Yuletide Miracles

Pam's first born gently smiled and said "Hi, my name is Hikaru."

"And this little girl's name is Christie." I said, pointing at Melody's pride an joy, sitting beside her sister.

The precocious child crawled over her Japanese sibling to say hello."

"Hi. Believe it or not, Hikaru and I are sisters."

"Half-sisters." Pam Elliston corrected.

"Half-sisters?" my daughter asked again.

"That's another story and it's really...complicated." I said.

Christie looked annoyed and said "There's that darned big word again,"

Clinton "Clint" Elliston II -

I had just finished talking with Isaac Nicholson, when our doorbell rang. I knew it couldn't be the Campo girls, because Juana had ordered her sister-slut to take Sofia and her future sister mistress on their traditional Christmas pilgrimage, to the homes of our friends, while the two of us prepared my second house for their party, which included a pinata I had bought on-line. I opened our front front door and... she really didn't need to introduce herself. After all, I recalled what Delilah Midgley looked like at our trial last year. Particularly after Elisabet Reenberg's opening speech. She looked just as radiant now as she did then. As soon as I released the doorknob she entered and, as she wrote on the card, gave me the biggest, tightest hug I received in quite some time.

Upon breaking the embrace, Delilah said "Now that that's done, is there any place where we can talk in private?"

"There's the dining room." I said, closing our font door.

"Oh, that'll be just fine. and if it's okay with you, could Pam and Melody join us?"

"Certainly."

I looked around and saw Pam with Catherine Nicholson and my eldest daughters. After getting her attention, I motioned for her to join us. Then I sent a text to Melody.

Melody Elliston -

Okay, I admit, I had second thoughts about that present I brought home from my firm's gift exchange and gave to Hikaru, with instructions to put it under our Christmas tree. After all, if it was something naughty, I sure didn't want any of our children to see it. So I carefully snuck it out from under our tree and replaced it with the magnum of perfume. I then took the gift up to the master bedroom. I placed the package in the closet, where the Mihara twins hid, days after they along with their mother moved to America, and was closing the louvered doors, when my phone chimed. I pulled it from my pocket and checked the screen. It was a text message from Clint.

Delilah Midgley's here and she wants to talk to you, me and Pam. Meet us in the dining room...NOW!

Clint.

Like I didn't want to meet the woman face to face. After closing the door to our bedroom, I hurried to the stairs, descended and joined Clint, Delilah and Pam.

Pam Elliston -

As soon as Melody joined us the four of us entered the dining room and seated ourselves. Of course, Clint took his customary seat at the head of the table, while Melody and I took our seats on either side of him. Delilah took the seat next to me, usually reserved for my daughter.

Alright Delilah, we're all here now, what's this news you have for us?" asked our brother-husband.

"First of all I wondered why you and then Pam periodically scanned the jury box, during your testimonies on the final day of your trial." she said.

There was a moment of silence between Clint, Melody and myself. Then I said " It was a final attempt ro bring Jonette Walsh over to our side."

There was a gentle look of understanding on Delilah's face. She put a hand over mine and gave it a slight squeeze.

"After your trial ended," Mrs. Midgley said, "our foreman, Elmer Bennett, called for a vote, to see where we stood. When he said 'Who finds for no guilty?' he raised his hand, I raised mine and so did four others on the jury. Even two or three who didn't raise their hand for or against wanted you all to go free!"

"That's great! Better than I hoped." said Clint.

"But then you should have heard Jonette. First she recited the California Penal Code, or rather the section about incest to us, then she had the gaul to ask those of us who raised our hands, and I quote 'Are any of you fucking your children? Huh? Is that why you don't want to find Clint and his family guilty?'"

"Bitch!" Melody said.

"After foreman Bennett's terse response to that question, she went on about how you had polluted the world with your incestuous progeny."

"That really hurts." I said.

"The foreman reminded us of a passage from your lead counsel's opening speech and I think Cooper, a black man and the only member of our jury who was fully on Jonette's side, began to consider changing his vote from guilty to not guilty."

"That must've really frightened her." said Clint.

"If it did she barely showed it. Anyway, to try and shorten this story, after an hour or to of arguing and shouting, all aimed at Jonette and all to no avail, our lunchtime approached. Having stayed mostly silent through the entire time we were sequestered, I was thinking of just the right thing to say. I had to tread lightly. When we broke for lunch, I approached her and asked if we could talk in private. She nodded and we went to a corner of the room. It wasn't much of a conversation. She got only two sentences out. One being 'I'm not changing my mind,' I asked her if she caught her children having sex, which she apparently did, because I thought I saw her jaw tighten a bit. Then I told I threw my son Ian out of the house and regretted it ever slnce. I told her out of shame and anger I overreacted. I also said she couldn't tell me she didn't miss her own children."

Silence

"Of course," Mrs. Midgley continued, "she told me that I didn't know what I was talking about and I assured her that I did. I went on to tell her what I told you on the card. But I also said that he was wounded emotionally and that I might have permanently ruined our relationship. Then I begged her not to make my mistake and if she could fix things, she should.

More silence

"Finally, I told her she should forget about the trial and your family, but to think about her own children and if it was really worth never seeing them again.

After a fairly audible gulp, Clint said "Delilah...did you just say what I think you did?"

The blond woman gave him a curt nod and said "i couldn't convince her to change her vote, in fact all 11 of us were floored when Jonette said she was going to, but I think that little talk she and I had may have melted that icey exterior."

Melody Elliston -

I swear if the table wasn't in the way, my jaw would have hit the floor, after hearing what Delilah Midgley just said. To hear that woman succeeded at what Clint, myself, my Aunt Cheryl and even Pam tried but just couldn't was astounding! Our Japanese sister-wife was so overwhelmed by the news, she rested her head in her folded arms and began to cry.

Hikaru Elliston -

Grandma Cheryl got a plate out of the cupboard and filled it the Christmas cookies that Christie and I made. As always, we followed Mrs. Yates' directions and Grandma Cheryl made sure we did. They just looked so yummy coming out of the oven, I wanted to try one right then. But Grandma Cheryl said we had to let them cool so we could decorate them. Decorating was lots of fun! We made two Santa Clauses, two Christmas trees, two snowmen and two stars. when Grandma Cheryl fixed me a plate, she gave me one of each cookie. I picked up and headed toward the dining room eager to enjoy the treats. As I got closer to the doorway, I thought I heard someone crying. And it sounded like...MY MOMMY! Sure enough, when I reached the doorway. mommy had her head down and it looked like her shoulders were shaking a bit.

to be continued...