Read Online Silver Christmas by Helen Scott Taylor - Free Book Online

a
surprise."
    Jennifer nodded, not trusting her voice. Her
emotions were too fragile, such a poignant mix of wonder and
sadness.
    The thirty-minute play seemed to be over in
half that time, Jennifer was so engrossed in watching her beautiful
daughter. The girl was so confident and capable, speaking her lines
clearly, leading the others in more carols.
    It was only near the end she noticed that
Owen was still holding her hand, and when she tried to pull hers
away, he squeezed before he let go.
    The curtain closed and all the parents rose
to their feet, clapping. Then the curtain drew back again for an
encore of "Silent Night."
    When the curtain closed for the final time
and the lights came on, Jennifer felt strange as if she'd woken
from a dream. A few minutes later, Chloe came racing out from the
wing, and Jennifer opened her arms and hugged her ecstatic daughter
tightly, kissing her silky hair.
    "You were wonderful. You should be an
actress, or a singer. You have such a lovely voice. Why didn't you
tell me you were singing?"
    "I wanted to surprise you."
    "You did. A lovely surprise. You have the
voice of an angel."
    Jennifer released Chloe to hug her dad and
pass along the front row, accepting hugs and praise from all her
relatives.
    Owen's arm came around Jennifer and he drew
her close, angling his head down. "We have a very talented
daughter," he said softly.
    "I know. I'm overwhelmed." And she was, even
more so than the first time she'd met Chloe. There had been
something almost magical about hearing her daughter sing those
carols onstage.
    Jennifer was painfully aware she didn't
deserve to be accepted back so readily by Owen and Chloe. Not when
she'd run away and contributed nothing to her daughter's life until
now. "You've been a wonderful father, Owen. You've raised an
amazing daughter."
    "She has just as much of you in her as me.
I'm sure she must have inherited her voice from your side of the
family. She certainly didn't get it from mine."
    "Even if she did, that doesn't give me the
right to take any credit for Chloe's amazing performance."
    Jennifer almost felt she didn't have the
right to be here at all. She'd been angry with Owen for so long,
yet it was herself she was really angry with. She couldn't blame
him for her stupid decisions.

Chapter Nine
    Owen
made a quick cup of tea when they arrived home from church on
Sunday while Chloe dashed upstairs to change out of her skirt and
put on some jeans, ready to go Christmas-tree shopping.
    "I'm going to check the kittens," Jennifer
said, and wandered off.
    Owen rubbed his forehead. He didn't
understand Jennifer. He'd expected her to be overjoyed to hear
Chloe sing, and she had been impressed and emotional. But she'd
seemed distracted and sad since she returned from the job interview
at the zoo on Friday, and it worried him. Was she going to move
away? Had she changed her mind and planned to take Chloe with her?
He'd asked her about it a few times, but she'd brushed off his
questions.
    He didn't want her to take the zoo job. It
was too far away. Chloe would go to stay with her, but he'd never
see Jennifer. Yet he didn't dare try to tell her what to do. The
last time he'd done that, after she had Chloe, things had not gone
well.
    Chloe clattered down the stairs with Paddy on
her heels and burst in the kitchen door.
    "Tea, cocoa puff?"
    "No. I just want to go shopping." She bounced
on the spot. "Can't we hurry up and leave? You can have a cup of
tea when we get back."
    Owen chuckled. He was usually the one urging
Chloe to hurry up. "One quick cup won't take long. Anyway, Mum
isn't down yet."
    Saying the word mum still sent an echo
of hope and possibilities through him. He poured out a cup of tea
for himself and one for Jennifer, then refueled with a couple of
chocolate chip cookies.
    By the time he'd finished his tea, Jennifer
still hadn't come down. He opened the door to the corridor and
shouted for her. "Jennifer! We're leaving in a minute."
    He let the dogs out for a