The Christmas Secret Page #5

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AND LOOK UP INTO THE NIGHT SKY,

AND HE'D SAY, "JASON,

"IF YOU EVER GE LOST IN THE WOODS,

"THE STARS WILL

LEAD YOU HOME.

IF YOU FOLLOW THIS STAR,

YOU'LL NEVER GET LOST."

EVERYTHING OKAY?

YEAH.

SOMEONE ELSE IN MY LIFE

USED TO TALK TO ME

ABOUT THE NORTH STAR.

HEY, HOW DID YOU

FIND YOUR WAY TO WILSONVILLE?

OH, UM...

LONG STORY SHORT,

MY MOTHER MET THIS GUY

IN HER LAST SUMMER OF COLLEGE

IN BOSTON,

AND THEY FELL IN LOVE,

AND HE'S MY DAD.

AND I NEVER KNEW HIM,

BUT I KNOW HE'S FROM

AROUND HERE,

SO HERE I AM.

I HAVE TWO KIDS.

OKAY.

JUST...

SO, THAT'S WHERE

BRAD COMES IN?

YES. YES.

WELL, NOT ANYMORE.

LOOK, DO YOU WANT TO

GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE?

I'D LOVE TO.

I HAVE A HALF AN HOUR.

OKAY, LET ME GRAB MY CAR.

I'LL MEET YOU AT BAILEY'S CAFE.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

SEE YOU:

IN A FEW MINUTES.

SEE YOU IN A FEW.

YOU'RE GETTING

MUCH, MUCH BETTER.

MAKE SURE THA YOU TELL YOUR MOM

I HELPED YOU WITH

YOUR HOMEWORK, OKAY?

OKAY.

LOOK, I'M FLYING

LIKE A BIRD!

STOP IT, HALEY,

I CAN'T THINK.

LOOK, I'M FLYING

LIKE A BIRD!

HALEY!

HALEY!

HALEY?

HALEY!

WHAT HAPPENED?

ARE YOU OKAY?

HALEY!

GO, GET A BLANKET.

AND DON'T WORRY,

EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.

CALL AN AMBULANCE.

OH...

PAGING DR. BENSON.

DR. BENSON TO ROOM 202.

HI, MAMA.

I'M SO SORRY.

YOU SCARED ME:

HALF TO DEATH.

IT'S MY FAULT.

NO, I'M JUST GLAD

THAT YOU WERE THERE

TO TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL.

I DIDN'T.

WHO DID?

HER.

MRS. MEREDITH,

THANK YOU.

CALL ME DOLLY.

I WAS JUST WATCHING

FROM THE WINDOW:

WHEN YOUR CUTIE PIE HERE

CLIMBED UP ON THE RAILING.

I WAS JUST ABOUT TO TELL HER

TO STOP WHEN SHE FELL.

OH, MY.

I WAS A NURSE,

SO I KNEW I COULD HELP.

SHE WAS PRETTY SCARED.

I'M SORRY WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN.

OH...

I ADMIT, I'M A LITTLE SHY,

I DON'T LIKE TO INTRUDE.

I DO TRY TO KEEP MY EYE

ON THE CHILDREN,

ESPECIALLY IF YOU

RUN OUT FOR SOMETHING.

GUESS I'M ALWAYS

HOVERING AROUND.

I SUPPOSE THAT'S HOW

I GOT MY NICKNAME,

"THE BAT LADY."

AS DAYS GO BY:

TENDERNESS GROWS

I LOVE YOU FROM:

YOUR HEAD TO YOUR TOES

YOU MAKE THE DAYS

LOVELY AND FINE:

BECAUSE OF YOU:

LIFE SHINES...

HOW'S THAT BUMP

ON YOUR HEAD DOING?

OUCH! DON'T TOUCH IT.

DO YOU WAN SOMETHING TO EAT?

NO, I'M NO HUNGRY.

DAD!

HEY.

HEY, BUDDY.

BOY, HALEY

REALLY GOT WHACKED.

YEAH.

HEY, BABY, YOU OKAY?

I HURT, DADDY.

YEAH, YOU TOOK

A LITTLE TUMBLE, HUH?

WHO WAS WITH YOU?

ALLIE.

ALLIE?

THE BABYSITTER?

UH-HUH.

CAN I SPEAK TO YOU A MINUTE?

SURE.

HEY, HEY--

YOU SCREWED UP, CHRISTINE.

BIG TIME.

YOU LEFT OUR KIDS

WITH AN IRRESPONSIBLE

TEENAGE GIRL, AGAIN.

WAY TO GO.

SHE'S NOT IRRESPONSIBLE.

IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

AN ACCIDENT?

AN ACCIDEN THAT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED

IF THE MOTHER HAD BEEN HOME

BEING A MOTHER.

YOU KNOW WHAT, BRAD,

YOU NEVER EVEN PAID ATTENTION

TO ZACH AND HALEY

UNTIL WE LEFT TOWN,

AND ALL THIS:

HUFFING AND PUFFING,

ABOUT YOU TAKING

THE KIDS FROM ME?

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU

LOVING THEM,

YOU'RE ANGRY WITH ME,

AND YOU'RE TRYING TO HURT ME.

LOOK, I AM NOT WALKING AWAY FROM

BEING THEIR FATHER,

YOU GOT THAT?

YOU'VE GOT A WONDERFUL WAY

OF SHOWING FATHERHOOD.

OKAY, YEAH, YOU WANT TO TALK

ABOUT PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY?

IS THAT IT?

BECAUSE WHAT YOU JUST DID

HERE TONIGH IS GOING TO CHANGE THINGS.

I'M REPORTING YOU

TO FAMILY SERVICES,

AND I...

I THINK WE KNOW WHAT THEY'LL DO.

WELL, YOU'VE GOT TWO STRIKES

AGAINST YOU, TOO, BRAD.

ONE, YOU WALKED OU ON YOUR KIDS,

AND TWO, YOU HAVEN'T PAID ME

A CENT OF CHILD SUPPORT,

SO WHY DON'T YOU

TALK TO ME:

ABOUT PARENTAL:

RESPONSIBILITY.

LOOK, EVERYTHING'S

GOING TO BE OKAY.

I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

I CALLED YOU:

ON MY THE OVER.

I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY

KNOW ABOUT THIS.

WELL, CHRISTINE CALLED ME

TWO HOURS AGO,

RIGHT AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

LOOK, I KNOW

CHRISTINE MEANS WELL,

BUT SHE GETS OVERWHELMED EASILY.

EXCUSE ME.

KIDS, BILLS, JOB.

I JUST,

I THINK HAVING CUSTODY

OF THE CHILDREN:

IS A LITTLE BI TOO MUCH FOR HER.

RIGHT, WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING

THE COURT WILL DECIDE.

RIGHT.

THANKS FOR BEING

SO BRAVE TODAY.

I THOUGHT HALEY:

WAS HURT BAD.

YEAH.

YOU'RE A GOOD

BIG BROTHER.

I'LL BE GLAD

WHEN SHE COMES HOME.

ME TOO.

I'M SORRY THAT DAD

GOT SO MAD AT YOU.

WELL, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK

HE MEANS TO GET MAD,

I THINK MAYBE HE JUS HAS A LOT ON HIS MIND.

YOU KNOW?

NO.

MOM, DON'T YOU REMEMBER?

DAD USED TO GET MAD

ALL THE TIME.

I'M GLAD YOU'RE MY MOM.

ME TOO.

AREN'T YOU A LITTLE YOUNG

TO BE ALL ALONE IN THE HOSPITAL?

MY MOM'S AT WORK.

SHE'S COMING

TO TAKE ME HOME LATER.

I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT OF HERE.

YEAH.

ME TOO.

DON'T YOU NEED THAT?

ARE YOU KIDDING?

THEY MAKE YOU USE THOSE THINGS

SO YOU'LL THINK,

"THERE MUST REALLY BE

SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME,"

AND SPEND MORE MONEY.

I'M THINKING

OF ESCAPING.

ESCAPING?

WON'T YOU GET INTO TROUBLE?

OH, SWEETHEART, LET ME

TELL YOU A LITTLE SECRE ABOUT LIVING A LONGER LIFE.

SOME OF THE MOST FUN

YOU WILL EVER HAVE IN YOUR LIFE

COMES FROM DOING THINGS

THAT WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE.

REALLY?

TRUE.

YOU KNOW, ON SECOND THOUGHT,

DON'T TELL ANYONE

I TOLD YOU THAT, OKAY?

SO...

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?

MY SPELLING.

UH-HUH.

THAT'S PRETTY.

YEAH.

YEAH, IT IS, ISN'T IT?

IT JUST KIND OF:

APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

WELL, THE NURSE

FOUND IT IN MY THINGS

THE DAY THEY BROUGHT ME

TO THE HOSPITAL.

IT'S A LOCKET,

WITH NO KEY.

SO WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

I'M THINKING...

MAYBE AN ANGEL GAVE IT TO ME.

WOW.

YEAH.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IT?

REALLY?

YEAH, SURE.

WELL, SOMEONE PASSED I ON TO ME WHEN I NEEDED HELP,

SO I'D LIKE TO

PASS IT ON TO YOU.

AH, BUT YOU HAVE TO

PROMISE ME ONE THING.

WHAT?

THAT YOU'LL PASS IT ON

TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO NEEDS HELP.

PROMISE.

REAL PROMISE?

PROMISE.

OKAY.

THERE YOU GO.

OH, LOOK AT THAT.

BEAUTIFUL.

HI.

HI.

YOU STOOD ME UP.

I'M SO SORRY,

I COULDN'T HELP IT.

MY DAUGHTER TOOK A FALL

AND SHE GOT RUSHED

TO THE HOSPITAL.

OH, I'M SO SORRY.

IS SHE OKAY?

YEAH, SHE'S FINE, THANK YOU.

IT WAS JUST, UM...

THINGS GOT COMPLICATED.

I'M SORRY.

THANKS.

UM, DO YOU WANT TO TRY AGAIN?

YEAH.

YEAH, I'D LIKE THAT A LOT.

TOMORROW?

YEAH, I HAVE AN HOUR BREAK

AT NOON TOMORROW.

GREAT.

WELL, UM,

I'LL SEE YOU AT BAILEY'S.

OKAY.

OKAY.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

I FOUND THIS:

IN THE BASEMENT.

JUST BECAUSE YOU AND JUDY

ARE UPDATING THE STORE

DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD LOSE

WHERE IT ALL CAME FROM.

YOU ARE THIS COMMUNITY,

LET'S NOT FORGET THAT.

I'M SORRY, GRANDPA.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

NO.

NO, NO, NO, GO FOR IT.

I LIKE IT THAT YOU'RE TAKING

AN INTEREST IN THIS STORE.

NO, I LOVE THAT.

KEEP IT UP.

SO IT TURNS OU MY STALKER ISN'T A STALKER,

HE'S JUST A FAN

OF CINNAMON ROLLS.

HE SEEMS REALLY NICE.

AND?

AND...

WE KIND OF HAVE A DATE.

OH, HALLELUJAH!

HALLELUJAH:

SO, TELL ME MORE ABOUT DENNIS.

DENNIS?

YEAH.

AW...

WELL, DENNIS LOVED SPORTS,

BUT HE REALLY LOVED THE OCEAN.

COULDN'T KEEP HIM

OUT OF THE WATER.

FISHING. THE OUTDOORS.

HE GOT WORK ON A CRAB BOAT.

OH, SO MANY STORIES TO TELL.

HE WAS A GOOD-LOOKING KID, HUH?

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