His First Christmas: The Lonely Billionaire - A Heart-Warming Romance Novel Page 3

  “Alright,” Jenny said, passing Anna her pencil and notebook. “What’s seven times nine?”

  “Uh…fifty-four?” Anna said, unsure.

  “Nope. That’s six times nine. Seven times nine is sixty-three.”

  Her mother watched as Anna wrote out the multiplication table of nine.

  “Anna…you do know why I’m making you do this, right?”

  “Um,” Anna said thoughtfully. “So that I can have a big brain and be smart?”

  Her mother laughed. “Well, yes. But also because—” her mother was cut off by Cathy’s crying, and she got up to sooth her before continuing, “Because I don’t want you to end up like me,” she said sadly. “This kind of life is a hard one. You need to work hard, get good grades, and go to college so that you can get a good job. Okay, sweetie?”

  Anna nodded slowly.

  “And stay away from boys,” she warned. “You’re pretty, so they will come after you. But you just ignore them.”

  Anna blithely agreed, understanding little of what her mother was talking about.

  Despite the absence of a certain jolly red character in her childhood, Anna always had an affinity for Christmas, because that’s when she got to spend quality time with her family. Sure, her presents weren’t as flashy as her classmates’, but Anna knew how hard her parents worked to get them. Her favorite gift by far had been last year’s: the Yorkshire Terrier currently scarfing down kibble from his bowl.

  Anna had overheard her parents debating their decision to get a dog when they thought she wasn’t listening. They knew Bayou was an expensive investment, but in the end, they had decided that he was worth it. “Look at how happy he makes Anna,” her father had pointed out.

  Anna’s father emerged groggy-eyed from his bedroom. “Alright, well, I’m off to work, ladies,” he said, giving a kiss to all his family members. “Hoo boy, it’s so dark already,” he noted, flicking on the porch light switch.

  A sickening, thundering bolt ripped through the air as Anna’s father yelled out in pain: the electrical current that followed turning everything in its path to flames. Karl clutched his burnt hand and crouched down to the floor, eyes closed at the pain. Jenny screamed and sprinted to the alcove where the fire blanket was kept. Bayou rushed over to Anna’s father, and Anna followed. “Daddy! Are you okay?!” she yelled, as the flames danced menacingly above her.

  Her mother attempted to smother the fire, but it was futile. It seemed to be feeding off the insulation inside of the wall, and one side of the kitchen was soon entirely covered.

  From then on, Anna remembered everything moving in slow motion: the relentless creep of the fire, the constant drone of her mother, father and sister’s screams. The world was fine in one second; in the next, it had taken on a nightmarish, orange hue.

  “Get out the back window!” her mother screamed. Baby Cathy in one arm, Jenny helped her husband, who was still clutching his badly burnt hand, and the family scrambled down the corridor to the back of the house. Jenny frantically shoved the window open, sending Karl through first. As her mother passed baby Cathy down to her husband, Anna turned to look for Bayou. She gasped as she saw her dog dashing down the flame-filled corridor, carrying her treasured doll in his mouth. As Bayou reached the back room, however, the roof began to disintegrate and the light fixture detached itself from the ceiling. Anna watched horrified as the mass of metal and glass landed with a crash on the floor. Thinking only of her beloved pet, Anna turned and ran frantically towards Bayou. Her mother, having turned around to grab her other daughter, screamed at her. “No Anna! Don’t go back in there!”

  Anna lifted up the fallen ceiling fixture, scooped Bayou into her arms, and bolted back to the window where her mother practically launched her and the dog through before jumping out herself.

  The family quickly got some distance between themselves and their ember of a house.

  The neighbors must have called 911 because sirens were already wailing in the distance. Amidst the commotion of the siren wailing, the people evacuating, and the thousands of gallons of water being pumped to douse out the flames, Anna stood silently. She watched, transfixed, as the only home she’d ever known disintegrated before her, its orange glow standing out against the winter night. When the fire finally sizzled away, what remained was a shell of her childhood.

  Anna hadn’t noticed, but a neighbor had put a blanket around her while she watched her house burn to the ground.

  At the hospital, after an exhausting evening of talking to firemen, filing out papers, and getting Karl’s minor burns treated, Anna’s parents contemplated their next move. Anna’s mother rubbed her forehead with one free hand. In the other, she held Cathy.

  “I just don’t understand what happened,” she said.

  “Faulty wiring,” her dad said, frowning.

  “I told you we should’ve had someone in to check it!” her mother exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrows.

  “But we couldn’t afford it,” her father said quietly.

  Anna’s parents sighed at the same time.

  “I’m not sure where we’re going to stay tonight…” her mother said.

  “And our insurance won’t be enough to cover this,” her dad said from the hospital bed.

  Jenny sank down in a seat next to Anna, exhausted. “Well, we could go and stay with my brother and Lynn…but they’re a couple of hours away.”

  “And it’s not just tonight. We need to work out where to stay until we get a new place sorted out…” Karl sighed.

  Anna’s parents looked at each other worriedly. They didn’t really have any family or close friends nearby that they could go to for help.

  “Well…we could stay in Davidstown with Robbie and Lynn until we figure things out,” Jenny suggested.

  “But what will we do about our jobs? And it’s not like your brother is well-off either. We can’t burden him—especially since there are no jobs in Davidstown that we could get in the meantime…”

  At that moment, a nurse came in. “Mr and Mrs Lionel? You have a visitor,” she said. The visitor in question, standing just behind the nurse, was a robust woman with a kind face.

  “Hi there,” the woman started, “Name’s Leone Geller. You’ve probably seen me around, ‘cause I live by you guys,” she said. “I’m so sorry about what just happened to you folks today. Just so you know, you’re welcome to stay with us for the night… For as long as you need, really. I live with my husband, Kent, and two toddlers. The three of them might snore and scream, but they ain’t too bad,” she grinned.

  “You’re offering your home to us?” Jenny asked, astounded. Anna’s mom and dad looked at each other, overwhelmed at the invitation, and searching each other’s expressions for how they should respond.

  After a moment’s silence, the couple smiled at each other and resigned to accept their neighbor’s generosity. “That’s so kind of you,” Anna’s mother breathed. “Thank you so much.”

  “Yes…thank you, Leone. It means everything to us,” her dad said.

  It turns out, Leone was the person who had given Anna the blanket.

  While the situation was painful and traumatic for the Lionel family, the atmosphere in the Geller household provided a happy respite. The Geller toddlers, three and five, were like extra siblings that Anna could interact with more substantially than her infant sister, and while she missed pretending the floor was lava at her house, the game was much more fun with co-adventurers who could actually walk.

  “Anna, Anna, your foot is dead,” Benny pointed out one dinner time. “It’s touching the lava.”

  “Oh no,” Anna giggled, as she speared a head of broccoli with her fork. Jessie cooed in response.

  Kent proclaimed grandly, “Well, if Anna’s foot can survive a fire, then it can survive lava.”

  “Floor-lava, anyway,” Leone said wryly. “How’re the burns doing, Karl?”

  “They’re healing up pretty decently,” Anna’s dad replied.

  “But they didn�
��t give you any days off to recover?” Leone scoffed.

  “No, well I could have taken it unpaid, but I can’t afford not to work. I was deemed fit enough, so to work I’ll go, right after this,” he shrugged.

  “And you, Jenny, you went straight to work right after the fire, too,” Kent noted. Anna’s mother nodded.

  Leone shook her head. “That just ain’t right. You guys need time to recuperate and figure out your situation. Not be worked to the bone. You have both been loyal employees, don’t they care at all about that? ’Tis the season, for Chrissakes! They ought’a give you paid leave,” she said indignantly.

  Anna’s mom put her hand on Leone’s. “Thanks for your concern, Leone. You care about us so much, and I know I’ve said it before, but we really can’t thank you enough for welcoming us into your home. To think that before, we were just neighbors who would wave hello every now and then… and now…”

  “And now we’re friends,” Kent grinned.

  It wasn’t just the Gellers who surprised Anna’s family with their kindness. In the days after the fire, other members of the community stopped in at Leone’s house, offering to help however they could.

  Anna opened up a package from the Yates family, who lived next door. Inside were two tin boxes, one large and one small. “Some treats for the children,” a note on the big box read. On the small tin box, it read “Some treats for Bayou.”

  “Oh,” Anna’s mom said. “That’s so nice of Linda and Tom,” she smiled. Anna had just gotten home from school. Normally, her mother would still be at the factory.

  As Anna gave a small handful of treats to a grateful Bayou, she asked, “Mommy… how come you aren’t at the factory today?”

  “Well, Anna,” she started happily, “I have some news to tell you about that. I’m actually no longer working at the factory. I’ll be starting a new job next week—as a receptionist for Tom’s brother’s company.”

  “Oh,” Anna nodded. She wasn’t quite sure what her mother’s new job would entail, but she did understand that her mother was pleased.

  “And, thanks to working different hours, I’m going to have more time to spend with you and Cathy,” Jenny grinned, lifting Anna up and giving her a kiss.

  Anna had noticed that her parents seemed less tense than usual: happier, lighter. The bags under their eyes disappeared; they didn’t feel the need to smoke so much. It was a welcome change.

  The family’s month-long stay with the Gellers culminated in a massive Christmas dinner held at the local community league. Swanky jazz music played while the neighbors mingled. Anna was loving the big, festive, atmosphere. She chased Benny and Jessie around the league halls, her mother occasionally warning at her to be careful.

  It was a change of pace from the quiet Christmas dinners her family usually had together. It was the first time a Christmas dinner had been held at the community league, and Anna’s parents thought it was simply a new, neighborhood thing. The Lionels spent the evening laughing, conversing, and generally having a merry time before the surprise announcement came.

  “Linda, we got your box of treats. How kind of you,” her mother said appreciatively to Leone’s next-door-neighbor.

  “Least I could do after you shared your pancake recipe with me. They’re absolutely divine,” Linda gushed.

  Her mother’s tone turned more serious. “Also…I wanted to thank you and Tom for helping me get my new job,” she said, putting a hand to her chest. “It’s improved my quality of life so much… I can’t thank you enough.”

  Linda and Tom smiled back at her. “You deserve it, Jenny.”

  Meanwhile, Anna’s dad was drunkenly playing darts with his newfound neighborly friends. “Woo-ee! Bull’s-eye, boys!” Anna’s dad said triumphantly.

  Everyone covered their ears as the telltale high-pitched ring of the microphone rang throughout the hall.

  “Ahem,” Leone said, poking at the microphone. “Hello. Yes. Okay, volume is good,” Leone said, satisfied with the acoustics. “It is so nice to see all of your smiling faces here tonight,” she said jovially, then switched to a more somber tone. “So, as I’m sure you’ve all heard…the Lionels’ home burned down recently.” Anna’s parents were surprised at hearing their name called, and wondered why they were being mentioned. Leone continued, “Since then, me and Kenny have had the pleasure of hosting ‘em. And we’d be content to do it forever, too, but they insist on “not being a burden”,” she chuckled, using air quotes. “They said they would move out after Christmas. So, to help ‘em with the transition…” the crowd began to give knowing whoops and cheers, “we decided to rally the community and raise some funds,” she grinned.

  “And with your generous help, we’ve raised ten thousand dollars!”

  At this juncture, a check was revealed and presented to Anna’s parents.

  Anna’s parents looked at the check in shock.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Anna’s mom said, teary-eyed.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “So just to confirm, the hall can hold five hundred guests? Excellent,” Anna said, speaking with a receptionist on the phone. She was at the office, late, again.

  Anna’s computer was a mess of spreadsheets and other documents. Her browser was overflowing with tabs for different venues and catering companies, she was compiling an exhaustive spreadsheet of the invitees and approximate costs, at the same time as working on designs for the invitations.

  Anna hung up the phone and rubbed her eyes. She checked her inbox, hoping to see an email from Robert, the homeless man. Maybe I can invite him, she thought, but there was nothing there.

  ***

  Finally, after weeks of additional work and countless nights staying late at the office, the night of the Christmas gala had arrived.

  “Wow, Anna,” Jane said. “You’ve really gone the extra mile for this event. I’m so impressed at how everything has come together.”

  Anna smiled warmly in response. “Thanks for coming out, both of you,” she said to Jane and her husband. “It really means a lot.”

  Jane lowered her voice and added slyly, “By the way, this food is delicious. Don’t tell anyone, but I took five blinis.”

  Anna couldn’t believe that the fundraising dinner was actually happening—and going off so well to boot. She couldn’t stop smiling.

  She spotted her favorite clients at the same they spotted her, and she walked over. Mr Carson, the lawyer, clapped her on the shoulder. “There’s our star real estate agent! Again, five hundred thousand above asking? That’s unbelievable,” he said.

  “Well, not all of the credit goes to me—your home spoke for itself, of course. And then there was your amazing upkeep and presentation,” Anna said.

  “Personally, I think it was your gingerbread cookies,” Mrs Carson said. “You have got to send me that recipe,” she said.

  “Sure thing,” Anna laughed. “By the way, all of the paperwork should be finalized soon—then everything will be officially a done deal.”

  They nodded. Anna sensed the moment had come to wrap up the conversation and said, “Thanks again for making it out. Enjoy the rest of the evening, and do let me know how settling in Laurier is,” she said, waving them off.

  Next, Anna ran into Penelope, Kirk, and Victor, and their plus ones.

  “Wow, look at you,” Penelope said, impressed. “You look great,” she said. Anna was finding it interesting to see the people she worked with everyday in a fancier setting. And Anna, just like everyone else, had taken the time to look classy. True to Christmas spirit, she had worn a ruby red cocktail dress.

  “This is my husband, Stan, by the way,” Penelope added. Anna smiled and shook his hand.

  Victor and Kirk took this chance to introduce their wives as well.

  “Nice to meet you all,” Anna said warmly. “And you guys look great, too,” Anna said. “I mean…violet looks amazing on you, Penelope.”

  “And don’t these two scrub up well?” Penelope said, gesturing to Victo
r and Kirk.

  “I try,” Victor said slyly.

  “I had to badger him to put on something nice,” his wife said, laughing. “He was going to go with corduroy.”

  “Oh boy,” Penelope said. “Looks like Tina she saved you from fashion hell, Victor.”

  Victor rolled his eyes as everyone laughed.

  Kirk’s wife, Joan, turned to Anna, “So, whereabouts is your significant other tonight?”

  “Oh,” Anna said, caught off-guard by the question. Kirk shot his wife a look that meant that Anna didn’t have a S.O and that the conversation was heading into awkward territory. Joan already seemed embarrassed to have asked.