In the
living room, the children sat. Matt, Mary and Lucy sat on the couch,
Simon on the arm of the chair, Ruthie on Mary's lap and Ellie on
mother's lap.
Annie sat on the single couch with the 3 year old
on her lap. Eric sat on the arm and all eyes were on the woman who
sat on the opposite couch facing the big family.
Unanswered
questions floated around the room like little bubbles, waiting to
popped.
Eric stood up and walked over the woman who was now
looking down at her hands. "I would like you all to meet Mrs
Clause"
Ruthie, Simon and Ellie all sat forward from where
they sat. "Are you Santa's wife?" Simon asked. "Will I get
the doll I asked for?" Ruthie asked with a surprised face. Ellie
smiled and waved at the young woman. She climbed own from Annie's
lap and ran over to her siblings. Climbing onto Matt's lap. She
turned to look up at him. "Mrs Clause is pretty like Santa is,"
she whispered.
Matt smiled and exchanged a grin with his parents
and his siblings. "What dad I think was going to explain is that
she's not Santa's wife but someone who's just got the same
name…." He smoothed the blonde hair of the little girl who sat on
his lap.
Ruthie folded her arms and Simon shrugged his shoulders.
"How do you know?" he asked.
But was interrupted by his
father. "She just isn't Simon…. anyway" Eric continued. "She
will be staying with us for a while…Matt's she's going to
staying in your room in the attic okay?"
Matt nodded. "Sure,
I don't mind" He figured he would be staying in Simon's room.
"
Would you like to show Mrs Clause up to your room please Matt."
Matt didn't have to be asked twice, he got up and placed Ellie
on the couch. "This way…"
The two people walked out the
room. The two oldest girls starred at their father. "Why is she
here?"
Annie looked at them. "That is nothing to do with you
two, just try and make her feel welcome."
Lucy and Mary
shrugged. "Sure mom!" with that they started for the stairs
talking about the new guest.
Ruthie, Simon and Ellie all now sat
on the couch looking up at their parents with bewilderment in their
eyes, they still believed that the guest was in fact Santa Clauses
wife.
"You
guys got to be on your best behaviour okay?" Eric said as he held
Annie's hand in his.
The three children nodded. "Of course she
could tell Santa then" Ruthie piped up. With that the three
children ran out of the room and upstairs to see the guest.
Eric
opened his mouth to say, but didn't have chance. "Well…I think
this will be interesting"
Annie smiled slightly and laid her
head against Eric. "When are we going to tell the children the
reason why she is here?" she asked with concern in her voice. She
thought the children had a reason to know why; in-case danger was
going to jump upon their doorstep.
