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His son rolled over and opened his eyes—eyes as blue as the sky back home in Big Falls. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, Ty. Sorry, pal. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
Ty took the drawing from his dad’s hands and studied it..
“Ty?”
“Hmm?’
“You draw that picture in school today?”
“Yeah. We was makin’ wish pitchers.”
“Wish pictures?”
Tyler nodded. “We had to draw a pitcher of somethin’ we wanted for Christmas or Hanka.”
“Hanukkah?”
“Yeah that. We got two kids that call Christmas Hanka.”
“It’s not exactly the same thing,” he said.
“I know! They get candles ‘stead of a tree, and presents every day for a week. Teacher ‘splained it.” He smiled broadly. “So I drawed a mommy.”
“How come you didn’t show me?”
Tyler shrugged. “I thought if I put it under my pillow, the tooth fairy might find it.”
Jim swallowed the lump in his throat “Tooth fairies don’t bring mommies, Ty.”
“I know that. I just figgered she might know some other fairies or somethin’. But it’s okay if she doesn’t. I’m made another one to send to Santa.” He sat up a little and pointed at the sealed envelope on his night stand with SANTA written on the front. Then he looked at his picture again. “I made her real pretty, Dad. And look—” he pointed to the shapes on the page all around her “—she has a ponyanda dog and she knows how to make cookies and she neverevergets mad or yells at anybody. She gots a tire swing and a big backyard and she loves little boys. Even the ones who are kinda brokened.”
“Ah, Ty...” Jim damn near choked on the lump in his throat as he wrapped Tyler tight in his arms and held him. “You are the best little boy any mommy could ever have, you understand me?”
“Then how come I don’t have a mom?”
“Because I haven’t found one good enough for you yet,” he told his son. “Not because you’re broken. You’re perfect. You understand? Perfect.”
He gave one last squeeze, then gently eased Tyler back onto his pillows and tucked him in. “And it’s not up to Santa to pick out the best mom for you, son. That’s kinda my job.”
“Then he won’t bring me one?”
“Probably not. I mean, he’s pretty much in the toy business, you know? Moms are people. You see the difference?”
Tyler heaved a big sigh. “Yeah. I see. Soyouhave to get me a mom.”
“That’s the idea.”
“But you’re so slow, Dad. Most of my friends at school already got moms.”
Jim thinned his lips and decided it was time to change the subject. “Guess what we’re doin’ tomorrow?”
Tyler was instantly distracted. “I thought I was goin’ to school and you was goin’ to work.”
“Nope. We are going on a vacation.”
Tyler tipped his head to one side. “We are?”
