy beamed.
“LittleCalzoneand LittleLike, Totally.”
Candy laughed again. “Two precious children that I would adore and cherish for all of eternity.”
“Same here.” Chris took a sip of coffee. “With all kidding aside, Candy, I do want to say that we're blessed to have Ralphie and Sandy. You're right in saying they complete Christmas. I've spent a good deal of time thinking about them. I truly believe God brought them to us for a reason.”
“Me, too.”
“And Marty.” Chris took another sip of coffee. “I think Marty and Aunt Betty might end up married someday. Marty is a good man. One of the best. A bit on the cranky side at times, but that's okay.” Chris looked at Candy. “He lost his wife and swore he would never remarry, but the way he looks at Aunt Betty, he's very lonely.”
“So is Betty. Her marriage to Mr. Vance might as well have been like being married to an empty tunnel.”
“I know what you mean.” Chris could see that Candy was lonely. He was lonely, too—and so was someone else. “I wish Peppermint wasn't lonely. He'll never remarry. He's waiting to be with his wife.”
“Yes, he's waiting to be with Ophelia,” Candy agreed. “But, Peppermint has us now, and I think he's happy about that.”
“We drive the poor man crazy.”
Candy laughed. “Who else would make sure Ralphie has his donuts?”
“I guess you're right.” Chris laughed back. “Peppermint sure loves Ralphie and Sandy. Last night in the kitchen he told me those two have become like his own kids. And do you see the wayBlizzard goes on with Ralphie and Sandy? That wolf has become like a protective angel.”
