The Christmas Charm by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Author:Deanna Lynn Sletten [Sletten, Deanna Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Deanna Lynn Sletten
Published: 2022-10-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Christmas Eve 1968

June pulled the boxes of Christmas lights and ornaments out of the storage closet and carried them to the living room. Four-year-old Flori tried to help, but the boxes were too heavy. So, June handed her the small box that held the tree topper that she’d bought the second year they were married. Flori looked so cute as she walked purposefully across the apartment toward the front window where they would place the tree. Her dark hair had thickened from the fine baby hair she’d once had and hung nearly to her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with delight in anticipation of her father bringing home their tree. June had dressed her in a brand-new red velvet dress with a full skirt that went to her knees. With it, she wore white socks with lacey edges and black Mary Janes. The dress had been expensive for their tight budget, but the moment June saw it, she had to have it for her little girl. Flori would only be little once, and since it seemed they’d never have another baby, June couldn’t help but splurge on her.

Nervously, June reached up to her neck where her star necklace usually hung. It wasn’t there, a reminder of what she’d done to ensure Flori had a nice Christmas this year. The past three years since opening the hardware store had been tough on their budget. Even with the apartment being part of the rent, they’d struggled to buy their basic needs as Patrick tried to grow his business. June didn’t begrudge Pat his dream—she believed in him and knew some day all their sacrifices would be worth it. But now that Flori was older, June wanted her to have a memorable Christmas. And if June had to sacrifice something to give her that, then so be it.

But she was nervous that Pat would notice the necklace was gone.

June was in the kitchen cooking dinner when Pat came home. Flori was pretending to cook, too, on the little play stove her grandparents had given her for her birthday. She had pots and pans and cooking spoons just like her mother and loved to mimic what June was doing.

“I’m home!” Pat called out when he came in the door. Flori dropped her spoon and ran out the kitchen door and into her father’s arms. As June watched from the doorway, Pat swung his daughter in circles through the air. “Who is this little princess I see?” he asked after setting her down. “What a lovely dress you’re wearing.”

Flori looked down at her dress and smoothed it with her hands the same way June did. “Mommy bought it for me. It’s pretty,” Flori said in her little girl's voice.

Pat looked up at June and winked. “Mommy has good taste,” he said.

“Did you bring the tree?” Flori asked, quickly forgetting the dress.

“Tree? What tree?” he teased.

Flori looked at him quizzically. “The Chismass tree,” she said.

Pat chuckled at the cute way she said Christmas. “Well, let me look.

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