Mrs. Miracle Page 0,48

she was almost herself once again. She hadn't offered any explanations as to what had happened between her and Jerry, and Seth hadn't pressured her.

"It's a dress." Judd left no room for doubt as to his feelings. "And you can forget about strapping those wings on my back."

"Judd, you're playing the part of an angel." Seth knew it would be a mistake to enter the fray, but he couldn't stop himself. While he sympathized with his son, he knew how much time and effort Reba was putting into this program. She didn't need any more problems.

"I want to be a soldier," Judd announced, and raised his arms the way he'd seen the older boys do when carrying the painted cardboard shields. "They won't let me because I'm only in the first grade."

"You'll get your turn at being a soldier," Seth assured him.

"Perhaps we could make the angel costume something other than white," Sharon suggested, stepping back from the chair. Judd and Jason stood on the seats, both wearing old white sheets that had been fashioned into - Seth hated to admit it - dresses.

"The shepherds get to wear bathrobes," Jason muttered, his head drooping. "Am I too young to be a shepherd, too?"

"Maybe next year," Seth said.

"Aaron Greenburg broke his leg, and I thought that Miss Maxwell might give me the part and everything, seeing that you like to look at her in church and kiss her under the mistletoe."

Seth noticed the way his mother-in-law diverted her attention to him. He swallowed uncomfortably and ignored the comment, hoping that Sharon would as well. He planned to tell the kids' grandmother about Reba, but he'd wanted to do it in his own time.

"Miss Maxwell's got short curly hair," Judd added for his grandmother's benefit. This fact seemed to have some significance to the first-grader.

Seth wasn't sure how Sharon would feel about him dating someone else. She'd encouraged him to do so, but saying it was one thing and introducing her to the woman who might one day assume her daughter's role in his and the children's lives was another.

"Miss Maxwell?" Sharon's question was directed at Seth.

"A friend," he said, making light of the relationship. He couldn't very well admit that she occupied every waking thought and had from the moment he'd walked into the travel agency.

"She's our teacher at church," Jason explained, then frowned. "Sort of teacher."

"Reba's directing the Christmas pageant," Seth explained, wishing now that he'd remained in the living room. He should have known that the conversation would soon work its way to Reba. The kids talked about her constantly.

"What's this business about her having short hair?" Sharon asked.

Again it was Jason who took it upon himself to explain. "Dad and Reba went out to dinner, and Mrs. Miracle was watching us."

"She's better than any baby-sitter we ever had 'cause she lets us do fun things," Judd added.

Jason glared at his brother. "I was the one telling this."

"All right, all right." His twin looked greatly put-upon. It was one thing to have to wear a white dress and another to let his brother do his talking for him.

"That was when Mrs. Miracle asked us what we thought about having a new mother. She said Daddy might marry again and wondered what Judd and I thought."

"I think it'd be great. I want a mother who lives on earth and not just in heaven," Judd added, and dared his brother to fault him for interrupting.

"I don't remember Mommy very well," Jason said sadly. "Judd says he does, but I don't."

"She used to sing to us," Judd insisted.

Seth doubted that either child could possibly remember Pamela. They'd both been so young.

"She used to come and sing to us at night when everything was dark and quiet."

"I don't remember, I don't remember," Jason repeated wistfully. "I want to remember, but I don't."

Seth noticed how Sharon averted her eyes as the children talked about their mother. This was hard for her, he knew, because it was difficult for him to hear his twins talk about their dead mother.

"I got to thinking about what a new mommy would look like," Judd added, picking up the tale. "So I drew her picture."

"And Judd's picture looks like Miss Maxwell," Jason finished triumphantly.

"That's wonderful," Sharon said, but Seth noticed that her voice trembled slightly. She walked over to the other side of the kitchen and picked up the aluminum-covered wings. A silver garland-wrapped halo was attached, rising from the back side of the wings and held into place