Chapter 59

"Call me Evelyn." She turned and hung up Kiki's coat on the coat rack in the foyer. "We've known each other far too long to be so formal."
"Thanks, M- er- Evelyn." Old habits die hard.
Evelyn placed her hand on her back and gingerly guided her toward the living room filled with people. "Now, go warm up and I'll be right there with some hot chocolate."
"Thank you." Kiki walked into the living room, which was well lit with candles and soft light, and stood by the fire, the brightest light in the room. People chatted animatedly, drinking their coffee, hot cocoa, or hot apple cider while playing with or talking to the children, all dressed in their finest attire. The ladies of the town had either made dresses for the children or had donated store-bought clothing for them. Kiki had thought that it would be fun to work there with the children full time, but she had been working at the Christmas Cove Jewelry Shop far too long to think about leaving. But if they ever made her an offer she couldn't refuse, then she'd have to consider it. But that wasn't going to happen. She was glad that all the funds they collected were all spent on the children.
"So, are you back for a rematch?" Case Johnson, a boy living at the home, asked as he approached.
"Of course," Kiki teased. Over the course of her many visits, she had taught Case how to play Chess. When she first met him a few years back, he had been very shy and angry at the world. But now, an infectious smile spread across his beautiful mahogany face that touched his eyes.
"Well, I hope you brought some new moves with you." He smiled as he set up the board. "The old ones are getting lame."
Kiki laughed. "Now, wait a minute here! Who taught you how to play in the first place?"
He looked up from the board and raised an eyebrow. "You did. But the teacher is about to be schooled."
Kiki lifted an eyebrow. "We'll just have to see about that now, won't we?"
Case motioned over the Chess board and sat down in the chair pushed up to the small round table, the farthest away from the fire. "After you."
"Why, thank you, kind sir." Kiki knew that when he got older, the girls had better watch out; he was going to be a lady killer.
Kiki sat down across from him at the table, positioned to the left of the fireplace, with her back to the fire. "Are you warm enough? Would you like to trade places?" she asked, wanting to make sure that he wasn't too cold.
Case smiled, and waved his hand dismissively as he finished setting up the pieces. "No, you sit there. You need to warm up."
"Hey! I'm the one that's supposed to be taking care of you! Not the other way around." Kiki rubbed her hands together, warming them.
Case sat up a little straighter in his chair. "I'm almost a man now and I can take care of myself and you, too."
Kiki scoffed. "Thirteen is not a man."
"Thirteen and a half," he corrected, looking over the board, already considering moves.
Kiki laughed. "Hey, don't wish your life away. Enjoy being a child for as long as you can. Hopefully, you'll be an adult a whole lot longer than you'll be a child."
Upon more than one occasion, Kiki had thought about adopting him herself. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why he hadn't been adopted yet. He was a great kid and had a wonderful personality. She guessed that the right family just hadn't found him yet.
"When I grow up, I'm going to stay in Christmas Cove and work here at the Children's Home," Case said out of the blue, looking down at the Chess pieces. He had set up the white pieces on her side. "You go first."
"Thank you, sir. How gallant of you." Kiki picked up a chess piece and made a move. "That's good and all, but what happens if you're adopted and you move away?"
Case shook his head as he made a countermove, not looking up. "Not going to happen." Then he looked into her eyes and smiled. "Besides, I'm happy here. The kids and people working here are my family now."
"Case, don't close yourself off to love and having a family. Just because you haven't been adopted yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen." Kiki studied the board and made another move. "You have such a wonderful personality- anyone would be lucky to call you their son."
"Check," Case announced, taking his hand off the chess piece. "Thanks, but let's just enjoy Christmas. Okay?"
Kiki nodded, studying the board, feeling her eyebrows pulling together in concern. "Now wait a minute here! You can't already have me in check."
Case smiled proudly. "I've been pulling up moves and patterns on the Internet."
"Cheater," Kiki teased, and then made a move to get herself out of check. "Looks like I'm going to have to stop talking so much and concentrate." She looked up and smiled. "You've stepped up your game, young man."
He laughed. "Well, prepare to be beat, because I'm coming for you."
"Oh, I believe that!"
Kiki laughed as she turned her attention to the game, listening to the sounds of celebration and laughter in the room and coming from the kitchen and dining room. A little blonde girl walked up to her, wearing a frilly dress with a big wide bow tied in the back, and wearing black patent leather shoes and tights. Her hair was pulled up into curls.
"And how are you this evening?" Kiki asked her.
"I'm good." The little girl couldn't have been more than six years old. She took a step closer to study the table. "What cha doing?"
"We're playing chess," Case replied.
"Can I play?" She looked up, her eyes hopeful.
Case laughed. "You can watch. It's a game that takes time to learn how to play." He made another move and looked up at Kiki. "Ha! Check!"
"Again?" When Kiki saw the disappointment in the little girl's eyes, she asked, "Would you like to pull up a chair? We could teach you."
"May I sit on your lap?" the little girl asked.
Kiki smiled and pushed her chair back from the table. "I'll tell you what. Come sit on my lap and Case and I'll teach you how to play. How's that?"
A broad grin spread across her face as she nodded her head vigorously. "Move that one." The little girl pointed to a white Chess piece.