Chapter 92

"Get up, Kiki!"
Kiki thought she heard someone- a child- yes, it was a child- calling her name. She felt the sudden shift of the bed on the left behind her. Prissy nuzzled against her shoulder, trying to wake her, too.
"Kiki, get up!"
Kiki couldn't gain her bearings. Who was in the room with her? Then someone shook her shoulders hard- and the hands belonged to a child. Child. Abby. Her eyes opened wide as the reality of everything that had transpired the night before flooded her mind.
"Kiki, you won't believe it!" Abby shook her shoulders again. "Santa came- again! Just like Daddy said he would!"
"Okay, okay," Kiki mumbled, feeling like someone had just run her over with a truck. "I'm up." She propped herself up, sure that she wasn't quite herself yet from just getting out of the hospital the day before. She fell back and closed her eyes, but Prissy rubbed against her arm, just like she did every morning at home when Kiki had to go to work early. Home-.
Abby took her hand and pulled. "GET UP! You have to come see this!"
Kiki sat bolt upright, suddenly awake when Abby yelled in her ear, scaring Prissy, too. "Okay. I'm up. Go back to your room for a minute and let me get dressed. I'll be right there."
"Okay." Abby headed for the door, but turned with her hand on the doorknob. "And don't go back to sleep!"
Kiki laughed. "I won't. I'll be right there."
"Promise?" Abby raised her eyebrows.
"I promise." Kiki smiled, knowing she couldn't go back to sleep now if she tried.
A huge smile spread across Abby's face as she hurried out, closing the door behind her.
As Kiki dressed, the events of the night before rushed through her mind. Having dinner with Taren's family and then the kiss on the sofa. Her heart fluttered just thinking about it. After they set up Abby's gifts from Santa, she went to bed, not trusting herself to stay up later with him. But then again, he was a gentleman. As she had told him, she trusted him with her life.
Dressed in a silky red blouse and jeans, she headed down the hallway and the sounds of laughter came from Taren's room. She hesitated for a moment, and then knocked.
"Come in!" Taren called from the other side, laughing. When she opened the door, he was wrestling with Abby. "Ready?"
Kiki looked around. "Where's your mother?"
He smiled, setting his daughter on her feet. "Already in the living room." Turning to Abby, he asked, "Ready?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" She started toward the door, but Taren caught her.
He looked up at Kiki. "I think she's ready."
"It would appear so." Kiki laughed, enjoying the family moment, feeling honored that Taren had included her. It had been a long time since she had been included in a real family. But she pushed the thought aside, not wanting anything to spoil this moment or her time with them.
"Yes!" Abby yelled, pulling on her father's hand. "Let's go!"
"I'll tell you what." Taren placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Let Kiki and me go into the living room first and we'll tell you when we're ready. We want to see you when you see what Santa brought."
"Okay." The look on her face was so dejected that Kiki had to laugh.
"It'll only be for a minute," Taren reassured her. "Okay?"
Abby lifted her face to look into his eyes. Smiling, she nodded.
Taren smiled, clearly amused, and opened the door for Kiki. "Shall we?"
"I think we'd better before there's an uprising," Kiki teased as Prissy ran down the hallway, headed toward the living room.
His lips curled into a smile. "I do believe you're right."
They headed down the hallway and Evelyn was waiting for them in the living room, blowing across a hot cup of coffee.
"Ready?" Taren asked.
"I think we'd better be." Evelyn smirked. "Ready or not."
"Okay, Abby!" Taren yelled down the hallway. He perched on the arm of the couch and Kiki sat on the cushion in what was quickly becoming her spot.
"Yea!" Abby yelled, running down the hallway in her Christmas pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers. Seeing the gifts, she stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. "Wow! Santa really did come again!"
Taren laughed, clearly enjoying watching his little girl. "I told you he would." He mussed her hair. "Well? Go see what Santa brought."
"Wow! Look at this, Dad!" she said, holding up a chemistry set.
He smiled. "Santa probably thought we could work with it together."
"Daddy, look!" Abby shrieked, her eyes wide as she pointed to more gifts under the tree." Santa brought gifts for Prissy, too! Wow!"
Kiki's head snapped up, her eyebrows raised, and whispered, "You didn't have to do that!"
His eyes widened innocently. "What? Me? I have no idea what you're talking about! These gifts came from Santa."
She reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, her heart swelling with love, clearly touched. Yes, it was clear that Santa had indeed thought of everything. "Please tell Santa I said 'thank you'."
He gave her a wink as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, sending a thrill through her body.
"Grammy, look at this!" She pointed to the Flexible Flyer sled, setting under the other gifts. She took the other gifts off the sled and sat on it.
"Yes! Isn't it great? Maybe Santa knew there was a hill out back that you could ride down!" Evelyn's eyes brightened as if she had just had the best idea in the world. "Hey! I know! Maybe your father can take you sled riding in a little while!"
"That's a great idea!" Taren sat on the sofa next to Kiki. "What do you say? Feel up to it?"
Kiki smiled. How could she say no to that? "Of course! Sounds like fun."
"Have you ever gone sled riding before?" Taren asked.
"Not in a very long time," Kiki replied, stroking Prissy's coat.
Taren's eyes suddenly clouded over with concern. "Are you sure you feel up to it? I mean, you just got out of the hospital."
"I'll be fine," Kiki replied. "But if I start feeling bad, I'll come in."
"And spend some time with me," Evelyn added.
Taren slid his arm over Kiki's shoulders, across the back of the couch. "Sounds like a plan." Turning to his daughter, he added, "Abby, when you're ready to go sled riding, let me know."
"I want to go! I want to go!" Abby chanted as she jumped up and down on the wood floor.
"Whoa, girlie!" Evelyn raised up in an effort to keep her coffee from spilling. "We're going to have breakfast first. Why don't you play with your toys while I fix breakfast."
Kiki started to get up. "I'll help."
"No, sweetie. I've got it," Evelyn stopped her. "You go ahead and enjoy your Christmas together."
"Are you sure? It's the least I could do--"
"Hush," Evelyn cut her off, smiling. "Don't you know it's not nice to argue with an old lady?"
Kiki laughed. "When I see an old lady, I'll let you know."
"I'm going to keep you," Evelyn teased, and then disappeared around the corner into the kitchen.
"I think I will, too," Taren interjected.
"What?" Kiki's heart skipped a beat.
"Keep you."
Kiki waited a long moment, and then replied, "Don't make promises you can't keep."
Taren smiled and then leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Who says I won't keep them?" he breathed against her skin.
She let out a deep breath and turned to watch Abby with her gifts as she stroked Prissy's coat absentmindedly. Although she knew he was probably just teasing her, her heart couldn't help but hope.