Becca
I wake up hearing Christmas music playing and start to giggle when I think about the Christmas party we had at school before our break. Marnie let me pick out a special dress, then she braided my hair and put ribbons that matched what I was wearing at the ends. Mina’s dress matched mine, too! Getting out of bed, I quickly make it as best as I can, glad that I live here now. I just hope that the Santa’s helper I talked to at the party tells Santa what Ireallywant for Christmas this year.
What I asked for and what I want most is for Ash and Marnie to be my mommy and daddy. I know my real ones are up in Heaven now, but I remember Mrs. Talbot explaining that it’s something that could happen for me since my aunt was taken away. A frown mars my forehead when I think about Aunt Alice. I don’t know why she was so mean to me. Not wanting today to be a sad one, I make a promise to myself to not think about it. So, I straighten my shoulders and go about my morning routine. Shrugging, I take the clothes that me and Marnie picked out for today and head to the bathroom to get ready. I smile when I remember thatI haven’t peed the bed since I moved in with Ash and Marnie. I’m no longer scared of what will happen to me when I close my eyes and go to sleep.
Or maybe it has to do with the fact that I know one or the other gets me up in the middle of the night before they go to bed so I can go to the bathroom and avoid any nighttime accidents. Or perhaps, it’s because I’m not scared all the time anymore like I was before coming to live with them. Marnie says that even if Idohave an accident, it’s not a big deal. She even made sure I have a protective cover on my mattress… just in case.
Humming, I think about what I said that day. Mina and I talked about it a lot. She says that her Papa Rebel isn’t her logical daddy, but he adopted her and Ruby when he and Miss Holly got married.
“And what is your name, little girl?” Santa’s helper asked.
“Becca,” I replied. “Are you one of his helpers?” I whispered.
“What do you mean?” he questioned.
“I’ve met a lot of Santas since I came to live with my family, and Uncle Prophet explained that Santa can’t really be everywhere if he’s busy at the North Pole, so he has helpers,” I explained.
“Yes, I am. Now, what do you want for Christmas?” he asked.
“A new mommy and daddy,” I admitted. “Mine are in Heaven, but I live with my uncle and Marnie and he’s going to marry her, so I want them to be my parents now.”
I noticed his eyes got shiny looking, and Miss Anne was sniffling, but I didn’t ask her why. Instead, I waited for him to answer me. Mina and I had talked about what we would ask for when we talked to Santa, and we decided that this was ahuge thing, so asking Santa was the way to go because he tries to give us what we want the most.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he murmured. “Now, it might take a little bit of time for me to accomplish that, Becca, because the court system doesn’t work all that fast during the holidays, but if it’s able to be done, I’ll be sure to let you know, okay?”
“Okay, thank you,” I replied, remembering my manners. “I’m very patient, that’s what Marnie tells me all the time. I thought someone who was a patient was in the hospital though, so maybe I didn’t understand.”
He chuckled, his big belly jiggling, then he said, “You’ll find as you get older that the English language can be quite confusing. Being patient means you’ve learned how to wait without getting upset. However, you can be apatientat the hospital. You’ll be taught more about parts of speech as you get older, I promise, but if you ever don’t understand something, just ask your uncle, Marnie, or a teacher, and I’m sure they’ll explain it to you.”
After I go to the bathroom, I get dressed, then brush my hair and my teeth. It’ll make breakfast taste a little yucky, but I try to follow the list that Marnie made and put on the wall, so I don’t forget to do things. Mina says that they have lists in their bathroom too, but she says her mama likes to use a cricket or something like that to make them. I don’t understand how a bug can make signs, but even though I know a lot of stuff, I know I have more to learn.
When I walk into the living room, I see Marnie in our little kitchen, humming as she dances around. She must hear me because she stops, turns around and says, “Good morning! Did you sleep okay? It’s Christmas Eve, sweetie!”
Excitement has my tummy feeling like it’s full of butterflies as I sit down at the table where a plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast waits for me. There’s also a glass of orange juice, and a mug with hot chocolate, which is my favorite thing in the world to drink right now. It’s in a reindeer cup, and when I look inside, I see melting marshmallows.
“Yes, I did, thank you,” I reply as I put my napkin on my lap. A sudden thought has my fork stalling in midair. “Marnie?” I ask. “If I have an accident tonight, will that put me on the naughty list?”
“What? Oh no, sweetheart. Remember, the doctor said it was something that you can’t help. It’s why we get you up in the middle of the night, but just in case you’re worried about it happening, we can make sure to get you up more than once.”
“No, I think I’ll be okay,” I slowly say. I mean, I haven’t had an accident once since I moved in with them, so maybe I’m all better now.
“Now, do you want to know what we’re doing today?” she asks.
“Yes!”
“Okay, once you’re done with breakfast and brush your teeth, we’re going to go downstairs and help Grammy get stuff prepared for dinner tomorrow. Then, we’re going to make some cookies for Santa,” she replies.
“Do we have carrots for the reindeer?”
“As a matter of fact, we do,” she says. “We can’t leave them out, now, can we?”
“Nope.”
“Good job, girls,” Grammy praises as she looks over at the cookies we just finished decorating. “Once the icing sets a little bit more, I’ll make two plates, so each house has cookies for Santa, okay?”
“Yippee!” Mina exclaims. “Wait, Grammy? We should leave a plate for the clubhouse too in case Santa stops here.”
“Then we’ll make three plates,” Grammy decrees. “Now, you three head into the common room so I can get the kitchen cleaned up and ready for tomorrow, okay?”
