I passed all the citizens caroling.
I opened the front door.
I glanced back at the citizens.
I hurried into the house.
"I'm here, Mom."
Mom wasn't in her bed.
Dad wasn't here either.
I looked all over for them.
I couldn't find them.
Robert
Tom and me arrived at a house.
All of the citizens (Including the students) were caroling.
I made my way through the crowd.
I stood next to Dalton.
"Hey, Dalton."
He looked over at me.
"Have you seen Kate?"
"Yeah. She's over there." Dalton answered.
Kate was at the front.
She was leading the carolers.
Kate noticed me in the crowd.
She stared at me.
I joined in with the caroling.
All of them hummed.
Kate stared at me.
I approached her.
"I'm sorry about your friend." I apologized about Maggie.
"Me too."
Lily looked over at us.
"Is this your husband, ma'am?" It was one of the farmers.
"Yes."
"Well.... We sure do appreciate everything Mr. Layton has done for us. You know, he's been burning the midnight oil and that's hard. But...."
He sighed.
"We'd be lost without him. Your husband has given us hope this Christmas."
Kate smiled.
The farmer nodded his head.
He walked away.
She looked down.
"What happened to you tonight?" Kate questioned.
"Well, I went to Wilson's to pick up the doll and they'd sold it, of course. And then.... I met this boy."
I looked away.
I looked back at her.
"Do you know how much I love you?" I questioned Kate.
She shook her head.
"No." Kate answered honestly.
"I do.... So much."
I looked over at Lily.
"You and Lily."
I focused back on her.
"And I want you to teach. You were born to teach. And I don't care about getting the house. I don't care if you go back to school. I don't care about any of it. I've been so stupid."
Kate stared at me.
"I just want to make you happy."
She smiled at me.
"Will you forgive me?"
Kate smiled.
She placed her hand on my cheek.
"I already have."
Kate and me hugged.
She buried her head in the crevice of my neck.
Kate looked over as the front door opened.
It was the little boy.
He was upset.
"Nathan, what's wrong?" Dalton questioned.
"They're not here."
"Your parents?"
"They're gone."
"Both of them?"
"Yeah."
"It's a Christmas miracle." Kate commented.
"What?"
"She's getting a new heart."
"You're Maggie's son?"
"Yeah."
"It's the boy I met."
"He slept at Ellen's house the last time they were in Boston." Dalton told me.
I looked over at him.
"You let a strange little boy stay with my mother?"
"He's not strange, Robert. I know him. He's a good kid."
I sighed.
"Can he stay with us until they're back from Boston, Robert?" Kate questioned.
"Why not?"
"Come on, Nathan."
Lily and Nathan ran off together.
She looped her arm with mine.
We walked after them.
They were caroling with the citizens.
