Mary’s Son Read Online Free PDF Page B

understand that her daddy was very sad. She tried to make him happy with hugs as much as she could, but soon she began to see him a lot less. He became busier at work, and Sarah grew into her own world of private school and escorts by hired help. She and her father spent less time together, and every day there seemed to be fewer hugs, until, one day, there were none.
    Jonas was still Sarah’s father. He made sure she was cared for and that she had the best education and the best clothes and the best electronics. As Sarah grew older, she learned to accept the changes in him. She’d throw tantrums, of course.What kid didn’t? And she’d do whatever was needed to get her way. As she got older, she also learned about the world. She learned it didn’t care. No one really did, and if she wanted attention, as everyone did from time to time, she would simply have to demand it. Demanding attention was something at which she became very good.
    At home she got attention when she was tedious or troublesome. But that attention was a reaction and had no real meaning. She learned quickly that the only time the attention given her was even partially genuine was when she was on an outing. At home, the attention was simply to keep her quiet and out of everyone’s way as they all went about their daily business. It was only on outings specifically intended for her that she was totally in control. That’s why the mall was her escape. Whoever took her to the mall had only one purpose…to accompany Sarah and to focus on her the entire time. At the mall, she was in charge, and whoever was with her had nothing else that he needed to do—that is, until Nicholas came along.
    On this day, Sarah led Stevens and Nicholas through the labyrinth of shops. Stevens was his usual, attentive self, but Nicholas didn’t seem to understand his place. He ambled amidst Christmas shoppers, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes sparkling in the bright decorations. He was preoccupied with the noise, bustle, and craziness of the season’s shopping, and he showed little interest in Sarah’s needs as he trailed her and Stevens by large distances.
    “Mr. Stevens,” Sarah finally demanded, “will you tell Nicholas to join us?”
    Sarah had to admit, as she waited for Stevens to catch Nicholas’s eye, that he bore a striking resemblance to the impish symbol of Christmas. He wandered aimlessly through the crowd, greeting everyone with bright smiles and jolly calls of “Merry Christmas.” Maybe it was because he looked like Santa that he thought he was Santa.
    “Whatever,” she thought. It didn’t matter right now anyway. This was her time, and he was supposed to be with her. He was supposed to be helping her find what she wanted, noting her choices and then having them wrapped and delivered to her house. He wasn’t supposed to be wandering around, greeting other kids and smiling at everyone he passed.
    Stevens craned his neck and waved embarrassingly until Nicholas finally saw him. Nicholas smiled, nodded cheerily, and stepped up his pace. Sarah turned sharply into the nearest store, a Fitzpatrick & Ames teeming with swaggering teens and parents shocked by the half-naked live models as well as the prices of the few stitches of clothing they wore.
    When Nicholas finally joined Stevens at the store, he didn’t enter. Instead, he took Stevens by the arm and whispered to him.
    “She doesn’t need me in there, Jonathan. I’ll wait out here for you.”
    “No, Mr. Nicholas, I’m sure she wants you inside the store. You’d better come in,” Stevens said.
    Nicholas shook his head and patted Stevens on the arm as he looked past him and saw Sarah. She was moving purposefully, oblivious to all except whatever shopping mission she was on.
    “We’ll have time together later,” he said with another smile before he turned away and stepped back into the crowd.
    Nicholas wanted to be the girl’s friend, but he knew it wouldn’t happen here, and he