A Simple Christmas Wish Read Online Free PDF Page A

been too little to remember. They stayed under the Christmas tree for a couple of hours, having their own private memorial service, talking and weeping and remembering, until eventually, Holly fell asleep. Not wanting Holly to wake up all alone, Rachel remained there with her . . . thinking and praying and hoping that they were both going to be okay.

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    Rachel decided that the best way for Holly to get over the shock and sadness of losing her parents was to go back to school and resume her normal routine as soon as possible. On Monday, instead of just dropping Holly off at the front door, Rachel went into school with her, getting there early enough to speak to the principal and her teacher, informing them of the situation. Naturally, they wanted to do all they could to help Holly make the necessary adjustments. They promised to call Rachel if any problems developed. Rachel bent down to kiss Holly, who was acting surprisingly brave, and it was only as Rachel walked out of the building that she realized she would probably miss Holly more than Holly would miss her.
    Still, Rachel had plenty to do to keep herself busy, and as soon as she got home, she made a detailed to-do list—everything from giving notice on her job, to making arrangements in the Caribbean, to contacting Michael’s law firm, to preparing announcements for the newspapers, to reserving the church, to letting Nanny Vida know. The list grew as sheremembered more things that needed doing. Some she was able to check off, and before she knew it, it was time to go pick up Holly.
    So the week went, with Rachel putting most of her energy into caring for Holly and keeping her life on track by helping her make sugar cookies to take to school and attending the school’s Christmas program, as well as packing up and moving her own things into the apartment, and attending to all the various details surrounding the deaths of Michael and Miri. There was hardly a moment to spare, and Rachel was very thankful for the regular delivery of dinners from the church ladies.
    By Thursday, Rachel was relieved that it was the day of the memorial service. Not because she was looking forward to it, but simply because she was longing to move on, to create some sense of normalcy. The service was surprisingly well attended and went relatively smoothly. Both Rachel and Holly had cried so much during the past week that they were somewhat dry-eyed by Thursday, until the photos Rachel had put on a CD were shown up on the big screen—with some of Miri and Michael’s favorite songs playing along. The combination brought most everyone to tears.
    When the service and luncheon came to an end, Rachel and Holly went home to the apartment, where Rachel finally felt like she could just relax after having survived one of the longest weeks of her life. Fortunately, Holly was officially on Christmas break now, and they could both just kick back, comfort each other, and do as they pleased until mid-January. Friday, the day after the memorial service, Rachel proclaimed Pajama Day, and they didn’t even get dressed. Instead theylazed around, watched Disney movies, and ate popcorn and ice cream, but at least they had a nutritious dinner when one of the church ladies dropped off a chicken-and-broccoli casserole.
    “I want another Pajama Day,” Holly announced on Saturday morning. Rachel was glad to agree. After all, they were on vacation. However, she insisted they should eat a bit more healthily this time. “And tomorrow we have to get up, get dressed, and go to church,” she reminded her.
    During the following week, Rachel added more structure to their lives by planning one Christmas-related event for each day. On Monday, they went to the Museum of Science and Industry to see the Christmas Around the World display. On Tuesday, they went to Navy Pier for the Winter Wonderfest. On Wednesday, they went to the Lincoln Park Zoo to see Santa’s Safari and the ice carving demonstrations. On Thursday, they