The Treasure of Christmas by Melody Carlson

Author:Melody Carlson [Carlson, Melody]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
ISBN: 9781441213921
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2010-07-08T20:00:00+00:00

12

Christine sat on the cement steps in front of her dorm as she waited for Jimmy to pick her up. As she sat she prayed that God would do something miraculous to salvage the mess she’d created. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell the truth from the beginning. But I do believe you can take our worst failures and turn them into your successes. That’s all I’m asking you to do. Just bring something good out of this for my grandmother. Help her through this sadness, and heal her wounded heart.

Just then she saw the Ford Explorer pull up with Jimmy waving from inside. “Hey,” he called as he stuck his head out the window. “Am I late?”

She jogged up to the SUV. “No. I was just early.”

“How you doing?” he asked as she buckled her seat belt.

“Okay, I guess. Considering.” She sighed. “But I really do feel bad for making such a mess of everything for your stepmother.”

“Your grandmother.”

She nodded. “Yeah. But I doubt she’ll ever want me to call her that. In fact, I won’t be surprised if she refuses to let me into her house. She was really mad at me yesterday.”

“I know. But she can be like that. She might come across as pretty feisty and mean, but underneath everything she has a very tender heart.”

Christine studied him in wonder. Of all the members of the Daniels family, Jimmy seemed the most thoughtful and kind. “Can I ask you a question, Jimmy?”

“Sure.”

“What makes you so nice?”

He laughed. “Oh, you should see me getting down on the boys’ basketball team lately. I’m sure they wouldn’t agree with that assessment.”

“Well, I appreciate your help in this.”

“Hey, we’re family now. And I happen to think Mom needs someone like you around right now.”

“It’s interesting that you call her Mom. I mean, she’s really your stepmom, and she’s not always exactly nice to you.”

He smiled. “Well, she and I have an understanding. Both my parents have passed on, and she’s always been there for me. I guess I’ve pretty much adopted her as Mom.”

“That’s cool.”

“Sometimes family isn’t so much about whose DNA you’re carrying as it is about love. You know?”

“Definitely. I mean, my parents aren’t my birth parents, but I love them both more than anything.”

“Even so, I think it’s important that you get involved in Mom’s life. Like I said before, I think she needs you.”

“Even after the way I deceived her?”

“Hey, we all make mistakes, Christine. It’s the way we deal with them afterward that makes a difference.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. But I usually don’t make mistakes of this caliber.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I can understand how this whole thing might’ve happened. I know as well as anyone that Mom can be pretty intimidating, and if she gets going in a certain direction, it can be awfully hard to derail her. Besides that, you’ve been an excellent caregiver to her. That’s something.”

“I actually really like her. Although I wasn’t too sure at first.

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