Better than Provenza
A/N: I am not unhappy with today's episode at all, but this was what popped into my head. I hope you enjoy! :-)
The dinner had been quiet and enjoyable, the wine excellent. Andy had assured her a dozen times over that he didn't mind Sharon having a drink and given the fact that she had somehow ended up eating very little, it had gone right to her head, leaving her with a comfortably fuzzy feeling as she made her way up to the theatre next to him. He had offered his arm as soon as they had left the parking garage and she liked the way their hips brushed against each other from time to time as they walked. He smelled good, she conceded, not having been that close to him since the wedding and his scent, along with the alcohol, made her feel careless and a little light-headed. He smiled when she scooted a little closer to him against the cool breeze that was picking up as they crossed the plaza in front of the theatre. Maybe Rusty had been right after all, she thought, thinking back to the half hour she had spent running back and forth from her bedroom and into the kitchen to pick up forgotten items and remind Rusty not to leave the house, not to watch TV before finishing his homework and to put on the dishwasher when he'd finished eating his pizza. The boy had just given her a knowing grin at first, then had finally suggested that maybe, just maybe, Andy's invitation had less to do with her expertise in ballet and everything to do with the fact that he wanted to spend an evening with her. She had waved that suggestion away, of course, because why would Andy want to invite her out on a date with his whole family present? If he had the kind of intentions that Rusty had teased her about, he would surely try and get her alone. Like at the dinner they'd just shared, an unwelcome little voice quipped up inside her mind. The absurd little story he'd put together about Nicole wanting to know whether it would pay off to invest more money in leotards had clearly been a not so little white lie. What if the truth he refused to tell her was that he didn't have the courage - or didn't find it entirely appropriate - to ask her out without an excuse like this one? She felt her cheeks warm at the thought and quickly filed it away. If she knew anything about Andy Flynn, it was that he had no problem picking up women and, judging from his disciplinary file that had used to cross her desk regularly, that didn't stop when it came to fellow officers of both higher and lower rank.
She heaved a quiet little sigh at the beautiful Christmas decorations in the lobby, marveling at the multitude of glittering lights and the pine branches adorned with sparkly silver stars. Her reaction earned her another smile from Andy who stepped behind her and helped her out of her coat, folding it over his arm. Expecting him to lead the way towards the cloak room, she paused, surprised, as he didn't move.
"You look absolutely stunning, Sharon," he said in a low, intimate voice that sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. Before she could grasp what was happening to her, he had already turned away to cross the hall. She followed him, absent-mindedly smoothing down her tight but modest black dress that Rusty claimed was indistinguishable from her other black dresses - but then he naturally neither paid attention to the neckline, nor to the way it hugged her curves and showed off her legs.
As soon as they had gotten rid of their coats, she spotted Nicole and her husband walking towards them, shepherding two nervous-looking little boys. Sharon smiled at the two children she had already met at the wedding, remembering when her daughter had been their age. She'd always been confident in her abilities as a dancer, but her first few performances in front of an audience had given her huge bouts of stage fright. She remembered comforting and reassuring her little girl while small Ricky was whining for attention, too, and felt a small tug at her heart. Jack had never attended those early performances, always at work or drunk or, presumably, both. Then he had moved to Vegas and nowadays he liked to brag about his professional dancer daughter, but it never seemed to occur to him to go and actually see her. She turned towards Andy and pointed his family out to him, watching his eyes light up with a mixture of joy and nervousness.
"Hey Dad!" Nicole was smiling at them, one of the boys waving at Sharon. Following behind her was Andy's ex-wife, thankfully sans her husband who was a friendly man but whose presence never did anything to lift Andy's spirits. Nora was a bottle blond in a blue dress whose color didn't quite agree with her complexion. She gave Sharon a tight little smile that didn't speak of dislike but of envy. Sharon had seen it numerous times before, mostly from other ballet mothers whose daughters weren't as talented as her own. The moment she spotted his ex-wife, she felt Andy's hand grab hers gently, his fingers entwining with hers. The touch went through her like a jolt of electricity and she was glad that she could start walking towards the others to hide the fact that her whole body was suddenly trembling. Andy's hands were warm, his skin surprisingly soft as he held on to her hand in a tight but gentle grip. Sharon was aware of the fact that sometimes realizing one's feelings just happened without expectation or consent, but she had never thought it would occur just like this. Although she liked to keep her feelings to herself if she could, she wasn't usually in denial about them. Knowing herself well, she was completely aware of the fact that she was attracted to Andy Flynn and that she had enjoyed dancing with him at the wedding, that she had taken up calling him by his first name and touching him even if it wasn't necessary. Ever since the wedding, they had become more familiar with each other and more often than not, she found her gaze lingering on him when they were alone. She was also fully aware that he was exactly her type, if one could call it that when she hadn't seriously dated anyone since Jack. It was dangerous, she knew, liking him that much when he had so much in common with her terrific disaster of a husband. Granted, there were differences. Where Jack was always the life of the party and got obnoxiously loud and flirty, but never angry when drunk, Andy did have anger issues. She had sent him to anger management classes more often than anyone else over the years and that was saying something. He had also aged better, she had to admit, still keeping fit, his formerly black hair now an appealing shade of salt and pepper.
And he was not Jack, she thought, smiling as she watched him hug his daughter and her husband tightly then squeezing his ex-wife's shoulder awkwardly but not entirely without affection. He was sincerely trying to make amends, even seeing a psychologist to help him overcome his issues. That was more than Jack would ever even consider during his more enlightened moments. All his resolutions usually lead nowhere or, if he had made a reasonable sum of money while gambling before, in expensive but completely unsuitable presents. She remembered the diamond necklace he had bought her years ago to apologize for dragging her to a new year's ball to meet potential clients in spite of her feeling ill. She had never even once worn it as it was heavy and posh and not at all possessed the understated elegance she liked in jewelry. Andy was so different, so affectionate, caring even as he went to buy drinks for everyone to toast the children's first appearance. His fingers brushed hers when he handed her the glass and she smiled at him, maybe a little too brightly, feeling captivated by the warm expression in his eyes. There was no way to deny it, she thought with a mixture of extreme unease and an outrageous, bubbly feeling in her stomach. She only realized that she was longing for him to touch her again when he let his hand linger just short of coming to rest on the small of her back as they walked in to take their seats.
She had seen The Nutcracker multiple times before, but she never got tired of the music, able by now, to hum along to every song. Today, however, she kept losing track of what was happening as her thoughts were scattered and her mind kept returning to what Rusty had suggested and to the possible implications of that in combination with the feeling inside her. Now that she acknowledged it, it felt natural, as if it had been building for a while now, which was probably the case. With everything that was happening with Rusty and countless cases to work, she didn't always find enough time to settle down and think about her own emotional issues. The music was swelling and she longed for Andy's hand again, wondering for one terrible minute whether she should just make the first move and instigate the touch this time. She fantasized about his hand on her knee - just her knee for now - as she was still in the stages of falling for someone that didn't require sexual contact just yet. For now she was perfectly content being around him and being near him. Maybe kissing him. She imagined him dropping her off at home. Maybe then he would finally tell her his true intentions, maybe he would be awkward about it, maybe he wouldn't look at her while he told her because he was embarrassed. Somehow she felt unable to think straight, inhaling his scent and looking over at him. He looked relaxed, not at all as bothered as her, his hands folded in his lap and his gaze straight at the dancers. Sharon's heart was beating irregularly, reminding her of her first date with Jack. He had been a college senior back then without a lot of money, but he had invited her to the movies, holding her hand all through it. Although all that had happened years ago, today's experience reawakened the memories of back then when she'd felt ready to burst with her feelings and had halfway expected her heart to jump out of her chest. She remembered him trying to talk about the movie afterwards, realizing that she had missed major plot points due to her infatuation with him. She thought about the half hour they had spent kissing at the entrance of her building, his hands in her hair and on her back. She really wanted Andy's hands in those places too, she digressed, and his lips on hers. She was grateful for the darkness surrounding them as she felt herself blush at the thought of that. Sharon willed herself to get a grip. This didn't have to mean anything.
After the show she found herself in the ladies room, staring at herself in the mirror while touching up her lipstick absent-mindedly. She felt a little sad that the evening was nearing its end, but then again she was glad because she would be able to hide in her bedroom and think this through, trying to get her whirlwind of emotions under control.
"Hey, Sharon." Nicole had appeared next to her, smiling brightly with her father's eyes and glossy brown hair.
"Hey," she smiled back, leaning against the sink. "Those two boys were wonderful."
"Weren't they?" Nicole asked, beaming with pride. "They are really adorable, Sharon. I was a bit shocked when I met Jeff and he told me that he was a widowed father of two but they won me over right away." She grinned. "Although two kids at the same time are quite a handful!"
Sharon chuckled. "I am aware of that, believe me."
Nicole grinned, leaning over a little while drying off her hands. "Talking of stepmothers, you will have to take me shopping some time. I am completely lost when it comes to style and from what I've seen, you are everything but." Sharon swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Stepmother? Before she had time to decide not to ask, Nicole chattered on, perfectly content to stay in the empty washroom for now, it seemed. Sharon nervously searched for pockets and remembered too late that she was wearing her slim-fitting dark red jacket that didn't have any.
"I am really glad he has found you," Nicole said, her expression so sincere and warm that Sharon didn't have the heart to correct her just yet. "I mean, I was kind of worried that he would bring another one of those young blondes that are hardly older than me to my wedding." She shrugged. "That has always been standing between us, you know? Despite, well, everything else." She smiled shyly. "Maybe it's stupid... I mean, he has been trying to patch things up with all of us for a while, but when he actually turned up at the wedding and in the company of a woman like you... well, it was the first time I actually believed that he might be serious about all of this."
Sharon's heart felt heavy in her chest, the fluttering feeling in her stomach replaced by disappointment and the beginnings of dread.
"Look, Nicole, we're not-"
Nicole's smile brightened again, the woman obviously oblivious to Sharon's dilemma. "Oh, don't try and deny it. My mom told me, you know. I don't know whether you'd prefer to keep it under wraps for now so don't blame him for telling her, she obviously put some pressure on him."
"Your father told your mother that we're together?" Sharon asked, trying hard to hide her disbelief.
Nicole shrugged apologetically. "Please don't be angry with him. We kept asking about you after the wedding and then he told us."
It was the final straw, Sharon thought, her hand shaking slightly as she picked up her handbag. This was what he hadn't been willing to tell her. He had allowed her to walk right into a trap. Maybe she wouldn't have been this hurt and disappointed if she hadn't been hoping that he would return the feelings she had just discovered she had, but it stung. Only now she realized that the precise moment she'd realized that she was beginning to fall in love with him had been another farce. He had never taken her hand because he wanted to, but because he wanted to show his ex-wife and daughter that he had been truthful about the nature of his relationship with the woman he'd brought to the wedding. It had been nothing more than that. With what she was sure were the best intentions towards his family, he had used her. Although maybe that should have softened the blow, it actually made it worse. There were people Andy loved and cared about. It just wasn't her. At the moment, she was little more than a pawn in a game, used to get into his family's good graces and kept in the dark. He had risked for her to embarrass herself and to hurt her feelings even if he hadn't intended to. She suddenly felt sick at the thought of sharing a car with him on their ride back, almost scared of having to make easy conversation with him and absolutely mortified by the fact that she had chosen to believe what Rusty had said just because she liked her lieutenant too much. Sharon didn't cry in public and she would not show anyone that her feathers were decidedly ruffled.
"Sorry, I am embarrassing you, right? I am so sorry." Nicole's hand was lingering on her shoulder.
"No, no, it's okay. I was just thinking..." Sharon cleared her throat, suddenly intent on finding a way to withdraw herself from the situation, to go home and lick her wounds so she would be able to face Andy at work again the next day. After all, she had done this thing before with Jack a thousand times. Get over the disappointment, set up her defenses, go through the motions to repair the cracks in her armor, to shield her heart from further pain. At least this time she was fine physically although it didn't feel that way at all. "I was wondering whether I could catch a ride with you and Jeff and the boys. You live much closer to my place and your father-" She couldn't bring herself to say his name. "has to get up very early tomorrow morning, so it would be good if he didn't have to drive half across town to drop me off."
Nicole looked as if she was one step short of clapping her hands. "Oh, yes, that would be great actually. We could exchange numbers and compare schedules so we can plan that shopping trip."
Although meddling with Andy's family was the last thing on Sharon's agenda right now, she gave a forced smile that she hoped looked sincere.
Out in the hall, she hardly looked at Andy while Nicole explained the new driving arrangements to him. She took her coat from him and let him help her inside, her arms numb. She was beginning to get angry, not so much at him but at herself. Andy Flynn of all people, she scolded herself. Why would he - notorious lady's men and pursuer of young things right out of college - be interested in a woman over fifty with lots of emotional baggage and two, now three, kids? She felt so stupid for not having drawn her hand back as soon as he had taken it, for not having seen through his scam although she had expected something to be off from the very beginning? How could she have been so blind, especially since she should have been so much better at avoiding putting herself in situations like this because of her years of experience with Jack?
"Oh, well. Guess I'll see you tomorrow." Andy gave her a warm smile, probably oblivious to her state and she just nodded, suddenly feeling all eyes on them. Her throat constricted, her palms suddenly moist. Everyone was looking at them with open curiosity because they thought they were a couple and couples didn't say goodbye with a nod of the head or a handshake. She felt that he might as well hit her in the face when he leaned in, hugged her and pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. The family seemed satisfied and he was blushing which, under different circumstances, she might have found adorable. Now, however, it was just another reminder that he had done it out of necessity and not because he wanted to have her in his arms. Sharon felt ready to either cry or throw objects and so she was glad that the children were chattering excitedly on their way to the car so Jeff and Nicole had no way of paying any attention to her.
Outside, a light drizzle greeted them, one of those that felt light on your skin but had your hair soaked within seconds. She walked the short way to the car obediently, probably ruining her favorite pair of heels on the wet pavement, her thoughts gloomy and her heart contracting. Suddenly she couldn't help but remember what Andy had said when he'd asked her to come along: "You're better than Provenza."
Indeed, she thought bitterly. That was it. To him, she wasn't desirable, just - in this very situation alone - at least better than Provenza.
"Okay, Flynn, what the hell did you do?" Flynn jumped slightly at the sound of the printer jar that was set down on his desk with force. He looked around for possible eavesdroppers but found none, the others being at lunch and the Captain in her office, blinds half drawn. She was dressed in all black today, her mouth set in a firm line as she stared at her computer screen.
"What did I do? I didn't do anything," he grumbled, feeling inexplicably guilty although he didn't really know what the hell he should have to feel guilty about. Provenza sat down on Andy's desk, probably consciously showing him that while nobody was allowed on his own desk, he would sit wherever he pleased. Andy snorted at the sight, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.
"You pissed her off, that much is obvious. I told you it was a bad idea to ask her in the first place," Provenza growled.
"Yeah, why is that?" Andy threw his hands up. "I mean, you seem to be getting along quite well with her these days."
The old man's eyes narrowed, his lips pursed in disgust. "I do, actually. And she doesn't deserve to be treated like that by an idiot like you!"
"Treated like what?" Andy whined, now completely fed up with his partner's cryptic accusations. "I wined and dined her and took her to the ballet. That is hardly anything to complain about!"
Provenza kicked Andy's chair forcefully, almost causing him to tumble out of it. "Ouch! What was that for?"
"You don't get it, do you? You're asking the Captain out under god knows what kind of false pretenses when she is really just a means to show your ex-wife and daughter how much you've matured and that you're capable of healthy relationships."
"She is not-" Andy began, but was cut-off very swiftly.
"Cut the crap, Flynn. That is exactly what she was to you last night. And she is a police officer just like us, not one of your dumb blondes. Don't you believe just for a second that she didn't find out at some point. However," he kicked Andy's chair again, this time not receiving a complaint as the truth was slowly beginning to dawn on Andy. "I am sure she knew something was up last night but didn't mind too much, but now she hates your guts."
"She doesn't hate me. She said goodbye all nicely last night, rode home with my daughter because they live close to her condo. And she greeted me like everyone else just this morning."
Provenza rolled his eyes. "Exactly."
"Exactly?" Andy echoed stupidly.
"Yes. Ever since that wedding you two have been kind of... chummy."
"Chummy?!" Andy echoed again, making Provenza click his tongue in annoyance.
"Don't repeat everything I say. Makes you sound even dumber than you are. I don't care whether she considers you a friend because she does at least that or whether..." he trailed off, gesturing awkwardly. "...you know. She doesn't deserve being used by you. God knows she's had enough of that."
Andy crossed his arms and frowned, not yet ready to admit to his mistake just now. "What do you mean?" he asked, short of repeating Provenza's last sentence again. "Even if I used her, I haven't done anything like it before. I mean, she offered to go to the wedding with me!"
Provenza huffed. "I didn't mean you, idiot. I meant her useless bastard of a husband." He waved away Andy's incredulous frown. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You two were drinking buddies back in the day and you were always kind of star-struck by him which, by the way, I totally don't get! But whatever that man was to you, he was a lousy husband." Provenza leaned in to prove his point. "Who used her!"
There was a short moment of silence before Provenza went on, his tone still angry but a little softer now with reminiscence. "I remember that new year's eve thing that the mayor threw back in 1989. Overheard her telling her partner that she wouldn't go because she was feeling so sick, but apparently Jack dragged her there anyway. She ended up spending half the night throwing up in the bathroom and the other half with her feet up by herself because he was busy chatting up potential clients."
"Oh," Andy looked at his feet. "She wasn't sick last night."
"Yeah, but that's probably because she is way too old to be pregnant now."
"Oh," Andy repeated, making Provenza roll his eyes.
"See what I mean? She likes you, Andy, she would have probably played along to do you a favor but you had to keep her in the dark. Very classy." He hit Andy's desk with the printer jar twice to punctuate his last sentence.
Andy looked over at Sharon whose expression was still gloomy. As she looked up from her computer, their eyes met. She narrowed hers behind her glasses for the shortest of moments and then turned back.
He had probably screwed up royally this time.
Meeting Nicole for an afternoon of shopping had proved to be inevitable and so Sharon had just decided to stop trying to evade Andy's - Lieutenant Flynn's - daughter and get it over with. Maybe she would at least be able to buy another Christmas present for her daughter. To her surprise, the young woman had refrained from asking her any personal questions about her relationship with her father so far. Instead they were browsing shops and trying on dresses, Sharon's heart lightening with every second of it. Despite everything, her lieutenant had managed to produce a wonderful daughter who was a delight to be around. As for her father, Sharon now made sure to address him by his rank rather than his first name and ignore the mixed feelings she had about him whenever she was caught unaware. While relationships between people at work were not against LAPD rules (probably because there was no way of enforcing that), she was now more aware than ever before that it was never a good idea to develop romantic feelings for someone one had to see on a daily basis. If one made that mistake, however, it was best to try and forget about it. She had done it before and she had told her daughter that it was possible before, so she would manage this time as well. Hours of shopping seemed to pass quickly and they finally fell into the soft chairs of her favorite cafe, indulging in green tea and blueberry muffins. Sharon sighed luxuriously as she bit the treat and sipped her tea. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that Nicole looked pensive.
"What is it?" she asked softly, realizing that she had adopted the tone that she used with her own daughter without even noticing it before.
"Hm, again, I'm sorry," Nicole began and Sharon's heart sank. What was next? She lowered her half-eaten muffin on to her plate and put one hand in the pocket of her sweater. This had been going so well. "I feel a little embarrassed really," Nicole went on. "Dad sort of confessed to me a couple of weeks ago that you aren't really his girlfriend."
"Oh," Sharon said, caught off-guard by the admission.
"Yes, and I feel so sorry for putting you in an awkward position like that, going on about how he usually likes young and-"
Sharon put up a hand to stop her. "It isn't your fault," she said more curtly than intended. "I could have cleared things up for you earlier."
Nicole laughed uneasily. "Yeah, but from what he told me, you had no idea. That must have come as a huge shock to you back at the theatre."
"Kind of," Sharon murmured, making the biggest understatement since Jack had admitted that he "maybe sometimes liked to gamble a little, sort of".
"He was terribly sorry for putting you in that position." Nicole's smirk reminded Sharon so much of Andy that she had to take a sip of tea to hide her horror.
"You don't have to tell me this," she said. "It is not your duty to tidy up after your father." God knew her own daughter had had to learn that the hard way.
"Well, it's just... I think he really likes you."
Sharon snorted, more bitter than she had expected to sound.
"No, actually... when he said you were his girlfriend he looked really proud and at the wedding- Sharon, I just really think you two would be good for each other."
Sharon tried for a little humor but only succeeded in part: "That is absolutely out of the question."
"Oh, so you-"
Sharon nodded, lips pressed together into a thin line before she answered. "He did put me in a bad position by pretending I was his girlfriend. I am married, you know."
There was a knock at her office door that she had no trouble recognizing as Andy's, the discovery of which made her feel stupid and livid at herself.
"Lieutenant Flynn," she said a little more sharply than intended, snapping her laptop shut and rising to her feet. "I was just going to leave." Without pause, she grabbed her handbag from the desk and slung it over her shoulder. Andy remained standing in front of her desk, nervously toying with something in his hands, but it was going from one fist into the other and back too quickly for her to be able to tell what it was.
"Hey Sharon." She froze at the sound of her first name.
"Need another favor?" she snapped, reminded of the previous two times he'd been standing in her office like that. Hell, she was even wearing the damn same jacket again. Maybe she should get rid of it if wearing it meant that Andy Flynn would come into her office to drag her into his mess.
"No," he said sincerely, a slightly lost look in his eyes that made her long to make it better and take him out of his misery. Instead she folded her arms and waited for whatever he was going to say. "Look, I came to apologize. I learned from Nicole that she told you about, well, that I lied about being in a relationship with you. I shouldn't have put you in that awkward position." He looked down at his restless feet. "I am an idiot. That's what got me into that whole mess in the first place and I am really, really sorry."
Sharon felt her shoulders sink, somehow relieved that she didn't have to be that angry at him anymore.
"It's alright," she said softly, avoiding addressing him by his name or rank or whatever was appropriate. Somehow she had lost sight of what was still right and what was not between them.
"I know it's Christmas Eve, I am not going to keep you from going home to your kids any longer, but I have something for you." His hands finally stilled and he opened his hand to reveal a small box, wrapped in green paper with a little red bow. "Don't worry. It's not a ring for a fake engagement," he said, grinning. Sharon chuckled but it caught in her throat when he reached out to take her hand, turned her palm upwards and gently placed the small package inside. "Don't open it before tomorrow morning!" he warned.
Sharon smiled, a little overwhelmed by both the gesture and the ongoing battle inside her chest. It seemed that smitten teenage Sharon was busy running from Captain Raydor who was threatening to beat the butterflies out of her stomach with the leather bound LAPD rulebook (that actually didn't exist as such outside of everyone's heads).
"Thanks, oh, I've really got to go," she said, looking at her watch. Wrapping up their latest case had taken longer than she'd expected and she was running late for church already. She paused as she stood next to him. "Are you with your family this Christmas?"
Andy shrugged, his expression slightly pained. "Well, my ex-wife wasn't so happy about being lied to, so I haven't been invited to the Christmas dinner. I'll be seeing Nicole tomorrow, though."
"Oh," Sharon smirked. "I'm sorry."
"Why would you be? I was the idiot who lied. I guess I will have to live with the consequences. I am with Provenza, though. He says his grandkids need a second person to manage them."
Sharon nodded. "Good."
Before she knew what was happening, Andy had approached her, placing both of his hands on her shoulders to draw her in very slightly as he kissed her cheek. He didn't seem as awkward or hurried as he had at the theatre and he smiled at her when he let go of her very reluctantly, running his thumb over her collarbone one last time. She felt a little dazed as he pointed upwards.
"Mistletoe."
Sharon was in her robe and pajamas, having taken residence on the couch as her kids were crawling around in a mess of wrapping paper and bows, laughing and showing their presents to each other. Maybe making fun of their father's presents was a mechanism to cope with his continued absence in their lives, but then again, Jack had once again outdone himself in weirdness. Rusty was stuffing himself with candy at an alarming rate, sitting by the tree and adoring the game console she had enlisted Lieutenant Tao to buy for him (because, really, she couldn't tell one from a toaster) as it seemed to be his greatest wish of all. Ricky picked up a balled-up piece of wrapping paper to throw it at his sister and thereby initiate the traditional wrapping paper fight they had every year. In the midst of that chaos, Sharon finally felt safe enough to unwrap the last remaining present.
Taking the small box our of her pocket, she looked at the clumsy way it was wrapped. Andy had used a lot of clear adhesive tape to fix the paper and bow which made her smile. Although it looked haphazard, she knew he had taken care. When she'd finally managed to pry it apart and get to the contents, she found a box that, when opened, presented her with a small wooden nutcracker with a white beard and red jacket. She admired the fine carvings for a moment before she noticed the small, rolled-up piece of paper attached to the leg. She took it off and gently unrolled it, her heart beating a little faster.
"Dear Sharon. I bought you this as a reminder of our evening together, so you can throw it at me whenever I act like an idiot again. If you agree, I would love to take you out to dinner soon - not as a buffer or a pretend girlfriend but as a date. Merry Christmas. Andy."
"Mom, you're grinning like an idiot!" Ricky teased her. "And don't pretend you're above joining in the fight this year."
Rusty gasped from his position at her feet where he was dodging missiles from Sharon's daughter. "Don't tell me she actually participates in this!"
"Of course she does!" Sharon gently slid the little nutcracker and the paper into her pocket and caught one of the pieces that were flung at Rusty in midair, tossing it at Ricky's head. Her children's laughter ringing in her ears, she smiled to herself.
Maybe she was something more than just "better than Provenza" after all.
The End