Sophie's Heart (32 page)

“All the kids wanted to do was stay home after that. Vanessa’s very essence filled this house, and they wanted to be home more than ever. I just wanted to move away. I couldn’t even go near the bed. I slept in the chair for weeks. And that first night,” agony covered his features, but he didn’t stop, “that first night I couldn’t even breathe. God had to breathe for me. I swear He did, or I wouldn’t have made it. Now I feel it all over again at the mall. I don’t know what the kids want for Christmas, and I want to come through for them, but everywhere I look I see her face. One woman will have Van’s hair and another will look like her from the back. And it’s the twenty-first. The stores are so packed that you can barely get through, and I don’t know what the kids will say if I don’t have anything again this year.”

He fell silent at that point and remained that way. Sophie couldn’t move or speak for long moments, and then she said softly, “Rita likes white radio she saw at Kohl’s Department Store. Is square shape with large numbers and alarm with snooze.”

Again Alec looked at her as if just seeing she was there, but he recovered swiftly and reached to his front shirt pocket for a pen and paper. He wrote furiously, and Sophie continued.

“Tory says her in-line skates pinch her toes, and she would like to have knee and wrist pads. She now wears size 5 shoe. Craig looked for long time at computer game at Best Buy. Is call Blaster Squad and has joy stick. Tory brought home paper from school that said Christmas stockings were good time to stock school supplies—pencils, glue, crayons, and paper. All children like candy with nuts from Fanny May in mall, and all children have holes in socks.”

Sophie stopped then and waited for Alec to finish writing. “Rita bought big thing of Christmas wrapping. If you hide presents and leave me note, I can wrap for you.”

“Thank you, Sophie,” Alec said in a low voice, his emotions still very close to the surface.

Sophie stood. “I am go home now.”

Alec stood as well, but didn’t walk her to the door. They both said good night, and when the door closed, Alec sat back down. He realized then that he was trembling all over.

“I was so afraid,” he whispered to God, tears rushing to his eyes. “I was so afraid that I wouldn’t find them anything, Lord, but You provided.” The tears spilled over now. “Please help me get through this,” he sobbed softly. “She’s not here for them, Lord, so I have to be. Please help me to do this.”

He had laid his head on his arms, and let the grief and hurt flow over him. Hoarse sobs racked his frame for some minutes until he remembered Sophie’s list. He prayed for calm and praised God for this direction, asking for help to do his best with the task.

He slept hard that night with little or no remembrance of what he had said to his housekeeper. But when the stores opened the next morning, Alec Riley was there, list in hand. The shopping was completed by noon when he rushed the packages home to Sophie. Dropping everything she was doing in order to wrap them, Sophie had them under the tree before the children arrived home from school.

Twenty-Seven

S
ophie’s not going to eat with us?”

“No, Tory, she’s not.”

“But why? Did you say something, Craig?” she accused.

“No, Tory,” he defended himself, looking upset as well.

“That’s enough now, Tory,” Alec told her. “It has nothing to do with Craig. Sophie just doesn’t feel comfortable doing that, and we have to respect her wishes.”

But none of them felt good about it. The Christmas Eve meal laid out before them was like something out of a magazine, and Sophie alone had seen to it. The plan had been that she would only help, but it hadn’t worked that way. The fact that she had had to work on Sunday was bad enough, but to cook such a meal and then go home alone was almost more than the children could take. It was clear from the uncut turkey to the perfect Jello salad that she hadn’t taken any for herself.

“Maybe you should take her a plate right now, Tory,” her father suggested, and the little girl’s face cleared. She ran to the cupboard for another plate, and when she returned all hands joined in filling it from the table.

“Will you be able to carry that?”

“Yes,” Tory told him, and Alec held the door as she left with her steaming gift.

She was not able to knock on Sophie’s door, but kicked it softly with her foot. Sophie’s eyes were huge when she saw who it was.

“My Tory, where is your coat?”

“I couldn’t take time for it, Sophie. I had to bring this while it was hot.”

Sophie took the plate, set it on the table, and then took Tory into her arms. “Thank you, my Tory. Was it good?”

“We haven’t eaten yet.”

“Oh, no, Tory! You did not have to do this.”

“It’s all right. We wanted to.”

Sophie shook her head, but she was smiling. “You better get back.”

Tory nodded and started toward the door, but did not go out. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Your father told me.”

“Are you going to work?”

“Not tomorrow, but during the week.”

“You know what, Sophie?”

“What?”

“If you’ll watch ‘The Price is Right’ here, and I watch it in Chicago, it’ll be like we’re watching it together.”

Sophie eyes grew very round. “This is wonderful idea. I will do it.”

Tory smiled.

“Go now, Tory. Eat your meal.”

“All right.”

“Merry Christmas, my Tory.”

“Merry Christmas, Sophie.”

Sophie smiled at the closed door for long minutes after the little girl left. How thoughtful she had been. Even before the smell of the food assaulted Sophie’s senses, she had decided that it was going to be a very merry Christmas indeed.

Alec’s satisfaction over his children’s response to the gifts he had bought knew no bounds. He’d purchased exactly what Sophie had recommended, and right down to Tory, they were thrilled. They had shopped for him as well, and when he saw the shirt, socks, razor blades, and shampoo that were all the right sizes and brands, he knew Sophie must have had a hand in this as well.

“Oh!” Rita cried, when the floor under the tree was emptying out fast. “There’s a basket of gifts here from Sophie.”

“Who’re they for?”

“All of us.”

Rita began to hand them out, and in the next few seconds they opened them and all sat in silence as they beheld the gifts to which she had obviously given great thought. Alec had only received a card, and he now read it out loud.

Dear Mr. Riley,

Please accept this card with my thanks for the job you have given me. I hope that I am serving you well. I also wish to say that I hope the gifts for the children are acceptable and not painful for them. If I have overstepped my place, I apologize. Merry Christmas to you and the children.

Your servant because of Christ’s love,

Sophia Velikonja

Alec noticed absently that there wasn’t a single misspelled or misused word before he gave his attention to the gifts in his children’s hands. Both Tory and Rita held beautiful gold lockets. The chains were delicate, and Tory was working on opening the tiny etched door. Tears rushed to her eyes when she opened it and saw a small picture of her mother inside. Rita’s was identical in every way. Craig held a beautiful silver picture frame with the same picture. It was blown up, of course, but still just as lovely, capturing their mother’s bright smile and shiny dark head of hair.

Each of the gifts was passed into Alec’s hands, who gave them great attention before sighing deeply.

“This was very thoughtful,” he said quietly, not wanting to have tears this night. “I want you guys to take time to thank Sophie before we leave tomorrow.”

“We have a gift for her,” Craig offered.

“Yeah,” Rita added. “It’s a picture we found at The Bread Shop. She doesn’t have any on her walls.”

“I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.”

“Rita picked it out,” Craig felt he had to explain, “but she put all our names on it.”

“Good” was all Alec could manage. Lately the Lord had been showing His love in amazing ways, and oftentimes it was through the kind acts of their housekeeper.

“I still wish she could have eaten with us,” Tory said, and for the first time Craig genuinely wished she had as well.

“Merry Christmas, my babushka.”

“Sophie, my darling,” Kasmira cried. “How wonderful to hear your voice. Where are you calling from?”

“The Rileys. Mr. Riley gave me permission to pay him back. It’s too cold in a phone box, and talking to you on the phone is better than any gift.”

“I wish I could have sent you something.”

“All I need to hear is your voice. How are you?”

“Doing well. Still very stiff, but up and moving some.”

“Good. I wish I could be there.”

“And I wish I could be there.”

“You can be.” Excitement lit Sophie’s voice.

“Oh, my darling, I was not really serious. The doctors say things look good, but I am too old now. To come such a distance would probably put me in my grave.”

“I knew you would be difficult.” Sophie sounded more resigned than she felt. “I have even checked into airfares. It’s cheaper to buy a round trip and not use it, but that’s not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is convincing you to come.”

“How is your weather?”

Sophie sighed gently. Christmas was not the day for an argument, but she was so tempted.

“It is very cold and snowy. The hills are beautiful. I’m going to Gladys’ today, and I’ll wear my tall boots and long coat. Did you and Eduard share a meal?”

“Yes. He cooked and I played the invalid.”

Sophie laughed at this since Kasmira had never played the invalid in her life. It put a light note to the end of their conversation. When they hung up, Sophie was actually able to say good-bye without crying. However, tears did come to her eyes when she returned to her apartment and looked under the tree at her gift from the children. With her grandmother ill, it was the only one she received. Sophie knew she would treasure it forever.

“My, Alec, but this Sophie person has certainly made an impression on Tory.”

“Oh?” Alec looked across the Rings’ living room at his mother the very next night. “How’s that?”