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At the Christmas Eve service, when Ricky presented his gift to the baby Jesus, he stood and gazed at the congregation until he found her and Ethan. As soon as he did, his smile was huge. It meant the world to him that the two of them were there to watch his performance.

At the end of the program, Ricky stood at the front of the sanctuary with his Sunday school class and sang “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” his sweet voice distinguishable to her ears. Sage had recorded the performance for Saffron and their parents. Sage knew how much Saffron fiercely missed her son. Recording Ricky’s singing with the church group was sure to boost her spirits.

“Is the coffee ready yet?” Ricky walked around the kitchen table as if he were holding the reins on a team of restless horses.

“Almost,” she said, yawning.

“Can you make it hurry?”

“Nope. Sorry.” She reached inside the cupboard and brought down a second cup. “Would you like some hot cocoa?”

Ricky shook his head. “That would take even longer.”

“Right. I’ll tell you what. You can carry all the gifts Santa brought into the living room and choose one to open while I finish brewing my coffee.”

She didn’t need to ask him twice. Ricky flew out of the room as though he’d suddenly sprouted wings. This certainly wasn’t like any Christmas morning in her lifetime. Then again, she’d never experienced one with a five-year-old.

By the time she joined Ricky in the living room, he’d stacked all Santa’s gifts on the coffee table and was sitting on the sofa with a wrapped box in his lap. “I want to open this one first.”

“Have at it,” Sage said, and gestured for him to open the gift. It was one Sage’s parents had sent before leaving for their anniversary cruise. Sage had hidden their gifts in the back of her closet. After Ricky was asleep on Christmas Eve, she’d set them under the tree.

Wrapping paper went flying into the air as Ricky tore into the package. He paused when he saw the box. Looking up at Sage, his face contorted with a frown. “I bet it’s clothes.”

“You need clothes, you know.”

“Not from Santa,” he protested. “Santa is supposed to deliver toys. It’s in all the stories. I’ve never seen Santa’s elves working on socks or underwear.”

Sage burst out laughing. “You’re right. I’m sure there must be at least one toy in that stack.”

Ricky released an elongated sigh. “I certainly hope so.”

After opening two other gifts, Ricky found a book on dinosaurs and a big book of stickers having to do with the fifty states. Education and fun all in one.

“What about you, Auntie Sage?” Ricky asked, when he realized he was the only one opening presents.

That he would notice pleased her. “I believe there might be one or two under the tree for me.”

That was all the encouragement Ricky needed. He went to the Christmas tree, got down on his belly, and scrounged around the base until he located several gifts with Sage’s name on them.

“Hey,” he said, sounding surprised. “There are a couple here for me, too.”

“Is that so?”

“Looks that way.” He examined the name tags a second time. “But it’s your turn. Open a gift, Auntie Sage.” He brought it to her. This one was from her parents. Unlike Ricky, Sage carefully peeled away the paper and opened the box to find a beautiful red silk scarf.

“Oh my, this is lovely,” she said.

“My turn,” Ricky said eagerly.

Sage had barely set the box on the edge of the coffee table when Ricky reached for a gift with his name attached.

It didn’t take long for them to open the gifts. While Ricky put all his treasures in his room, Sage started breakfast. She’d found a recipe for a breakfast casserole and had assembled it the night before. And because she wanted to contribute to the Christmas dinner at the Cornwells’, she’d bought all the necessary ingredients for a broccoli salad, which she planned to make after breakfast.

Ricky returned to the kitchen just as Sage opened the oven door.

“It’s empty, right?” he asked, and then, to be sure, bent over to look inside.

Sage groaned. “You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?”