Carats and Coconuts Read Online Free PDF Page B

we both
settled into a neatly stacked pile of hand-made
blankets.
    “ All these ornaments mean
something about your life, don’t they?” Roman asked. “It’s as if,
by studying this tree, I can learn all about you.”
    I looked down and pretended to press
the top blanket, which totally didn’t need it.
    Roman gently put his hand under my
chin and lifted my face even with his.
    Just by looking into his eyes, I swear
I caught a glimpse of his wonderful heart and soul.
    “ I want to know everything
about you. Everything,” he said, his eyes begging me to make his
wish come true.
    I didn’t know what to say.
    For the first time in my life, I
really wanted to share all that I was and all that I came from. And
also for the first time, I wasn’t afraid to let it all
out.
    My childhood, and my wishes and dreams
too, were safe with Roman.
    “ Let’s start with Minnie
Mouse,” he said, causing us both to laugh.
    It was one of those laughs that just
feels sooo good, not because it’s lightened an unexpectedly serious
moment, but also because it’s a laugh full of genuine interest and
care.
    “ Minnie Mouse,” I began,
gazing at the snow globe my mom made from a Minnie Mouse head she’d
secured to a pink glittered base, “is there because my mother never
wanted me to forget that no one ever believed in Walt Disney. In
fact, he was once fired from a newspaper job because they said he
never had any good ideas. Anyhoo…good ol’ Walt made it because he
never failed to believe in himself and his little mouse
too.”
    “ Wow. What a story,” Roman
said. “Tell me about the rest of the ornaments and what they mean
to you.”
    He motioned for me to lean back in the
bed, then propped us both up using all my pillows pressed against
the backboard.
    Covered with all the extra blankets
from the end of my bed, we snuggled close together.
    As a winter storm blew in from the
lake in perfect view, thanks to the beautiful bay window behind my
tree, I told Roman the story behind every ornament on that
tree.
    While the snowflakes tapping against
the window got bigger and bigger, so did my love for my
prince.

Chapter
Seven
     
    I ’m
not sure what time we finally drifted off to sleep. But after a
fairytale night with my prince, I woke up to a Winter Wonderland
outside the Witherspoon North Pole.
    It was the best night I’d ever had,
surrounded by the Christmas tree of all trees and the love of my
new life.
    And damn! Now a blizzard too! It
doesn’t get much better than this. I couldn’t wait to get out in
that snow!
    Sometime during the night, Roman must
have tucked me in, then put on his sleep apnea mask. Yep, my prince
still suffers from sleep apnea and uses a C-Pap Machine.
    But you know what? Now that
I’m used to the soft hisses and gurgles the machine makes, it
almost lulls me to
sleep too. And at least I don’t have to worry about Roman and
whether or not he’s getting enough oxygen.
    In fact, now that he’s about to
experience a Witherspoon Family Christmas, I should probably crank
up the oxygen setting on his machine. In order to deal with all of
my family’s hullabaloo and holly-fodder too, he’s gonna need all
the straight O2 he can get.
    Speaking of my family, I suppose we
should get up, get going and head out to my dad’s workshop. We’ve
got to figure out what the hell is up between him and Father Time
and their cell phones.
    At this point, I’m not sure who’s
hacking who. But what I do know is that something’s gotta be done.
Those boys don’t play nice when they’re not getting along, which is
now becoming more and more the norm.
    How a reindeer diet food formula could
be their final undoing is beyond me.
    Following one of Wanda Lu’s wonderful
breakfasts of green eggs and ham – yes, meals in the Witherspoon
house always had a dramatic and very artsy Dr. Seuss flair – we
were just about set to venture out into the blizzard and
beyond.
    Mom and Wanda Lu not only raised me on
Dr. Seuss books, but