Read Online The Christmas Promise (Christmas Hope) by Donna Vanliere - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Donna Vanliere
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to, you know, his elves.”
Donovan closed the door and sat on the floor, disappointed. “Did you come here today and tell Santa what you want?”
“No,” Chaz said.
“If I worked here I’d tell him that I want toys that are fun to play with,” Donovan said, kicking the door open and closed with his feet. “No dumb stuff! And for my mom to get some press-on nails that she’s been wanting. And I’d tell him I want a dad.”
Chaz wasn’t good at this sort of thing and looked at his watch. “Come on, let’s go. It’s late.”
Donovan pushed open the small white gate and followed him. “Do you want to play Superman or Spider-Man tonight?”
“Spider-Man, but only for a few minutes,” Chaz said. “You need to sleep.”
“But my eyes are still open,” Donovan said. “Look.” He craned his neck up for Chaz to see.
“Yeah, I know. But they should be closed. You’re just a little kid.”
“I’m tall inside.”
Chaz sighed. Why did he continue to argue with a five-year-old? They walked into the security office and Chaz pointed to a video monitor in horror. “The dreaded Snake Eye McQueen is stealing the Housewares Department blind. What’ll we do?”
Donovan jumped onto the desk and pretended to scale the wall. “I’ll save you.” He jumped off the desk and flailed about with an imaginary culprit before tying the thief up and leaving him in the middle of the room.
Chaz made him lie down on the couch and Donovan grabbed his hand. “Are you kind of like my dad?”
It felt like a sock to Chaz’s stomach. How could Donovan think of some guy who gave him a peanut butter sandwich as his dad? “No. I’m nothing like a dad,” Chaz said.
“You could be a dad,” Donovan said.
“No, I couldn’t.” Nothing in his life would qualify as father material.
“Can I always sleep here?”
Chaz stood at the side of the couch; he needed to shut this conversation down. “No,” he said. “Your mom has to find somebody to watch you at night because I won’t be staying here forever.”
Donovan sat up. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t know,” Chaz said. “Somewhere, though. I’m just trying to make enough money so I can get there.”
Donovan turned his back to him and pulled the blanket up to his neck. “My mom said men always leave.”
Chaz had no idea what to say, so he left him alone. He thought about a beer and glanced at his watch: four hours to go. Carla caught him closing the door. She was wearing pink scrubs for work. “Go in if you want,” Chaz said. “I just turned off the light.” She shook her head and turned to go. “Carla.” She stopped and he wondered what he would talk to her about. “Donovan’s a good kid.” She nodded. Chaz hadn’t noticed how small she was, maybe just a hair over five feet. Her face looked sallow and worn, the circles under her eyes actually darker than the eyes. Maybe if her black hair was down around her face it would soften her features, but every time he’d seen her it was held back in a tight ponytail. “He’s funny and seems really smart,” he said.
She headed for the back stairs leading to the service entrance. “He doesn’t get it from me,” she said. “He doesn’t even look like me.”
A metal light with a huge bulb hung over the door, lighting the back entrance. They stood in the silence at the top of the stairs while she smoked. A foggy gray ribbon circled her head. “Is Donovan’s dad here?” Chaz asked. She nodded. “Does he see Donovan?”
“He doesn’t care.”
Chaz crossed his arms to keep warm. “How could anybody not care for Donovan?” That came out quicker than he expected.
She looked at him, and her face softened for the first time since he’d known her. “You don’t look like you’re from here,” she said.
“Where do I look like I’m from?”
She shrugged. “Any place but here.”
“I’ve lived in a lot of places,” Chaz said.
“You don’t want to be in one spot too
Donovan closed the door and sat on the floor, disappointed. “Did you come here today and tell Santa what you want?”
“No,” Chaz said.
“If I worked here I’d tell him that I want toys that are fun to play with,” Donovan said, kicking the door open and closed with his feet. “No dumb stuff! And for my mom to get some press-on nails that she’s been wanting. And I’d tell him I want a dad.”
Chaz wasn’t good at this sort of thing and looked at his watch. “Come on, let’s go. It’s late.”
Donovan pushed open the small white gate and followed him. “Do you want to play Superman or Spider-Man tonight?”
“Spider-Man, but only for a few minutes,” Chaz said. “You need to sleep.”
“But my eyes are still open,” Donovan said. “Look.” He craned his neck up for Chaz to see.
“Yeah, I know. But they should be closed. You’re just a little kid.”
“I’m tall inside.”
Chaz sighed. Why did he continue to argue with a five-year-old? They walked into the security office and Chaz pointed to a video monitor in horror. “The dreaded Snake Eye McQueen is stealing the Housewares Department blind. What’ll we do?”
Donovan jumped onto the desk and pretended to scale the wall. “I’ll save you.” He jumped off the desk and flailed about with an imaginary culprit before tying the thief up and leaving him in the middle of the room.
Chaz made him lie down on the couch and Donovan grabbed his hand. “Are you kind of like my dad?”
It felt like a sock to Chaz’s stomach. How could Donovan think of some guy who gave him a peanut butter sandwich as his dad? “No. I’m nothing like a dad,” Chaz said.
“You could be a dad,” Donovan said.
“No, I couldn’t.” Nothing in his life would qualify as father material.
“Can I always sleep here?”
Chaz stood at the side of the couch; he needed to shut this conversation down. “No,” he said. “Your mom has to find somebody to watch you at night because I won’t be staying here forever.”
Donovan sat up. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t know,” Chaz said. “Somewhere, though. I’m just trying to make enough money so I can get there.”
Donovan turned his back to him and pulled the blanket up to his neck. “My mom said men always leave.”
Chaz had no idea what to say, so he left him alone. He thought about a beer and glanced at his watch: four hours to go. Carla caught him closing the door. She was wearing pink scrubs for work. “Go in if you want,” Chaz said. “I just turned off the light.” She shook her head and turned to go. “Carla.” She stopped and he wondered what he would talk to her about. “Donovan’s a good kid.” She nodded. Chaz hadn’t noticed how small she was, maybe just a hair over five feet. Her face looked sallow and worn, the circles under her eyes actually darker than the eyes. Maybe if her black hair was down around her face it would soften her features, but every time he’d seen her it was held back in a tight ponytail. “He’s funny and seems really smart,” he said.
She headed for the back stairs leading to the service entrance. “He doesn’t get it from me,” she said. “He doesn’t even look like me.”
A metal light with a huge bulb hung over the door, lighting the back entrance. They stood in the silence at the top of the stairs while she smoked. A foggy gray ribbon circled her head. “Is Donovan’s dad here?” Chaz asked. She nodded. “Does he see Donovan?”
“He doesn’t care.”
Chaz crossed his arms to keep warm. “How could anybody not care for Donovan?” That came out quicker than he expected.
She looked at him, and her face softened for the first time since he’d known her. “You don’t look like you’re from here,” she said.
“Where do I look like I’m from?”
She shrugged. “Any place but here.”
“I’ve lived in a lot of places,” Chaz said.
“You don’t want to be in one spot too
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