“It’s okay,” I said, smiling, thinking how nice she looked.
“I’m so glad you could come.”
“So am I.”
Jamie smiled and reached for my hand to lead the way. “C’mon with me,” she said.
“Help me hand out the gifts.”
We spent the next hour doing just that, and we watched as the children opened them
one by one. Jamie had shopped all over town, picking up a few things for each child in the
room, individual gifts that they’d never received before. The gifts that Jamie bought
weren’t the only ones the children received, however—both the orphanage and the people
who worked there had bought some things as well. As paper was tossed around the room
in excited frenzy, there were squeals of delight everywhere. To me, at least, it seemed that
all of the children had received far more than they’d expected, and they kept thanking
Jamie over and over.
By the time the dust had finally settled and all the children’s gifts were opened, the
atmosphere began to calm down. The room was tidied up by Mr. Jenkins and a woman I’d
never met, and some of the smaller children were beginning to fall asleep beneath the tree.
Some of the older ones had already gone back to their rooms with their gifts, and they’d
dimmed the overhead lights on the way out the door. The tree lights cast an ethereal glow
as “Silent Night” played softly on a phonograph that had been set up in the corner. I was
still sitting on the floor next to Jamie, who was holding a young girl who’d fallen asleep in
her lap. Because of all the commotion, we hadn’t really had a chance to talk, not that
either of us had minded. We were both gazing up at the lights on the tree, and I wondered
what Jamie was thinking. If truth be told, I didn’t know, but she had a tender look about
her. I thought—no, I knew—she was pleased with how the evening had gone, and deep
down, so was I. To this point it was the best Christmas Eve I’d ever spent.
I glanced at her. With the lights glowing on her face, she looked as pretty as anyone
I’d ever seen.
“I bought you something,” I finally said to her. “A gift, I mean.” I spoke softly so I
wouldn’t wake the little girl, and I hoped it would hide the nervousness in my voice.
She turned from the tree to face me, smiling softly. “You didn’t have to do that.” She
kept her voice low, too, and it sounded almost musical.
“I know,” I said. “But I wanted to.” I’d kept the gift off to one side, and I reached for
it, handing the gift-wrapped package to her.
“Could you open it for me? My hands are kind of full right now.” She looked down at
the little girl, then back to me.
“You don’t have to open it now, if you’d rather not,” I said, shrugging, “it’s really not
that big of a deal.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said. “I would only open it in front of you.”
To clear my mind, I looked at the gift and started opening it, picking at the tape so