Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Marcie
“Daddy, look!” I pointed out the windshield to where a sea of cars filled the lot behind Gem. “It’s full!”
“It is and so are those,” he said, gesturing toward the lots across the street. “Good thing I have a reserved spot, or you’d be walking at least a mile to reach the door.”
I laughed and started to bounce in my seat but only managed a half of a bounce before my bottom reminded me that wasn’t a really great idea. Still, as I settled gingerly, I smiled. “I wouldn’t have to walk a mile, Daddy, because you’d be carrying me!”
“Well, aren’t you a smart Little girl?”
“Yep, and I’m so excited. I know you told me not to worry, but all I kept thinking about was what if we came and found the club totally empty? What if not even a single guest showed up for the party? What if—”
“You stop wondering ‘what if’ and start just letting yourself enjoy the evening?”
I closed my mouth and giggled. “You’re right. All those ‘what ifs’ got me was a hot butt! So, from now on, all I’m going to think about is finding the perfect proper placements for peppermint pigs.”
“Don’t forget the candy bar,” he reminded as he pulled into a spot next to Uncle Leo’s and Aunt Tilda’s spots.
As co-owners, all three of them not only had reserved parking places, but they’d also reserved one for each of our core group as well.
I was so thrilled to see every one of those spots were filled, though it shouldn’t have surprised me.
I was just about to lament the fact that we were missing out on all the fun before remembering that I was the reason for being late.
When Daddy opened my door and unfastened my seat belt, I took the hand he offered but didn’t make a move to leave the car. “Before we go inside, I want to thank you, Daddy.”
“For what?”
“For knowing exactly what I needed and for making sure I got it no matter that it made you late for your own party. I’m sorry for that, too, but seriously, thank you for, well, for being you and for being my Daddy.”
“You’re welcome, babygirl. Now, how about we make a promise to leave the past behind for the rest of the night and just have fun?”
I nodded and stuck out my hand, my pinkie extended.
He grinned and hooked his around mine and we shook on it.
Everybody knew a pinkie promise was as good as a promise got.
Climbing out of the car, I stood while we hugged and then had to stand a little longer as he turned me to face away so he could straighten the bow on my dress and smooth the fabric down over my layers of petticoats.
“How you can even sit amazes me, Marcie.”
“I can’t only sit, I can twirl, and my dress flares out and it’s so much fun!” I demonstrated and he clapped when I finally came to a stop.
“Then it’s a good thing you’ve got your dancing shoes on because I’m going to dance some Little girl’s feet right off! However, you might want to remember that you not only left your tights at home, but you also left something else as well, so what do you have to say about that twirling now?”
I gasped as I realized the view I’d likely just flashed anyone looking around the parking lot and then giggled and shrugged. “I’d say it’s a good thing you own a club where my bare butt won’t even register.”
He laughed and hugged me. “Babygirl, I promise you, that precious heart-shaped butt always draws attention and when it is striped like a candy cane? Well, just sayin’…”
I might have been lying across a table getting my butt blistered a half hour ago, but right now, I felt as light as a feather and as excited as a kid waiting to see Santa. Of course, since I already had my very own Santa Daddy, I was already ahead of the game.
“Don’t care! Come on!” I tugged on his hand to hurry him along. “I want to see how many piggies we’ve sold. I hope”—his low growl had me stopping to reconsider—“I mean, I know, it’s gonna be a whole lot!”
“That’s right, a huge herd of hogs and hoglets are hurrying to new homes happier than hoggies in hay!”
I broke out laughing and was still laughing as we entered the club that had changed my life from the moment I’d stepped over its threshold. A squeal of “Marcie!” had all thoughts of the past evaporating as Jenna practically knocked me over as she hugged me.
“You’re finally here!”
“What took you so long?” Chloe asked as she joined us.
I held up a finger, knowing in just a second, Emma and Dawn would appear.
Sure enough, I was right and though Henry slowed from a run to what he most likely considered a leisurely stroll, he joined our group as well.
It was only then as the six of us made a circle that we began the greeting ritual that had started with just me and Jenna and had grown more complex with every new member of our inner circle.
Now, it not only took several minutes, it drew quite a crowd of onlookers as we clapped hands, slapped thighs, twirled, dipped, spun and danced in a noisy, but incredibly joyous and perfectly synchronized dance created out of love for each other.
I was breathless by the time we all straightened from the final curtsies the girls performed and Henry’s low bow. Though I had to take deep breaths to suck in oxygen, that didn’t keep me from gasping, “Well…?”
“You’re not going to believe it,” Emma said, grabbing my hand and pulling.
“It’s so awesome,” Chloe said, capturing Emma’s other hand even as I took Henry’s.
“They’re right,” Henry declared, reaching for Jenna’s after she’d snagged Dawn’s.
“Let me just say that the proliferation of porky pig partygoers is only outnumbered by the gregarious and gracious Gem guests who have gathered to give most generously to grossly grow the gift-giving capacity as they galivanted to grab their very own precious peppermint pig!”
I stared in awe and then burst into laughter. “That’s awesome, Henry! How long did it take you to come up with that?”
“A while,” he said with a grin. “I’ve been practicing.”
“I’d say,” Grant confirmed as he joined the group. “I swear he’s been muttering every single word that began with either a ‘P’ or a ‘G’ to his piggie audience ever since the night he first adopted his own little porkers.”
“Wait, every night? You’re saying you haven’t already eaten them all?
” I honestly was pretty impressed. While Detective Williamson was known for his constraint in jumping to any conclusion before its time, Little Henry most definitely wasn’t one known to have any willpower when it came to all things sweet.
“Of course I ate them.” Henry rolled his eyes. “Daddy just bought me new ones every day.”
“Every day!” five Little girls chorused as we all just gaped at him.
“Good grief, how can you pig out on piggies and not gain an ounce?” Jenna asked.
Henry shrugged and then grinned as he looked over at his Daddy. “Let’s just say I’m kept to a rather rapturous and regular rigorous and righteously rugged routine.”
Laughter bubbled from all of us as we snaked our way through the mass of people and through the door that led to the inner sanctum of Gem.
“Oh, wow!” I halted yet again in order to simply take it all in.
Streamers draped from the high ceiling overhead where hundreds of balloons filled with helium floated.
They looked like giant Christmas ornaments as they shifted on the current of the air.
Inflated golden stars danced among them, but when Jenna pointed straight up, I craned my head back and gasped at the blinking red light.
“It’s Rudolph!”
“And Dasher and Dancer…”
“Prancer and Vixen…”
“Comet and Cupid…”
“Donner…”
“And Blitzen!” Henry finished the list we all shared in citing.
It was true. Rudolph and his blinking red nose led four pairs of life-size reindeer lined up in perfect rows, each joined to the next by red velvet reins decorated with silver bells and green holly. I followed the line until it ended in a huge sleigh that held… nothing.
“Where’s Santa?”
“Who knows?” Jenna said. “He hasn’t shown up yet.”
“But everyone else has,” Chloe noted as she waved an arm to include the partygoers.
I was overwhelmed. We’d sent out a lot of invitations, but until this actual moment, I hadn’t been truly positive that people would attend. Not that seeing people in the club was an unexpected sight. Every time Daddy and I played here, it was among other members but tonight wasn’t any other night.
It was one that meant so much to me that my inner self had been terrified I’d be disappointing not only my Daddy and my friends, but all the foster children I wanted to help have the very best Christmas they could.
As they said, I’d been there, done that, and I knew what it was like to be frightened and alone.
To be so worried that no one cared I even existed.
The courts had taken me out of a very abusive situation, terminating the parental rights of my parents when I was six years old.
It had become a little better a year later once I’d met Jenna who’d lost her mother to drug addiction and had no relatives willing to raise her.
She was also seven and we’d become inseparable.
Even at such a young age, we’d each felt as if we’d been separated at birth and decided that we had to be twins.
When other foster kids pointed out we looked nothing alike, we simply stated that only meant we were even more special.
But still, living in foster care wasn’t a choice any child would make without a very, very good reason.
So, the moment I’d found my forever home, I’d been doubly blessed when my new parents had recognized that I’d never feel truly free to love them if I had to leave my twin and very best friend behind.
They’d adopted Jenna as well and we’d become closer than a great many blood-twin sisters were.
Our first Christmas as a family, Jenna and I had pinkie-promised that as long as we lived, we’d do everything we could to make life at least a little better for those children still waiting for their own forever families.