Page 147 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

As the kids tussled, Christopher swallowed thickly.Home. With her family. He was her family.He thought ofGran and smiled. He could feel her now almost as if she was squeezed in thebackseat between the kids, beaming.

Jesse sighed. “Brigid, give your brother the iPad back.”

“She already ruined my game!” Will cried.

“Well, don’t ruin Christmas by being a baby about it,”Brigid said.

Jesse sighed more emphatically. “Kids, let’s treat each otherwith respect, okay?”

“Sure,” Brigid said.

Will whined, “Then give me my iPad back.”

“Fine—here. Sheesh.”

Jesse took Christopher’s hand and squeezed, keeping his eyeson the road.

Silence reigned for a few moments until Brigid spoke again. “So.It’s done now.”

“Yes, it is,” Jesse replied.

“And I don’t know what I should do.”

“You don’t have to do anything.”

“I want to do something. Dr. Charles says that when a doorcloses, a window opens. I know Mom’s never coming home but I don’t want toforget her.”

The first snow of the winter was falling as they turned up themountain road to the house. Christopher watched the fat flakes, feeling asthough they were coming down straight from heaven.

Jesse cleared his throat. “We’ll make sure that doesn’thappen, B.”

“How?”

“Well,” Christopher offered softly, “we could have a MarcyDay. Maybe on her birthday? It could be a time when you guys look at picturesand talk about your mom?”

Brigid was quiet, and Jesse squeezed his hand, releasing itbriefly to shift gears as they started up the mountain, and then taking it upagain.

“You could still talk about her on other days too, ofcourse,” Christopher added. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything at all.

“Will you be part of Marcy Day, Christopher?” Brigid asked. “Yousaid you wanted to know stuff about my mom.”

His heart thumped. “I’d like that.”

“Yeah. You should be there. You’re going to be with us along time now, right?” She kicked the back of Jesse’s seat like she was tryingto make a point. “Forever?”

Jesse’s expression turned a little shy. “I hope so, Brigid.We love each other, and we want it to be a forever thing.” He lookedChristopher’s way, a shine in his eyes. “Right?”

“Absolutely. We love each other—and you guys—and we want tomake it work, as a family.”

It felt like a promise. A vow.

“Okay, good,” Brigid said.

“Can we have pie when we get back?” Will asked.

“Dinner first,” Jesse answered, his voice sounding thickwith emotion. “And we have to open all your presents still.”

Will bounced. “Yeah, presents! I can’t wait!”

Christopher squeezed Jesse’s hand again as Will chatteredabout what he hoped was under the tree. Christopher’s latest song came to mind,and he hummed softly.

Here they were, all of them, living onthe corner of life and death, and clinging to the hope of Smoky Mountaindreams.