A Christmas Chance.

Chapter 17

A new reason for the season

"Who was that on the phone?" Aretha asked as she walked into her granddaughter's nursery. 

She smiled down at the small figure cooing at the mobile above her before she looked questioningly at her daughter.

Her youngest daughter, more like her in appearance and coloring, turned to her and said softly.

"It was Alexa."

Eyes a deep grey look at her with a disapproving glint to them as she asked, "What does she want?"

The younger woman moves from her daughter's crib and walks over to the changing table to fix an already neat stack of towels. She fidgeted with the fluffy pink teddy that sat behind them as she contemplated what to tell their mother.

She knew that Arethea had purposefully followed her to the nursery to find out who had caused her to excuse herself from the bash party going on downstairs. At times her mother disgusted her. She was like a thorn in her side shadowing her every move as God forbid she should do anything to destroy their new stance among the elites.

"She needs Nicholas' help," she answered thinking it's best to just get to the point.

"And why would she want Nicholas to help?" she asked.

The question was laced with bitter contempt and outright displeasure, mixed with an outright time of suspicion.

"Mother please will you not even start. Alexa is not the culprit here. She does not need to be treated like a villain when we are the ones who ripped her apart mercilessly." 

Arethea was not the one who took being wrong well, she would rather play the victim and find more reason to throw dirt where it's not needed.

"Alexa made her choice when she walked away from this family because she was not woman enough to support the fact that she was not the one made to be Mrs. Wentright. She showed just how selfish and self-centered she---"

"Enough mother!" she said, cutting her off with more volume than she had ever spoken to her with. The shock on her mother's face was priceless. "Let's not forget we are not saving face or trying to impress anyone here, this is you and I, we dealt with Alexa selfishly and with double cruelty as her sister and her mother."

A carefully made-up face stared appalled  at her daughter before she gasped, "How dare you speak to me in such a tone, and no one told her to leave."

"I will speak to you how I damn well please," she snapped knowing it was long overdue for them both to admit their wrongs and face up to how callously they had treated the one genuine person amongst themselves. "Just be grateful she decided to leave and give us the privilege to have our selfish desires fulfilled."

"I owe Alexa nothing!"

"At times I wonder what has caused you to become so cold to your daughter that you can't even be thankful that she gave you all the things that you're greedy little heart craves.

"You're standing in the Wentright's mansion getting ready to host one of the biggest pre-Christmas get-togethers that will be the talk of the town all because she chose to walk away and allowed Nicholas and I a chance at the love we had for each other. 

You owe her more than you know as if it wasn't for her you would be scavenging to keep up appearances on the mikkle that grandfather left you with and your scoundrel of a husband could not provide. She gave us all this life and if it wasn't for her we wouldn't even be tolerated.

I will give Alexa what she needs whether you approve or not. I have a beautiful family and the love of my life all because of her. I know it must have taken her a whole lot to seek my help and I will give it, so why don't you return downstairs and do what you do best."

She turned her back on her mother and only let out the breath she was holding when she heard the door close softly behind her. With feet that seemed to be made of clay, she walked to the crib where her pride and joy was still cooing fascinatedly at her butterfly mural but as she came to look down at her chubby arms reached up to her.

Without a care for the expensive cocktail dress that she wore she took up the blonde cherub and hugged her before she walked over to the rocking chair and sat with her nestled to her chest.

As she looked at the suckling baby in her arms she thought for what must have been the millionth time how much she resembled her aunt. 

In all their lives Alexa had done nothing but love and protect her when all she did was make it her point of duty to always compete with or destroy whatever her sister had built. Also now being a mother herself she wanted nothing to ever hurt her little angel the way she did Alexa.

Well no more, if Alexa wanted Nicholas to get the Angels Cafe and find her joy and purpose in life she would by no means deny her that chance.

This would be her gift to Alexa. This was her chance to right the wrongs she had done in the name of love. It had taken Alexa walking away and giving her a selfless view of love to know what love ras.

 At first, Nicholas was a prize won for her in Arethea's game to the very top of the social ladder, but then she began to learn from the man who cared for her sister just what love was. It was all ironic that she and Nicholas were given a clarity that her parents would never know as much as how they had connived, and sacrificed for it.

She reached for her phone and stared at the picture that Alexa had sent to her. She looked so peaceful and serene, she was like a sweet angel with her radiant blonde hair and clear blue eyes. In all honesty, she was an angel, a sweet angel of selflessness.

This was the time of year for giving and sharing and she would see to it that Alexa received only her heart's desire. She would be her guardian angel for a change.
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It seems angels don't have to be majestic beings after all.
It only takes a caring heart filled with love and the ability to do right by those you care about.

Vote comment and see you in the next chapter 😍