CHAPTER 5: PARENTAL PONDERINGS PART I

Lizzie squealed in joy. Leave it to Daddy to make everything right again. Of course Daddy would tell her the truth straight out. He would never lie to her. Satisfied at last, kitchen counter, exclaiming, "Wanna see my pony? I'm making a cookie that looks like My Little Pony!"

"My Little Pony!" Sam exclaimed, peeking into the oven. "That cookie sounds too pretty to eat!"

When he straightened up, Jo was beside him. "Where's Matt?" she asked him pointedly.

"In the yard," Sam answered. "He's got this crazy idea to set up an eight-station feeding post where Santa's reindeer can stop to snack on carrots and celery while the Big Guy is inside chomping down on these delicious cookies you're making. He's putting on a tarp roof right now, in case it's raining. It's actually coming along pretty nicely. Wanna see?"

"Yes," Jo said instantly, taking her husband by the arm. "Let's go outside and see. Lizzie, I'll be right back. Call me if the buzzer rings."

Jo dragged Sam out of the house, coming to a stop in that nebulous area on the porch where they were far enough away from both Lizzie in the kitchen and Matt in the yard to speak to each other without either child being able to hear.

"Sam McGuire!" Jo hissed. "Why in the world did you say that?"

Baffled, Sam knit his eyebrows and asked, "Say what?"

"Why did you say that about Santa Claus? About him being real!"

Further lost, Sam defended himself with, "I thought the kids believe in Santa. I thought we AGREED we were gonna let them believe for as long as they felt comfortable with it."

"Yes, we did. We have. But Lizzie is beginning to have…doubts."

"She is?" Sam asked, a tinge of sadness in his voice. He now felt one step closer to dancing with Lizzie at her wedding to the strains of "Daddy's Little Girl."

"I'm sorry," Sam went on apologetically. "I didn't know."

"She asked you if Santa Claus is real!" Jo reminded. "When a child asks you that, it means they're having doubts!"

"Well, I…I'm sorry! What should I have said? I don't know!"

Jo sighed. "I don't know either," she answered dejectedly. "This is not an easy thing to deal with."

"How did it happen, anyway?" Sam asked. "Did she see something on TV? Did someone say something to her? It wasn't that movie we took them to, was it?"

"No. It wasn't the movie. Or TV. But yes. Someone said something. Gordo said something."

Now Sam sighed, understanding completely. "The Psychiatrists' Kid…" he breathed through clenched teeth. Then, "Jo, I know Roberta's your friend and all, but I just don't get those people, the way they choose to raise their kid, sucking all the joy out of childhood."

"Well, I don't always agree with them either," Jo allowed, "but as you said, Roberta is my friend, and we have an agreement to at least respect each other's parenting choices, even if we don't always agree. But this…this…"

"This is stepping over the line," Sam supplied. "I thought Gordo was under an Oath of Silence Not to Reveal."

"So did I," Jo sighed. "Something must have happened."

"Well, disaster averted…for NOW," Sam reminded, "thanks to ME. But I think you ought to have a talk with Roberta and let her know what's going on. Let her know to make sure this doesn't happen again."

"I don't know," Jo said uncertainly. "Maybe it's all for the best, you know? Maybe it's time Lizzie began to face the realities of—"

"No," Sam said flatly. "You saw how happy she was when I told her Santa Claus is real. She wants to believe. So we're gonna let her believe. At least for a little while longer. At least until I learn how to dance…okay?"

Jo sighed. "You're right," she agreed. "I'll call Roberta tonight. We'll straighten this thing out."