JE's characters are hers and mine are mine. I just borrow hers. Merry Christmas, Lee Anne
Christmas Caden Style
He disliked shopping, any shopping, but there was no way in God's green Trenton would he allow Stephanie to go Christmas shopping alone. Other times he overlooked; this was different. The memory of the exploding warehouse days before the holiday was forgotten most of the year, but his wife making a trip to the mall at Christmas that knotted his stomach still. So, here he was spending a morning while the children were in school and his in-laws were spoiling their beautiful daughter shopping.
He arched an eyebrow glancing over the shelves of small appliances and Stephanie was studying a store-ad from her purse. "Babe, why are we in the appliance aisle?" He knew there was a simple explanation. Right?
She looked at him with those blue eyes serious on the mission at hand. "Ranger, Caden wants a rice steamer. I want to get the right one," she told him waving the sale flyer.
"He's in first grade! What happened to asking Santa for a bicycle or video games?" He had that same incredulous expression he always did when Caden was involved throwing his hands in the air.
"This is what he wants. He asked Santa for it. Remember, we both told him we would listen to him after the sewing machine. Caden has a few rice dishes he wants to try before he puts the recipes on his blog."
The sewing machine he was 'tricked' into buying for Stephanie when the little boy really wanted it and now most of Trenton was aware Ranger went commando. Actually thinking about it for a moment, Caden did cook most of the Manoso dinners with Stephanie's help. A rice steamer made some sense in that crazy 'Burg' kind of way. Could Christmas be any crazier?
He tucked the box Stephanie pointed to under his arm. "Well, if he asked Santa for it and for his blog, then let's get our son a rice maker," he said with a cocked eyebrow shaking his head.
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The elementary school was packed with parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and Merry Men. A large section of the middle rows resided in Newark and were related to a certain Cuban bounty hunter.
Ranger sat there chuckling and shaking his head with his wide-eye daughter wearing antlers jingling in his lap. Their fingers locked, Stephanie was smiling beside him through her tears focused on the stage.
"That's my grandson Caden," Frank informed proudly to those around him pointing to the dancing 'Frosty the Snowman' with taped 'Buddy Holly' glasses and top hat in the middle of snowflakes and children circling him singing the song about the come-to-life snowman.
"Caden," Cassie giggled beside her mother. Julie, Ben, and Dani were laughing along with the audience. They were topped with Santa hats watching the small Manoso genius hopping around in his rounded stuffed snowman outfit.
As the song ended, Mrs. Handy, the school principal, walked to the center stage. "On behalf of the children at Trenton Elementary School we would like to thank each of you for attending our Christmas pageant. We need also thank Miss Garfolo and her art students for painting our scenery and for Caden Manoso and his friend, Ella Sanchez, for their help sewing our costumes. The children are ending tonight singing for you 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'.
Ranger chuckled to himself knowing first hand the evenings the little boy and the Rangeman housekeeper spent at their dining room table cutting out the large snowflakes for some of the costumes. Not to mention sewing 'Frosty' and stuffing it so he was plump. He was a first-grade seamstress and still cooked. Stephanie kept telling her husband Caden would make Emmie a wonderful husband some day; Ranger was believing it now seeing the finished products on the stage.
The auditorium darkened more as the children were taking their places. The first notes of the classic holiday song began as a curtain of glowing snowflakes came down.
"Ranger," Stephanie whispered, "look." She recognized her son's handiwork.
Her husband glanced at his wife unsure what she was referring to on stage.
"The snowflakes. Remember when we grew crystals."
The Cuban bad-ass took a closer look at the sparkling shapes. How could he forget sitting there bending a pipe-cleaner and painting it with glow-in-the-dark paint doing crafts. Carlos Manoso was a security expert doing crafts with his family because the little boy saw it on some science show. Caden told him to paint neat. The dried figures were dipped in something so crystals formed. From reading his blog, his employees did the experiment. There were glowing shapes all over Rangeman at times. He saw tears glistening in Stephanie's blue eyes.
"He shared our family project with his friends. Ranger, that's so sweet."
"Babe," he began to say but sort of choked so the name came out, "Midget." 'Frosty' was lit up from white lights flashing inside the translucent sections. Emmie Snowflake next to him and all the other snowflakes were glowing. The front snowflake design of the pullovers were lit and the children not in costumes were holding color changing candles. That explained all the batteries Caden had Stephanie purchase. "Babe, he's too much." Caden did make Ranger laugh when he wasn't frustrating him. The whole house was always laughing at him.
The song finished to a loud applause and families standing.
Frank Plum patted Ranger's shoulder from behind saying with pride, "What a grandson!"
The large contingency from Newark were whooping and cheering Caden's name. Ranger's family attended because all the fun was always in Trenton.
Miss Garfolo pulled Stephanie and Ranger aside before leaving. "It is such a pleasure having Caden in my art class. The children loved making the snowflakes and the costumes are precious."
"Thank you," Stephanie said a little hesitantly. "Caden has a few unusual hobbies."
"I told my sister about him. She's a special education teacher in Boston. She works with advanced and children with learning disabilities. The way you focus his out-of-the-box thinking is very innovative and it works."
"I want," Stephanie explained looking at her husband agreeing next to her, "we want Caden to be a little boy and appreciate his teachers give him extra work to do to keep him busy instead of pushing ahead."
The brunette haired art teacher's smile widen watching Caden and Emmie holding hands coming to the group with an attractive Italian man. "It is so adorable how he holds her chair for her when they come to art class."
"They are inseparable. Joe?" What was her ex-boyfriend doing here? None of his brother's children were in the Christmas program since they were older and attended school with Julie, Ben, and Dani.
Frosty Caden sort of answered that. "Mommy, my friend Joe is here!"
"Stephanie, Ranger, he texted me to come," the now uncomfortable Trenton cop sputtered.
Ranger arched an eyebrow looking down into the blue eyes in the black taped glasses on the impish face. "Midget." The Cuban man had a hunch that inviting Morelli was part of a plan.
"And you came. Miss Garfolo, this is my friend Joe. He's a cop." Caden turned to the confused Italian man. "Joe, Miss Garfolo got a poodle she walks. Joe got a big dog."
He straightened his form introducing himself properly, "Joe Morelli."
"Karen Garfolo," the teacher replied shaking his hand.
"I'm done here," the little boy said wiping his hands together. "Ranger-Dad, I'm hungry," he directed at his muscled father.
"Midget, we ate before we came. You made your lasagna roll-ups and salad." Saying it, Ranger realized how silly that sounded since he was six. "Let's go to Pino's"
"Good choice. Come on, Emmie, let me help you put on your coat. Mommy, I'm wearing my 'Frosty' costume to Pino's," he informed his parents walking towards Lester, Gayle, and her baby sister, Kimmie.
Stephanie giggled, "OK, Sweetheart." She glanced back seeing Joe and Miss Garfolo laughing together. "Now he's a matchmaker."
"Babe, think Morelli is telling her how Caden ran him over with his Big Wheel?"
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Selena Manoso leaned over her son's shoulder waiting for their pizza. "Ricardo, when your father and I went to your school programs, they didn't have twinkling snowmen. All the fun is here in Trenton, but since a good portion of Newark's population subscribes to Caden's blog it has picked up."
"I'm glad, Momma," Ranger told her looking around the table with his family. Aubrey was in her antlers still sitting in a restaurant high chair, Julie, Ben, and Dani in Santa hats that were now blinking, and a twinkling 'Frosty the Snowman' with thick black glasses were around him. Stephanie was laughing with the children wearing a red sweater with a reindeer. It jingled. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. He was wearing black socks with Christmas trees that no one could bear witness too. It was Christmas 'Crazy' and within the 'Burg' norm. In fact, most of the family and friends at Pino's were sporting Holiday wear of some kind.
"Excuse me," Mr. Pino asked Stephanie and Ranger after their pizza pans were empty, "a few of my customers would like to meet 'Frosty the Snowman'. Can I introduce them?"
Both nodded. Ranger, the security expert on duty at the moment would watch over him around the restaurant. But, this was Caden and his fast thinking brain, so nothing of an out-of-the-ordinary situation would arise would it?
"I got to go to work," the little boy slipped out of his chair placing his top hat on his head. "Come on, Emmie."
Stephanie and Ranger watched as Mr. Pino was introducing blinking 'Frosty the Snowman' and 'Suzy the Snowflake' to tables of customers. In a blink of an eye, the entire restaurant was belting out the song led by a bellowing Mr. Pino. Caden and Emmie were waltzing around the tables in their costumes. That quick, Pino's went crazy.
And even crazier. Sally Sweet had walked in out of no where and went running out. He came back carrying a portable keyboard. The bartender was plugging it in from behind the bar. Next thing Ranger observed was the place was singing Christmas carols and Mr. Pino went running for the kitchen after Caden whispered something to him. People were coming in the door from shopping with bags standing wherever a spot could be found and joined in the singing. How could a little boy in a snowman costume start all this?
"Mommy, come sing with me," Frosty was pulling Stephanie's hand. She joined Julie, Ben, Dani, friends, and their Manoso cousins singing 'Silver Bells' near the keyboard playing Sally. His Abuela was singing in Spanish along with Edna Mazur clinking mugs of something on the other side of Sally. Tank's deep voice was distinctively heard in the singing.
At Caden's suggestion, Mr. Pino was serving hot chocolate and warm cider to the holiday spirit-filled customers. That as a hot seller of the evening. Even Joe Morelli came in accompanied by the art teacher. Sally Sweet made over $200 in tips for playing the keyboard. Mr. Pino was accepting all the compliments for the wonderful holiday entertainment he provided.
Ranger sat there shaking his head laughing. This was his normalcy. The entire crazy evening started with Caden as a happy, dancing, blinking snowman with a black hat and his taped glasses to sitting in Pino's singing Christmas songs with his family. On every face there was joy. It was 'crazy' joy. This is what he came home to everyday with his family. This was what a girl from the 'Burg' gave him. And it drew his family to their home. That was the reason he purchased an empty older three-bedroom townhouse in the neighborhood, his family had a place to stay near their townhouse if they didn't want to drive back to Newark. It drew his core team in also. Caden and Emmie were always at one of their homes because Gayle and Lester bought a home in the next block. Bobby and Dana, his new wife, lived two doors down from Tank, Lula, and their adopted children who lived two streets back.
"Brother, this is a wonderful idea. Do you think 'Frosty' can come up to my restaurant? A friend of mine plays in a band. I'll provide dinner," Diego, Ranger brother the chef owned a restaurant in Newark, was rattling off watching the singing, happy room.
"Why not?"
Selena Manoso concurred, "Oh good, we need some of this Trenton fun at the other side of the state."
"I'll check with Caden if he has anymore ideas for a sing-a-long evening," Diego called out heading towards his dancing nephew.
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"Ranger-Dad, here taste this," Caden came from the busy townhouse kitchen followed by Zeus on Christmas. His new rice steamer had been tried out. He was wearing his floppy chef's hat working on their holiday meal. Ellen Plum and Ranger's own mother were his assistants right now.
Ranger took the spoon he was handed. He looked over the yellow colored rice and vegetables before tasting it. Caden stood waiting as his Cuban father chewed.
It was flavorful with lemon and maybe a little hint of ginger in the sweet and sour sauce.
"Midget, that's good."
"OK, just checking," taking the empty spoon and heading back into the kitchen. Stephanie was giggling from the over side of the breakfast bar.
"You were right, Babe, Santa needed to deliver that rice steamer to him."
The other children were happy with new I-PODS while Caden stared at his new appliance with dreamy eyes on Christmas morning. It was crazy. Each child was happy with their gifts Ranger witnessed. The zaniness was going to grow exponentially shortly when Ranger's brother and sisters walked through the front door for Christmas in Trenton. His brother Diego was so pleased with the crowd that showed for his restaurant's Christmas sing-a-long night with 'Frosty' and the family, he was planning to have it once a month. Caden gave him a few ideas of finger foods and themes for the evenings.
Ranger turned to his wife flashing a 200-watt smile. The door bell just rang and his family was coming through the door armed with platters and bowls. Let the 'Burg' Christmas craziness continue. He, the Rangeman owner, was happy, his family was happy, and it was all because of the girl from the 'Burg' that walked through that diner door and he married. Crazy was the Manoso normal and it was the best way to live.
Merry Christmas from Caden.