Page 45 of Unholy Night
I laugh and give her a quick squeeze. What a funny thing to say. Yet, we both know it’s true. “Yes, he is.”
“Will we see him again?” She turns her head so her face is hidden from me.
My stomach clenches and I do my best to keep my voice even. “I don’t know, Mandy.”
“But you want to see him again?” She looks up at me with her big green eyes and I know it this moment Lucifer has stolen my daughter’s heart too. We are both goners.
“I do.” I really do. I wish he was here this morning to see just how happy he’s made us. “But no matter what, bunny, we will always have last night and today to remember. We had an adventure that we will never forget. We know things are real that other people only dream about. You’ve been to the North Pole!”
“And Hell.” She smiles up at me. “I really liked Hell.”
I throw my head back and laugh. It’s an honest to God belly laugh that I haven’t enjoyed for… I can’t remember the last time I laughed like this. Leave it to Mandy and Lucifer. She giggles and sniffles at the same time. I think we’re both feeling the same thing in different ways.
Rudolph whines and does this weird little prancing before trying to push his head between us. I don’t blame him. Human emotions are hard to understand. And while he seems to think the sun rises and sets with Mandy, he left his family behind. I will not forget that.
When we finally calm down, I put my hands on her shoulders and hold her so I can see her face. She wipes at her cheeks but is smiling, so I think we’re okay.
“How does scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and French toast sound instead of cereal?”
“Can I have the chocolate cereal tomorrow?” Mandy wheedles.
“If you eat all your breakfast and dinner.” I boop her nose and let go. If we have this food, I’m not going to let it go to waste. I think making good use of it is the best way to show our thanks, even if no one is watching.
Then again, if Santa Claus sees us when we’re sleeping and knows when we’re awake, maybe Satan Claus does too.
Cooking, eating, and taking care of Rudolph take up most of our day. It is a lovely, lazy Christmas spent talking to my family on the phone, hooking up the new game console, and filled with lots of cuddles. The night ends with all of us, and I do mean all of us, in my bed. Mandy is snug in the middle sound asleep while I try to ignore the sounds--and smells--Rudolph is making in his sleep. The sulfur scent is probably never going to wash out of my blankets.
I hold my snow globe up and give it a shake. My eyes trace the planes of Lucifer's face, but it’s the look in his eyes that hold my attention. In that moment, I was the only thing Lucifer was focusing on. As if the world around us stopped and it was just the two of us and the intense connection that links us. This moment, perfectly preserved, will warm my heart on the hard days ahead.
The next week is an odd combination of comfort and lingering thoughts. If I have to give this feeling a name I would say… It’s almost like a hangover. How do you follow up such an amazing adventure? Even Mandy seems to be lost in thoughts from times to time. She decides two days after Christmas to send a thank you letter to Lucifer. I’m not sure if it will work like it did with Christmas, but I’m proud of her thoughtfulness, so don’t discourage her. If nothing else, maybe Fuchsia will see it.
We drop off the letter while walking Rudolph. Despite my worry over having a dog, especially a Hellhound, most people either ignore him or love him. I find myself wondering if the people who seem to ignore Rudolph just don’t have any magic left and the ones who notice him still have a hint in their blood like Mandy and I. Though I’m starting to suspect we might have more than most others or wouldn’t more people see Santa on his deliveries? I also wonder if we will start to see things we didn’t see before. Sadly, I hadn’t thought to ask about those types of things.
And the fact we have magic is still mind boggling. It’s abundantly obvious that Mandy has a way with animals. But what about me? I mean, I get along with animals and sometimes seem to know things before they happen, but don’t most women have that sort of intuition? Is my magic why people open up to me so easily, willing to tell me their entire life story over a cup of coffee? Come to think of it, my dad has that effect on people. Everyone automatically trusts him, tells him things they would never share with anyone else. Do these gifts come from him, my mother, or maybe both? My mother has a way of whipping together things at the very last minute. Wedding dress ruined? You call Abigail Haliday. If she can’t fix it, she will know who can, or someone who just happens to be selling an unused dress in the perfect size. Yeah, I’m thinking the magic is strong in those two.
Does Mandy’s father have magic in his blood? I snort at that thought. I suppose being a con man, a magic touch would be helpful. Now there’s a true devil, hellfire and brimstone. Leaving him and keeping Mandy was the best moment of my life until this week.
14
Lyla
Ispend the following days perusing job ads online and playing video games with Mandy, interspersed with walks to the park with Rudolph. Our days are peaceful and normal… and missing something. Maybe our days aren’t missing something, so much as someone. Mandy doesn’t complain, not once, and I think part of that is because she has Rudolph to help fill the void Lucifer left in her heart. At night I fall asleep staring at my snow globe and wondering how Lucifer is doing. Is he busy? Does he think about us or has he gone back to his normal routine? His job is so incredibly important, it’s not as if I can ask him to stay with me. To stay with us. Despite what so many believe, we need him..
The next morning is New Years Eve and I decide we’re not going to let this gloom linger any longer. I need to at least pretend things are okay for Mandy.
“Why don’t we stay up until midnight this year?” I ask Mandy.
“Really?” she asks around a mouthful of chocolate cereal. “You’ll let me stay up this year?”
“Yep! Let’s eat lots of junk food and watch the ball drop on the television.” I smile at her.
“Yes!” She jumps up from her seat and does a little dance. “Rudolph! We get to stay up late!”
The dog dances around her, his goofy eyes shining at her happiness.
“What should we make?” I ask as I clean up our dishes.
“Popcorn, obviously,” she says with giddy excitement. “This morning there were new crackers in the pantry and that cheese that comes in the spray can. And ice cream withallthe toppings.”