The Christmas Prayer

Here is a Christmas short story:

The Christmas Prayer

 

Jim Wilcox looked at the three boxes of remote control cars that the police officer just placed in the cart. He thought for a moment and then said, “Better grab another three of those. I saw the list, and you have six teenage boys on there, and I am sure they would all love one.” Jim knew that the RC car was the hottest toy for teens this year.

“But we don’t have enough money for that many, even with you matching the donations.” Officer Schwartz said with concern. Although they had had a good year for donations and Jim’s matching helped a lot, they also had a lot of needy families that were counting on the “Toys for Kids” program for presents. It was his first year running the program, and with times being hard, he didn’t want to short any worthy child this year.

Jim gave the officer a look and said, “Do you own this store?”

Being caught off guard, he said, “No, I thought you did.”

“That is correct, so you let me worry about costs. If I say you can afford six RC cars, then you can.” He gave the officer a look that indicated that was the end of the argument. They then continued putting toys in the carts. When one cart was full, Jim would have one of his staff take the cart up to the register to ring it up.

Jen leaned over to whisper in Todd’s ear, “How can he afford to give away so much stuff?” Jen had started at the Toy Emporium only a couple of months before. She was grateful for the job as the economy was not very good and most of the jobs available were only part time. She and her husband were having a hard time making ends meet on his wage, and now they had a baby on the way. This job was not only full time but also included benefits. Seeing her new boss giving so much away made her concern for her job.

Todd had been working at Toy Emporium for over five years and was a manager. He smiled and said, “He does it every year, and my paycheck has never bounced.”

Jen thought for a minute, watching her boss continue to throw in more toys than the officer was expecting. She was glad to see the officer had stopped arguing. Jen then said, “I wonder why he does?” Realizing that sounded odd, she added, “I mean, why is he SO generous?”

Todd thought for a minute and then said, “I think it makes him feel good. He has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever meet. I mean, you got your Christmas bonus, right?”

With surprise on her face, she said, “Yes I can’t believe he did that. He gave me a full bonus, even though I have only worked here for two months.”

“And you got your Turkey or Ham?”

“Yes, I got the Ham, as Ed and I had enough Turkey as Thanksgiving.”

“And you got your ‘At-Cost’ discount for anything in the store. He is a very generous and caring man. He is also deeply religious.” Todd looked at Jen and could see that she was feeling bad for questioning her new boss, so Todd said, “When I first got hired, I had the same thoughts.”

Jen looked at him and said, “You did?”

“Yes and I asked him about it.”

“What did he say?”

“He believes that when he is generous to people like this, he is giving to God. That is why he expects nothing back because the gift was to God not the person. He believes that God is the one that will return the gift.”

Jen was surprised. “Wow, I had heard that preached in church when I was a kid, but I have never seen anyone actually live that way. No wonder is life is so perfect.”

Todd's face became somber. He said, “His life isn’t perfect.”

“Oh?”

Todd took a deep breath. He felt funny talking about this but Jim and never told him not too. Finally, he said, “Four years ago his wife and son died in a car accident. It happened on Christmas Eve in fact.”

Jen had a look of complete shock. She had no idea. She said, “I don’t understand how he can be so upbeat and generous on Christmas. If it happened to me, I would never want to celebrate Christmas again.” She rubbed her belly, thinking of the new life growing in her womb.

“I know what you mean. I don’t understand why he doesn’t hate God.”

The two stood there watching as Jim continued to put toys in carts.

Officer Schwartz stood by the cash register with Officer Westfield, waiting for the store owner to finishing ringing up the toys. He looked outside at the police van that overflowed with toys and just knew that they had not only gone over budget but way over. There was no way that, even with the store owner matching the donations, that there was enough to cover all the toys. He looked back to see the store owner walking up to him.

Looking at his very long receipt, Jim said, “So with your donations of $5125, and my match, we came out perfect.” Jim smiled at the officer.

Skeptically, Officer Schwartz said, “Can I see the receipt please?”

“Certainly,” Jim said and handed the man the receipt he was holding.

Officer Schwartz looked at the receipt for a minute and then said, “Wait, there are no prices on this receipt.”

Jim looked at the receipt in the man’s hand and then look at him again and said, “That is correct. That is what we call a gift receipt. If anything is wrong with the toys, that receipt will get you a replacement.”

He looked at the store owner dumbfounded for a moment. “I know how a gift receipt works, but I want to see how much everything costs.”

Jim looked the man over once and then said, “Will you get upset if you find out the value of the toys exceeds the donation and matched amounts?”

A bit flustered, he said, “Well yes, a little bit.”

“Then the answer is no, you cannot see how much everything costs.”

“But I need to know; I have a budget.” He pointed to his clipboard.

“And I am sure it is a lovely budget too, but the answer is still no unless you are accusing me of short changing you? Do you think I didn’t give you enough toys for the money?”

Fearing the store owner might be offended, he said, “No, no, not at all. In fact, I know you gave us more than our funds would allow. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Officer Westfield spoke up, “Take it easy on the guy Jim. This is his first year doing this.” She received with a smile from the store owner. “And Officer Schwartz, relax, he does this every year. We always get more toys than we expect. And no matter how much you argue with him, he will never tell you how much the total cost was. It is just his way.”

Officer Schwartz looked relieved. He then turned to see a big smile from Jim holding out his hand.

As Officer Schwartz shook Jim’s hand, Jim said, “I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.”

Officer Schwartz smiled back and said, “Thanks and I hope you do too. I also know a bunch of kids that will have a great Christmas too.”

Officer Westfield smiled at Jim and said, “You are terrible, you know that?”

Jim smiled and said, “Well I learned from the best, Shirley.”

They shared a smile and then Officer Shirley Westfield said, “So are you going to finally make it to your sister’s for Christmas this year.”

Jim’s expression went somber as he said, “I am going to try.”

A skeptical look came over Shirley’s face. She said, “Which is Jim code for ‘No.' You are just going to go home and pray your prayer, aren’t you?”

Jim gave a little smile and said, “I am just trying to be like the little old lady that annoyed the judge until she got her way.”

Shirley shook her head and said, “You know, one day God is going to answer your prayer.”

Jim took a deep breath and said, “I don’t see how.”

Shirley felt bad as it was clear he was not over the death of his wife and son. She then said, “Well anyway, thanks again and have a Merry Christmas.”

Jim snapped back and said, “Thanks and you too. Give my love to Bob and your kids.”

“Will do, but if you came to at least Christmas dinner at your sister’s, then you could tell them yourself.”

“I will see what I can do.”

She smiled a warm smile at him and then turned to leave.

Officer Schwartz said, “And thanks again for being so generous.”

“You are welcome.”

Officer Schwartz then turned and walked out of the store and over to where Officer Westfield was. He stood for a moment, not sure how to ask what he wanted to know but finally just said, “So you know the store owner pretty well?”

Shirley didn’t stop loading gifts into the van as she said, “Ever since my family moved next door to his when I was a kid. I practically grew up at his house. Jim and I were in the same grade and were best friends. My family and I always go over to his sister’s for Christmas dinner.”

There was a moment of awkwardness, and before Officer Schwartz could speak, she said, “And before you get worried, the department is fully aware of my relationship with him. It is why I cannot be in charge of the ‘Toys for Kids’ program.”

Officer Schwartz breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried about a possible conflict of interest, but it was clear that others had worried about that too and had taken steps to make sure there was no wrongdoing.

Once the two officers had left, Jim turned to see the faces of his staff all looking at him. He said in his best ‘Boss’ voice, “Already Ladies and Gentlemen; it is now 2 pm on Christmas Eve, and the store is closed. Don’t forget your bonus checks and any presents you purchased for your family before you leave. You each have already received your ham or turkey, so I expect all of you to be back here on Monday, stuffed and with stories of a great Christmas. And for those of you that don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and day off, but I still expect you to come back on Monday stuffed and maybe with a good story of something you did over the weekend.” He gave a wink to his one staff member that was not a Christian.

When no one moved, he said, “Now get moving and have a great weekend and a Merry Christmas. And don’t worry about closing up as I will do that. Go be with your families!”

That got people finally moving.

By the time he said goodbye to everyone, closed the tills, counted the money and got the deposit ready, it was 3:30. It didn’t matter what time it was as he had no place to be. The bus ran every half hour until 8 pm, so he wasn’t even in a hurry for that. His entire evening plan was to go home, probably make a sandwich for dinner and end up in his son’s room, praying. It was what he had done every year on the anniversary of the death of his family. His heart ached. He missed them so much. He could not understand why God had taken them from him. He was so torn. He wanted an answer as to why God took them but he knew from the book of Job that it was wrong to demand God answer him. Being the son of a preacher, he knew the scriptures, but this left him and his faith in an awkward place with no answers. He began to weep.

After Jim had locked up the store, he walked the three blocks to the bank. It was the opposite direction than his bus stop, and he normally made the journey on Saturdays, but since Saturday was Christmas, he would make the deposit today. He didn’t mind as it was a nice day out. It was a little chilly to be without a jacket, but there was no snow or ice.  By the time he made it to the bus stop, it was 4:10. He would have to wait for the 4:30 bus. He pulled out his phone and started checking his social media accounts. One of his nieces was in a dance recital today, and he knew his sister would post a video of it.

As he stood there, looking for the video he was sure must be there, he heard a small voice say, “Hey mister, do you want to have a good time?”

Jim was surprised by the voice as there had been no one else at the bus stop and by the fact that the voice sounded like a young child. He turned to see standing next to him a small girl with a backpack looking up at him. She was wearing a pair of dirty pants with a rip in one thigh, a pink jacket that had seen cleaner days, and a t-shirt with the face of a current pop star on it, equally dirty. The girl’s face was dirty, and her brown hair was a mess. Even her backpack, sporting a Hello Kitty motif, was dirty and stained. But what got Jim the most of the look in her eyes. When he looked at her, he could see desperation.

It took Jim a moment to collect himself. He then said, “Excuse me, what did you say?” As the owner of a toy store he was good at talking to young children, and Jim guessed her to be no older than 10.

Still looking more desperate than scared, the little girl said, “I asked if you wanted to have a good time.”

Jim still could not believe this little girl was trying to proposition him. He said, “Are you asking to have sex with me?”

“For money, yes.”

“Why would you want to do that?” Jim’s heart was aching for the young child.

The little girl paused before saying, “Because I haven’t eaten in a week and I am hungry.” There was desperation in her voice.

Jim looked at her for a moment wondering what could have happened in this girl’s life that would leave her on the streets. Finally, he said, “Well I am not interested in sex,” he saw her expression fall. “But what I will do is, you see that McDonald's at the end of the block? Well, I will take you there and buy you anything you want from the menu.”

At first, the girl’s eyes got big, and then suspicion crossed her brown eyes.

Jim could guess what was crossing her mind, so he said, “There are no strings attached. I haven’t had dinner yet, and I hate eating alone.”

The little girl thought for a moment, but any doubt she had was overruled by the hunger she felt. “Okay,” she said.

The two then started walking to the corner. As they walked, Jim said, “So what is your name, sweetheart?”

“Sam.”

“Well Sam, I am Jim and it is a pleasure to meet you,” Jim said as he held out his hand to her.

She paused a moment before she took his hand and shook it.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Jim was surprised that the McDonald's was not that busy. Granted it had been a while since he had been in a McDonald's but he had always assumed they were always busy. There were a couple of people at tables eating, but there was no one in line to order.

As he walked up to the counter a young man, with a name tag saying ‘Reggie,' said, “What would you like, sir?” He had been standing the register just waiting for someone to come in and order.

“Oh, well let me see,” Jim said as he scanned the overhead menu. “I guess I will have a number 2 meal.”

“What size would like that?” Reggie said with a smile.

Confused, Jim said, “Size?”

“Yes, you can get small, medium and large.”

“I guess, make it a medium, and I would like coffee with that.”

Reggie tapped the screen a few times and then said, “Anything else?”

Jim turned to face Sam and said, “Tell the young man what you want. You can order anything you want.”

Sam turned to face Reggie, and after a moment she said, “I am really hungry and want something big.”

Reggie smiled at Sam and said, “Well the quarter pounder with cheese is really big, and it is my favorite.”

Sam said, “Okay then I will have that but make it large.”

Reggie tapped the screen and said, “Large it is.”

Jim then said, “And instead of the soda, how about milk?” He looked at Sam who didn’t object. Jim then added, “Better make it two milks.” Sam smiled.

Jim then paid Reggie for their food, and as they waited at the counter, Jim said to Sam, “Why don’t you go to the bathroom and clean up and wash your hands.”

She looked at him suspiciously, so Jim said, “Don’t worry, I am going to wait right here for our food, and when it comes, I will grab us a booth right over there.” He pointed to a couple of empty booths along the wall.

Slowly, Sam turned and headed towards the bathroom.

Jim smiled, realizing how much this little girl reminded him of his son. He always hated washing up before dinner too. After a few minutes, Reggie handed Jim a tray with their food on it. Jim thanked him and walked away with the collection of fried food and paper containers arranged on the tray. He walked over to one of the empty booths and sat down. He made sure it was in view of the bathrooms so Sam would see him when she came out.

While he waited for her, he prayed, ‘Dear Lord, please show me how to help this poor little girl. The street is no place for her. Open my eyes so that I can know best how to help her.’

When he opened his eyes, he saw Sam walking towards him with an odd look on her face. As she sat down, Jim was glad to see that she had also washed her face as it was now clean and respectable. Her hair, however, was another story. She sat down but did not touch her food. Instead, she said, “Were you praying?”

Jim smiled and said, “Yes, I was just asking for a blessing. Now, dive on in.” Jim removed his burger and fries from the tray. While he was grabbing his coffee, Sam had already started on the fries, devouring them faster than anyone he had ever seen. She only paused long enough to open a container of milk and take a long drought.

Jim smiled and said, “Chew your food.” He gave her a fatherly expression. He then added, “Would you like some ketchup for your fries?”

She nodded her head as she took a big bite of her burger. Jim got up and went over to where the condiments were and grabbed ketchup for both of them. By the time he got back, she had almost polished off her fries. He set the ketchup between them, and she said, “Thank you,” with a mouth full of food.

Jim was only halfway through his burger when Sam had finished her food. Neither had spoken, Sam because she was so focused on eating the Jim because he was watching this little girl devour a meal he would have trouble eating. She then checked the empty food boxes, eating any scraps left inside. She even made sure both cartons of milk were empty. This produced a disappointed look on her face, followed by a longing look at the fries remaining in Jim’s meal.

After a moment Jim said, “Are you still hungry?”

Sam nodded with a look that said she was embarrassed by the fact that after eating all that food she was still hungry.

“Would you like to get something else?”

Hope popped into her eyes as she nodded yes.

Jim could not help but smile as this charming little girl. Jim reached for his wallet and pulled out a $20. As he handed the money to her, he thought her eyes were going to pop out. He then said, “Then why don’t you go up there order something else?”

She took the money and looked at him with admiration. She then slipped out of her seat and walked up to the counter. It was then that Jim realized that the girl could just run off with the money but then he smiled. He had asked God for guidance, and this was just part of that. Then he noticed the Hello Kitty back was still I the seat across from him.

As he watched her place her order and wait for her food, he just could not believe this was a child of the street. She still seemed way too innocent to have lived on the street for very long. He even questioned if she was a prostitute. Could he have been her first ‘trick’? The odds of that were too great to think it was possible, but then again, there is the God factor, and God has a funny way of making odds meaningless.

Sam returned toting a tray with a box with a picture on the sides and another carton of milk. She sat down, but before she opened the kid's meal, she handed him back the change from the $20 he had given her. She was definitely not a child of the street, at least not yet. She then opened the box and pulled out a smaller box that contained chicken nuggets, another container of fries and a toy. She arranged her food in front of her and then ate from each pile while she played with the toy that came with the meal. Jim saw that it was some small doll, not a Barbie but something similar.

Jim decided to do a little prying, to find out more about this small person sitting before him. Jim could see that she did love French fries.

“So,” he said, “have you been living on the streets long?”

She seemed to retract a little and said, “A while.”

It was clear to Jim that she did not want to talk about that so he said, “So as a prostitute, what kind of things do you do? He thought he knew the answer but feared he was wrong.

She went sad and said, “Anything.”

“Like what?”

“Like looking, I mean you can look at me. And touching. Oh, and blowing.” She said as is started blowing air through her lips.

Jim had to contain a laugh. Blowing was a new one for him. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling pretty confident that this little child before him and never turned a trick,

After a moment, Jim said, “Well you know, being a prostitute is not all about sex?”

Sam looked interested but skeptical.

“No, really. Sometimes a guy will need a date for an import dinner and hire a girl to go with him. And other guys just like to talk.”

She now just looked interested.

“So in that vain, I have a proposition for you.” When it was clear she didn’t understand, he said, “I would like to hire you.”

Skeptically she said, “You want me to be your date for dinner?”

Jim chuckled, “No, you see four years ago, my son died, and since then I have not had child in my house during Christmas.” Jim was surprised at how easy it was for him to talk about the death of his four-year-old son as always before he would be in tears or closing up. “So I want to hire you to be my child, just for the weekend.”

“What would I have to do?”

“Well, you would have to watch some sappy Christmas movies with me, eat some turkey, go for a walk with me and probably play some games.” He waited for another question, but when none came forth, he said, “So what is your rate for that?”

Sam pondered hard before saying “$30.”

“Okay, so that would be for today, Saturday and Sunday. $30 times three days is $90. I agree. I will play you on Sunday. I assume that is okay with you?”

Sam’s eye widened. She was thinking $30 for the weekend, not per day. She nodded yes and found herself excited.

“Good, so let’s finish our dinners and then we can go catch the bus to my house.”

She nodded in agreement and then pointed to his pile of fries, which were only half gone. “Are you going to eat those?”

Jim smiled and laughed inside. She wasn’t done with her fries, and she was trying to acquire more. He indicated that the remains of his fries were hers to have. She grabbed them and continued to eat them and play with her new toy.

Bus ride home took over 40 minutes as they had to transfer buses once. Fortunately, it was not that far of a walk the bus stop to his house. Sam never said a word but followed him where he went. On the bus, she would sit next to him, playing with her new small doll. On the final bus, Jim finally asked, “Does your doll have a name?”

She looked at him for a minute and then said, “Julie.”

“Julie, that is a very nice name.”

Sam looked down and seemed to get sadder. She said, “It was my mommy’s name.”

Jim could tell there was a very sad story there and decided not to press the subject.

It was when they were walking, and had Jim turned into his driveway that Sam spoke, “You live here? Wow, it is a big house.”

Jim smiled and said, “Thank you.” It wasn’t that big of a house as it was an older two bedroom ranch style, painted blue with purple trim. He remembered when his wife had chosen those colors. He was sure it would look terrible, but she had proven him wrong. He looked down at Sam and noticed that she was enthralled with the size of the fenced yard, which was a good size. Instead of going through the front door, he led her to the side door in the carport. He never used the front door and would have to remind himself to check the front door for packages and notes. There was one time when the neighbor thought he had been out of town as there were so many packages on the porch and notes on the door.

As he walked by, Jim noticed a layer of dust had collected on his mini-van. It rarely got driven anymore, and he wondered if it would even start. He might have to take it out for a spin this weekend just to get the dust off it. Maybe a trip for ice cream on Sunday or maybe even to drop Sam off at social services. He had no intention of letting her go back onto the street, but he thought he might at least give her a Christmas.

He let her into the house and said, “Well, welcome to your home, at least for the weekend.”

Sam timidly looked around. She then said, “Do you have a puppy?”

“Sorry, no puppy.”

“That is too bad. You should think about getting a puppy; you have the yard for one.”

Shocked, Jim said, “Okay, I will think about it.” Jim then led her through the kitchen and then down the hall to the right. He stopped at the first room on the right and opened the door and turned on the light.

“And this will be your room.”

She poked her head in and looked around. “It looks like a boy lives here.” She could see the bed that was in the shape of a race car, blue with the number ‘34’ on the side. The wall coverings included posters from a dinosaur and science fiction film. Even the light on the nightstand was in the shape of a race car. She saw some army dolls and trucks. It would have been a true boy’s room except for the fact that the room was in perfect order. Nothing was out of place.

“It was my son’s room.”

She looked up at Jim and said, “Where is he now?”

Jim took a deep breath and said, “He and his mother died in a car crash four years ago today.”

Sam looked down and said, “Dying sucks.”

Jim looked at her and said, “Did someone you know die?”

She looked up at him, tears running down her face and said, “My parents. They died two years ago.”

Jim felt a swell of emotion so great that no matter how he tried he could not stop the tide. He began to sob. He then knelt down, looked her in the face and said, “Yes, dying sucks.” He then held the little girl. It took a few seconds, but she returned the tight embrace, and together they grieved for the ones they missed.

They both cried for a few minutes until Jim felt both emotionally drained and relieved, he pulled back. Both their faces were wet and their eyes red. Jim smiled at Sam. He wiped the tears from his and her eyes. He then said, “So, the first thing we have to do is get you cleaned up. I want you to unpack all your clothes and put them in a pile right her on the floor. Then I need you to find your cleanest pair of under-ware. She gave him an odd look, so he said, “Trust me and just do it, I will be right back.”

Jim got up and headed off to another room. Sam was not sure what to think, but she started to pull all her clothes out of her backpack. This was starting to feel like the house she ran away from. Jim returned a few minutes later and tossed a t-shirt at her. It was too big for her, in fact, it would be more like a dress.

Jim said, “Is that all your clothes from your backpack?” When she nodded yes, he continued, “Okay then grab that shirt I gave you and your clean under-ware and follow me.”

She reluctantly fell in behind him but said, “The shirt is too big for me.”

“I know, but for you, it is not a regular shirt, it is your night shirt. You are going to sleep in it so I can wash all your clothes tonight have them clean by morning for you.”

She followed him into the bathroom. She was surprised that the bathroom did not look like a boy’s bathroom but had yellow walls with turquoise towels hanging on the bar. The floor had a patterned that made it look like tile. She thought this was a very pretty bathroom.

Jim pointed to the bathtub and said, “That’s the bathtub.” He reached in and plugged the drain. He then turned on the water and set the temperature to warm, but not hot. He then pulled a towel out of the cabinet and set it on the counter. “Here is your towel. Do you want bubbles in your bath?”

He waited for her response which was finally a nod yes and a small smile. He then grabbed a bottle of bubble bath from under the sink and poured some into the tub. He was rewarded with bubbles forming from the turbulent water as it flowed into the tub. He then grabbed a bar of soap and shampoo that he had last used on his son. These he set on the lip of the tub. He then turned to her and said, “What I need you to do is, after I leave, I want you to take off your close and place them outside the door to the bathroom. I will come back and pick them up and get them into the wash. There are soap and shampoo, and I expect you to use them. When you are done, dry off and put on your clean under-ware and that shirt and then come out to the living room. Oh, do you have a toothbrush?”

She gave him a look that told him that she neither had a toothbrush nor wanted to brush her teeth. Jim reached into a cabinet next to the tub and pulled out a new toothbrush. He set it on the counter as well as his toothpaste. “I wanted you to brush your teeth too.”

She gave him a look that indicated she did not want to so he said, “Hey remember you are my daughter for the weekend and what kind of parent would I be if I didn’t make you brush your teeth?”

He smiled at her until he could see that she would brush her teeth. He then said as he walked past her and out the bathroom, “And don’t forget to wash your hair and behind your ears. I will be checking.” He then stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door. He paused for a minute. It had been four years since he had spoken to someone like that. He was surprised that although there was some pain in the remembering, it also felt good in the doing.

He then headed back to the bedroom where the pile of clothes laid. He grabbed the jacket and after looking it over was glad to see that it was machine washable. The pink colors had seen brighter days. He also noticed that there was a tear in one of the sleeves. It looked fresh as the inner material had yet to be stained. He wasn’t the best seamstress, as his wife had done most of the mending, but in his college days, he was known to darn a sock or two. He would see about fixing the tear before he washed the jacket. He then turned his attention to the pile of clothes. He was surprised at how much clothes the girl had managed to fit into the backpack. It was all dirty and terribly wrinkled. One garment caught his eye, and he pulled it out of the pile. It was a very pretty dress, white with blue shoulders and red accents. It also had managed to avoid the dirt that marked the other pieces of clothes she had.

He then noticed her backpack, which she had set on the floor next to the pile of clothes. He looked inside to see if he could find any ID or anything that would help him find where this little girl belonged. He found the only thing inside the main compartment was a plastic box, one that a child would use for pencils and things at school. He opened the box and found a few small toys, including the doll she just received during dinner. There was a necklace that looked like it was made of pearls. At first, he thought it was probably plastic, but when he picked it up, he wondered if maybe it wasn’t real. There was also a picture. It was a couple and a little girl. Jim realized the girl was Sam so the couple must have been her parents. The woman was wearing a pink blouse and had long reddish hair. The man sported short brown hair, clean shaven and was wearing a suit. They all had warm smiles, and Sam looked so happy in the picture. They were a nice looking family in the photo. It reminded him of the photo he had on his nightstand. He had a lot in common with the Sam. Jim then noticed the string of pearls around the woman’s neck and understood the importance of the necklace in the box. He placed the photo carefully back into the box. He checked the rest of the backpack but did not find anything that told him anything about his new house guest.

Jim placed the backpack back on the floor and picked up the dirty clothes. He then checked and was glad to see a small pile of clothes in front of the bathroom door. As he picked them up, he stopped and listened and heard the sounds of splashing. He smiled and went to the laundry room. He sorted her clothes and then started the whites. In truth, it was too small a load, but this was all the clothes she had, and they all needed to be cleaned. He then grabbed the sewing kit in his bedroom closet. It had not been touched in over four years, and he had to clean the dust off it.

By the time Sam came out of the bathroom, Jim had finished the repair on the coat, which Jim felt didn’t turn out too bad, and he had started the load of darks.  He was starting to worry about her as she was taking so long, but at last, she emerged. His t-shirt went down to past her knees. She stood there with an odd smile and her shoulder length hair still wet and a mess.

Jim said, “You look much better. Do you feel better?”

Sam nodded yes.

“However, your hair is still wet.

She then had a very sad expression on her face.

“What is it, honey?” Jim asked.

“My mommy would always help me brush and dry my hair.”

Jim smiled and said, “Okay then why don’t you go grab your towel from the bathroom, and I will grab a brush. I will meet you back here on the couch.”

She perked up a little, and without saying a word, she headed back down the hall to the bathroom. Jim headed to his bedroom to grab his wife’s brush. He didn’t think she would mind in this situation. When he returned to the living room, he found Sam already on the couch, a towel draped across her lap, watching the Christmas cartoon that he had turned on the TV. He smiled as he still loved watching the Christmas cartoons. Currently, they were watching ‘Santa Claus is Coming To Town.’

He walked over to her, grabbed the towel and sat down next to her. He then started brushing and drying her hair. He found a rat’s nests and had to work through it carefully as to not pull her hair. As he worked her hair, switching between brushing and drying, he was surprised to see that what he had thought was brunette hair was actually a strawberry red. When her hair was dirty, it was hard to see the color, but when it was clean, it stood out. He found that he had to switch sides to work on the other side of her head as there was no way to get her not to look at the TV. 

When he finished, the Grinch was plotting how to remove the joy of everyone in the town below for Christmas. He got up and took the towel and brush into his bedroom, returning the brush to where it had been immortalized for the past four years. The towel he tossed in the laundry basket. He then grabbed a blanket before returning to the living room.

“Would you like a blanket?” he said as he offered it to her. She nodded and took it, wrapping it around her. He then said, “I was going to make some popcorn and hot cocoa, do you want some?”

Her face lit up, and she said, “Yes please.”

“Okay but I am out of marshmallows. We will have to see about getting some tomorrow. Is that alright?”

She nodded yes and Jim headed off the kitchen. It filled him with joy when he heard her singing along with the music on the TV. Jim returned with the bag of popped microwave popcorn and two cups of hot cocoa. He placed the items on the coffee table in front of her and then sat down next to her. They both took a sip of the cocoa and Jim sat back as Sam dove into the popcorn.

They watched the cartoon for a few minutes in silence. It wasn’t until the Grinch was carving the roast beast the Sam said, “Santa’s not real.”

Jim was surprised by the sudden statement. He said, “What makes you say that?”

“He just isn’t. I was a good girl last year, and I got nothing. When I asked my foster parents, Mr. Jorgenson told me that Santa didn’t exist and the sooner I learned that, the better.”

Jim felt a mix of sorrow for the girl’s innocence lost and anger at the man that took it. He said, “Well I still believe in the Magic of Christmas, and that includes Santa Claus.”

She gave him a funny look. “The Magic of Christmas, that sound made up just like Santa Claus.”

Jim smiled and said, “Well it is not. The Magic of Christmas is a real thing.”

She looked at him very skeptically. Finally, she turned and started watching the next Christmas show.

They sat in silence; Sam enthralled in each Christmas show. Eventually, she curled up on the couch and rested her head on the arm, a blanket covering her tightly and a belly full of hot cocoa and popcorn. Jim wanted to talk more but had a feeling what the girl needed was a safe place, not twenty questions. Instead, he struggled with what to do with her. His plan was to take her to child serviced on Monday to find where she belonged, but now he had a new thought. He thought he should adopt this little waif all snug on his couch, but that was crazy. She was in the foster care system but probably had people that loved her. He bet that this Mr. Jorgenson, whom he already did not like, was probably worried about her. Plus, what did he know about raising a girl? Besides, he was still grieving the loss of his wife and child. How could ever think of taking care of her? Still, the thought would not go away.

It was when an old black and white show starring Jimmy Stewart finished that Jim noticed two things; first that it was 9:30 pm, and second, that Sam was sound asleep. He carefully picked her up and carried her into his son’s bedroom. As he was placing her in bed, she woke up and crawled under the covers. He knelt down next to her and said, “Sam, was is your name?”

A very sleepy “Sam” was the reply.

“No I mean your full name.”

“Olivia Samantha Hernandez.”

“And how old are you?”

“Eight. My birthday is in April.”

Jim smiled and then leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. At the touch of the kiss, she snuggled into the pillow and was fast asleep. Jim stood up, walked over and turned on the Scooby Doo night light and then walked to the door. He stood there for a minute looking at the slumbering bundle in the bed. The urge to try to adopt was stronger than ever. That is when it registered what she had said to him. His mouth opened as he now understood what he needed to do to help this little girl. Of course her name of Olivia. He turned off the light and went to the living room. He had a couple of calls to make, and it was late.

The first call was to his sister. After a couple of rings, a woman answered in a curious tone.

“Hello sis, it is your brother Jim.”

He could hear the relief in Ruth’s voice. “Oh, hi Jim. How are you?” Then she realized that her brother never called her at this hour, let alone on Christmas Eve, so she added, “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine; I just have a huge favor to ask.”

Ruth was curious now, “What is the favor?”

“Well, first I need to know if the invite for Christmas day is still open.”

“Of course it is. Why are you coming this year?” There was wishfulness in her tone.

“In that case, mark me down for two people.”

“Two people? You are bringing someone? Who are you bringing? Is it a woman?”

Jim shook his head. When it came to family, Ruth just had to know everything going on. Jim said, “I will explain everything tomorrow but it is late, and I have another call to make. As for the favor, do you still have the key to the shop and do you still remember the code to the alarm system?”

Ruth said yes and even recited the security code.

“Good then I need you to go down there tonight and pick out some gifts for an eight-year-old girl, wrap them and stick them under the tree. Address them to Sam.”

“You are bringing a child with you?”

“I promise I will tell you all tomorrow, but for now, yes I am bringing an eight-year-old girl that doesn’t believe in Santa or the Magic of Christmas.” Jim knew the last part would put his sister into action. Christmas was her favorite holiday and felt it should be special and magical for everyone.

After a moment of silence, Ruth said, “Okay but you need to tell me everything tomorrow.”

“I will, I promise. And thanks for doing this for me. It will mean a lot to her.”

After they quickly said their goodbyes, Jim hung up and started dialing again. He knew he would not be able to get by with a quick call this time. This time he would have to explain everything.

After a few rings a man answered the phone, “Good evening, you have reached the Westfield residence.”

Jim smiled as he always liked how Bob always answered the phone so formally. “Hi Bob, this Jim Wilcox,” Jim said. “Is Shirley there? I need to speak to her, and I am sorry it is so late.”

“Oh, hi Jim. She is right here; we were just getting ready for bed. I hope everything is already.”

“It will be once I talk to your wife.”

“Okay, well here she is.”

After a moment, Shirley came on the line and said, “Hey Jim what’s up?”

Jim took a deep breath and said, “I need to talk with Officer Westfield.” He then went on to explain about Sam and the evening he had had so far. When they were done talking, the minute hand on the clock had gone one full rotation around the face.

After he had hung up, he found he was tired but also knew his mind would not let him sleep. That was okay as he had laundry to finish up. When his head finally hit his pillow, he slept with a peace he had not known in four years.

The next morning Sam was awakened by a very excited man standing over her. It took her a minute to remember that the man was named Jim and that he was paying her to be his daughter for the weekend.

“Come on, time to get up sleepy head. It’s Christmas Day!”

Sleepily she said, “So.”

“So? So it is time to get up and go to my sister’s.”

She gave him a confused look. He had said nothing about going anywhere today.

“Come on and get up, you are going to love it. There is lots of good food and all my nieces and nephews for you to play with. I folded your clothes and placed them on the dresser over there. Put on the pretty dress you have, okay?”

There was something defiantly different about the man this morning. Last night he had been very subdued and calm but now he was like a child on Christmas day. Begrudgingly she got up. The man left the room but said on the way out, “And be sure to brush your teeth this morning. Come to the living room when you get dressed and are ready to go.

It took her 30 minutes to go to the bathroom, brush her teeth and get dressed. When she got to the living room, she found the man dressed in gray slacks and a green polo shirt. He was also holding a hair brush. As he worked on brushing her hair, making it presentable, she noticed a Christmas tree was in the corner. She was pretty sure it wasn’t there the night before but she had some doubt. She had to admit that it was the first night sleep in a long time where she felt safe. She remembered someone kissing her on her forehead as she fell asleep. At first, she had thought her dad had done it but realized that that was impossible so it must have been this man.

When Jim had finished, he stood up and look at Sam. He said, “You look so pretty. That is a beautiful dress.”

“Thanks, my mom picked it out for me. I used to wear it to church.”

“Well, your mom had great taste in clothes.” He said with a big, warm smile. Sam smiled back. Jim then said, “Well we should get going. My sister puts on a big spread for breakfast, and if I know her, she is waiting for us to show up before she lets anyone eat.” He handed her her freshly washed and mended jacket. He then put his on.

Sam was still not sure about this trip, but she knew that if she complained the man would just say that he hired her to be his daughter and she had to go.

It was a short car ride to his sister’s house as she only lived a few blocks away. The whole way, Jim found himself unable to stop talking. He told her about his family, which would all be there; about how this was a tradition every year; about how there was lots of presents and fun. He looked in the review mirror and saw the sad face she presented when he mentioned the presents, and he couldn’t help but smile, knowing the surprise she had in store for her. They arrived at the house, and Jim was glad to see both his brothers and parent’s cars there already. The two got out and walked up to the front door.

His sister’s house was a two-story house, but the first story was partly submerged underground. The front porch was elevated, and the door to the house opened to two stairwells, one going up and one going down.

As Jim knocked on the door, he found himself excited for the day and what it would bring. The door opened, and a tall, slender man stood on the other side.

“Hello Ed, sorry we are late,” Jim said

“Hi, Jim. No worries. Ruth made us wait for you guys, so you didn’t miss anything,” Ed said.

Jim gave a chuckle as he knew his sister so well. Then he said, “Well, I would like to introduce Sam.” He indicated the young lady standing next to him. “And Sam, this is Uncle Ed. He is my brother-in-law.”

“Hello young lady, we have been expecting you,” Ed said as he held out his hand to her.

Sam took it and said, “Hello, nice to meet you.”

Ed smiled and then looked back at Jim and said, “Well come on in.” He stepped back and let the two step in, closing the door behind them. Ed then took their coats and as he headed off to the bedroom to place the coats with the other, he said, “Everyone is upstairs.”

Jim instructed Sam to take off her shoes and place them in the existing pile og shoes located by the door. Then the two headed upstairs. Jim was not surprised at all when he was greeted by the stares of all the adults. He guessed that Ruth had told the rest of the family that he was bringing an eight-year-old girl to Christmas.

Jim stopped and said, “Hello everyone. I would like to introduce Sam. Sam, this is my family.” He then started point to individual adults and introducing them. “That is my sister, Aunt Ruth. This is her house so if you need anything, ask her. That guy over there is my brother Uncle Matt. Next to him is his wife, Aunt Susan. Over there in the chair is my dad, Grandpa Saul, he was a preacher. And my mom, Grandma Jane.”

Everyone said hello to Sam as Sam said Hi back. Ruth was about to walk up to the child when a noise arose from down below, coming up the stairs.

“Uncle Jim!!!!!” was the cry from five children, all of which demanded a hug.

After the hugs, Jim said, “Everyone, I would to introduce you to my special friend. Her name is Sam. Sam, this is Bob, Kim, Rebecca, David and June.” He pointed to each as he introduced them.

“Hi there, want to see my Barbie dolls?” Rebecca said. Rebecca was nine and about the same height.

Sam looked at Jim for a moment, unsure what to do. Jim smiled and said, “It’s okay, go play if you want to. I can tell you; she has an impressive collection of Barbie dolls.”

Sam was still a little unsure but started to go with when Ruth said, “Before you do that, let’s eat.”

There was more than one voice that cried, “Yeah!” from both the children and the adults.

Jim led Sam into the kitchen. There they all stood around the table full of food. When everyone was present and settled, Grandpa Saul said a blessing for the food. Then everyone dove in. Jim told Sam to feel free to get whatever she wanted on her plate and if she had any question just to ask. Jim was glad to see her relax a bit as she started to put food on her plate. When her plate was full, she went to look for a place to sit down. Rebecca, June, and Kim invited her over to where they had staked a claim in the corner of the living room. Jim was glad that his nieces were making her feel welcome as he knew she was feeling shy.

Once she was settled, Jim went to grab a plate for himself but instead was dragged into the kitchen by his sister. There waiting for him was his mom and Sister-in-law. His sister then said, “Okay, spill the beans, what is going on with that adorable little girl. And don’t hold back anything.” There was a look of seriousness in her eyes that indicated she meant business.

Jim looked at Ruth and smiled. He said, “This has been killing you, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, it has, ever since that cryptic call last night so talk.”

“Speaking of which, thank you for doing that favor for me, it will mean the world to Sam.”

Ruth looked annoyed. “You are stalling. Talk or I will make you talk.” Ruth grabbed the first thing handy on the counter, which was a spatula. She pointed it at his face like it was a knife.

Jim held up his hands in mock surrender. “Easy, I’ll talk. No need to resort to violence, or whatever you were going to do with that thing?”

Jim’s smile made Ruth smile, and she set the spatula back on the counter. Jim then proceeded to tell them about how he had met the girl, how he was paying her to be his daughter for the weekend. He even told them why he didn’t believe the girl had been a prostitute before. They had many questions, and he did his best to answer them. They finally stopped then his nephew Bob went to his mom and asked if they could open presents now. Jim was surprised to see that an hour and a half had passed. He was hungry and was glad for the interruption. He stopped at the table and quickly put together a plate of food.

As everyone claimed a spot on the floor in front of the tree where they would open their bounty of presents, Sam found herself backing away from the tree. It was hard for her as she so missed Christmas presents but knew she would not find her name on any presents under the tree. She was on the verge of crying when she heard a voice say, “Young lady.” When she didn’t turn the voice said, “Sam?”

She turned to see an old man seated in the chair behind her. She recognized him as Grandpa Saul, the preacher.

The old man said, “What’s wrong sweetheart?”

Sam looked down but said nothing.

Grandpa Saul said, “Are you worried you won’t get what you want for Christmas?”

She looked up and with tears in her eyes, said, “I won’t get anything for Christmas.”

Grandpa Saul said, “Why do you say that? I don’t believe you were a bad girl.”

“It doesn’t matter. Santa Claus is not real, and since you people don’t know me or that I would be here, there are not going to be any presents for me under that tree. Nobody loves me.”

Grandpa Saul’s heart broke. He reached out and hugged the girl. He then said, “Honey, there are so many people that love you. Just look around the room, everyone here loves you.” She didn’t seem convinced, so he added, “And God loves you very much.”

Meekly she said, “I don’t think God exist either. I think he is just another lie they tell little kids.”

“Why do you think God isn’t real?”

“I was a good girl, and I prayed really hard, but he never answered my prayer.”

“Well just because he hasn’t answered you yet doesn’t mean he does hear your prayers. Trust me does. I know it.”

She seemed unsure, so he pulled the girl up onto his lap and held her close as she wept. He held her, comforting her until they were interrupted by David, with a box wrapping in festive Christmas wrap. It even had a big bow on top.

“This is for you Sam,” David said.

Sam looked at the box and then the boy. She said, “For me, you must be wrong?”

David looked at the gift tag again and said, “Well this package is for Sam, and you are the only Sam here, so it has to be for you.” He then handed the box to her and went back to handing out gifts. He even brought one addressed to Grandpa.

Sam slid down on the floor at Grandpa’s feet and looked the package over. She wiped the tears from her face and then checked tag and found it was indeed to her and it was from Santa. She was confused as she was sure there was no Santa. The box wasn’t a small box either. She wondered what was in it. Then she heard someone say, “Okay, everyone has a present, open them up.”

The ruffle of people opening up Christmas presents was joyfully deafening for a moment. This was followed by cheers and excitement from children and adults. Sam carefully opened her present, not sure what to expect, but treating like it was a rare find, fragile and delicate. To her surprise, it was a full sized Barbie. It was like the ones she used to have before her parents died and she had to go live with her foster parents. Again tears filled her eyes only these were tears of joy.

Over the next hour, she continued to find more gifts for her. There were accessories for her Barbie, a diary, and even a new backpack, one with the face of a popular singer she liked. Each time she opened a gift she would turn and show it to Grandpa Saul, presenting each with the biggest smile he had ever seen. It was Grandpa Saul favorite part of Christmas.

Once all the presents were opened, and the tall mound of wrapping paper was gathered up and bagged, Jim took a deep breath. He was so happy to see Sam not only enjoy the gifts she had gotten but also to see her playing so comfortably with his nieces. They were all playing with their new dolls and toys. Jim smiled to see his dad down on the floor playing dolls with them. There was one thing his family did very well, and that was love. He felt proud to be a member of the Wilcox family.

Ruth had already cleared off the table, moving most of the food to the counters in the kitchen and was starting to put away the uneaten food.

It was about then they heard David cry out at the window, “Mom, Dad, the police are here.”

And odd looked crossed the adult’s faces. When Ruth said that it was Shirley Westfield in uniform coming up the walkway with another woman she turned to look at Jim.

Jim knew what she was thinking and nodded to indicate that they were there because of him and Sam. Ruth then said, “Why don’t all the kids go play downstairs.” When this produced looks of reluctance in the children, she turned very motherly and said, “NOW!”

A couple of the kids bemoaned about having to leave, but no one refused the order. They all knew that tone and knew they had no choice in the matter. Even Sam obeyed. Ruth had managed to wrangle the children down the stairs just as the door bell rang. Ruth stopped on the landing and opened the door.

“Hello Shirley, I guess we have been expecting you.”

Shirley, in her full Police Officer uniform, smiled and said, “Jim didn’t tell you we were coming, did he?”

“No, he did not.” Ruth gave a look that indicated she was going to read her brother the riot act for leaving something out of the story.

“Well, this is Mrs. Livingston. She is in charge of child services. She is here about Sam.” Mrs. Livingston was a large, intimidating woman. She wore a simple white blouse and black trousers. Her midnight black hair was cut short in a pretty but professional cut. She never smiled or said much in the ways for pleasantries.

Ruth then indicated for them to come in and head upstairs. She told them that Jim was upstairs.

Jim was waiting in the kitchen when they walked in. He went to Shirley and said, “Thank you so much for this, I know it is last minute and Christmas and all. I owe you big.”

Shirley smiled as helping a child was not a “favor” but something she would do anytime, regardless of the holiday. It was one of the things she liked about her friend, his heart. Shirley said, “This is Mrs. Livingston. She is in charge of social workers for the foster care system.”

Jim held out his hand and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Livingston. I appreciate you coming out today for this.”

Mrs. Livingston shook Jim’s hand but seem skeptical. She sat down that the table without being asked and started questioning Jim. Jim sat opposite her and began to tell her the events of yesterday. Mrs. Livingston was especially interested in the part where Sam tried to proposition him and how he ‘hired’ her as his daughter. He told her the truth and explained that ‘hiring’ her was the only way he could think of to get her off the street and to safety. Mrs. Livingston did ask why he just didn't call the police and Jim said that it was Christmas Eve and he couldn’t let the little girl spend Christmas in a police station. Although Jim had done nothing wrong, he still felt like he was guilty, given the way Mrs. Livingston was questioning him.

Finally, she said, “I am ready to talk to the girl now.”

Ruth, who and been standing nearby, but still within earshot, said, “I will go get her.”

Mrs. Livingston didn’t acknowledge her at all, but Ruth went off anyway, not waiting for a reply.

When Ruth returned with Sam, Jim could see that she was scared when she saw the police officer sitting at the table. Jim got up and went to her. He got down on one knee and said, “It is okay honey. These people are here to help. You have done nothing wrong and don’t need to fear anything. They just want to talk to you about why you left your foster home.”

Sam’s eyes got big as she was clearly scared.

“What’s wrong honey, why don’t you want to talk about it?”

She had a look of sheer terror on her face. Finally, she said, “Because he said he would kill me.”

Jim’s heart ached so much for this little girl, and all he could think of was protecting this fragile little flower. He took a deep breath and said, “Do you see that policewoman other there?”

Sam nodded yes.

“Well, she has a gun and is trained in how to beat people up. And you see that nice lady sitting next to her?”

Again Sam nodded yes.

“Well it is her job to make sure you are safe, and she had a lot more police officers she can call on. And now look behind you, do you see all these adults in this room?”

She nodded yes.

Finally, he said, “And do you see me?”

She nodded yes.

“Well, whoever tries to harm you is going to have to get through, Officer Westfield, Mrs. Livingston and her army of police officers and then everyone in the living room and me before they can get to you. You, my dear, could not be more protected than you are right now.”

Sam looked around the room at all the people who would protect her and felt better. She broke a small smile. Jim smiled back and said, “Okay, now Mrs. Livingston wants to ask you a few questions. Just answer them honestly and bravely. Can you do that?”

She looked him in the eyes and nodded yes. He smiled and stood up and let her walk into the kitchen. She took the chair he had sat. When Jim walked up to be beside her, Mrs. Livingston said, “I will need you to please step away. I need to talk to the girl alone.

Jim then walked over to where his sister was standing. He knew she would have a spot where she could hear everything that was said.

Mrs. Livingston opened a file folder and laid it before her on the table. There was a picture in it of a small girl with strawberry red hair. It was a picture of Sam. She looked over the file for a moment before speaking. Jim was surprised at how Mrs. Livingston demeanor changed as she talked to the child. Where she had been cold and accusatory in her tone with him, she was now warm and friendly with Sam.  She said, “Now what is your name, sweetheart?”

“Sam.”

“No honey, what is your full name?”

“Olivia Samantha Hernandez.”

“And how old are you Olivia?” the questioning continued.

“8.”

“And you were placed with the Jorgenson’s, is that correct?”

Sam had a very sour look and said, “Yes.”

“I take it you didn’t like it there, how come?” Mrs. Livingston now showed some true warmth and concern in her voice. It was helping Sam to relax a bit.

“I don’t like that house. He does bad things.”

“He who? Do you mean Mr. Jorgenson?”

Sam looked down but nodded yes.

“What kind of bad things does he do?”

She hesitated clearly still afraid to speak. Finally, Sam said, “He plays this game he calls the Circle of Life.”

Sam paused, clearly uncomfortable to talk about it. Mrs. Livingston said, “Can you tell me you play the Circle of Life game?”

After a moment, Sam said, “He takes off his clothes and then has you take off your clothes. Then you sit on the bed facing each other with your legs spread out.”

Mrs. Livingston, although now upset, continued in a calm manner. She had to get all the facts. “What does he do then?”

“He touches himself, down there. Then he makes you touch him, down there. Then he touches you down there. I don’t like that game and my mommy said anyone that makes me do something I don’t like down there is a bad person.”

Jim had to look away. Although this was a good God fearing, Christian home, if that man was in the room, he was not sure he could refrain from killing him.

“Your mommy was right. Did he do this to you very often?”

“No, when I first moved in, he was only doing it with Vanessa, but he said I was old enough to play the game. I told him I didn’t want to play but he said he was going to make me play it with him. That is when I left.”

“Didn’t you tell Mrs. Jorgenson about this?”

“Yes, but she didn’t care. She was more interested in her figurines. She is not a very good mom.”

“And how long ago did you run away from their house?”

“Sam thought for a minute and said, “A week ago. It was Saturday when he told me I had to play that game, and I ran way the next day.”

“Hmm, and you say he was playing this game with Vanessa too?” Mrs. Livingston pulled another file out of her bag; this one marked Vanessa Cogswell. She opened the file and looked at it.

“Yes, but she hates it too. She was too afraid to run away.”

“And Mrs. Jorgenson doesn’t stop Mr. Jorgenson from playing the game with Vanessa?”

“No, and she knows he does it as she is the one that closes the door to the bedroom.”

“And when was the last time you saw your case worker, Mr. Thompson?”

“Who?”

“There is supposed to be a man that comes by to check on you and make sure you are okay.”

“Oh him, Mrs. Jorgenson doesn’t let us talk to that man. She tells him that we are either sick or off playing with friends when he comes by.”

“So in the year you have been there you have never spoken to your case worker?”

Sam shook her head no.

Mrs. Livingston then said, “Okay so tell me about yesterday and your night at Mr. Wilcox’s house.

Sam was confused by the name ‘Mr. Wilcox’ so Mrs. Livingston pointed to Jim. Sam then knew who she meant and proceed to tell her about how they met, their dinner at McDonald's, the doll she received in the kid's meal, about the bath and her night in the ‘boys’ room as she called it. Mrs. Livingston could see that the child was much more relaxed when she spoke of Mr. Wilcox and the night she spent at his house.

Finally, Mrs. Livingston reached out her hand and held Sam’s and said, “You have been very brave, thank you. And Mr. Wilcox is right; you have nothing to fear from that man anymore. I will personally see that he never plays that game again with another little girl.

Sam was relieved by the reassurance.

Mrs. Livingston said, “Mr. Wilcox, would you please come here.”

Jim laughed on the inside as there were three Mr. Wilcoxes in the room but he knew she meant him. He stepped forward to the table.

Mrs. Livingston said, “I have reviewed your file.”

Jim looked surprised and said, “File?”

It was Shirley that spoke up, “Yes, given today’s environment, we do full background checks on anyone involved with the police and kids. We can’t afford to be working with a pedophile.”

That made sense to Jim.

Mrs. Livingston continued, “Concerning your request to keep the child the weekend; I do not see a problem that is if Sam wishes it.”

She looked at Sam who’s eyes were wide with excitement. Sam nodded her head vigorously as if to emphasize her desire to stay.

“Then I don’t see a problem. I will have a case worker come by on Monday to pick up the child.”

“Concerning that,” Jim said, “I would like to start the process to adopt Sam. That is if it is okay with you.” He bent down to be at eye-level with her. “Would you want to be my daughter permanently and be part of this big crazy family behind me?”

Sam looked over Jim’s shoulders and saw the faces of every adult smiling and nodding yes. She then looked back to Jim and in one swift move, jump out of the chair and wrapped her arms around his next. She then said, “Yes, oh yes please.”

Tears swelled up in Jim’s eyes. As they pulled back, he said, “Of course you will probably want to redecorate your room.”

She nodded yes.

Jim then looked over to Mrs. Livingston, who was still stoic as ever. “How about it Mrs. Livingston, can we make it happen?”

She pulled another file out of her bag; this was his file and after looking it over said, “We will need to do a lot of work. There is a lot of paperwork, and you will have to take classes and have in home inspections.”

“Whatever it take, I will do it.”

Mrs. Livingston nodded and then proceeded to get up, indicating the meeting was over.

Jim turned back to Sam and gave her another big hug. He then stood up and told Sam to go and play with her new cousins. Sam took off.

Jim then walked Mrs. Livingston and Shirley to the door, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Livingston. You have made this a Christmas I will never forget.” He shook her hand.

Every stoic she said, “The adoption is far from a done deal.”

“I understand, but I have faith, it will happen.”

“We shall see.”

Jim then looked at Shirley who had a very wry smile on her face. Jim finally said, “What?” to her.

Shirley smiled and said, “I told you one day God was going to answer your prayer.”

Jim smiled and said, “Yes you did.”

Mrs. Livingston then said, “What prayer?”

Shirley looked at Jim, but Jim said, “You opened it up, you might as well tell her the story.”

Shirley smiled and said, “You see four years ago, on Christmas Eve, his wife and son were involved in a car accident that took their lives. Ever since then, every Christmas Eve, he goes home and prays for God to bring back his wife and son, knowing full well that it can never happen.”

“And why do you think that Olivia is the answer to that prayer?”

“Because his wife’s name was Olivia and his son would have been eight this year. Plus it happened on Christmas Eve.”

Mrs. Livingston looked both skeptical and concerned. Reading her concern, Jim said, “Don’t worry Mrs. Livingston, I know she is neither my wife nor my son. In fact, she is the completely different. You see God rarely gives us what we want, but he always gives us what we need. You see I had a hole in my heart. A hole that was left when my wife and son died. The only thing I ever knew that fit that hole was my wife and child, so that is what I prayed for. God, however, gave me what I needed; that was a little girl that perfectly fit that hole. She is not what I asked for at all, but she is exactly what I need.”

“And the fact that she shares the same name as your wife and is the same age as your son?”

With a smile, Jim said, “That is just God’s way of making sure I got the message. Sometimes God whispers in our ears and other times he uses a 2x4 to the side of the head. This was a 2x4.”

Mrs. Livingston thought for a minute and then said, “We will see.”

“Yes we will,” Jim said. He then opened the door for them to let them out. As Shirley walked past, Jim said, “So, will I see you later?”

“Yep, as soon as I get off shift. Right now though I am going to go with Mrs. Livingston to pay Mr. Jorgenson a little visit and rescue Vanessa. And if I am really lucky, maybe Mr. Jorgenson will resist. Oh, how I would love it if he resisted.”

Jim recognized the look on her face and had a twinge of sympathy for the poor man.  Jim just shook his head at the grin on Shirley’s face. Then he said, “Okay then I will see you later.”

“See ya’ later.” Was her reply as she walked out to her squad car.

Jim then turned to see his mom and sister at the top of the stairs, both with tears streaming down their eyes. Try as he might; he knew he would not make it the rest of the day without crying too.

When Sam left the kitchen, she did not run downstairs right away. Instead, she went into the living room and to Grandpa Saul. She walked up to him and said, “You were right mister, God did hear my prayer. I got a family again.” The smile on her face was from ear to ear.

Grandpa Saul smiled back and said, “Yes he does, and my name is Grandpa to you.”

Sam’s eyes watered up as he had never known a grandpa before. She launched herself into his lap and hugged him around the neck, never wanting to let go. That was fine with Saul as he was hugging her right back.

M.L. Chrisman
2016