Read Online It Really IS a Wonderful Life: The Snowflake Falls but Hearts in Love Keep a Home Warm All Year Long by Linda Wood Rondeau - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Wood Rondeau
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Military, Romantic Comedy, Religion & Spirituality, Christmas, Inspirational, Holidays, Christian Books & Bibles, Christian Living, It Really is a Wonderful Life
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splinter.
He should have warned her about Gabe in spite of their boyhood pledge of non-interference in the dating arena. Did a pledge outlive puberty? They hadn’t redefined their code to fit adult situations. Nothing in the rule book said a girl couldn’t date two guys at the same time. Which rule book, though? The one he wished existed or the one he knew he should follow?
Too late to ask her out now. What good would come of it if he did? He’d let caution rule his heart and waited too long. He’d have to wait in the wings while Gabe and Dorie’s one-act play unfolded. That was the right thing to do, wasn’t it?
***
When Dorie entered the house, she twirled through the living room like Cinderella after the ball, engrossed in the romance and momentarily indifferent to the rags that defined her life. When she stopped spinning to catch her breath, Lenny Michaels’s image danced in her head.
They’d gone steady for six months before the prom. The night had gone as well as a girl in love could expect. Lenny gave her no clue he liked anyone else, until Dorie came out of the girls’ bathroom and saw him lip-locked with Madison Goranski. Dorie threw her high heels at them and ran off in tears, their laughter trailing her all the way out the door.
Silly. That was years ago .
Dorie forced herself into bed. She tossed and turned with her dreams.
In them Gabe and she danced. He was dressed in a white tuxedo; she wore the burgundy gown she’d put on Boomer. Josh stood by a punch table, wearing Devon’s field uniform. Dorie’s stomach bulged with Emma. They were all at a prom, and the band played Always .
A second later, Gabe turned into Lenny Michaels, and then Madison Goranski waltzed into the ballroom and danced away with Lenny. From nowhere, Devon appeared, dressed in formal greens. Dorie’s burgundy gown turned into a white-lace wedding dress. Devon swung her around and kissed her.
The morning light splintered Devon’s image, and Dorie held a tear-stained pillow.
Chapter Nine
She’d overslept again. She’d have to hurry to be on time for church.
Dorie showered, threw on a skirt and blouse, and peeked into Josh’s room. Dressed in his favorite Army tee, he played with his plastic soldiers while Emma sat next to him on her bunched-up unicorn bedspread, her corduroy dress on backward. She pretended to read to Mr. Bear from her children’s Bible , a gift from her Grandmother Fitzgerald. “Jesus loves the little children, Mr. Bear. It says so right here in this Bible.”
Emma closed her Bible and put Mr. Bear on her lap.
“And you know what else, Mr. Bear? Soon it’s going to be Jesus’s birthday. We call it Christmas. There are a lot of happy songs we sing at Christmas. My favorite is Away in a Manger .”
Dorie choked as Emma’s sweet voice, true and tender, echoed in the room.
A more conscientious mother might have hurried her child along rather than be deliberately late. Instead, Dorie remained out of sight and soaked in the innocence. Another presence, one long absent, a Holy Essence, enveloped the room with Emma’s worship.
All too soon, fear shooed away the blessed comfort. Would she poison her children’s tender spirits with her own confusion? Oh, for an uncomplicated faith like Emma’s. Dorie recalled a time she believed as solidly as Emma, a faith now lost somewhere between college and Devon’s funeral.
“Come on, Emma. It’s time to bring Mr. Bear to Grandma’s church.”
Dorie readjusted Emma’s clothes, shouted in to Josh to hurry up, picked up Mr. Bear, and waltzed downstairs with Emma.
“Can I wear my Christmas coat, Mommy, the one you bought yesterday?”
She’d thought to wait until closer to the holiday. Oh, well, November was close enough. “Of course.” How long before Emma outgrew this one? Already tall for her age, her body seemed to sprout inches overnight.
“Mommy?” Emma, coat sleeves on backward, tugged at Dorie’s skirts. “I’m all stuck
He should have warned her about Gabe in spite of their boyhood pledge of non-interference in the dating arena. Did a pledge outlive puberty? They hadn’t redefined their code to fit adult situations. Nothing in the rule book said a girl couldn’t date two guys at the same time. Which rule book, though? The one he wished existed or the one he knew he should follow?
Too late to ask her out now. What good would come of it if he did? He’d let caution rule his heart and waited too long. He’d have to wait in the wings while Gabe and Dorie’s one-act play unfolded. That was the right thing to do, wasn’t it?
***
When Dorie entered the house, she twirled through the living room like Cinderella after the ball, engrossed in the romance and momentarily indifferent to the rags that defined her life. When she stopped spinning to catch her breath, Lenny Michaels’s image danced in her head.
They’d gone steady for six months before the prom. The night had gone as well as a girl in love could expect. Lenny gave her no clue he liked anyone else, until Dorie came out of the girls’ bathroom and saw him lip-locked with Madison Goranski. Dorie threw her high heels at them and ran off in tears, their laughter trailing her all the way out the door.
Silly. That was years ago .
Dorie forced herself into bed. She tossed and turned with her dreams.
In them Gabe and she danced. He was dressed in a white tuxedo; she wore the burgundy gown she’d put on Boomer. Josh stood by a punch table, wearing Devon’s field uniform. Dorie’s stomach bulged with Emma. They were all at a prom, and the band played Always .
A second later, Gabe turned into Lenny Michaels, and then Madison Goranski waltzed into the ballroom and danced away with Lenny. From nowhere, Devon appeared, dressed in formal greens. Dorie’s burgundy gown turned into a white-lace wedding dress. Devon swung her around and kissed her.
The morning light splintered Devon’s image, and Dorie held a tear-stained pillow.
Chapter Nine
She’d overslept again. She’d have to hurry to be on time for church.
Dorie showered, threw on a skirt and blouse, and peeked into Josh’s room. Dressed in his favorite Army tee, he played with his plastic soldiers while Emma sat next to him on her bunched-up unicorn bedspread, her corduroy dress on backward. She pretended to read to Mr. Bear from her children’s Bible , a gift from her Grandmother Fitzgerald. “Jesus loves the little children, Mr. Bear. It says so right here in this Bible.”
Emma closed her Bible and put Mr. Bear on her lap.
“And you know what else, Mr. Bear? Soon it’s going to be Jesus’s birthday. We call it Christmas. There are a lot of happy songs we sing at Christmas. My favorite is Away in a Manger .”
Dorie choked as Emma’s sweet voice, true and tender, echoed in the room.
A more conscientious mother might have hurried her child along rather than be deliberately late. Instead, Dorie remained out of sight and soaked in the innocence. Another presence, one long absent, a Holy Essence, enveloped the room with Emma’s worship.
All too soon, fear shooed away the blessed comfort. Would she poison her children’s tender spirits with her own confusion? Oh, for an uncomplicated faith like Emma’s. Dorie recalled a time she believed as solidly as Emma, a faith now lost somewhere between college and Devon’s funeral.
“Come on, Emma. It’s time to bring Mr. Bear to Grandma’s church.”
Dorie readjusted Emma’s clothes, shouted in to Josh to hurry up, picked up Mr. Bear, and waltzed downstairs with Emma.
“Can I wear my Christmas coat, Mommy, the one you bought yesterday?”
She’d thought to wait until closer to the holiday. Oh, well, November was close enough. “Of course.” How long before Emma outgrew this one? Already tall for her age, her body seemed to sprout inches overnight.
“Mommy?” Emma, coat sleeves on backward, tugged at Dorie’s skirts. “I’m all stuck
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