One Day You'll Find Me

Chapter Twenty

We sat outside after dinner, just Josefina and me, talking. With the light from the moon, it was quite bright. It shone over the sea, little diamonds sparkling on either side of the silver path that stretched to the horizon. It would have been past ten when she surprised me again.

"Maria, I know that all I've told you today can't have been easy to process. It would have been such a shock. But there is something else. It's too late now, it's far too dark for me to tell you now. I know I should have waited until breakfast. I've probably just spoiled your sleep." Her eyes twinkled. "I never could sleep on Christmas Eve. Far too excited about what would come the next day. But even so, I wanted to prepare you now. So that it wouldn't be a complete shock tomorrow. I mean, it will be anyway." She laughed. "But you'll be ecstatically happy- that I can tell you."

I was so confused. "What're you talking about? You can't seriously be saying you have another surprise for me tomorrow that will shock me as much as finding out you existed. Seriously? I don't think anything can top that. I can barely believe there's another secret in the first place! What rock have I been living under? Like, Oh. My. Goodness. My family is turning out to be Mary Poppin's bag!"

She laughed. "Oh, sometimes I wish I was an invisible elf. I'd love to be able to see all the kids' faces on Christmas morning when they rip open their presents. It would be so satisfying!"

I would never be able to sleep now.

"Come on, give me a clue at least! You can't just tell me you have a surprise for me, and then leave it at that! I'm going to be 'ecstatically happy'... over what?!" I prodded her. She looked anywhere but at me, with a cheeky grin on her face. She'd make a great elf, I knew that much.

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and see, Maria. Have patience." And with that, she went inside, grinning all the way.

***

I jumped out of bed in the morning, having barely had a wink of sleep. Surprisingly, I didn't think about going down to Carlo's, nor to the cafe in Paris for breakfast. I was way too hyped up to think at all. Dressing quickly, I went and sat in the lounge room on a chair, facing the door Josefina had to walk through to enter this half of the house. I found a blanket on the couch, and wrapped that around myself. The wait wasn't long. Ten minutes after I placed myself, Josefina pushed open the door. And stood there, laughing. I could hear Lucien padding down the hall asking what she was laughing at. When he saw me, he tried unsuccessfully to hide his amusement. A minute later, both of them were standing there, laughing at me. I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned at them. But I had to admit, it was a rather funny predicament to be in. Rosina stomped down the hall, annoyed at the noise we were all making.

"What is going on? What's so funny?" I heard her questions before I saw her.

Her expression was priceless. She pushed between Josefina and Lucien, who were still laughing, and stood there looking like a petulant child who'd been forced to play with her arch enemy. Then she focused on me. I could see her connect the dots and fight to keep the smile off her face too.

When the laughter eventually died down, they all stood staring at me.

"Maria, dear, what are you doing?"

I could hear the traces of laughter in my grandmother's voice.

"I was waiting for you."

"But why?!" Ros laughed.

I did my best to summon up a serious expression. It was hard.

"I want to know what she made me wait to hear." I stared at Josefina meaningfully. Her lips twitched.