Mrs. Claus had sent Jolene a heart and the promise of love. If she couldn’t have Craig, she would rejoice with the love that would grow and bind her with Selene. She was family. Even Sheki and especially her father were family. Not a gift to be taken lightly. What were the exact words on the note that came with the ornament? She searched her memory: Hearts are not broken, but need intertwined, to beat the rhythm of a love sublime. Seek and ye shall find.
Of course! The gifting was never meant to find romantic love but was intended for a family that needed to be untangled. She smiled and chose to leave the obvious miracle in the spiritual realm where mortals could not hope to understand but received His unmerited grace just the same. Her fingers withdrew the blue heart and she placed it carefully in the stocking. She kissed her fingers and touched them to the gift. A sister – who would have ever thought that the surprise vacation would land her a sister.
At seven-thirty the room was full of excited guests. Hot cider was served by the kitchen staff with complimentary Christmas cookies and cakes. Jolene did the rounds of people she’d met watching for any sign of her family. She sighed in relief when her father and Barbie showed up. She hurried to greet them.
“What have you two been up to?”
“We went on the short cruise offered by the Inn. That was exciting. I’m trying to persuade your father to buy us a cottage on this lake. I love it here.”
“And I think we should just do some traveling – explore more of these special spots scattered around our country,” Trace said.
“I’d have to agree with my father, Barbie. Our homeland is as beautiful as any I’ve seen and you have plenty of time to buy something later, should you decide.”
Trace reached for his daughter’s hand. “You sound a bit chirpier. Been keeping my distance to give you time to adjust to the news.”
“I’ve given up trying to understand how parents could justify separating twins at birth. It’s in the past and I am trying to move forward. Sheki will be my biggest challenge. We don’t think on the same wave lengths. But Selene shows promise. She is not entirely as artificial as her mother – our mother. Although now that I’ve met her, I’m relieved the childhood yearning for her parental comfort does not exist any longer. I’m sure she would have been a disappointment in that area.” Jolene smiled at Barbie. “Whereas, I will enjoy building a relationship with you, maybe not a motherly one, but definitely a friend.”
Barbie swept her husband’s daughter into her arms. “You will never know how pleased I am to hear you say that. People told me horror stories of families that did not accept the second wife and made everyone’s life miserable.”
“Not to mention, you’re young enough to be my older sister,” Jolene said, and they all laughed and moved toward a couch.
Travis’ voice pierced the chattering group and they all looked toward the man standing next to the fireplace. “Thank you all for coming, and especially those who have participated in the hunt for Christmas treasures in our town of Pineville. I thought it would be nice to give everyone center stage when peeking in their stocking. So, get comfortable and let’s begin.”
As each name was called the recipient came forward and displayed the contents of their stocking to the crowd. No one owned up to being the giver of the gift but it was interesting to hear how, in such a short time, strangers had hit the target when choosing something special for their fellow guests. Many heartfelt and humorous stories were laid bare and served to bond the group together in a way no one would soon forget.
When Trace and Barbie were called, they discovered the lovebirds that Jolene had given to them instead of Craig and Selene. Somehow, she couldn’t find the courage to go through with it. It was one thing conceding to the fact that they were a couple but it was quite another to endorse it, because even if Craig ended it when he left Atlanta, Jolene could never take Selene’s place, not if she wanted their sisterhood to grow without a constant reminder of cupid’s arrow missing the mark.
In her stocking, Jolene found the lip-smacking gift pack of eatable yummies, compliments of the Inn and some lovely writing paper from Barbie who wanted them to correspond as they spent their first year as a married couple traveling. Trace Sumpter had taken a leave of absence from his job, providing only two hours a day, via the internet, to the company who claimed they could not survive without him. He enjoyed the best of both worlds. Her father, who could not deny his intimate gift, had placed a teddy bear ornament in her stocking, the exact likeness of the brown stuffed animal she’d clung to as a child, Tears sprang into her eyes.
She threw her arms round him and hugged him fiercely, whispering in his ears the comforting words they’d shared every time business tore him away from home during her childhood. “Teddy will watch over me while you are gone on your lengthy honeymoon. I love you, daddy.”
In return he whispered, “Your burly bear will comfort you with my arms of love every day we are apart – just like he did when you were a child.” He kissed her teary-wet cheek. “I love you too, Jolene.”
The room was clearing out as Jolene made her way to the fireplace. There had been many other small significant gifts in her bag and she’d related many stories to the eager crowd. But Craig never showed
