December 1st, 1995

Liz smiled as she watched the children from the pediatric wing take turns sitting on Santa's lap to tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

This was a particularly hard time for kids to be in the hospital. They did everything they could to make it easier.

Her smile widened when Lux climbed into Santa's lap. She'd become especially attached to Lux.

The child had no one. She'd been in the hospital since she was born. Fern had never been able to find adoptive parents for her because of her heart condition.

Lux's heart condition had been more severe that they'd originally thought. She'd needed multiple surgeries. The kid had been cut open twice already and still had one surgery to go.

Lux climbed down from Santa's lap. She saw Liz and hurried over. "Liz, I saw Santa!" Lux said.

Liz laughed and picked the toddler up. "I saw. Did you tell him what you wanted for Christmas?"

Lux nodded. "I told him I want a mommy and a daddy," she said sweetly.

Tears stung Liz's eyes when she heard what Lux wanted for Christmas. The other kids had asked for toys, dolls and games. No child should have to ask for a family for Christmas.

"Did you ask for anything else?" Liz asked.

"Uh-huh. I wanna go to Disney World," Lux said.

"What's your favorite Disney movie?" Liz asked.

"Cinderella," Lux replied. "'Cause she's like me."

"How's she like you?" Liz asked.

"She has light hair and she doesn't have a mommy or daddy either," Lux said.

"Do you want to watch Cinderella?" Liz asked, hoping to distract Lux from the happy families in the hospital lobby.

"Yeah!" Lux replied.

Liz set Lux down on her bed in the pediatric wing and put the movie in the VCR.

"Do you need anything else before I go?" Liz asked.

Lux frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go back to work," Liz replied.

"I want you to watch with me," Lux said angrily, her bottom lip sticking out.

"I want to watch with you, too, Sweetie, but I can't. I'll tell you what. I'll come back and hang out with you when I'm done with work," Liz said.

"Promise?" Lux asked.

Liz smiled. "I promise."

"'Kay," Lux said.

"You're late," Liz's husband, Mark, commented when she finally got home.

"I know. Sorry," Liz said as she helped herself to a piece of the pizza sitting on the kitchen counter. She joined Mark on the couch.

Mark frowned when he saw his wife's face. She looked like she had a lot on her mind. "Did you lose a patient today?" He asked.

"No," Liz replied.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked.

Liz sighed. "You know that kid I told you about? Lux?"

"The one that hasn't been adopted because of her heart defect?" Mark said knowingly. Liz had talked about the little girl more than once.

"Yeah," Liz replied. "Today Santa came. Lux asked for parents."

Mark made a face. "That's horrible."

"I know," Liz agreed. "When I was her age, I asked for a pony."

Mark laughed. "Did you get it?"

"Close. I got a puppy instead," Liz replied, smiling slightly.

December 25th, 1995

Liz made her way through the pediatric wing, checking on her patients.

No one had wanted to work on Christmas day. She'd volunteered because she was one of the only nurses that didn't have children. Mark didn't mind waiting for her to celebrate.

"Hi Johnny," Liz said brightly as she entered the seven-year old boy's room. His parents had pulled chairs beside his bed. He was in the middle of opening presents, tearing back the wrapping paper and throwing it on the floor.

"Hi Liz! Look what I got!" Johnny held up a video game.

"Wow! That is so cool," Liz said.

"Sorry about the mess. We'll clean it up," Johnny's mother said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," Liz said kindly. "I'll be out of your hair in just a few minutes. I just need to draw blood."

Johnny's smile disappeared. "Do you have to?" He whined.

Liz nodded.

"Now Johnny, you need to be a good boy and let Liz draw blood," Johnny's dad said.

Johnny's mother held his hand. He closed his eyes while Liz drew blood.

"I'm done now," Liz said. "You were so good."

Johnny grinned. "I am good. That's why Santa brought me all these presents."

Liz smiled. All of her patients were being a little more difficult than usual today, but she understood. What kid wanted to spend Christmas in the hospital?

Taking time out from opening presents and being with family to have blood drawn was no fun.

Liz opened the door to Lux's room. "What's wrong?" She asked when she saw Lux crying.

Lux was crying too hard to answer. She buried her head in the pillow on her bed.

Liz sat down beside Lux. "Lux, what's wrong?" She asked again, more firmly this time. "You need to stop crying and tell me what's wrong."

Lux swiped at her eyes. "Santa didn't bring me anything," she managed in between sobs.

"Oh, Sweetie." Liz patted Lux's back gently.

"I was good. I wasn't naughty. And he still didn't bring me anything," Lux said, tears streaming down her face.

"You were good," Liz agreed. "Maybe he put your presents in the wrong room. There are lots of rooms here."

Lux's sobs subsided and she looked up hopefully. "Do you think?" She asked softly.

Liz nodded. "I'm gonna go check."

Liz used her lunch break to run to the toy store. She should have known no one would get Lux anything. Lux was such a good kid. She deserved to have a good Christmas like all the other kids.

Liz bought a stuffed bear, a baby doll, and a few Disney princess coloring books for Lux. She asked the cashier to wrap them.

Lux was waiting when Liz returned. Her eyes lit up when she saw the presents. "Are those all for me?" She wondered.

"Yes. You must have been really good this year," Liz said.

She watched as Lux tore back the wrapping paper. "Look!" Lux said, holding up her presents to show Liz.

Liz smiled.

Lux frowned slightly. "But he didn't get me what I asked for."

Liz sighed. "I don't know if Santa's elves can make parents, Lux."

"I made my rounds today. All of the kids' parents visited and brought them presents. And then I get to Lux's room and she's alone. She was crying because Santa didn't bring her anything," Liz told Mark as they ate Christmas dinner.

Mark shook his head sadly. "Poor kid."

"I went to the toy store during my lunch break and got her a few things. Nothing big. She was so excited," Liz said.

"How much longer will she be in the hospital?" Mark asked.

"Not too long. Her last surgery is in a week. Then she can go home." Liz frowned. "Well, not home. Foster care."

"Won't she get adopted once she's well?" Mark asked.

Liz shook her head. "Her social worker said it gets harder to find adoptive parents as kids get older."

Mark frowned. "She's only two?"

Liz nodded. "But most people want babies, not toddlers."

Mark sipped his wine and thought for a moment. "After the surgery will Lux be healthy? She won't have any health problems in the long-run?"

"She's be as good as new," Liz said.

"We've been talking about having kids soon. You care a great deal about this kid. Would you like to adopt her instead of having our own?" Mark asked.

Liz stared at Mark open-mouthed. They had talked about starting a family now that both of them were successful in their careers, but they'd never talked about adopting. "Would you really be OK with that?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I weren't," Mark said.

January 3, 1996

"Is Lux ready to go?" Fern asked.

"No. Her last surgery is scheduled for this week, though," Liz replied.

"Let me know when she's ready and I'll pick her up," Fern said.

"Fern, she asked Santa for parents for Christmas. She was crying on Christmas morning because Santa didn't bring her anything," Liz said sadly.

Fern nodded, her expression grim. "It's hard to see."

"I want to adopt her," Liz blurted out.

Fern stared at Liz open-mouthed. "Are you sure?"

Liz nodded. "I don't know how you do your job. If I saw kids like Lux all day every day, I would want to adopt them all."

Fern smiled slightly. "It's hard, but someone has to be there for them."

January 9, 1996

Liz watched as the anesthesia gradually wore off. Lux struggled to open her eyes. She tried to sit up in her hospital bed, but she was still too weak.

"Do you need anything?" Liz asked.

"Liz?" Lux said groggily.

"Yes, Sweetie," Liz replied, tucking Lux back in.

"Did the doctor fix my heart?" Lux asked.

"Yes. You're better now," Liz replied.

"All better?" Lux asked.

Liz smiled. "Yes."

"Where am I gonna go now?" Lux asked uncertainly. All she'd known in her nearly three years was the hospital.

Liz hesitated. "Would you like to come live with me?"

Lux smiled. "Yeah!"

Liz breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't known how to tell Lux she'd adopted her.

January 16, 1996

Liz folded the last of Lux's clothes and packed them in a suitcase. Lux held up her stuffed bear. "Don't forget Bear."

Liz smiled. "I won't." She set the bear in the suitcase.

Liz glanced around the hospital room that had been Lux's home for the first few years of her life to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. "Are you ready?"

Lux nodded.

"Hold my hand, OK?" Liz said.

Lux grabbed Liz's hand. Liz pulled Lux along to her car. She picked Lux up and set her in the car seat she'd bought the day before.

Liz pulled into her driveway. She tried to unbuckle Lux, but the toddler was squirming around in her car seat. "Hold still so I can get you out, OK?"

Lux obeyed and Liz managed to get her out of the car. Lux ran toward the door. "Lux, don't run! You're gonna fall," Liz warned.

Lux ignored her, but stopped dead in her tracks when Mark opened the front door. Lux fell as a result of the sudden stop and instantly started crying.

Liz scooped Lux up. Her knee was bleeding where it had hit the pavement. Liz set Lux down on the kitchen counter and cleaned the cut. Lux was really good while Liz worked. She'd gotten used to being poked and prodded because of her heart condition.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Lux," Mark said kindly.

Lux looked at Liz uncertainly.

"Lux, this is my husband, Mark," Liz said.

Lux nodded. "Does he live here too?" She asked quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

"Yes," Liz replied.

Lux took awhile to warm up to Mark, but he was patient with her. By the end of the first evening, Lux's shyness had disappeared and she was chattering non-stop.

Lux fell asleep in between Liz and Mark on the couch.

"She's exhausted," Mark commented.

Liz smiled. "She's had a big day."

Mark picked Lux up and carried her into the bedroom they'd decorated for Lux. Liz pulled back the covers and Mark gently set Lux down.

"She's a good kid," he said, rubbing Liz's back.

"Yeah, she is. She's our kid," Liz said softly.

Mark smiled. "Our kid. I like the way that sounds."