Page 28 of All in for Christmas

She looks over and sees me and Eleanor skating toward her. “Oh my goodness!” She and Roger turn in our direction.

“Well, hello!” he says. His mouth turns up and his breath clouds the frigid air.

“Hi, Roger. Fun to see you and Mom here.”

They scoot aside near the railing, and Eleanor and I join them. I’m able to stop myself and catch Eleanor by her shoulders when she keeps going. “Grandma!” she says, hugging Mom’s legs. Mom pats the top of her pom-pom hat. “Hi, sweetheart. Where’re your brother and dad?”

“Getting chili dogs!”

Mom chuckles at Roger. “Sounds like the right idea after a bit.”

He nods.

This time, instead of getting annoyed, though, I begin to see his charm. Mostly that involves how he seems to make Mom feel . Uplifted and cared for.

Mom turns to me. “Didn’t expect to see you out on a school night.”

I shrug. “It wasn’t planned.” The words freeze on my lips and in my brain. But no. It’s okay not to plan everything. “Principal Peabody gifted us with the tickets.”

“How nice.” Her blue eyes sparkle. “A tad of spontaneity’s good in my book.” She glances at Roger. “Isn’t it, honey bunch?”

I wait for him to nod.

Instead, he takes her hand and presses the back of her glove to his mouth in a kiss.

“Sure is.” He’s clearly as smitten with her as she is with him.

All right. I’m done judging and making assumptions about Mom and Roger.

I do want her happiness, I do. And I haven’t seen her glowing like this around a guy in years.

She shines so brightly, she puts the town square Christmas tree to shame.

Understanding settles in my heart. I can’t hold Mom back from her dreams. She’s never stopped me from pursuing mine.

“Your cell phone still out of commission?” Mom asks me.

“Yeah, sadly. I’m hoping to get it fixed tomorrow.”

Dean plods back over through the snow in his ice skates, holding Henry and a large paper bag. “Rosemary!” he says seeing Mom. “And Roger.” He grins at the older man. “How great to see you both.”

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Mom says. She waves at Henry. “Hi, Henry!”

“Merry Kissmas,” he says, and she chuckles.

“Oh my.” Mom addresses me and Dean. “A little young for the ice?”

I lift a shoulder. “Yeah. A little.”

She and Roger exchange a look and he nods. “Why don’t you let us sit with Henry for a bit on a bench, so the rest of you can have a go?”

Dean answers almost at once. “Thanks, Rosemary. That would be nice.”

Eleanor tugs at my hand as the scent of chili dogs wafts toward us. “I’m hungry.”

I laugh warmly and glance at Mom. “All right if Eleanor sits with you, too?”

“Of course,” Mom says.

Dean peeks at the food truck. “I need to go back for the drinks I ordered.” He surveys Mom and Roger. “Could I sell you two on a couple cups of coffee?”

“And two chili dogs?” I pipe in, getting his drift.

“I wouldn’t mind a bite,” Mom says.

Roger agrees breezily. “Same.”

“Great,” Dean replies. “You can eat with the kids while Paige and I skate. Then we’ll switch off.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice about spending time with my grandchildren,” Mom says merrily.

My chest aches, but no. I can’t hold it against her if she wants to move to Wilmington.

She’ll come and visit, like she said. And maybe the kids will get even more quality time with their grandma, if she’s staying with us at our place.

Dean goes back to the food truck for the beverages, and I help Mom and Roger get settled with the kids on a park bench overlooking the ice skating rink.

Another family has just cleared out from sitting there, so it’s already been dusted clean of snow.

No more white stuff falls from the sky, but the entire town square is coated in white, the lights on the holiday market tents making everything appear more magical.

It’s after five, so the sky is dark, but the skating rink is rimmed with lights, and the tall town Christmas tree stands nearby.

I think of Mary Christmas and what she said: Enjoy .

But then my soul twists like a sheet in the wind.

It’s hard to enjoy what might get snatched away from me at any second.

Frightening not to have control over my destiny.

When I first landed in this existence, I was so thrown by the sudden changes all I could think about was returning to my former life.

But now, this new reality is growing on me.

Despite my crap job, old clunker car, messy house, there’s—my heart sighs—my amazing husband and family.

Dean takes my hand and stares at the ice skating rink, where groups and happy couples skate by. “What do you say, Mommy?” he asks sweetly. “Want to give it a whirl?”

Just looking at him calms my inner turmoil.

It’s hard to stay stressed when I’m around Dean.

He has a way of making everything seem easy, like it will be all right.

A smile tugs at my lips. “Absolutely, Daddy.” It should feel awkward calling him that, but it’s not.

The word trips off my tongue like I’ve been referring to him as Eleanor and Henry’s dad for years, and of course—in this world—I have.

Maybe if I’d known how good things could be going forward, I’d have made different choices— but no. Knowing me, maybe I wouldn’t have. I’d still have wanted to finish my degree and do the responsible thing. Although there can’t be any huger responsibility than helping run a family.

I consider my teaching job and Paws and Read, pondering the differences between the two realities.

In this world I have an incredible homelife and family, but no memories of how we got here, which is super sad.

But Mom is healthy and happy, which is a blessing that’s too great to ignore.

In the other world, I have all the accomplishments I’ve worked for and a safe, stable life, and am planning financially to look after Mom.

Plus, I’m establishing a worthy literacy organization, with memories galore.

It feels like the only way I could set up Paws and Read in this realm would be by going back to school and becoming a teacher.

But, with our family’s financial demands, money’s incredibly tight.

It’s hard to see how I could justify outlaying additional funds for educational expenses with our bank account balances being so paltry.

Maybe if I got a scholarship? No. It’s still hard to see how that would work.

I’d need to keep my job working for Missy to help keep us afloat.

My mind turns to the world where I’m already a teacher.

Now that Dean and I are working at the same school in my other reality, if I were somehow transported back there, could we have a second chance?

The more pressing question is, could things be as awesome between us there as they are here?

And what about our kids, and Scout? If Dean and I started dating and eventually married, would Eleanor and Henry come along someday?

Our sweet shaggy pup, too? My gaze tracks to Mom and Roger sitting on the park bench with our children.

And what about them? Would Mom’s medical tests come out okay, and could those two have a future?