"My cousin Philip is coming from Heidelberg for Christmas," Anna told Anne as the women were shopping together on their lunch break. "He says he's always wanted to see the United States, and now would be a good time to come."

"Cool!" Anne replied. "This one's nice, don't you think?" She held up a navy blue sweater for her friend's inspection. "Maybe I could get it for my Dad and one in hunter green for George."

"I think it's lovely," Anna replied. "And since they are half price, you can buy two for the price of one!"

"That was the whole idea of coming today." Both women laughed.

"While he's here, I want him to meet Maria," Anna remarked.

Anne frowned. "Do you really think that would work out? I mean, she's just so very Catholic, and he's Lutheran like you, isn't he?"

"So what? Charles is Catholic, and we get along fine."

"Charles?" Anne laughed. "He may call himself a Catholic, but he's really no more Catholic than he is Buddhist."

Anna looked shocked for just a minute, then giggled.

Anne grinned. "You know it's true."

The women paid for their purchases and then returned to work.

Saturday evening, Anne was wrapping presents to put under her tree when she received a surprise visit from Louis and his daughter. She recognized the little girl right away.

"Well, hello there! Come on in!" She stepped aside so her guests could enter.

"Thank you. Come on, sweetie," Louis urged his daughter, who stood staring with round eyes. "She's a little bashful around new people," he explained.

"Oh, that's all right!" Anne knelt to the child's level. "My name is Anne! What's yours?"

"Reese. Are you my Daddy's friend?"

"Well, yes, I'd say we've become pretty good friends."

"Daddy told me I was going to meet his friend. I didn't know you were a grownup lady."

Both adults laughed.

"You sure are a sweetheart," said Anne.

"Thank you. We're going to the mall to see Santa. Want to come with us?"

"Sure, if it's OK with your Dad."

"We'd love to have you along," Louis told Anne.

She put the presents aside and followed Louis and Reese to his car, where he fastened Reese into her booster seat in the back, then opened Anne's door for her.

On the way, Reese began to sing 'Jingle Bells,' and Anne joined in. After a line or two, Louis began to sing along with them. They arrived at the mall, where they joined a long line of cars searching for an empty space. Louis spotted one and began to pull into it when the car behind them darted around them and sped into it. Anne bristled, smothering the curse words that had been about to erupt from her mouth.

"We were there first!" she protested instead.

Louis heaved a deep sigh. "Never mind."

He eventually found an empty spot at the very end of one of the rows. Still steamed about the stolen parking spot, Anne didn't say a word as they got out of the car. It took Reese's delight in the holiday decorations inside the mall to put her in a better mood.

"Where's Santa?" the little girl asked.

"Looks like he's over there." Louis nodded in the direction of the fast-growing line of children and parents.

As they were waiting for Reese's turn to sit on Santa's knee, Louis became enthralled by the electric train running in a long track around the miniature village exhibit. "That's really fascinating, the way that was put together," he remarked. "The way it starts and stops at just the right times - like to wait for the drawbridge to come back down - I wonder whether I could make something like it."

"I'm sure it's controlled by some computer program," Anne replied.

Louis sighed. "Everything is these days."

"Everybody, this is my cousin, Philip Neuberg," Anna announced at the Aquarium of the Americas annual Christmas party. Anne saw that Philip was a very attractive young man in his early twenties with brown hair and grey eyes. When it was her turn to say hello to him, he smiled and shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said in a slight but noticeable German accent.

"He's perfect for her!" Anne told Louis after Philip had moved on.

"You should introduce them, then." Louis was watching Reese, who was busy at play with a couple of other children.

"Perhaps we could double date this weekend," Anne suggested.

"Hey, Daddy," called Reese. "Can we go to the park after this?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Louis replied.

"What a beautiful little girl!" Louis and Anne turned to see Philip standing beside them. "Is she your daughter?"

"She's my daughter," Louis told him.

Philip blushed. "I'm sorry. I thought the two of you were married."

Anne laughed. "Oh, no. We're just dating. So what kind of work do you do?"

"I'm almost finished with university. I start law school in the fall."

Later, at the park, Anne watched as Louis pushed Reese in a swing. "You're such a good father," she told him.

"Thanks. I try to be."

"I've always wanted children," said Anne. An awkward silence followed. "Can I push her for awhile?"

"Is it OK for Miss Anne to push you?" Louis asked his daughter.

"Yep!"

As Anne pushed his daughter in her swing, Louis looked on and beamed.

They stayed at the park until it was quite late, and then Louis drove Anne home. "I enjoyed the party," he told her. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Thanks for coming!" she replied. "I enjoyed it, too."

They kissed goodbye, and Louis drove home thinking how much he missed her already. He couldn't wait to give her the present he'd bought her.