up her car from Swede’s Garage, where they’d put on those snow tires she’d been postponing purchasing. Then she fetched Leo from Rita’s house, which was his home away from home when Sienna was at the bookstore. It was a good arrangement. Rita worked nights at Zelda’s, so she was home during the day and was happy to have Leo around, as he kept little Linda entertained. Plus, the price was right: free—always a good thing for a single mom who had stretched her budget to buy her house. Child support from the creep only went so far.
“How was your day?” Sienna asked, hugging her son.
“I helped Tía Rita make cookies,” he told her.
“You did?”
He nodded eagerly.
“He’s very good at stirring,” Rita confirmed.
“That’s nice to hear. You’re a good helper,” Sienna said and mussed his thick, dark hair. “Come on, handsome, let’s go home and make some hamburgers.”
“Hamburgers, yes!” Leo cheered and raced for the door.
“Why don’t you let Tito watch him tonight and you come to Zelda’s for a while?” Rita suggested. “There’s a new band playing in the bar.”
“I’m too tired,” Sienna said. “We had a busy day at the bookstore.”
“Tired,” Rita echoed in disgust. “You’re too young to be tired. You’re only thirty-five.”
“Well, tonight I feel like I’m eighty-five. And my feet hurt.”
Rita frowned. “You gotta get out, chica. You need a life. You need a man.”
“I have a life with Leo, a perfectly good life.”
Rita rolled her eyes. “All men aren’t like your ex, you know. Look at Tito.”
“Clone him and then we’ll talk,” Sienna said and followed Leo out to the car. The weather was still cold and the roads slushy from the earlier snowstorm. More snow was predicted for late that night and she was ready to go home and get tucked in before everything got icy.
It was an exciting Friday night, hamburgers followed by Leo’s favorite movie, Cars. They’d watched that movie so many times she could say every line of dialogue right along with Lightning McQueen and Strip Weathers. Yes, this was what her life boiled down to—work and Pixar movies.
And hamburgers and time with her sweet son, who still thought it was cool to snuggle on the couch with Mom and watch an animated movie. So there wasn’t a man in her life. She could live with that.
A good thing, since she was probably going to have to. Lonely after her divorce, Sienna had looked for a good man, but in the end she hadn’t found anyone worth keeping. There’d been Manny, who’d proved to be more of a child than Leo, wanting nothing more out of life than to go dancing and work on his car. He’d yelled at her son when Leo was assisting him in changing the oil and accidentally dropped the oil pan, calling him estúpido. That had been the end of Manny. Gregory had liked Leo just fine...as long as he didn’t have to hang out with him. Gregory hadn’t lasted long, either. Those had been the best of the bunch. Sadly, there weren’t a lot of men out there who wanted to take on a woman with a kid, especially a woman with a kid who had some challenges.
And Leo did have challenges. While most kids his age were reading small chapter books, he was struggling with simple words like cat and bat. He still didn’t know all his colors. Everything was either red, blue or yellow. And math completely overwhelmed him. Trying to master new information often drove him to tears and tantrums. So when the men Sienna dated got a look at life with Leo—when they realized every day wasn’t going to be smooth sailing—they bolted.
But what had she expected? Her own husband hadn’t been able to cope. “I can’t deal with this anymore,” he’d said only six months after Leo had finally been tested and diagnosed with a learning disability. She’d tried to convince Carlos that, together, they could deal with anything, but her pep talk hadn’t done any good. “I’m sorry, Sienna. I want a divorce.”
Sienna hadn’t known which had been worse, his initial harshness and impatience with Leo or the ensuing coldness to the little boy, who only wanted his love.
Well, new town, new start. She and Leo would manage fine on their own, and even though she missed her parents and brothers, she knew she’d done the right thing coming here. She was happy with her new job and her new friends. And, most important, Leo was happy with his new teacher. Really, the only fly on the frosting was her neighbor.
After Leo went to bed, she settled in with Muriel Sterling’s new book. There’s something about the holidays, Muriel wrote.
The wonderful message of redemption, the time with friends, the treats, the sights and sounds and smells.
But perhaps you’re finding it difficult to experience the joy of the holiday season. I hope my suggestions will help you find your way to a wonderful Christmas that’s not only merry but also meaningful. My wish for you is that no matter who is in your life, no matter what is going on, you’ll be able to make the days merry and bright—for yourself and others, too!
A very noble sentiment, Sienna thought. And she intended to do just that. No matter how many unpleasant encounters she had with old, cranky Cratchett, she was going to find a way to have a merry Christmas.
Giving is one of the joys of the season. Be enthusiastic whether you’re on the giving or the receiving end of the gift.
—Muriel Sterling, A Guide to Happy Holidays
Muriel Sterling-Wittman often met her old friend Arnie Amundsen for breakfast at Pancake Haus. If Olivia and James Claussen weren’t busy, they’d usually join them. Dot Morrison, the owner of the restaurant, frequently sat in on the conversation for a while, too.
A flood of tourists was in town for the long holiday weekend and the snow, and the restaurant was packed this Saturday morning with people enjoying German waffles, pancakes and eggs. The smell of coffee and sugary treats greeted Muriel as she stepped inside. Voices and laughter came at her from all sides, telling her this was, indeed, the place to be.
“He’s back there,” Dot said with a nod toward a back booth as she hurried past Muriel to pour coffee for a table of young women.
Yes, Muriel could see him. All by himself, he stood out in the mob of families and couples.
She’d known Arnie most of her life and he hadn’t changed much since high school. He was still as thin as he’d been back then and still wearing the same style of glasses. About the only change was a few more wrinkles and a heavy salting of gray in what was left of his once-sandy-colored hair.
Of course, Muriel’s hair was now heavily salted as well, but she wasn’t letting anyone know that. Thank heaven for her stylist at Sleeping Lady Salon.
He’d been watching for her and waved discreetly when they made eye contact. Her late husband would have stood and called her over, but that had been Waldo, larger-than-life. Arnie was...well, Arnie. Quiet, soft-spoken, unremarkable. But solid, steady and sweet.
And
