Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Twenty
This winter break, our lovely lunch leaders remind you to eat a rainbow. And if you’re looking for a healthy treat, check out Lunch Leader Aubrey’s recipe for puffed rice balls.
MERRY
In my head, Christmas Eve with Nolan would be sweet and perhaps sneakily cuddly. But in reality, the day had been chaotic, highlighted by our run downtown to retrieve Athena’s present and the crowded party at Cara’s. Nolan and I were together, as in we occupied the same space, but I wasn’t getting any of that alone time I so craved.
However, if I was lucky, I might get to see him later in the week on North Shore, a thought that brightened me as I policed the food table from Legend and Ryder. My kids seemed determined to eat their body weight in chocolate-dipped pretzel rods and other treats.
“Do not eat any more pretzels.” I gave Legend a stern look.
“Okay.” He slyly reached for a chip instead, and when I glared at him, Legend merely moved his hand over to a bowl of some sort of mix with popcorn, nuts, and candy.
“Or chips. Or candy. Try some real food.” I’d brought some butterscotch macadamias from a stall at the flea market as a holiday offering for Cara’s household, and that dish was almost empty. I hoped she and Nolan’s parents had at least been able to taste some of my offering. Meanwhile, the large tray of vegetables and dip was largely untouched.
“Chocolate is healthy,” Ryder piped up. He at least was using a plate, but his plate was heaped with chocolate crinkle cookies and two kinds of fudge. “They said so in health class.”
“Just eat a carrot. Both of you.” I threw my hands up, almost running into Athena, who was carrying her phone as always.
“Hey, Mr. Winters, can you make a reaction video for me?” she asked.
“A what?” I’d vaguely heard the term from social media-savvy students.
“I’m going to play you part of the concert the other night and film your reaction.”
“Um. Sure.” I played along as Athena hit Start on the video on Cara’s phone while filming me with her own phone. The video clip was from the sixth grade performance, and Athena undoubtedly wanted to see me go aw at Ryder and Legend and their costumes. Which I did appreciate, but my attention was more drawn to the upper left of the screen, where I was standing. I wasn’t sure I’d seen my smile that wide in years. Huh. Despite all the hours of hard work, I looked relaxed and happy. That had to be Nolan’s effect on me.
In my memory, I’d been torn between watching Nolan and the boys, and I’d correctly remembered his pride for the kids. But what I hadn’t seen before was Nolan looking at me as the song ended and the kids took their bows. On the video, Nolan had a soft, vulnerable expression as he glanced over at me. I’d known Nolan cared about me, but Nolan had a big heart and cared about everything. The way he stared at me, like my reaction to the show mattered most in the world, was humbling.
“You’re supposed to say something,” Athena prodded.
“Oh, uh, great performance.”
“That’s hardly quality content.” Shaking her curly head, Athena raced away.
“Do you golf?” Nolan’s father absentmindedly handed me the baby as he approached the food table.
“No, sir.” I moved the baby to my shoulder like I’d seen Nolan do with him many times. The boys had also always preferred the hold where they could look around. I wasn’t sure whether Nolan’s dad wanted conversation or whether he’d merely been looking to pass off the baby.
“Too bad. Too bad.” He filled a plate and wandered back toward his wife in the other room, answering that question.
Nolan’s parents made me more grateful for mine, for growing up in a warm, loving household where we might not have had the most money, but we’d had a lot of fun. I was glad Nolan had had his late grandfather. I could more easily see why he’d been drawn to the theater and the home he’d found there with fellow actors and production folks.
The baby fussed, so I walked around the family room, the sort of heavy stomp that usually helped babies drift off, but this time, he began to wail.
Nolan came rushing in from the kitchen, wearing a ridiculous Christmas apron and carrying a large oven mitt.
“How did you wind up with the baby?” He plucked the baby from my shoulder and transferred him to his own, not that it helped the crying.
“I think there was a game of musical baby, and I won.”
“He sounds hungry. Let me go find Cara.” Taking the baby, Nolan headed for the front of the house, turning at the last moment to add, “And don’t leave yet! I have your present.”