Part 63

To ease the Christmas load, Charlotte was determined to do all her holiday shopping right from her cozy pink recliner. A cup of decaf beside her, still in her pajamas, robe and slippers, she was intently searching the web for the latest Do Everything Suzy doll for Lovie. But instead of seeing Ship By dates she was finding Sold Out, Sold Out, Sold Out. Did retailers do this on purpose? She was just about ready to click over to eBay and see how high the after market prices were, when the little cherub walked in and perched herself on her mother's lap.

Curling her way up into the folds of her mother's robe, Lovie said, "Hi, Mommy."

Finding it difficult to balance her laptop, with her new found typing assistant, Charlotte closed the screen and set her shopping aside. "Hi Sweetheart."

"What are you doing?"

"Shopping."

"Can I help?"

Charlotte wondered, could she help? And after a second or two of quick thinking replied, "Yes, go get me a pencil and a piece of scrap paper." Dutifully her elf completed the task, and was back in her cozy perch. "Okay," said Charlotte talking to Lovie, but really setting up a mental list as well as a physical one on paper. "What are we going to get Jenny for Christmas? Knowing the girls had been hoarding their favorite catalogs for weeks, she knew her youngest had full knowledge of her sister's list for Santa.

"She wants the new holiday American Girl dress for her and her Emily."

Charlotte wrote it down while thinking, maybe the doll dress, but to get the dress for Jenny too would be too expensive. "Anything else?"

"She wants the new doll Julie."

Again she wrote it down while thinking, very expensive, and asking, "Doe she want anything else not from American Girl?"

"No..." was her informers first answer, but hen she popped up like a toast from a toaster and blurted, "She wants a puppy."

"A puppy, you say..." Charlotte didn't think she could buy a dog from her chair, but a puppy... except for the fact she would be the one to take care of it... a puppy just might be doable. "What kind of puppy? Did Jenny say?"

Lovie's eyes lit up. "Are we getting a puppy for Christmas?"

Charlotte thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know... If she did get one, could you keep it a secret?"

Lovie jostled all about as she nodded her head yes.

"Then go find Nana and Grandpa and see if they can come in here."

With her bundle off on another mission, Charlotte started to think she was out of her mind to consider getting a dog for Jenny. Wasn't life complicated enough with her mother dying, and her high risk pregnancy? Before she could answer that question there was the stampede of little feet being followed by larger feet that cut into her conversation with herself.

"What's this about a dog?" asked her father.

"I was wondering if you could drive me to the shelter; just to have a look."

"Just a look?" Now it was her mother questioning her daughter's actions. "Do you really need a dog now? You can't walk it. I certainly can't..."

"I know it's not practical, but maybe that is why it's so right." Charlotte went on to explain her idea on how a dog, a smaller one, might just be what they needed. Something to occupy their time. Something for Jenny to call her own. After all she had been through.

Charlotte's dad picked up the Christmas list she had laid down next to her laptop. "Don't you think a doll and some clothes would be more practical?"

He was right. In the end, when all was said and done, the dog would be more. But would there be more bang for the buck? "Let's just go look. I have a feeling about this."

"Can I come too?" It was Lovie. I want a dog.

Charlotte hugged her littlest, and then looking into the disapproving and tired eyes of her parents said, "Of course you can."

(22751)