“And when mom called about Regina selling the bookstore, I left early in the morning without a word expecting to never see each other again. Then he came in to talk to Regina about the string of robberies so here we are,” I finish with a shrug.
“What a story, Janie.” Nonna nudges my arm playfully. “It’s one for the grandkids, that’s for sure.” She winks slyly at Andrew.
“Nonna!” I exclaim, feeling my cheeks heat up.
“How sweet,” my mother chimes in. “Not the pepper spraying part, of course. But the fact that you two have found your way back to each other.”
“The robberies are a terrible thing, especially around Christmas. I hope you are working to put them behind bars…and soon,” Dad adds, seriously.
“I’m working on it,” Andrew replies with a nod.
“Are you two having fun at the tree lighting?” Dad asks us.
I was nervous about how everyone would respond. My experience with men lately, well, hasn’t been great with calling off the wedding and all. I’m sure they are putting their best faces on now in front of Andrew, but I’m certain they have some concerns that they’ll bring up later when he’s not around.
“Yeah, it’s great! The show was beautiful and—” My sentence is cut short as Andrew suddenly yells beside me.
“Angus, no!”
I look over to see the mischievous dog dashing toward a food stand.
Without hesitation, Andrew starts running after him. And because he’s still holding my hand, I find myself being pulled along behind him. We weave through the crowd as Angus zigzags his way among the people, oblivious to the chaos he’s causing.
“Why did we think bringing him was a good idea?” I laugh as we narrowly avoid crashing into a family and then an older couple.
“We like to keep things interesting,” Andrew manages to make out amidst his own laughter.
“Well, that’s certainly one way to put it.”
Andrew manages to scoop up Angus just as he reaches the food stand. His tail wags furiously as he attempts to wriggle out of Andrew’s arms, the scent of hot dogs from the food stand taunting him.
“Nice try, buddy,” he chuckles nervously as he ruffles Angus’s head.
I shake my head, but incredibly amused. “Just another day in the life of Jane and Andrew, eh?”
Catching our breaths and now the center of attention, we both laugh. It’s a moment that just feels right like everything’s fallen into place. With Andrew and Angus in my life, it’s sure to never be boring.
“The end,” I announce with a flourish as I close the book in my hand.
Glancing up at the sea of little faces looking at me, I smile. I’m continuing the long tradition of “Cookies and Holiday Tales” here at Timeless Tales. Regina has been doing it since I was a kid. It was something I looked forward to every week during this season.
“Miss Jane, is the story really over?” A little girl in the front row looks up at me with big brown eyes, her hand still clutching a half-eaten cookie.
“Well,” I glance over at Andrew who’s sitting in the back with Angus, both of them quietly paying attention, “some stories are just beginning.” I look back at them. “Are you ready for a fun craft?”
The kids eagerly jump up and give Angus a pat on the head before going to the craft table. Angus wags his tail happily at the attention, just as delighted as the children are to receive it.
“Angus was the star of the show,” I remark, smiling at the kids’ excitement. “He’s so good with kids.”
Andrew grins, his dimples making an appearance. “He is. But I think they loved your storytelling more.”
I blush but try to play it cool. “I think they just like the cookies.”
“Or they were too busy looking at your sparkling candy cane headband and distracted by the twinkling Christmas necklace,” he teases, earning a playful swat on the arm from me. “Watch it, missy, I can arrest you for assaulting an officer.”
“You’re going to arrest Miss Jane?” a little girl behind me asks, with a pout on her lips.
“Never, Miss Jane is an outstanding citizen,” Andrew responds, his deep voice reassuring.
