Chapter Sixty-Seven
They left Harrington House early the next morning to avoid being underfoot during the final preparations for the Christmas Eve party. Her parents opted to stay back, cozy by the fireplace in their room, claiming their bones were accustomed to more tropical weather. They had gotten their fill of snow while playing with Javier the day before.
Fernando, Sophie, and Javier toured the small town of Hickory Falls, marveling at the elegant detailing on the historical buildings and the charming window displays in the shops lining the main street and town square. Even the vacant storefronts, locked up tight, had beautiful displays that drew in passersby while concealing the empty spaces beyond.
Antique gas lamps, retrofitted with flickering light bulbs, lined the cobblestone road, adorned with green garlands and red bows. Christmas lights twinkled from the trees and draped across the street, with large ornaments dangling from the supporting cables. In the center of the small town stood an enormous Christmas tree, proudly decorated with antique replica ornaments, adding to the festive charm.
“I love how this town is embracing its historical heritage instead of tearing it down and building new,” Sophie commented. “It reminds me of our trip to Italy, how they incorporated the old into the new.”
“You can definitely feel the love the townspeople have for their home. By the looks of things, it’s struggling, but the ones who are holding on for better days are doing their best to make it a wonderful place to be. Harrington House is so well preserved it feels like staying in a museum. In a good way,” Fernando added thoughtfully.
A short distance away, there was ice skating on a pond, and an elderly gentleman was lending out skates that he had picked up at garage sales and thrift stores from a large utility cart. She initially balked at the thought of any of them putting their feet in used shoes, but Fernando laughed and told her to live a little, so they put them on and made fools of themselves as Fernando tried to teach them how it was done. Javier was a gifted athlete, and soon, he was racing around the pond and making new friends. Sophie, on the other hand, struggled.
He pulled, pushed, and, at one point, practically carried her, trying to help her stay on her feet and move at the same time. Falling on her rear end for at least the two dozenth time, she lay on the ice staring up at the heavy gray sky.
Javier skated over to her and knelt by her side, “Mom, are you okay?” he asked, ever vigilant of her well-being.
Cupping his cheek with her gloved hand, she said, “I’m fine, darling, just taking a break. I can’t seem to stay on my feet.”
“You look like Bambi and Daddy’s Thumper. Maybe you should stop before you wind up crashing into the snow like they did.” Warning delivered, he placed a cool, wet kiss on her cheek and raced off to be with the children waiting nearby .
Pondering what he had said, Sophie broke into uncontrollable laughter.
Fernando stood over her, watching as she laughed so hard that tears dripped from the corners of her eyes. “Sophie, what’s so funny?” he asked, hands on his hips.
Trying to catch her breath but failing miserably as the laughter continued to bubble up from her belly, she asked, “Fernando, did you ever see the movie, ‘Bambi’?”
“I think so when I was a kid. Why?” he asked, confusion wrinkling his brow.
“There’s a scene where the little rabbit Thumper is trying to teach Bambi the deer how to skate, but no matter how he pushed and pulled, Bambi kept falling, usually on top of little Thumper. It’s a funny scene, but Javier just said that it was me and you, so I was picturing what a show we must have just put on for all these people. Anyway, I think Javi is right, and I should quit before one of us gets hurt. Do you want to hang out here with him or come get hot chocolate with me?” Sophie asked, raising her hands so Fernando could help her stand one last time.
Fernando held her in his arms, gazing deeply into her eyes. “Sophie, did I hear things correctly a moment ago? Did Javier just call me Daddy?”
A soft smile curved her lips. “Yes, you did. He’s been calling you that at home ever since you asked him if he was okay with us getting married and being a family. I told him it was a secret until the wedding. I know in your heart you already think of him as your son, so I didn’t see any harm in it as long as we were in private. He has done really well until today. He’s counting down the days until we marry, by the way. ”
“I’m totally fine with it. He can call me Dad now if he wants. I don’t care if the world knows. If you don’t mind, I’ll hang out with my son on the ice a little longer before we head in for lunch.”
“I don’t mind at all as long as you help me get off this pond first.”
Fernando placed a quick peck on her lips and then, without warning, lifted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He skated to the edge of the pond and deposited her on the frozen ground in front of the old man.
Glaring at him, Sophie swatted his arm. “We’ll talk about that little stunt later. Go have fun. Thirty minutes, and I’m pulling the plug on all this fun. I’m hungry.”
After changing into her shoes Sophie sat on a bench and laughed at the antics of her men. Fernando did so well with Javier, and it was clear her little boy already worshiped the ground his new daddy walked on.
They spent the afternoon playing games with her parents in the large suite they had been provided at Harrington House before everyone dressed for dinner. Her parents once more declined, saying they were perfectly happy where they were but that the youngsters should go have fun. They offered to keep Javier with them, but he decided to venture into the children’s party to see if any of his friends from the pond were there. Sure enough, an adorable little blond with a stellar personality ran up to him and immediately pulled him into the gathering. Javier was so excited he forgot to say goodbye to his mother.
Fernando and Sophie decided to arrive fashionably late and leave a little early to avoid making things awkward for their hosts in case anyone felt obligated to entertain the outsiders. The reception line had just ended, and the party was preparing to move towards dinner when they entered, and an audible hush fell on the room.
“So much for not being recognized in a small town,” Fernando whispered against her ear as all eyes turned towards them .
Before Sophie could respond or decide what to do, a stunningly handsome blond man in a perfectly tailored Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo approached. “Welcome, so glad you could make it. Come this way and meet the gang.”
Sophie turned questioning eyes on Fernando who whispered, “Tom.”
Within moments, they were surrounded by Sarah’s friends and family while introductions were made. Then, they were ushered into a luxurious Gilded Age dining room, where they ate off century-old china. The night was something out of a movie, and she and Fernando had turned into the stars.
She tried not to be obvious as she took in the room, trying to memorize every detail. Never in her life had she ever eaten at such a lavishly set table. She could imagine an ancient butler polishing the silver and measuring each setting to ensure its precise placement.
“You don’t have to take it all in tonight,” Fernando once more whispered in her ear. “We can come back for another visit soon, and you can tour the old mansion at your leisure.”
“Yes, but it won’t be so beautifully decorated or laid out for a celebration banquet. If I had known this place existed, I would have insisted we marry here. It’s something out of a storybook,” Sophie whispered back.
An hour later, after dancing to one song expertly played by a local school band, Fernando excused them from Sarah and Eric and made their way to collect Javier from the children’s area. When they arrived, it was clear he had enjoyed his time with the other kids. He came quickly when called, demonstrating once again to Fernando what a wonderful job Sophie was doing, raising him to become a respectful young man. As they turned to leave, the little blond angel skipped over to him with a gift bag in her hand. Kissing him on the cheek, she said, “Thanks for coming to my party. I hope you come back soon.”
Javier took the bag and thanked her, hugging her goodbye before she skipped back to her room full of guests. “That’s Grace Harrington. This is her house. She’s my new friend.”
“Well, she looks like she will be a good one. It’s time for us to go, but we will come back and see her soon,” Sophie said, taking his hand and leading the way to their rooms so they could get a good night’s rest before their flight home the next morning. There was a huge family gathering at Elsie’s, and they had promised not to miss it.