December 23 - Evening

"Mom, we're here," Shane called.

She and Oliver carried the bags of food into the dining room.

Alex sniffed appreciatively. "Chinese? I haven't had Chinese food in ages."

Chris looked at the many bags of food.

"That's an awful lot for just the four of us."

"We're expecting someone else," Shane told her.

"Oliver's father?"

"No."

"Rita and Norman?"

"No."

"Then whom?"

A knock sounded on the door.

"You'll see."

"I'll go," Oliver offered.

A minute later, Oliver returned to the dining room with Uncle Mike.

Chris walked up to him.

"Good evening," she said. "I'm Christine McInerney. Welcome."

"Christine, don't you recognize me?" Uncle Mike asked her.

Chris backed up a step. Her hand went to her throat and her face turned white.

"Mike?"

"Yes." He held out his arms to her.

Chris burst into tears and ran into his arms.

"Where? When? How did you find him?" Chris asked Oliver a few minutes later.

"He owns the jewelry store where I purchased Shane's Christmas present," Oliver said.

"Would you mind telling me what you've been doing with yourself all these years?" Chris asked Mike. "Why you never called me? Never wrote?"

"Why don't we have dinner first and then I'll tell you all about it."

"That's a good idea, Mom," Shane told her. "Let's sit down."

"Enjoy your meal," Oliver told them. "I need to leave."

"You can't stay?" Chris asked.

"I have choir practice in half an hour," he said.

Shane packed several items into a bag and then pulled a bottle of YooHoo from the refrigerator. She handed them to Oliver.

"Oliver sings in the church choir. He has a solo in the Christmas Day service."

"I look forward to hearing it," Chris told him.

"Thank you. Enjoy your evening, everyone."

"I'll be right back," Shane said.

Oliver took Shane's coat from the closet and held it for her. They stepped outside and stood on the porch. Oliver lifted her arm and traced his hand over her bracelet.

"God truly works in mysterious ways. My Christmas gift to you was the means of reuniting your mother and her brother."

Shane smiled. "Trust the timing."

"Trust the timing," Oliver echoed.

"Come back when you're finished. We have so much to celebrate."

Oliver took her in his arms and claimed her lips in a long, sweet kiss.

"Have a good practice," Shane said as he released her.

"I'll see you later," Oliver said.

Mike pulled the letter from his jacket pocket as soon as they finished eating.

"I left Chicago the day I mailed this. For the next five years, I drove from place to place, stopping long enough to earn money, then leaving again. I'd been all over the country but couldn't seem to settle down. I didn't write any more since I didn't have a permanent address, but I had sent this letter and you knew I was OK.

"I arrived in Denver the first of November. I stood outside my car, breathing in the crisp, clean air and admiring the snow capped mountains in the distance. I felt like I'd come home. I hadn't picked up a pencil or brush in all that time, but standing there, I had an overwhelming urge to capture the beauty of those far-off mountains. I took a room at the local YMCA and found a job washing dishes.

"My room wasn't too far from Washington Park. That was my favorite place to draw or paint. One day, a young woman walking in the park stopped and admired my work. We talked for a few minutes and I invited her for coffee. Her name was Marilyn. Over the next few weeks, she would come to the park from time to time and we'd talk.

"She invited me to spend Christmas with her family. I'd told her very little about mine, only that both parents had died and I had no family in the area. I had a wonderful time. Her parents were so gracious. They owned a jewelry store in Larimer Square that specialized in custom-designed pieces. I showed her dad the picture of me and the girls and told him about the necklaces. I didn't tell them who you were. He respected my privacy and didn't ask. He was so impressed he asked me if I'd be interested in designing jewelry for his clients. I'd never considered such a thing, but I'd grown tired of living at the Y and wanted my own apartment. Besides, I'd developed feelings for Marilyn and wanted to date her. I needed a better income than dishwasher.

"I started working for him the first of the year. I loved it. For the first time in a long time, I was happy. Good job, good money, and a very special lady that I'd fallen in love with. Three years later, I asked Marilyn to marry me. I'd never told her about my past, but with a wedding coming up I knew it was time for the truth. She wasn't surprised. She'd been pretty sure the girls in the photo were relatives.

"The wedding invitations were mailed and I waited with some trepidation for your response. I'd been out of touch with you for eight years. I didn't know if you would want anything to do with me after all that time."

"I never received a wedding invitation," Chris told him.

"It came back marked 'Moved, no forwarding'."

"Things happened," Chris said.

Alex shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Marilyn and I were married. Our daughter was born five years later. We named her Christine, after you."

He pulled out his wallet, removed a picture and handed it to Chris.

"She's beautiful."

"She turned 16 earlier this year. I made her the matching necklace for her birthday. Marilyn's parents retired last year. I own the store now.

"Who would have imagined that a gentleman named Oliver O'Toole would come into my store to purchase a gift for his fiancé, and his fiancé would be my niece? What a coincidence."

"We don't believe in coincidences," Shane told him. " Oliver says 'Coincidence is the middle name of the Almighty'. We believe in Divine Deliveries. We don't find the lost letters, they find us. Just in time to be delivered. We believe in miracles."

The doorbell rang.

"Come in, Oliver," Shane called.

The door didn't open.

"Excuse me," Shane said.

She walked to the entry, opened the door, and just stood there. Oliver wasn't standing on the porch. It was Dale.

"Good evening, Shane. May I come in?"

"Of course."

Dale stepped inside just as Chris came into the entry.

"Shane, who are you talking to?"

She saw Dale standing there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's all right, Mom. I'd like you to meet our friend, Dale Travers. Dale, this is my mother, Christine McInerney."

"Pleased to meet you," Dale responded. Her voice quivered and her hands shook.

"Are you ok," Shane asked.

"No, I'm not."

She took a deep breath.

"Shane, there's been an accident."