A Forever Christmas. Missy Tippens

plastered itself in her mind, and she couldn’t shake it loose.

       Miss Radcliffe, why do Albert’s and Tyrone’s and a bunch of other moms and dads come to our class parties but mine don’t? Peter’s little voice echoed in her head.

      She’d tried to explain how they were working to give him the best of everything. But he never could get past the fact that his mom and dad were absent parents.

       Miss Radcliffe, I sure do need a hug today, he’d said at least once a week. At first, the comment cracked her up, because it was not the request of the typical kindergartner. But the more she hugged him, the more she’d grown to need the hugs.

      And now she felt like she was watching a replay, watching Gregory and his sons travel down that same road. Even though Harry was in the picture and was family, it apparently wasn’t enough for Hunter. He wanted more time with his dad.

      Was there anything she could do? To somehow bring Gregory and his boys together before Christmas? If she did, Gregory was certain not to like it.

      Yes, she had to do something. Her conscience wouldn’t let her do otherwise.

      She looked at the calendar in her cell phone and counted dated blocks. Twelve days until Christmas Eve and their pageant.

      Twelve days…. An idea began to blossom.

      She took a deep breath as she envisioned those empty blocks on her calendar and began to brainstorm ideas to fill them with activities for Gregory and his sons. But could she pull it off? It would take a lot of strength to spend that kind of time around Gregory.

      Strength she might not have right now.

       Thank you for bringing my mom and dad here. They even spent the night. We pretended we were staying in a tent. Peter had smiled at her from his hospital bed, happy even while needles and tubes stuck into his body, so sure she’d had something to do with his parents’ change of heart. But, no, a terminal diagnosis had seen to that.

      Hunter’s sad, angry face flashed through her mind.

      Yes, she had to do it. For Hunter.

      For Peter.

      Though she’d been powerless in Peter’s situation, at least she had time to try to make a difference in Hunter’s and Chase’s lives. To make sure Gregory spent time with his sons. Every single day. For the twelve days till Christmas.