Tessa sighed as she threw a rock into the pond in front of her. She
had just finished her latest assignment. It had been five months since she
had left Jodie and last seen Emma, and had her tonsils out. She was in
Southern California at the moment, and it was warm. She wondered where she
would be that Christmas. Virtually everywhere else in the country, it would
be pretty cold at that time of year. Even the majority of Northern
California would not be the most pleasant place to be. Oh, well, weather
didn't matter. She was getting Christmas off and was going to get to spend
it with her family.
"Good job, Angel Girl," she turned around when she heard Tess walking towards her.
"Thanks Aunt Tess. Where to next?"
"Well, I have a little surprise for you. We're going Christmas shopping in New York City."
"Really?"
"Well, the Christmas shopping needs to be done sometime, doesn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose that it does. Do you know where we're going to be on Christmas anyway?"
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't!"
"So, you won't tell me?"
"It's a surprise. And as we shop today, I want you to keep guessing."
"You want me to guess what my surprise is?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Never mind." Tessa said as she suddenly found herself in New York City.
"So where to first, Miss Wings?"
"I don't know, you always let me pick things like this, you pick for once."
"Ok, how about Macy's."
"Perfect. The Macy's here is so huge, and they have absolutely everything."
"Wouldn't it be something if we only needed Macy's for our Christmas shopping?"
"It sure would, but it would kind of spoil everything, namely the privilege of shopping in New York City."
"Yeah, your right. But we shouldn't shop too much. That isn't what Christmas is even about."
"I know Tess. But you have to fit in the world, just a little."
"You are so well-rounded sweetheart."
"Thank you."
The night before.
"Mommy!" Zoë screamed.
"What sweetie, what is it?" She said as she quickly came into Zoë's room. "It's the middle of the night. And we don't want to wake Aunt Gloria, do we?"
"Sorry Mommy." She whispered. "I just had a nightmare, that's all."
"What was it about?"
"Monique and Kathleen, and stuff."
"Ah, well do you want to go get some coffee and talk about it?"
"I would love to."
"Hi Monica, hi Zoë."
"Did Zoë wake you?" Monica asked as she began to make the coffee.
"No, but I heard her scream, I was just too tired to come all the way upstairs to see how she was. What happened Zoë?"
"Just a nightmare."
"Well, sweetie, that didn't sound like just any nightmare."
"It wasn't, it was about Monique and Kathleen and them. I'm afraid they'll come and get me."
"Sweetheart, no one's going to get you, not ever Daddy and I won't let that happen, do you understand?" Zoë nodded.
"Uncle Adam and I don't like the idea of it either." Zoë smiled.
"And I know just what Aunt Tess would say to them." They all laughed.
"Speaking of which, they should be arriving in a few days."
"Really, Christmas is a busy time, I thought that they would've had assignments."
"Well Tessa is still a child, she should get to spend Christmas with her family."
"Yeah, Christmas just wouldn't be the same without either of them."
"This means that we have to go Christmas shopping tomorrow. Are you feeling up to it Gloria?"
"Oh, definitely! I couldn't miss out on shopping!"
"Will there be Starbucks?" Zoë asked.
"Yes sweetie, there will be Starbucks."
"Good." The girl smiled, her Mother and Aunt exchanged glances.
"Alright Zoë, I think it's just about your bed time."
"No." She yawned. "I don't need to."
"Yes, and we've been through this before."
"You know," Gloria, said, "even Tessa needs to sleep."
"Really?"
"Yeah, of course she does."
"Alright then." Zoë gave in, and let her Mother take her back to bed.
"So, Tess, I know that I am supposed to be guessing where we are going and all, but I haven't seen my Mom, my Dad or my sister since October. I haven't even ran into my Dad or Uncle Adam for a while, so what happened to them, where are they?"
"Because of Gloria's...condition."
"I don't mean to cut you off or anything, but I just have to know, are you still mad about that?"
"About what?"
"About Aunt Gloria and Uncle Adam getting married, and about the baby and all."
"It guess it just all happened a little to quickly for me, that's all."
"I bet you felt this way when my Mom was going to have me."
"No sweetie, I was just as excited about you as anyone. And anyway, back to what I was saying. Because of your Aunt's condition she and Adam, along with your parents, and Zoë moved somewhere that you still have to guess and bought a house, just until the baby's a few month's old, then it's back to regular casework!"
"Does Zoë like it?"
"Very much baby very much."
"Does she go to regular school?"
"Yes and she loves it."
"Are you okay?" Monica asked Gloria as she came back downstairs after taking Zoë back to bed.
"Just a little tired, that's all. I'm not really in pain, just well, very uncomfortable I guess."
"That's understandable, you always feel like that after seven months. It'll get better very soon Gloria, I promise. Of course its going to get worse before it's better, but when you hold your baby its all worth it."
"Thank you Monica, I know you're right. Do you want any more?"
"Perhaps, it's not like I am getting any older, right?"
"No," she laughed, "I guess you're not are you?"
"You're not either, none of us are except our children, I suppose that I should have at least one more little cherub, I don't know how I'll be able to handle it after Zoë leaves."
"That would be nice, you see I love kids but I already know that I won't be doing this again."
"Never say never."
"I didn't. I just meant that I am probably not going to chose to do this again."
"Oh you might be surprised."
"I guess that is always a possibility. Anyway, I am going to go read a few novels, see you in the morning Monica."
"Ok." Monica said as she went back to her coffee. She took her cup and went to look out the kitchen window as the snow gently fell to the ground. She smiled. Christmas was so fun, so wonderful. The conversation that she had just had with Gloria was slightly strange. Had she wanted more children? Of course she did. But how could she possibly tell everyone that she was already going to have one?
"Good job, Angel Girl," she turned around when she heard Tess walking towards her.
"Thanks Aunt Tess. Where to next?"
"Well, I have a little surprise for you. We're going Christmas shopping in New York City."
"Really?"
"Well, the Christmas shopping needs to be done sometime, doesn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose that it does. Do you know where we're going to be on Christmas anyway?"
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't!"
"So, you won't tell me?"
"It's a surprise. And as we shop today, I want you to keep guessing."
"You want me to guess what my surprise is?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Never mind." Tessa said as she suddenly found herself in New York City.
"So where to first, Miss Wings?"
"I don't know, you always let me pick things like this, you pick for once."
"Ok, how about Macy's."
"Perfect. The Macy's here is so huge, and they have absolutely everything."
"Wouldn't it be something if we only needed Macy's for our Christmas shopping?"
"It sure would, but it would kind of spoil everything, namely the privilege of shopping in New York City."
"Yeah, your right. But we shouldn't shop too much. That isn't what Christmas is even about."
"I know Tess. But you have to fit in the world, just a little."
"You are so well-rounded sweetheart."
"Thank you."
The night before.
"Mommy!" Zoë screamed.
"What sweetie, what is it?" She said as she quickly came into Zoë's room. "It's the middle of the night. And we don't want to wake Aunt Gloria, do we?"
"Sorry Mommy." She whispered. "I just had a nightmare, that's all."
"What was it about?"
"Monique and Kathleen, and stuff."
"Ah, well do you want to go get some coffee and talk about it?"
"I would love to."
"Hi Monica, hi Zoë."
"Did Zoë wake you?" Monica asked as she began to make the coffee.
"No, but I heard her scream, I was just too tired to come all the way upstairs to see how she was. What happened Zoë?"
"Just a nightmare."
"Well, sweetie, that didn't sound like just any nightmare."
"It wasn't, it was about Monique and Kathleen and them. I'm afraid they'll come and get me."
"Sweetheart, no one's going to get you, not ever Daddy and I won't let that happen, do you understand?" Zoë nodded.
"Uncle Adam and I don't like the idea of it either." Zoë smiled.
"And I know just what Aunt Tess would say to them." They all laughed.
"Speaking of which, they should be arriving in a few days."
"Really, Christmas is a busy time, I thought that they would've had assignments."
"Well Tessa is still a child, she should get to spend Christmas with her family."
"Yeah, Christmas just wouldn't be the same without either of them."
"This means that we have to go Christmas shopping tomorrow. Are you feeling up to it Gloria?"
"Oh, definitely! I couldn't miss out on shopping!"
"Will there be Starbucks?" Zoë asked.
"Yes sweetie, there will be Starbucks."
"Good." The girl smiled, her Mother and Aunt exchanged glances.
"Alright Zoë, I think it's just about your bed time."
"No." She yawned. "I don't need to."
"Yes, and we've been through this before."
"You know," Gloria, said, "even Tessa needs to sleep."
"Really?"
"Yeah, of course she does."
"Alright then." Zoë gave in, and let her Mother take her back to bed.
"So, Tess, I know that I am supposed to be guessing where we are going and all, but I haven't seen my Mom, my Dad or my sister since October. I haven't even ran into my Dad or Uncle Adam for a while, so what happened to them, where are they?"
"Because of Gloria's...condition."
"I don't mean to cut you off or anything, but I just have to know, are you still mad about that?"
"About what?"
"About Aunt Gloria and Uncle Adam getting married, and about the baby and all."
"It guess it just all happened a little to quickly for me, that's all."
"I bet you felt this way when my Mom was going to have me."
"No sweetie, I was just as excited about you as anyone. And anyway, back to what I was saying. Because of your Aunt's condition she and Adam, along with your parents, and Zoë moved somewhere that you still have to guess and bought a house, just until the baby's a few month's old, then it's back to regular casework!"
"Does Zoë like it?"
"Very much baby very much."
"Does she go to regular school?"
"Yes and she loves it."
"Are you okay?" Monica asked Gloria as she came back downstairs after taking Zoë back to bed.
"Just a little tired, that's all. I'm not really in pain, just well, very uncomfortable I guess."
"That's understandable, you always feel like that after seven months. It'll get better very soon Gloria, I promise. Of course its going to get worse before it's better, but when you hold your baby its all worth it."
"Thank you Monica, I know you're right. Do you want any more?"
"Perhaps, it's not like I am getting any older, right?"
"No," she laughed, "I guess you're not are you?"
"You're not either, none of us are except our children, I suppose that I should have at least one more little cherub, I don't know how I'll be able to handle it after Zoë leaves."
"That would be nice, you see I love kids but I already know that I won't be doing this again."
"Never say never."
"I didn't. I just meant that I am probably not going to chose to do this again."
"Oh you might be surprised."
"I guess that is always a possibility. Anyway, I am going to go read a few novels, see you in the morning Monica."
"Ok." Monica said as she went back to her coffee. She took her cup and went to look out the kitchen window as the snow gently fell to the ground. She smiled. Christmas was so fun, so wonderful. The conversation that she had just had with Gloria was slightly strange. Had she wanted more children? Of course she did. But how could she possibly tell everyone that she was already going to have one?