The Little Drummer Boy

My cousin sister wrote it and I thought it was good so I'm sharing it with you

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"Can you believe this snow?"

"I can't," I mumbled miserably as I glanced out the office window. It was really coming down.

"Weather Channel says up to six inches tonight," Emmett said excitedly as he switched off his laptop. He'd always loved snow. It was one of the reasons he'd refused to relocate from Chicago after our dad retired and handed the reins to us. I was all for expanding the family business to some place warmer, and a whole lot sunnier in the winter, but my brother wouldn't even discuss it.

Neither would my wife.

"You're thinking about that pretty wife of yours, aren't you?"

I grinned at him. "How'd you know?"

"Because you always get this stupid smile on your face whenever you're thinking about her," he replied knowingly. "You know, you make life hell for the rest of us. Rose is always asking me why I don't look at her the way you look at Bella."

Rose was on hell on wheels and exactly the kind of woman Emmett needed in his life.

"You're crazy about your wife, Em."

"I am, but I don't wear it on my sleeve like you do."

"Well, maybe you should," I grinned at him as I snapped my briefcase closed. "Women like to know that they're worshipped."

"Yeah, yeah, you get that shit from our father. All Esme Cullen has to do is bat her eyelashes…"

It was true. Our father adored our mother, and something he'd instilled in us from an early age was to show your wife every day that you loved her.

"All right, I'm out of here," I said as I headed for the door. "I have to stop by the store and pick up a few things."

Emmett smirked. "Still haven't found her a gift, huh?"

I flipped him the bird, and his laughter rang down the hallway as I made my way through our lobby and out into the frosty Chicago air.

I hated shopping. I especially hated Christmas shopping. Bella hated shopping in general but loved the holidays, so she was happy to fight the crowds to find the perfect gifts for our family. She even loves to wrap them, even though I've tried to convince her that there are store employees that would be happy to do that for her. Of course, I've tried to make her understand that there are people who will also decorate the house for the holidays and cater our Christmas party, but she always insists on doing everything on her own.

It's just another example of how differently we were raised.

Our parents freely admit that my siblings and I were spoiled. We grew up with money, so paying complete strangers to complete mundane tasks such as decorating Christmas trees or fixing dessert for a dinner party was just a normal part of our existence.

Then, I met Bella – the beautiful transfer student from Washington State who sat in the front row of my college economics class with her pen and paper while the rest of us typed notes on our laptops. The daughter of a retired policeman, Bella had learned from an early age how to be self-sufficient and frugal. Growing up in a single-parent home without the luxuries of – well, almost anything…gave her a shrewd mind for business and a dogged determination. She was intelligent and funny, and falling in love with her was effortless.

By some miracle, she fell in love with me, too.

Dating had been tricky because she'd always refused to let me pay for anything. Popcorn at the movies. Hot dogs at the baseball game. It was a fight every time I pulled my wallet out of my pocket. It took six months of dating before she'd finally let me pay for dinner.

Despite our differences, we were absolutely crazy about each other.

She grounded me and taught me to save my money. I convinced her that it was okay, within reason, to enjoy the fruits of your labors.

It was an education for both of us.

We dated for two years. After we graduated and found jobs – me with my dad's finance company and Bella at a Chicago publishing house – I decided there was nothing I wanted more in the world than for Bella to be my wife.

It took some negotiating.

The first time I'd proposed, she'd thrown a five carat wedding ring at my head and told me to get a grip on reality.

My mom still laughs about that one.

I still wasn't satisfied with the modest stone that's rested on her hand for the past three years, but she loves it, and I love her, so I deal.

I tightened my scarf around my neck and continued down the sidewalk toward the department store. While Bella loved to shop for everyone else, she wasn't forthcoming when it came to her own Christmas list, leaving me to my own devices which usually translated to something outrageously expensive that she'd force me to return.

This year, I'd yet to find the perfect gift, and it was driving me crazy.

It was also Christmas Eve, and I was officially out of time.

My eyes scanned the windows, hoping that inspiration would strike. Everything was twinkling and beautiful, but there was nothing hanging in these windows that she would just love, and I wanted her to love it so much that she wouldn't make me take it back.

A bookstore window caught my eye, and there on display was a set of children's books. I swallowed convulsively as I scanned the titles, recognizing many of them from the bookcase in our nursery. Bella was thrifty about everything except books, and when we'd learned we were pregnant, the very first thing we bought was a book shelf.

Then we miscarried, and the nursery and all the books inside it remained untouched to this day.

There was only one thing is this world that Bella truly wanted – the one thing that money couldn't buy – and that was a biological child.

A little me.

A little her.

A little us.

The miscarriage was still a mystery. The doctor's explanation of "sometimes these things just happen" didn't satisfy either of us, but the fear of losing another baby was still so raw and suffocating that Bella wouldn't even discuss trying again. The doctor had given us the green light, but it was six months later and she still wasn't willing to try.

I really wanted to try.

Pulling my jacket closer, I made my away around the corner and came upon a tiny crowd gathered at the coffee shop. There was a small band playing, comprised of guitar players and carolers singing Christmas songs. The spectators exploded with applause and dropped money into the open guitar cases that littered the feet of the musicians.

Suddenly, an old man tugged on my arm. He was wearing a tattered coat and looked desperately in need of a bath.

"Do you hear drums?"

I didn't see a drummer in the band, but there was a distinct "rum pum pum" echoing from the alley.

"I think it's coming from back there," I said, pointing toward the darkness.

Another song began, and sure enough, you could hear the "rum pum pum" coming from the alleyway. Intrigued, and probably a little stupid, I stepped away from the man and slowly walked toward the sound. Each step I took brought me closer to the beat, until finally, nestled in the corner, was a little boy playing a snare drum by the light of a lantern. The drum was scarred from wear and the strap was frayed, but you could tell that it was the boy's most prized possession.

"Probably his only possession," my conscience whispered to me.

Does he live here? In this filthy alley? And where are his parents?

"Shall I play for you?"

His voice was just a whisper, and his clothes were ragged.

"I heard you playing," I said softly. The last thing I wanted to do was scare the kid. "You were very good. Are you alone?"

I could see his nod in the lantern light.

"Where are your parents?"

His face contorted in pain, and I felt my stomach lurch. He couldn't be more than five. Maybe six.

"Shall I play for you?" he asked again. A little stronger this time. A little more determined.

I said yes, and in my thousand dollar designer suit, I sat down on the flattened section of a shredded cardboard box and listened to him play. Each rhythmic thump pierced my soul, and when he came to the end of his song, I reached for my wallet.

"No, sir," he whispered. "I don't need your money."

I nearly laughed at the vast understatement. He was surrounded by dumpsters and living in a cardboard box. If anyone needed money, it was this child.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Just food."

"I could pay you with food?"

He nodded, his eyes suddenly bright. He was dirty and skinny and had the biggest, bluest eyes I'd ever seen.

"You could come home with me," I offered softly. "My wife loves to cook."

He was already shaking his head.

"I can't leave. I'm waiting for my parents to come back."

How long has he been waiting?

"How old are you?"

"I'm six, sir."

I glanced at the light of the lantern.

"Do you have a name?"

He nodded.

"My name is Seth."

"Well, Seth, it's going to get much colder tonight. It's going to keep snowing."

His eyes looked frightened.

"Yes, sir," he whispered.

I couldn't leave him here. I just couldn't. Maybe I should call the police. Where the hell were his parents?

"I could just take you home with me for a little while, just long enough to get you bathed and fed. Then we could try to find your parents if you like."

At the mention of a bath, I saw his eyes brighten. How long had it been since he'd bathed? From the looks of him, I could only assume it'd been ages.

The little boy bowed his head, and when he looked up again, the light in his eyes was gone.

"No, sir. My parents told me to stay here."

I closed my eyes in frustration. I was a master negotiator in the business world. Had I really met my match in a six year old living in an alley?

Maybe.

But I had a secret weapon.

"You realize it's ten degrees?" Bella asked when I met her at the corner. "This better be one delicious cup of coffee."

I grinned and kissed her cold cheek.

"Can the coffee wait just a bit? I want to introduce you to someone."

Taking her gloved hand, I gently pulled her toward the alley. Understandably, she hesitated when she saw where we were headed.

"Edward, where the hell are we going?"

"You'll see."

With the distant light of the lantern as my guide, we slowly walked toward Seth's cardboard box. He was still there, holding his drum. His eyes went wide when he saw the beautiful girl at my side.

"Seth, this is my wife. Her name is Bella."

Bella's eyes were frozen on the little boy. I held my breath as she took in his surroundings. There really wasn't much to see in the dark, but you didn't have to see much to know that it wasn't a good situation at all.

"Hello, Seth."

"You're pretty," he whispered, and I couldn't help but smile.

Secret weapon, indeed.

"Thank you," she smiled at the little boy.

"Shall I play for you?" he asked softly.

Bella's eyes fell upon the drum strapped around his frail little body, and she nodded.

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The drumsticks began their slow tapping, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to shield her from the snow and wind.

"Where are his parents?" she whispered over the thumping.

"I don't know."

"We have to do something."

"I know, baby," I murmured against her ear. "I tried to get him to come home with me, but he said he had to wait for his parents."

"How long has he been waiting for his parents?"

"I wondered the same thing," I sighed. "I don't know."

There's something really beautiful about my wife, and it's a quality that a lot of people never get to witness. There is a certain look in her eyes and a particular expression on her face that lets you know that she's made a decision, and pity the fool who even tries to knock her off course. I'd seen her work her magic on stubborn book editors and apathetic marketing agents.

This six year old didn't stand a chance.

Bella dropped to her knees in front of the little boy, right there in that dirty alley.

"Seth, I just made some homemade chili. Do you like chili?"

He nodded his head yes.

"I also made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Those are Edward's favorite, and I always make a bunch extra. Do you like peanut butter and jelly?"

My heart broke as the little boy licked his lips and nodded once again.

"Why don't you come home with us? You could help Edward eat his sandwiches, and then later, we'll try to find your parents for you."

I could see it on his little face. He didn't want to tell her no. That was another incredible thing about my wife. Saying no to her was virtually impossible.

"My mom told me to stay here," Seth whispered sadly.

"But it's so cold, Seth," Bella murmured, her voice breaking with emotion.

"I'll be okay."

Bella lowered her head, and I thought for just a second that even my amazing wife had met her match, but then I heard her quiet sniffles, and I saw the little boy's face fall as he realized that she was crying.

"Why are you crying, Bella?"

She lifted her head and gazed into the little boy's eyes. "Because I'm going to really worry about you tonight. I'm afraid you'll be hungry and cold."

"Please don't cry," he whispered. I held my breath as he reached for her. His dirty little hand pressed against her face, but my girl didn't even flinch. "I don't want you to worry. I'll go home with you, Bella. Please don't cry."

I watched as the boy blew out the light of his lantern. It was a good thing the city streets were still aglow.

Seth looked up at me.

"Can I bring my drum?"

"Of course you can."

With a smile as bright as the stars, the little boy took my wife's hand. She took mine, and the three of us walked out of the alley.

After three bowls of chili and five sandwiches, the little boy was now freshly bathed and snuggled up in front of the fire. His head was nestled in Bella's lap, and she was reading him a story.

I didn't know where she found the story book.

I didn't ask.

Mesmerized, I watched as her fingers fluffed his hair. The dirt and grime had given way to a head full of shocking blonde hair. His eyes were closed but his smile was bright as he listened to Bella's gentle voice while she read Llama Llama...something or other.

The Christmas tree glowed in the corner of the room, and if I lived to be a hundred years old, I'd never forget the look on Seth's face when he saw our tree. To me, it was just an ordinary tree. Beautiful, definitely, but it was just a tree. I'd seen a thousand of them in my lifetime. But to that six year old boy, it was a magnificent sight. He hadn't taken his eyes off it the entire time we ate dinner, prompting Bella to finally put everything on trays and carry it into the living room so that we could sit around the tree while we ate.

After dinner, Bella had helped him take the longest bubble bath in the history of the world while I'd made some calls. The first call was to my sister, Alice – a personal shopper at Neiman Marcus. The next call was to my friend, Jacob, who was an investigator with the Chicago PD.

Only one of those calls had been successful.

Alice had arrived half an hour later with enough clothes to dress an entire first grade class. Jake, however, was a complete dead end.

"I can hand him over to Child Protective Services," he'd said.

"Which means what?"

"Which means he'll likely end up as a ward of the state. They'll probably send him to a group home."

Not the answer I wanted to hear at all. When I'd told Bella, she'd leveled me with a look that let me know that sending Seth to a group home wasn't an option at all.

I hadn't expected it to be.

A million questions raced through my mind as Bella continued to read aloud to the little boy in her lap. Where were his parents? Were they even alive? How long had he been living in that alley? What about the lantern? How was it still working? Had he been eating, and if so, what?

I thought of the dumpsters surrounding his cardboard box, and I shuddered.

And then there was the mystery of the drum. Convincing him to let go of the drum in order to take a bath had taken some time, but my wife is an amazing woman. She tempted the little boy with the promise of bubbles – fun, soapy bubbles that wouldn't be good for the drum at all.

I wanted to fumigate that drum.

Burning it might be better.

Bella fell silent, and that's when I heard Seth's quiet snores. His face was sweet and content as he snoozed in her lap. Her fingers continued ruffling his hair, and the smile on her face as she gazed down at the little boy assured me that I had finally found the perfect Christmas gift for my wife.

And I had a feeling we wouldn't be returning him.

"Can you imagine what he's been through?" Bella whispered. We were lying on the bed in the guest room with Seth sandwiched between us, snoring peacefully.

"No, baby, I can't. I don't want to."

"Tomorrow's Christmas Day," she said softly. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "Kids all over the world will be waking up to trees full of toys, and this child would have woken up in a cold alley without anything but a drum and a lantern."

She dissolved into quiet tears, and I reached across the sleeping boy, cradling her face in the palm of my hand. She offered me a watery smile and sighed softly.

"Can we keep him?"

I wasn't at all surprised by the question.

"It won't be easy," I cautioned her. "We don't know a thing about him, Bella. His parents could be out there somewhere. He could be sick…We'll have to go through the proper channels, starting with Jake…this might not be easy, baby."

"I know all that," she nodded, "but we can't take him back to that cardboard box. I won't do that. Not ever."

"No, we won't do that, I promise," I whispered. "There's nothing we can do tonight. There probably isn't much we can do tomorrow. I'll call Jake and see what needs to be done."

"And I'll call Rosalie and get the number of the kids' pediatrician," she said. "Maybe the Cullen name will convince the doctor to make a Christmas Day house call."

Christmas Day.

"I wonder if the mall is still open."

"Doubtful," Bella said. Suddenly, her eyes jumped to mine, and they were wide and full of despair. "Oh, no, Edward!"

"Shh, I know," I said soothingly. "I'll take care of everything, baby.

Her beautiful brown eyes were glistening.

"You will?"

"Of course I will."

I kissed her softly before pulling the blanket around the two of them. Seth had shifted in his sleep, and now his blonde head was nestled against her chest and his hand was pressed against her cheek.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

I didn't have time to be emotional. I had to find a toy store that was open late on Christmas Eve.

"Alice, you don't know how much I appreciate this."

"Yes I do," she smiled as she handed me the credit card receipt. "Your appreciation comes to just under $2500. Neiman Marcus thanks you, and my commission thanks you, as well."

I grinned. "Don't lie. You enjoyed yourself."

"My brother hands me his platinum card, points me toward the toy department, and tells me to go wild? Yes, I enjoyed myself immensely." She looked at the mound of toys and frowned. "How the hell are you going to get them all wrapped?"

"Umm…don't you have employees who will do that for me?"

Alice snorted. "It's nine o'clock on Christmas Eve night. If you haven't noticed, the place is closed."

Shit.

"I can get them delivered," Alice said, "but I'm afraid you'll have to wrap them yourself." She smiled brightly as she patted the giant teddy bear on his head. "I don't know how the hell you'll wrap this fella, but good luck with that."

I glanced at the drum set. It was red and white, and most importantly, clean.

Yeah, I don't know how I'll wrap that, either.

"Maybe I don't have to wrap anything," I said, the wheels spinning in my head. "Maybe just having them waiting under the tree will be surprise enough."

Alice shot me a disapproving glare, and I knew immediately that, no, that wouldn't be surprise enough at all.

"You could tie a big ass bow around the bear," she offered helpfully, "but everything else needs to be wrapped. That's part of the excitement…all of the brightly colored packages and the mess to clean up afterwards. It's all part of the Christmas morning experience."

I had no idea what Seth's normal Christmas experience was like. Would this be his first?

If so, it was going to be one he'd never forget.

"Well, little sister, I suggest you get my brother on the phone and call our parents. Tell them there is a wrapping party going on at my house, and I expect everyone to bring their own gift wrap and tape."

Her eyes softened.

"You're really attached to this little boy, aren't you?"

"He just…." my voice faltered as I tried to wrap my mind around the situation, "…he has nothing, Ali. He's living in a box in an alley, and his only possessions are a lantern and a little drum. I watched him eat my wife's dinner as if he'd never seen food before, and then I watched as she bathed him in a tub full of bubbles. Right now, they're sleeping, and he is wrapped in her arms." I swallowed anxiously as I tried to contain the emotion that was threatening to choke me. "Yes, you could say that we've become attached."

Alice walked around the counter and wrapped her arms around my middle, squeezing tightly.

"We'll make Christmas perfect for him," she whispered.

True to her word, Alice got the toys delivered to the house, and I tipped the guys outrageously for working late on Christmas Eve.

Now to get it all wrapped.

Emmett and Rose were on their way over, as were my parents with Alice and her husband, Jasper. After giving them strict instructions to not ring the doorbell, I peeked into the guest room to find Bella and Seth still fast asleep.

Should I let her sleep?

Bella loved to wrap gifts, and something told me she'd kill me if she didn't get this chance.

Slowly, I crept toward her side of the bed and kneeled onto the floor. It took several soft kisses against her forehead before she began to stir.

"Edward?"

"I'm right here, baby."

She sighed softly.

"What time is it?"

"It's pretty late, but I want to show you something."

Bella glanced down at the sleeping boy in her arms.

"He's been restless," she murmured. "Bad dreams, I think."

I nodded. With a life like his, I could only assume that nightmares were common.

"We'll keep the door open so we can hear him," I told her.

Nodding, Bella gently slipped the little boy out of her arms and wrapped the blanket tight around his tiny body before following me out into the hallway.

A small part of me was really dreading this reveal. Bella was never happy whenever I handed Alice my credit card.

"Okay, don't get mad," I said in preparation, "but I spent a lot of money."

Her eyes went wide as soon as our feet touched the living room carpet.

We might as well have walked right into a toy store. Every flat surface was covered with some type of toy. The giant teddy bear was nestled close to the tree. The drum set was right next to the bright blue electric car. There was the red bicycle with training wheels and the deluxe train set that wound around the tree. There were Legos, action figures, gaming systems, and enough video games to last until he was a teenager. Alice, in her brilliance, didn't just buy toys, however. There were also clothes and shoes and enough books to open a library.

It was literally anything and everything a child could ever want for Christmas morning.

Bella was stunned speechless.

"I know it's a lot, and I know we're probably going to have an argument," I said softly. "I just wanted him to have a perfect Christmas, Bella. It might be his first. We have no way of knowing, and I just wanted us to make it special."

With tears sparkling in her eyes, she jumped into my arms. She locked her legs around my waist as I held her close.

"Thank you," she whispered against my ear. "Thank you for making it perfect."

"Now we just have to get it all wrapped."

Her face turned ashen.

"Don't worry," I laughed. "Help is on the way."

"A Benz?" Bella smirked at me as I finished tying the bright red bow around the hood. "What, was the Porsche sold out?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

She smiled brightly, and I couldn't recall when I'd last seen my wife this unbelievably happy.

Exhausted, but happy.

It was the middle of the night. Seth hadn't stirred, even with the commotion of my family as we tried to wrap the gifts and place them under the tree. They promised to be back at dawn so that they could meet the little boy who'd completely stolen our hearts.

"Come here, baby," I said, gently tugging her by the hand and collapsing with her against our sofa. The gifts were bright and beautiful as they stood proudly around our giant Christmas tree.

In my eyes, this was no longer just some ordinary Christmas tree. I knew that I'd never seen one so beautiful, and not just because of thousands of dollars' worth of gifts surrounding its branches. This tree was symbolic of so much.

Hope, love, and family.

What more could any little boy – or any grown-up, for that matter – want on Christmas morning?

I'd always considered myself a happy person, but when I saw the look on Seth's face as he tip-toed into the living room, I knew that I'd only felt joy like his twice in my lifetime.

The day we learned we were pregnant, and on our wedding day.

Those moments had been the epitome of my life, and it was clear by the absolute delight on his face that today was the epitome of his.

"For me?"

He'd only asked that same question a hundred times in the last hour. With every rip of the wrapping paper, he'd utter those words, and I'd catch my mother wiping away tears, each and every time. My family adored him, and I knew that nothing under any of our trees could be better than the gift we'd given each other today.

Joy through the eyes of a child.

We'd given him that.

We'd given each other that.

The drum set was loud, but nobody cared. His happiness was better than any headache.

Bella and my mother prepared a gigantic breakfast, and my family nestled themselves around our living room floor while we ate. Seth would eat for a while, then run and play with a toy, before returning to his plate once again.

Even I could sense that it was probably sensory overload for the kid, and no one was surprised when he started complaining with a tummy ache. Rosalie just picked up her phone, dialed the number to her pediatrician, and within an hour, he was making a house call on Christmas Day.

There were definite perks to being a Cullen.

The initial diagnosis was simple indigestion – too much food on a sensitive stomach that probably hadn't seen a decent meal in ages. Still, we made an appointment for the next day to give Seth a complete physical exam. I listened with pride as my wife went into full Mama Bear mode, asking a million questions that I never would have even considered.

It's just one of the many reasons why I love her.

The family finally headed home in the afternoon, leaving us alone with just the rhythmic sound of the drum echoing in our ears. Bella and I were snuggling on the couch while Seth ran from one toy to the other. Naturally, the drums were his favorite.

"You know, I've heard that a drum set is the leading cause of divorce," Bella said with a grin.

"You'd never leave me," I said with a wink.

Her face softened as she snuggled into my arms.

"Why would I?" she whispered softly as she hugged me close. "You've given me the world, and I don't think I've ever truly appreciated it until now."

"It's just a bunch of toys, Bella."

"Not to him, it isn't," she said gently. "It's his very first Christmas, and you made that happen. You took care of everything."

I kissed the top of her hair.

"I told you I would," I whispered. "As long as I'm breathing, you'll never want for anything. Neither will he, and neither will any other children that we're blessed to have – whether they're our biological children or not."

She tilted her face toward mine. A single tear streaked down her cheek, and I gently wiped it away.

"You have my permission to spoil him rotten," Bella said quietly.

I smiled and kissed her gently.

"It will be my pleasure, baby."

The next morning was blustery and cold, and my driver navigated through traffic as we made our way to the pediatrician's office. His building was close to Seth's alleyway, and Bella and I both saw the fear in the little boy's eyes as he watched it pass just outside our tinted windows.

"I need my lantern," Seth whispered, his voice filled with fear.

"Why do you need your lantern, sweetheart?" Bella asked warmly.

"What if it gets dark again? What if it gets cold again?"

I stared out the window and tried to hide my emotions. Bella – always a hundred times stronger than I could ever hope to be – just whispered her promise that he'd never be cold again.

Once Bella and Seth were inside and registered with the receptionist, I decided to go back to the alley and retrieve that old lantern and look for any clues that might have been hidden in the darkness.

It looked even worse in the daylight.

The filth was the least of it. Rats scurried from the dumpster as I made my way toward the cardboard box that was now completely covered with snow. If I hadn't found him last night…

"I bet you're looking for this," a voice echoed behind me. I turned to find an old man. He looked familiar, although I had no idea why. He was holding Seth's lantern.

"We met last night," he said, answering my unspoken question. "I was standing in front of the coffee shop. We heard the drum."

"I remember now," I nodded. The man was clearly homeless and his clothes were ragged and worn. "I can't thank you enough for last night. I never would have followed the sound of the drum if you hadn't brought it to my attention."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Seth beats on that drum every night, and no one ever notices. It's amazing what we can hear if we just take a moment and really listen."

"How long has he been living here?" I asked softly.

"A few weeks," the man said quietly. "Two days ago, his parents went to get food, and they never came back."

Bile rose in my throat.

"They were good people and loved their son very much," the man said when he noticed my angry expression. "I'm sure that it's not by choice that they didn't return."

Suddenly, I was even angrier at the man standing before me.

"You knew he was living back here. You knew he was cold and alone, and you did nothing?"

The man looked at me quizzically. "What should I have done?"

"You could have taken him to a hospital! To a shelter. To the police. You should have gotten him some help!"

The old man's face broke out in a soft smile.

"I'm sure by now you've called the police," the man said quietly. "I'm sure they told you what happens to abandoned children."

My blood ran cold.

Group home.

"Still, that would have been better than him freezing to death!"

The old man offered me another sad smile and handed me Seth's lantern.

"The lantern kept him warm."

"Lanterns run out of oil, eventually."

"Some do, yes," he said gently.

I took the lantern out of his hand.

"He's just a little boy, and you should have helped him."

The old man smiled, and this time, his face was peaceful.

"I did help him," the man replied. "Granted, it took some time. I didn't think you were ever going to leave your office. The snow helped."

My eyes narrowed. Was the old man a stalker?

"I did help him," the man whispered, placing his hand against my shoulder. "And I helped you. Merry Christmas, Edward."

A gust of icy wind blew across my face, and I closed my eyes to shield my vision from the cold.

When I opened them again, the old man was gone.

"Shall I play for you?" Seth asked me. His smile was bright and his eyes were clear and happy as he sat down at the piano.

It was amazing the difference a year could make.

It was Christmas Eve, and our annual holiday party was in full swing. Bella and Seth had spent the day baking cookies and pies. For the first time, she'd allowed me to call a caterer for everything else. Juggling motherhood with her job at the publishing house had been an adjustment for Bella, but the happiness that glowed from her beautiful brown eyes assured me that she wouldn't want it any other way.

It had taken a lot of red tape and mounds of paperwork, but Seth was ours. As we'd feared, his parents had succumbed to the harsh winter, and their bodies had been identified at the county hospital. His only other family was an aunt in Aurora who made it clear that the last thing she needed was another mouth to feed.

After that, the paperwork had moved right along.

His fingers sailed seamlessly along the keys of the grand piano, filling the air with the sounds of Christmas. We'd convinced him to trade in his drums for something a little less deafening, and he'd taken to the piano like a fish to water.

Our son was amazing.

He was now seven and in the second grade. We'd considered having him repeat first grade, but his teachers felt that, with a little encouragement over the summer, he'd be more than ready to keep up with his second grade classmates. Bella had taken time off to work with him, and by the time school began, our son was doing multiplication – a skill his classmates wouldn't be learning until next year.

Needless to say, Seth was a little bored at school.

However, he was polite and sweet, and his teachers and classmates adored him. He had piano lessons twice a week and Karate lessons with his Uncle Emmett every Friday night.

He was well-adjusted, healthy, and happy, and the absolute joy of our lives.

The nursery had been quickly converted into a "big boy's room," and the books that had lined the shelves for so long were read each and every night. Sitting on top of his dresser were the lantern and his old snare drum. He couldn't bear to part with them.

Neither could we.

So much had changed, and I couldn't imagine that life could get any better.

But then it did – with one last Christmas gift from my wife.

"I didn't see this under the tree," I grinned at her as she handed me a package. It was late on Christmas Eve, and the party-goers had finally headed home. Seth was sleeping in his bed, and Bella and I were getting ready to arrange the gifts from Santa around the Christmas tree.

"I know," Bella said softly. "I didn't want you to open it in front of everyone else."

Intrigued, I raised the box close to my ear and shook it gently.

It rattled.

Interesting.

"Just open it," Bella whispered with tears in her eyes.

Very carefully, I pulled the ribbon and lifted the lid. Nestled inside the gift tissue was a shiny, silver rattle.

I looked at her with wide eyes.

"Read the inscription," she murmured.

Taking a deep breath, I settled my gaze on the silver rattle.

My big brother loves me

2013

Tears were now streaming down her face.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy."

Words failed me, but none were really needed. I just lifted her into my arms and held her close. Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of sleigh bells could be heard in the distance.

Bella gasped. "Is that…"

I smiled softly as I remembered the words of the old man who had truly given me everything I'd ever wanted.

"It's amazing what we can hear if we just take a moment and really listen," I whispered.

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