"There, that's the last present."
Rick stood back from the huge tree, green and fragrant and glowing with dozens of lights. It was Christmas Eve, and he was finally getting back his Christmas spirit.
"Think you two got enough stuff?" His brother teased, plopping down in Rick's easy chair.
"Oh yeah, wait until she sees that pendant, it's got so much fire in it, it'll probably glow in the dark." Rick crowed, then saw a large box with his name on it.
"Hmmm, wonder what this is?" Rick shook it, then snorted when A.J. needled "If she catches you doing that, you're going to get coal.!"
"Yeah, right." He smirked, then quickly put the box back under the tree when he heard footsteps.
"There's our Christmas Elves." Rick saw Andy and Lala and Petey come in from the guest room, then immediately race over to give him and their uncle a hug.
"Grandpa, I think we made Grandma sad." Lala piped up, then Andy nodded as Petey added, "She's cwying."
Startled, Rick looked over at A.J., who cleared his throat. "Andy, why is your Grandma sad? Did she hurt herself?"
"No, Uncle A.J., she told us we could help fill the stockings for the Christmas party at the Cultural Center. She was pretending, well, she was getting stuff from her Treasure Chest, when she pulled out something, then …" the boy wiped his eyes and looked down until Rick gave him a hug.
"Then what, Andy?"
"She said, "oh Mike, " then put her head down and started shaking. I asked her if she was okay, and she said yes, then asked me if I'd take Lala and Pete to see the Christmas tree." Andy swallowed hard as Rick patted his shoulder. A.J. lifted the two younger children onto his lap as Rick spoke.
"You didn't make her sad, Andy, nor Lala or Petey." He looked at each worried little face. "I think Grandma's been so busy trying to make everyone feel better, she didn't get a chance to be sorry for Mike not being here. I'll go see her." Rick got up as Robbie came in the room, carrying more presents.
"Son, can you get a glass of water for your mother, the kids say she's upset. I'm going to check on her now."
"Sure, Pop. She's been working so hard on getting things organized for Christmas….I'll be right in." Robbie said with a worried expression.
As Rick went into their room, he saw his wife kneeling by the bed, her face buried in the bedspread.
Quietly he approached her, then saw something in her hand. A dog collar, blue with a silver heart.
"Laurie, sweetheart." He whispered, then held out his arms as she lifted her wet face and turned to look at him. "Rick, oh I'm sorry." She murmured brokenly, then launched herself into his embrace.
Great tearing sobs erupted from her as Rick sat on the bed and just held her. He comforted her and whispered "I'm sorry, I miss him too, darlin'."
After a few moments her shaking stopped as he added, "I'm gonna miss him covering his eyes when you blow your nose, angel. Remember?"
Laurie raised her eyes to his, still sniffing, and a faint smile touched her lips. "I remember, he was so cute, and you and A.J. were so bad to teach him that. Naughty guys."
"I know, Laurie. But as long as you and I think of that silly dog, he won't be gone to us." Rick told her, taking his handkerchief and wiping her face. Blowing her nose for her, she giggled through her sniffles.
"I love you, Rick. You are my safe place, my husband who gives me strength." She said, then kissed him.
"Oh, sweetheart." Rick was touched by her words. "I love you, I'll always be there for you."
"Mama, are you all right?" Robbie was at the door, holding a glass of water, and Rick helped her to sit up and take a sip.
"Yes, Robbie. Thank you." Laurie beamed at her tall son, then drew his face down for a kiss. "You have been so good in helping us, with how busy you and Ramona have been."
"I wish I could have been a bigger help with everything. That's the worst part of working two jobs." Robbie told them, frustrated.
"Son, you've been a great help, especially when we can't get back in time to do chores, or when I don't want your mother driving the slick roads." Rick reminded him. "I just wish we had more time to spend together."
"Pop, I've been thinking, and talking something over with Ramona." Robbie blurted out. "What would you and Mama think of me quitting working with Phoenix PD, and just work for the Silver Rock Sheriff's station and….."
"And what, Robbie?" Rick asked.
"And I come to work with you and Uncle A.J., and you teach me how to be a private eye?"
Rick's jaw dropped open, and he dimly registered that Laurie's sharp intake of breath meant it was a surprise to her too.
Teaching his son…..working with Robbie, keeping him safe and at the same time passing on the family business…..
"Pop?"
A slow grin spread across his face as he looked at his wife. She too was smiling now, then nodded at his unspoken request.
"Well now, we'd have to have some ground rules, son. No taking unnecessary chances, no going in after the bad guy until you have back up…." Rick began, then couldn't continue his teasing at the look of happiness on his boy's face.
"Pop……I promise, I'll mind all the rules you and Uncle A.J. didn't …" Robbie started, then he enveloped his parents in an emotional hug.
"Guys? I've got some anxious kiddies here." A.J.'s voice came from the doorway, and Rick cleared his throat. "Okay, everyone dog pile in here."
Immediately the room was filled with grandchildren, nieces, nephews, Ramona and Ian and Robin. After the first round of hugs, a little black streak came bounding in, barking and wagging.
"Sweetheart, why don't you put his present on him?" Rick told Laurie, then wanted to bite his tongue.
"Darling, this was….what?" Laurie saw Rick holding the blue leather collar, then he turned it over to show that the silver heart tag was engraved "Prince Rex".
"Rick…I had it made for Mike, it was supposed to read "Mikey". She gasped, then Rick took her hand.
"Maybe they made a mistake…or maybe…." Rick stopped as Laurie gently said "Maybe Mikey wanted Rex to have this." Leaning over, she put the collar around Rex's neck, then giggled as he jumped up to lick her face.
"You're welcome, Rexy. Here, go to daddy while I get up and fix us some lunch."
"Here, Mama." Robin and Robbie each gave her a hand up while Rick picked the wriggling dog up.
"Come on, Rex, let's go help the elves." He quipped, to the delight of the younger children.
"Yeah! Grandpa's going to help us!" Andy cheered, as A.J. laughed.
"Okay, little brother, just for that you can be in charge of the candy canes." Rick pretended to huff.
A.J. just smirked. "Fine with me, but what's this about Robbie wanting to join the firm?"
Over a pile of net stockings and Christmas candy, Rick filled him on Robbie's idea. "Is it okay with you, A.J.? I should have talked over with you first, but…"
"Calm down, Rick. I think it's a great idea, wish I'd thought of it ages ago. I was pretty sore that Phoenix PD's been running him ragged, now he'll have more time to spend with his family. I don't know why you didn't think of it first, must be age." A.J. smiled, then ducked his brother's attempt to whack him.
"Careful, A.J.. Not too late for Santa to fill your stocking with coal, and not the licorice kind either." Rick kidded, then chuckled as Ricky needled, "Yeah, Dad. Nasty dirty coal."
"I'll coal you, young man, stop eating the gumdrops." A.J. warned, wanting to laugh at his son's look of surprise. Ceci loudly whispered to her brother "told you so."
"And you, Miss, no more chocolate stars for you." Linda came in and moved the bag of sweets to the center of the kitchen table, then gathered up the completed Christmas stockings and put them in a large filing box.
Robin's loud snort of laughter caught everyone's attention, as he pointed at a very happy Rex, who was enjoying an orange slice under the table.
"Rex……" Rick tried not to laugh, then Laurie came into the room and started giggling. "You guys….naughty dog!" she wheezed, then squealed as Rick pulled her onto his lap and fed her a piece of licorice.
"A sweet for my sweet." He said, getting a kiss in return. "Thank you, love. This is the kind of spoiling I like." Laurie added.
"Speaking of spoiled, time we got the goodies over to the Center, guys." A.J. noted, then Linda helped put things away as Rick boxed up the dozens of filled Christmas treats.
Later, Rick felt very blessed as he listened to his mother reading their favorite Christmas story in front ofthefireplace. The children's party at the Cultural Center was a welcome change to an otherwise bleak holiday for the orphaned children of the area, and he'd gotten a kick out of passing out presents.
Now here he was, surrounded by his friends and family.
"Grandma, read it again!" little Robin said as Cecilia closed the storybook.
"Well, instead of me reading, why don't we have your daddy and Uncle Rick do "Rudolph?", she suggested innocently, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Mom……." Both Simon brothers groaned, then Laurie poked Rick. "Go on, darling, you guys didn't get to do it last year."
"Laurie…." Rick grumbled under his breath, then made a big thing of getting up from his chair and standing in the middle of the living room. "Come on, A.J.."
"Oh, good, I always miss this part of the evening." Oscar Goldman came in from the kitchen, then perched next to Cecilia as A.J. shook his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, we planned it that way…..okay?"
Amid the waves of hysterical laughter, Rick and A.J. acted out the story of the reindeer, then sat down to enthusiastic applause. Just as Rick looked to see where Rex was, he spotted the rambunction dog docily sitting in Oscar's lap. A shiny object caught his eye, and he saw a small silver heart hanging from the older man's watchband.
Rick smiled, he knew where Rex's little "present" had come from.
At once a hearty "ho, ho, ho" sounded, and "Santa" was at the door. Immediately Petey and Robin ran up to the old gentleman. "Santa, Santa, did you come to eat with us?"
"Not tonight, little guys. I came to bring a few presents to some good boys and girls here." "Santa" answered, his eyes very bright at the generous sentiments of the children. Oscar sighed as Cecelia murmured "I'm glad you let Rudy do it this year, everyone should get to be a Santa."
As the children each took their turn at sitting on Santa's lap, Rick put an arm around his wife.
"Happy, sweetheart?"
"Yes, Rick, I've got everything I want, and I didn't even have to ask Santa." She whispered, then added, "And I have you, love."
"And I have you, and our family, and best of all, a new partner." Rick leaned his cheek against hers.
"All right, you two, time to tell Santa if you've been good or not!" "Santa" teased.
As husband and wife each took their turn with St. Nick, Ron and Abby Johnson came in from the cold, their son Joey running ahead of them to sit with his friends.
"Merry Christmas, pal. Did we miss anything?" he puffed to A.J. as he handed him a bag of goodies.
"Just Rick and I getting a new partner for Christmas." The younger Simon smiled, then caught his brother's eye as he went to greet the newcomers.
"Merry Christmas, Rick." He mouthed, then saw a return smile.
"Merry Christmas, A.J.."
