Call Me Mrs. Miracle

“I…I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her,” Frances said. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Finley. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation.”

There’d better be. Not that it would help now.

Sick at heart, Jake left the department and went up to his father’s office. Dora had already gone home; the whole administrative floor was deserted. He didn’t know what he’d tell Holly. He should’ve taken the robot to his apartment and kept it there. Then he could’ve been guaranteed that nothing like this would happen. Still, berating himself now wouldn’t serve any useful purpose.

Preparing for his flight, J. R. Finley was busy stuffing paperwork in his computer case when Jake entered the office. J.R. looked up at him. “What’s the matter with you? Did you decide to come with me, after all?”

“No. Have you decided to stay in New York?” Jake countered.

“You’re kidding, right?”

Jake slumped into a chair and ran his fingers through his hair. “Gabe’s robot is missing,” he said quietly. “Emily Miracle, or whatever her name is, sold it.”

“Mrs. Miracle?” J.R.’s face tightened and he waved his index finger at Jake. “I told you that woman was up to no good, butting into other people’s business. She’s a troublemaker. Didn’t I tell you that?”

“Dad, stop it. She’s a sweet grandmotherly woman.”

“She’s ruined a little boy’s Christmas and you call that sweet?” He made a scoffing sound and resumed his task of collecting papers and shoving them into his case.

“Do you have any connections-someone who can locate a spare Intellytron at the last minute?” This was Jake’s only hope.

Frowning, his father checked his watch. “I’ll make some phone calls, but I can’t promise anything.”

Jake was grateful for whatever his father could do. “What about your flight?”

J.R. looked at his watch again and shrugged. “I’ll catch a later one.”

Jake started to remind his father that changing flights at this point might be difficult, but stopped himself. If J.R. was going to offer his assistance, Jake would be a fool to refuse.

“I’ll shut down the department and meet you back here in twenty minutes,” Jake said.

His father had picked up his phone and was punching out numbers. One thing Jake could be assured of-if there was a single Intellytron left in the tristate area, J.R. would locate it and have it delivered to Gabe.

He hurried back to the toy department and saw that the last-minute customers were being ushered out, bags in hand, and the day’s sales tallied. The store was officially closed. His staff was waiting to exchange Christmas greetings with Jake so they could go home to their families.

“Is there anything we can do before we leave?” John asked, speaking for the others.

“No, thanks. You guys have been great. Merry Christmas, everyone!”

As soon as they’d left, he got Mrs. Miracle’s contact information and called the phone number she’d given HR. To his shock, a recorded voice message informed him that the number was no longer in service. That wasn’t the only shock, either-she’d handed in her notice that afternoon.

He groaned. Mrs. Miracle was unreachable and had absconded with precious information regarding the robot-like why she’d sold it and to whom.

Jake returned to his father’s office to find him pacing the floor with the receiver pressed to his ear. J.R. glanced in Jake’s direction, then quickly looked away. That tight-lipped expression told Jake everything he needed to know-his father hadn’t been successful.

He waited until J.R. hung up the phone.

“No luck,” Jake said, not bothering to phrase it in the form of a question.

J.R. shook his head. “Everyone I talked to said as far as they knew we’re the only store in five states to have the robot.”

“Had. We sold out.”

“Apparently there isn’t another one to be found anywhere till after Christmas.”

Jake had expected that. A sick feeling attacked the pit of his stomach as he sank into a chair and sighed loudly. “I appreciate your help, Dad. Thanks for trying.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.” J.R. nodded and placed a consoling hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I know how you feel.”

Jake doubted that but he wasn’t in the mood to argue.

“Holly’s special,” J.R. said. “I’ve known that since the first time you mentioned her.”

“She is.” Jake was in full agreement there.

“If it’d been your mother who needed that thing, I would’ve moved heaven and earth to make sure she got it.”

He reconsidered. Maybe his father did know what he was feeling. He’d done his utmost to keep Holly and Gabe from being disappointed. Unfortunately, nothing he or J.R. did now would make any difference. It was simply too late.

“Every Intellytron in New York State and beyond is wrapped and under some youngster’s tree,” J.R. said.

Jake rubbed his face. “I’ll come up with something to tell Holly and Gabe,” he said, thinking out loud.

“Is there anything else the boy might like?” his father asked.

The only toy Gabe had referred to, at least in Jake’s hearing, was the robot. He’d even risked Holly’s wrath and traveled into the city on his own just to see it again and watch it in action.

“What about a train set?” his father suggested. “Every little boy wants a train set.”

Jake had. He’d longed for one the Christmas his mother and sister had died. But there’d been no presents the next morning or any Christmas morning since the accident.

“He might,” Jake said. “But-”

“Well, we have one of those.”

Jake wondered what his father was talking about. As head of the toy department Jake was well aware of the inventory left in stock and there were no train sets. This season had been record-breaking in more ways than one; not only the robot but a number of other toys had sold out. The trains, a popular new doll, a couple of computer games… “Exactly where is there a train set?” he asked. “Unless you mean the one in the window…”

“Not the display train. A brand-new one. Except that it’s twenty-one years old.” J.R. swallowed visibly. “I have it,” he said. “It’s still wrapped in the original paper. Your mother bought it for you just before…” He didn’t need to finish the sentence.

“Mom bought me the train set I wanted?” Jake asked, his voice hoarse with emotion.

J.R. grinned. “You were spoiled, young man. Your mother loved you deeply. And your little sister adored you.”

A sense of loss hit him hard and for a moment that was all Jake could think about. “You kept the train set all these years?” he finally asked.

J.R. nodded solemnly. “I always meant to give it to you but I could never part with it. In a way, holding on to it was like…having your mother still with me. I could pretend it was Christmas Eve twenty-one years ago and she hadn’t died. Don’t worry, I didn’t actually believe that, but I could indulge the fantasy of what Christmas should’ve been. That train set made the memory so real…”

“And you’re willing to give it up for Gabe?”

“No” was his father’s blunt reply. “I’m willing to give it up for you.”

Jake smiled and whispered, “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome. Now we’ve got a bit of digging to do. I don’t remember where I put that train set but I know it’s somewhere in the condo. Or maybe the storage locker. Or…”

“Do we have time? Did you change your flight?”

“Flight?” J.R. repeated, then seemed to remember he was scheduled to fly out that evening.