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On June 19, Wynonna Earp, daughter of Ward and Michelle Earp married Capt. John Henry “Doc” Holliday, son of Henry and Alice Holliday in a civil ceremony. Officiating at the wedding was Judge Cryderman. A reception was held at Shorty’s Pub.
After a brief honeymoon in New York City, the bride and groom will make their home in Trenton, New Jersey, where the groom is stationed at McGuire Air Force Base.

Department of the Air Force

Headquarters: 59th Special Operations Wing (PACAF)

APO San Francisco 96310

15 October, 1965

Dear Mrs. Holliday,
It is with deep sorrow and regret that I write concerning your husband, Capt. John Holliday, missing in action as of 13 October, 1965.
I wish to offer the deepest sympathy of all of us in the 59th Wing who knew him. During the time he has been a member of this wing, he has earned the respect and admiration of all who flew and are associated with him.
Due to regulatory restrictions, I am sorry I cannot define the target or area in which your husband was operating at the time of this mishap. I wish to assure you that it is not our intent to withhold any information that would be beneficial.
John was the pilot on board a C123K aircraft engaged in a combat mission on the morning of 13 October. The aircraft was over the target area when a collision with another aircraft occurred at approximately 3AM. Both aircraft crashed.
The weather conditions in the target area were ideal and your husband was in possession of full survival equipment. Search and rescue efforts were initiated immediately but were unsuccessful in their attempt to establish contact.
Electronic and visual searches are being made and will continue to be made for an indefinite period. We are unable to put in a ground search party at this time due to the hostility of the area, but it is our intent to do so as soon as conditions permit.
I assure you that any new information that becomes available will be passed on to you immediately. If I can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Edwin White,
Colonel, USAF

Birth Announcement

Henry and Alice Holliday and Ward and Michelle Earp announce the birth of their granddaughter, Alice Michelle Holliday. Weighing 6 lbs.7 oz., the baby was born 7:25pm, March 13, at McGuire Clinic Hospital, Wrightstown, New Jersey. Mother is the former Wynonna Earp, and father is Captain John “Doc” Holliday of the USAF.

26 December, 1966

Mrs. John Holliday

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Holliday Mr. and Mrs. Ward Earp

Reference is made to our previous communications pertaining to the missing in action status of your husband/son , Capt. John Henry Holliday .
It is with deepest regret that I officially inform you that his status has been changed from missing in action to killed in action. This change in status is the result of a thorough review of the circumstances leading to your husband’s/son’s missing in action status coupled with the fact that there has been no information from any source, including debriefing of any returned prisoners, which would indicate he is still alive. Accordingly, an official determination has been made to terminate his missing in action status by a presumptive finding of death. Pursuant to public law that presumed date has been officially recorded as 23 December, 1966. You will receive a letter from me which will contain all the known information concerning the incident. Efforts will continue to be made to secure the necessary information which may lead to the recovery of his remains. If you desire, the mortuary branch headquarters, USAF Randolph AFBTX, will assist you in arranging a memorial service. You may call them toll-free 1-800-555-4259.
Please accept my sincere sympathy.

MAJ GEN James Greene
Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, and Personnel
for MIL Personnel Headquarters
United States Air Force

A memorial service has been set for Saturday January 7 to honor the life of Capt. John Henry “Doc” Holliday, USAF. The service will be held at 2pm at the VFW Hall, 238 Main Street, in Purgatory. Friends and family are encouraged to bring photographs and stories to share at the memorial. Captain Holliday is survived by parents Henry and Alice, wife Wynonna, and daughter Alice Michelle.

Excerpt from the personal journal of Wynonna Holliday:

June 8

I don’t know why my shrink insists that I keep writing in this damn journal.
Life has been dull and boring since Xavier’s job transfer and his move to Atlanta.

June 11

Found a summer babysitter for Alice today. A nice older woman who lives down the block from us. She might not playing with a full deck of cards, but she seems sweet and likes kids.

June 15

Tomorrow is the first official day of Alice’s summer break. Crossing my fingers that Mrs. Jenkins is smart enough to keep my little genius occupied.

June 20

A new neighbor moved into 820 today...trouble followed.

Juggling a large cardboard box that was threatening to escape her hands, Nicole Haught managed to jab the ‘UP’ button on the elevator with her elbow. As the door creaked open, a small dark-haired girl peeked her head out of the opening and ducked back inside.

“Hi.” Nicole said with a friendly smile as she shuffled onto the elevator.

“Hi!” the girl responded, looking up at her curiously. “You’re very pretty. How did you get so tall?”

Nicole chuckled. “I eat my Wheaties every day. What’s your name?”

“I’m Alice Michelle Holliday. I live in 803. What’s your name?”

“Well, Alice, I’m Nicole Rayleigh Haught and I’m moving into 820. Nice to make your acquaintance.” Nicole leaned the box against the wall of the elevator and solemnly shook Alice’s hand.

“Nice to meet you too, Nicole Rayleigh Haught. Welcome to our building.” Alice replied, in her most grownup voice.

“Thank you, Alice. Why are you riding in the elevator alone? Where are your parents?”

“My mom’s at work and my dad is dead.” she stated matter-of-factly.

Clearing her throat in surprise, Nicole responded. “Uh, okay…What are you doing riding around in the elevator all by yourself? Isn’t someone supposed to be watching you?”

“Mrs. Jenkins. I’ve always wanted to see what it felt like to punch all the buttons when you’re riding on the elevator. First I tried all the odd numbers, then I tried all the even numbers, then I tried every number. That’s how I met you.”

“Well, it’s certainly my lucky day, then. How about I walk you to your apartment on the way to mine?” Nicole offered, as the doors opened to the eighth floor.

“Sure! This is me to the left.” She pointed in a most elegant manner.

“Mind if I come in and say ‘hello' to Mrs. Jenkins?” Nicole asked politely.

“Please come in. You may put your box here by the door.” Alice gestured grandly.

An older woman was lying on the sofa, softly snoring. As the World Turns was playing quietly on the television set across from her.

Alice raised her voice. “Mrs. Jenkins, I’ve brought my new friend Nicole to meet you!”

The woman, startled, sat up immediately. “Oh heavens, Alice! You frightened me!”

Her eyes traveled upwards and met the disapproval in Nicole’s dark eyes.

“I - I don’t know what happened! I must have dozed off for just a second…”

“Mrs. Jenkins, my name is Nicole Haught. I am a lawyer with Nedley & Nedley on 29th Street.”

Nicole reached into her front pocket. “Here’s my card, feel free to verify me. I am in the process of moving into 820 today. I wonder if you would allow Alice to assist me in carrying some boxes to my apartment?” At the woman’s nervous nod, she continued smoothly, “And maybe you’d be willing to share Mrs. Holliday’s work number with me? So I can introduce myself and let her know that Alice is helping me? Would you like to help me move in, Alice?”

Alice nodded eagerly. “You’re a lawyer? That’s so cool!”

Mrs. Jenkins became anxious, scurrying to a small kitchen table and scribbling a number on a scrap of paper. While waiting, Nicole took the opportunity to scan the tiny apartment, idly noting a framed wedding picture on the fireplace mantel. Her eyes were drawn to a large photograph of a handsome man in an Air Force uniform, which dominated the area above the mantel.

Alice noticed the direction of Nicole’s gaze. “That’s my dad. He was killed in Vietnam before I was ever born. He was very handsome, wasn’t he?”

“Very. You look like him, Alice.”

“Everyone says I have his eyes…and Mama’s hair.” Alice replied proudly.

Mrs. Jenkins passed Nicole a scrap of paper, hands shaking.

“Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins. I’m sure Mrs. Holliday will want you to go ahead and stay until she gets home from work, which is what time…?”

“6 p.m.”

“6 p.m. Okay, Alice and I will be back before 6 p.m. then. Alice, shall we go?”

The summer marketing campaign had just launched, but already deadlines loomed for the autumn ad campaign. Wynonna Holliday, Head of Marketing for Macy’s Department Stores rubbed her temples and rested her head on her desk. The headache wouldn’t let up today; two Bayer aspirin and an extra cup of coffee hadn’t cured it.

The telephone on her desk rang. She sighed and picked it up. “Wynonna Holliday, Marketing, how can I help you?”

A woman’s low, husky tone replied. “Mrs. Holliday, my name is Nicole Haught. I’m a lawyer with Nedley & Nedley…”

“Whoop-de-do, Nicole Haught. What does a shyster lawyer need with me today?”

There was a pause, then the voice went on, less friendly than before. “Mrs. Holliday, I have your daughter, Alice, with me. I found her riding alone on the elevator in your apartment building while your sitter, Mrs. Jenkins, was asleep in your apartment.”

Her headache intensified. “Mrs? Miss? Haught. I’ll come home right away. Where is Alice now? How did you get involved?”
“I prefer Ms. Haught. I met your daughter as I was moving boxes into my new apartment. Number 820. Alice is here with me, helping me unpack until you get home.”

“Thank you, Ms. Haught. I’m on my way.”

Granville “Gran” Sawyer, Director of the Personnel Department, stuck his head into her office door as she hurriedly straightened her desk and picked up her purse. “Leaving early today, Mrs. Holliday?” he snapped; a critical expression scrunching his features.

(Gran Sawyer had been a jerk to her since the day Wynonna had turned him down for a date. Not that he wasn’t handsome enough, he was just smarmy. Wynonna Holliday never dated smarmy.)

“Yes, there’s been a family emergency. I have to go.”

“Family emergency causing you to leave early on a Friday afternoon? How convenient.” His tone grated on her already frazzled nerves, but she forced herself to respond politely.

“There’s an issue with my daughter. I’ll come in earlier on Monday.” With that, she brushed past him and hurried down the hall to the elevators.

Wynonna’s knuckles rapped at the door of 820. A short pause ensued before it was swung open by a tall, slim, auburn-haired woman. She was beautiful, if one noticed such things.

“Mrs. Holliday?” she asked politely. “Come in.”

Alice was seated on the floor, writing laboriously in a small book. She looked up and shrieked happily “Mama! You’re here!”

“Hey there, ladybug. We’ll go home in a minute, but I just want to talk to Ms. Haught for a few seconds.”

“Her name is Nicole, mama!”

“Okay, well, Nicole and I are going to have a little talk, you can finish what you’re writing there.”

“Yes, mama.”

They walked into the kitchen, which had boxes stacked on every available surface. Nicole leaned against the refrigerator with a neutral expression.

“Thanks for calling me, lady lawyer. I truly appreciate that you took care of my daughter, and I will definitely take care of the situation. I’m sorry if I was rude earlier; my previous history with lawyers hasn’t been wonderful.”

“Spending the afternoon with your daughter was not a burden, Mrs. Holliday. She’s a very intelligent young girl with maybe too much energy for someone like Mrs. Jenkins.”

She didn't bother to acknowledge Wynonna’s apology, which made her defensive. “Well, anyway, thanks again for watching Alice, and I’m sure we’ll run into you again soon.”

She strode with authority (she hoped) back to the living room. “Gather your stuff, ladybug. Let’s get back to our place.”

“Thank you, Alice, for helping me unpack today.” Nicole solemnly shook hands with Alice.

“It was my pleasure, Nicole, and thank you for the diary.” Alice replied with dignity.

“Mrs. Holliday.”

“Ms. Haught.”

When they arrived at their own apartment, Mrs. Jenkins was sitting stiffly on the sofa, purse in hand. The television set was dark and silent.

“Ladybug, why don’t you go into your bedroom and find a place for your new diary?”

“Okay, mama.”

Wynonna turned to Mrs. Jenkins. “You seem like a sweet lady, Mrs. Jenkins, and I think you already know the telling off I would like to give you. So how about I write you a check for this week, and we’ll save all that talking and part ways now.”

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, June 20

TodAy I meT The preTTiesT LAdy I hAve eveR seeN. She is A LAwyeR And so smART.
I doNT Think mAmA Liked heR, And ThAT mAde me sAd. I hope I see heR AgAiN Tomm
Tomo sooN.
I donT Think mRs JeNkiNs is coming back NexT week.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, June 20

Moving day. What a day! I met Alice Holliday, an extremely bright nine year old and her mother, an equally intelligent, gorgeously beautiful, rude, sarcastic woman.

Nicole spent the following day unpacking and arranging her possessions. The moving company had merely transported the furniture; she was still responsible for the placement of all her personal items. By evening, she was tired, dirty, hungry, and thirsty. It took her almost ten minutes to locate her bottle cap opener (in a box in her bedroom).

She put her feet up on her coffee table and gratefully sipped at her Miller Lite, leafing through the Yellow Pages for the closest pizza place that delivered.

A knock sounded at the door.

Peering through the peephole, she was astounded to see Mrs. Holliday, with Alice fidgeting next to her. She swung the door open, suddenly regretting the choice to drink a beer instead of taking a shower. Her old tattered Who Quadrophenia Tour T-shirt was a little too tight for company, and her jean shorts had a hole where the back pocket had ripped, but it was too late to change.

Alice barreled into the living room at top speed. “Hi, Nicole!” she chirped.

She ran to the bookcase and began looking at the titles. Her mother loitered at the doorway as if unsure of her welcome. In one hand was a large bucket with distinctive red and white stripes; in the other a red and white paper bag.

“Alice thought you might not feel like cooking tonight, so she, um, we, wondered if you wanted to share our bucket of chicken?”

"Cool! Thats so nice of you, thanks! I’d love to. Can I grab you a beer, Mrs. Holliday?”

Surprised by the act of kindness, Nicole smiled at her for the first time since they’d met.

Wynonna lost her train of thought for a moment. Nicole’s smile was brighter than sunshine and she had the most amazing dimples—
-Coming back to the present, she nodded stiffly and said “Sure, I’ll take a beer. And…” She forgot what else she was going to say.

Nicole paused a second, waiting, then shrugged and turned toward the kitchen. She looked back over her shoulder. “I’ll get us some paper plates and we can picnic in the living room.”
She noticed that Mrs. Holliday’s eyes were glued to her jean shorts, and she blushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry about the way I’m dressed. I wasn’t expecting company, not that I’m not happy you’re here… I’ll go change, my clothes are filthy.” rushing through the apology.

The other woman swallowed, throat dry, then shook her head. “No, no. You don’t need to, it’s your home. If anything it’s our fault, we dropped in on you with no warning. Alice wanted to come see you again, so…”

"Mama, Nicole? Can we eat now? I’m hungry.” Alice’s voice interrupted the awkward moment.

“You bet, ladybug!” replied her mother.
“Anything for you, Princess Alice.” said Nicole.

Nicole laughed and bowed with a sweeping gesture, paper plates in hand, napkin over her arm.

Alice tilted her head back, looking down her nose and assuming a regal posture.

“I’ll have a leg please, and some mashed potatoes and gravy.”

“Your wish is my command, Princess.” Nicole’s dark eyes sparkled with humor.

Alice took her plate and went back to sit down by the bookcase. She began pulling books off the shelves to look inside them.

Mrs. Holliday seemed to relax a bit. She sank to the floor, leaning her back against the sofa and picking up a plate. “My favorite are thighs…” she started, then inexplicably stopped herself in the middle of the sentence. She cleared her throat nervously.

Nicole knocked on her forehead with her knuckles. “I forgot your beer, you’re probably thirsty.”

She jumped up and stepped into the kitchen, returning with a bottle and handing it to the other woman.

Deciding she understood the reason Mrs. Holliday was so distracted, Nicole asked curiously, “Have you had any luck in replacing Mrs. Jenkins?”

Mrs. Holliday frowned and ran a hand through her long, wavy hair. “No, I hate to admit it, but Mrs. Jenkins was about my only choice. I’ll probably have to take off work Monday to try to figure out what to do…” she sighed heavily.

“I realize you hardly know me, but I might have an idea for you?” Nicole stretched her sore back, her T-shirt riding up, exposing porcelain skin.

Mrs. Holliday paused for a moment, then responded. “At this moment, I’d be happy to hear any ideas.”

“Well, you may remember I said I’m a lawyer at Nedley & Nedley?”

“I remember.” Wynonna replied drily.

Nicole raised a perfect eyebrow, but let it pass. “Well, the younger Mr. Nedley’s daughter, Chrissy, is home from college for the summer and she might be interested in earning some money…I could call and ask?”
“I must be desperate to even think of hiring some shyster lawyer’s daughter, but sure, go ahead and call.”

“Mrs. Holliday, I’m trying to help you. I don’t appreciate the name-calling.” Nicole’s friendly smile had disappeared.

“Listen, lady lawyer, I’m sorry if I offended you, but if you had some of the experiences with these guys that I’ve had…”

Nicole suddenly stood. “Thanks so much for the meal, Mrs. Holliday. I guess I’ll see you around. Alice, I enjoyed seeing you again. Maybe you’d like to borrow a book to take with you?”

Having missed most of the conversation, Alice looked confused. “Aw, do we have to go, mama? I was having fun.”

“Yes, ladybug, we really have to go.” She and Nicole both looked at Alice to avoid making eye contact with each other.

“Can I borrow this book, Nicole? It looks really good.” She held up The Princess Bride .

“Is that some sort of fantasy story?” her mother said sharply. “You know how much I hate those, Alice.” Wynonna’s face and tone were bitter. “Life is hard; people need to face reality and not escape with fantasy. Time for us to go.”

Mrs. Holliday took Alice firmly by the hand and practically ran to the door.

“G’night, Nicole.”

“Good night, Alice.”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday:

June 21

Shit. shit shit shit shit shit shit shit.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, June 21

THAT WOMAN!

I really enjoy Alice’s company. Why couldn’t her mother be a likable person?

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, June 21

I ThoughT They weRe geTTiNg ALoNg buT suddeNLy They werReNT.

Their usual Sunday routine was to sleep in, then make pancakes together. This time it was blueberry pancakes. Alice’s lips and fingers were stained blue, and when she smiled up at Wynonna, her teeth were blue, too.

Wynonna chuckled and booped her nose.

“I love ya, ladybug.”

“I love you too, mama.”

There was a quiet rapping at the door.

“I’ll get it, mama.”

Wynonna held her breath. Would it be…?

No.

It was a young woman she didn’t recognize, tall and pretty with a kind face.

“Mrs. Holliday, my name is Chrissy Nedley. Nicole Haught mentioned me?”

“Yes, she did. I just didn’t expect to see you…”

“I hope you don’t mind my dropping by. I met friends for brunch just around the corner and I took the chance that you’d be home. I thought we should meet in person?”

“Certainly! Come in and sit down, uh, Miss Nedley.”

“You can call me Chrissy, Mrs. Holliday.”

“So, uh, Chrissy. Tell me about yourself? Why should I hire you to stay with my daughter?”

“Well, I’m 21, nearly 22. I’m studying to be a teacher. I used to work for my dad and my grandpa at the law office in the summers, but this summer I wanted to do something different. The law office can get pretty boring, so I told Nicole I was looking around for something else to do, and well, here I am!”

“Do you fall asleep watching soap operas?” Wynonna asked wryly.

“What?” Chrissy looked confused.

“Nothing. Just a stupid joke. Alice, do you have questions for Chrissy?”

“Do you like taking walks? Going to the library? Reading books? Going to the movies? Parks? The zoo?”

“Yes, I like all of those things, Alice. Plus, I bet we will find even more things we can do together.”

Alice solemnly shook her hand. “You’re hired.” she said seriously.

Chrissy smiled and looked curiously at Wynonna.

“I trust Alice’s instincts.”

Her brain interrupted rudely. “But do you? She likes the shyster lady lawyer, too.”

Chrissy was still looking at her.

“Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. How much do you expect to be paid?”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday:

June 22

It’s nearly impossible to take time off work right now. Hiring Chrissy completely saved the day.
DAMN that lady lawyer, now I feel like I owe her something.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, June 22

Chrissy called and said she took the job watching Alice. I know she’s going to like Alice as much as I do, but God help her having to deal with THAT WOMAN.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, June 22

I kNew I wouLd Like ChRissy becAuse she is NicoLe’s fRieNd

“Hold the door!” Nicole heard a yell as the elevator doors began to close. She stuck her hand in the opening, making them bounce back open.

Mrs. Holliday rushed in, out of breath. The doors closed. Silence ensued.

Nicole was wearing a black tailored business suit: pencil thin skirt, white blouse, and black heels. The outfit emphasized her auburn hair, her trim body, her already conspicuous height.

Wynonna was wearing her usual work attire: a modest dress modified to fit her slim waistline. Today’s dress was an icy crystal blue, emphasizing the color of her eyes and contrasting beautifully with her dark wavy hair.

DAMN that woman. Why does she have to look like THAT!

“I - I wanted to say thank you for recommending Chrissy to me. I think she and Alice are going to get along perfectly.”

“You don’t have to pretend that you’re grateful to me, Mrs. Holliday. I did what I did for Alice, not for you.”

The elevator door opened. Nicole quickly strode out the front entrance of the apartment building, leaving Wynonna staring after her, fuming with anger.

Excerpt from Nicole Haught’s professional journal:
June 23
My first experience reading a will for a wealthy family.
There was a bit of sibling drama, but it mostly went well.
No one questioned my presence: that was nice.
Must remember to thank Mr. Nedley for the opportunity and for trusting me with such an important client.

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday:

June 23

THAT WOMAN!

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, June 23

THAT WOMAN!

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, June 23

I hAd A fuN dAy TodAy wiTh ChRissy.
Tomm Tomo I Am goiNg To Ask To go To The LibRARy, I hAve impoRTANT ReseARch To do.

Wynonna refused to consider the real reason why she began leaving earlier for work. She told herself that the upcoming autumn deadlines were keeping her busier than the previous season. That it was less hot and oppressive walking to work earlier in the day. It had nothing to do with THAT WOMAN.

Chrissy had been happy to come earlier, reassuring Wynonna that she was a morning person.

Nicole stopped by the apartment one morning on her way to work. There was nothing in her casual demeanor to hint at the fact she had loitered around the corner waiting for Mrs. Holliday to leave for her job.

She had missed spending time with Alice. The three of them sat at the kitchen table, laughing as Alice detailed the little adventures she was having with Chrissy.
“…and we had tea at this little bookstore, it was so cute…and we’ve been to the library…and yesterday we went to a matinee and saw The Apple Dumpling Gang.”

Nicole smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m so happy you’re having a good summer, Princess. What are you two doing next?”

“Mama gets off work early tomorrow and she doesn’t have to work the whole weekend, so we’re going to the Central Park Zoo. You should go with us, Nicole!”

“No, I shouldn’t…your mama was probably planning on it being just the two of you.”

“No, she’s not. She invited Chrissy to go; she’ll be okay if I invite you.”

She was about to refuse when Chrissy chimed in. “Nicole, you should go. It’ll be fun and four people is always better than three.”

Nicole sighed. “Alice, you should ask your mama first and then if she says okay, I’ll go.”

Alice jumped around excitedly, clapping her hands. “YES! We are going to have SO much fun!”

“You’re putting the cart in front of the horse, Princess. Your mama hasn’t said yes yet.”

“She will. I know she will.”

“Let me get this straight, ladybug. You asked the lady lawyer to go to the zoo with us? Uh…um…she probably has to work, right?”

Chrissy and Alice shook their heads ‘no’ simultaneously. There was a mischievous glint in Chrissy’s eyes.

“Nicole said she’d go if you said yes, Mrs. Holliday.” she said innocently.

Wynonna knew when to accept defeat. “Okay. Everybody better be ready to leave at noon, or I’m leaving without you!”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday:

July 2

I feel like I’ve been scammed somehow.
Lady lawyer is going with us to the zoo.
I think my daughter has a little crush on the lady lawyer. Ugh.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, July 2

IT woRked! She couLdNT sAy No iN fRoNT of ChRissy.

Chrissy was right. Having four people in their group was fun. Chrissy and Alice’s presence diffused the tension between Wynonna and Nicole. Mrs. Holliday was the most relaxed that Nicole had seen her during their short acquaintance.

Nicole was actually having a good time.

They walked in pairs around the zoo: sometimes Nicole and Alice, Chrissy and Mrs. Holliday; sometimes Chrissy and Nicole, Alice and her mom; Mrs. Holliday and Nicole were cautiously friendly, but avoided pairing off.
…Which is how they ended up sitting across the table from each other at a burger joint that evening.

Wynonna was surprised how young and carefree Nicole looked. Her face was bare of makeup; cheekbones lightly flushed from sun exposure; bright hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing a casual tank top with matching shorts and a pair of striped sneakers.

Wynonna realized with shock that they were probably close to the same age. Nicole’s demeanor was typically serious and often angry during most of their encounters, which made her seem the older of the two of them.

At that moment Nicole could have been mistaken for Chrissy’s age. She was laughing at a silly joke Alice had told; sipping a chocolate shake through a straw; highlighting the dimple in her left cheek.

Wynonna stood abruptly after realizing she was staring at Nicole’s lips.

“Ready to leave? I’ll go pay the check.”

It seemed as if Nicole was going to protest who paid, so Wynonna glared at her fiercely and she subsided into her seat.

As she paid the check, Wynonna drew a shaky breath.
What the hell is wrong with me these days? It’s because I haven’t had sex since Xavier moved away, that’s it. I just need to find a guy and get laid.

After the excitement of the day, Alice dozed off in the taxicab on the way to their apartment; not even waking when the cab stopped to drop Chrissy at her father’s brownstone. She slept peacefully against Nicole’s shoulder as they continued to their building.

Nicole gently picked her up and carried her into the elevator.

“I can take her from here.” Wynonna offered quietly, but Nicole shook her head in the negative.

“I’ve got her.”

Wynonna unlocked the door of their apartment; holding it open for Nicole to enter.

“This way.” she whispered, leading the way to Alice’s bedroom.

She pulled back the covers as Nicole gently settled Alice into her bed. For a second they both gazed down at her with gentle smiles, until they made eye contact with each other.

They both took a quick step backward, away from the other. Nicole silently turned and left the room.

Wynonna followed her to the front door. Before she could think of anything to say, Nicole whispered “Good night, Mrs. Holliday.”

“Good night, lady lawyer.” she replied quietly.

Except from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

July 6

I’m thinking maybe it would a good idea to check in with my shrink again. I’ll ask Chrissy if she can stay late one night a week.

July passed slowly in a haze of uncomfortably hot days and sultry oppressive nights.

Excerpt from Nicole Haught’s professional journal:

July 21
Today, the younger Mr. Nedley took me to lunch. He told me his father has decided to retire at the end of the year, and he offered me full partnership in the firm. This is an incredible opportunity for me.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, July 21

A partnership! Even though it’s a small firm, a partnership at my age is incredible. I wish I had someone to share my excitement.
The day we took Alice to the zoo, I thought that maybe Mrs. Holliday and I were starting to become friendlier, but she suddenly backed away. I haven’t even seen her since.
Why am I even thinking about that? Even if I told her about it, she wouldn’t care about the partnership: she thinks all lawyers are crooked.

Thursday evening after work, Wynonna restarted her therapy sessions with Dr. Williams.

Dr. Victoria Williams was a 50-ish woman with salt and pepper hair and a no-nonsense attitude.
Their first session she immediately came to the point.

"I haven’t seen you in over 6 months, Wynonna. So what is happening in your life that made you want to reinitiate therapy? Something to do with your husband? Your daughter? Your relationship with Xavier? Work? I’m here to listen.”

“No, Xavier got transferred away in March, so there’s that, but nothing new with anything else. Doc’s remains still haven't been recovered. Work is busy but no more than it’s ever been. Alice seems to be doing well. Of course, it still is and will never stop being difficult to be a single mother. Speaking of that…”

She detailed the saga of Mrs. Jenkins, trying to make it a funny story; and the hiring of Chrissy, who had been a godsend.

“So this woman you refer to as the lady lawyer…You have a very specific tone in your voice every time you mention her. Are you jealous of her relationship with your daughter?”

“No, actually I’m not. Alice and I really have a close relationship; it’s always been sort of an ‘us against the world’ thing. I don’t really know why the lady lawyer irritates me so much. Maybe I’m just focused on her because I have no one else to pay attention to…I’ve been thinking of dating again.”

“Ah, I see. So when you say ‘dating’ do you mean sex, Wynonna, or the actual possibility of a romance and remarriage?”

“I guess I mean sex. I don’t see myself ever being married again.”

After a quick check-in with Chrissy, Wynonna stopped for a drink at a bar on her way home.

The atmosphere was quiet, downbeat. She sat across from the bartender.

“I’ll have an Old Fashioned.”

He nodded, his attitude neither friendly or unfriendly.

Her drink and a good looking young man arrived at the same moment. He was lanky with dark hair and an open, friendly face.

“Hi, my name’s Pete.”

The bartender made eye contact with her. He was prepared to shut Pete down if she gave the word. She gave a tiny negative shake of her head. He shrugged and turned away.

“Wynonna.” she replied.

He had a nice smile. “That’s an unusual name, but it’s pretty. Kinda like you.”

Okay, so he was a little obvious, but she was looking for sex, not intelligence.

No one had made an obvious point of the timing, but Nicole had started dropping by to see Alice after work on Thursdays. Chrissy had made some vague reference to Mrs. Holliday working late every Thursday and Nicole had seen this as an opportunity.

They started watching Perry Mason re-runs on television. The hour-long format fit perfectly with their available time together. Alice enjoyed the episodes enormously; Nicole often smiled and bit her tongue at the total lack of reality in some of the courtroom scenes.

Nonetheless, they enjoyed their time together; growing closer every week. Nicole had never envisioned having children of her own; Alice filled an empty space in her life that Nicole hadn’t realized was there.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, July 24

I wish my mAmA Loved NicoLe Like I do. She couLd be my oTheR moTheR. I Looked iT up AT The LibRaRy wheN ChRissy wAs LookiNg AT mAgAziNes. GiRLs cAn Love oTheR GiRLs.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal diary, July 27

I love spending time with Alice, she is so bright and eager to absorb every experience. I wish I felt that I would be welcome when her mother is present, but sadly, no.

Every August before school resumed, Alice flew to Purgatory to spend two weeks with her grandparents. Normally she was eager with anticipation for the trip since they spoiled her rotten, but this year she felt sad.

Not only would she be homesick for her mother but now she would also miss Nicole. Plus it was time to say good-bye to Chrissy, who would be returning to school herself.

With separation looming large in both their minds, their hug the Thursday evening before Alice’s departure lasted much longer than usual. Nicole smoothed the wavy hair with her hand and reminded her softly “Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll be here waiting when you get back. You go have a good time with your grandparents.”

“I’ll miss you Nicole.”

“I’m going to miss you too, Princess.”

Saying good-bye to Chrissy was almost as difficult. They visited their favorite bookstore-slash-tea shoppe on the last day and Chrissy bought Alice some stationery and postage stamps.

When they returned to the apartment, they addressed and stamped all the envelopes with Chrissy’s school address so Alice could write to her whenever she pleased.
For both of them the gesture eased the pain of their goodbyes.

Wynonna drove Alice to the airport and they waited at the gate for her flight.

“Mama I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Don’t worry, ladybug. I’ll call you every other day.”

“I love you, mama.”

“I love you too, ladybug.”

The first Thursday evening that Alice was away, Nicole arrived home from work later than usual. As she waited tiredly for the elevator, Mrs. Holliday entered the lobby with a man draped all over her. They both reeked of alcohol.

“Why hello, lady lawyer.” Mrs. Holliday giggled with a loose smile and glazed eyes.

“Hello, Mrs. Holliday.” Nicole answered flatly.

The doors opened. The man grandly waved for Nicole and Mrs. Holliday to enter first, then he stepped in carefully. He swayed a little as he inquired, “Which floor for you, ma’am?”

“Eighth.”

“Well, whaddaya know, we’re going to eight, too!” He laughed loudly like it was the funniest coincidence in the world. He grabbed Wynonna; flinging one arm around Wynonna’s shoulders, the other hand wandered down to her shapely backside.

Nicole was looking anywhere but at the two of them.

When the doors opened, she stepped out quickly and strode down the hallway to her apartment.

Behind her she heard the man say in a loud whisper “Wow, that chick is good-looking but I dunno, she kinda gave me weird vibes. Do you know her?”

Mrs. Holliday replied, “Not really. My daughter likes talking to her, God only knows why.”

The apartment door closed behind them.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, August 14

I hadn’t seen Mrs. Holliday in person since we took Alice to the zoo. Seeing her in the elevator drunk and obviously taking a guy home to sleep with was…painful. The day we went to the zoo—there was something there, I thought. I hoped. But since then, we haven’t interacted at all. So why do I feel hurt? This is just stupid, Nicole, you’re smarter than this.

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

August 15

I shouldn’t have brought Pete back to my apartment, even if Alice is away with her grandparents. Of course, we had to run into the lady lawyer. Guess I gave her more reasons to hate me.

August 16

I think maybe it’s time to dump Pete. It was only sex, anyway.

At her following session with Dr. Williams, she shared her decision.

“You know doc, maybe I’m finally growing up. I found myself wanting someone I could talk to before and after the sex act itself. I wanted something more.”

“That’s a big step for you, Wynonna. Maybe someday you’ll feel open to a romantic relationship again. It’s understandable why you would shut yourself off after Doc was declared missing in action. The legal problems you struggled with until he was officially declared dead would have drowned most people. Plus you have the restrictions on your social life caused by raising Alice on your own. I think it’s very positive that you are beginning to feel that you might need more than just sex to complete your life. Of course, you and Alice have a special bond, and that’s wonderful, but perhaps it’s time to open yourself up to adult friendships that could maybe develop into a relationship.”

Wynonna nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I’ll think about it. It’s difficult between work and caring for Alice…”

“You found the time to have a sexual relationship, Wynonna, because you made it a priority. You can do the same with developing other adult relationships.”

“You’re right, doc, you’re right. I’m not used to acting with maturity.” She laughed. “The lady lawyer discovered that last week when she saw us drunk in the elevator.”

“Ah, I see…Do you realize there’s still a tone in your voice when you speak of her? Was she judgmental when she saw you?”

“No…she didn’t speak or make eye contact at all…I might have assumed I knew what she was thinking…”

“Hmm, your admitting that seems like a big step, too, Wynonna. Sometimes you might assume you know what people are thinking of you, but you could be wrong.”

"Me, wrong?” Wynonna joked weakly. “Never! Well, sometimes…Most of the time.”

Dr. Williams smiled at her, glancing at her watch. “So for next week’s session, I’d like you to write down the qualities you’d like to find in a long-term relationship.”

Wynonna groaned. “I’ll think about it. See ya next week, doc.”

Alice squealed and jumped into Wynonna’s arms at the airport; they hugged tightly for several minutes. Passersby smiled at the identical dark wavy-haired heads and crystal blue eyes.

Wynonna was reminded yet again that though her own needs were important, any decisions regarding a relationship had to take Alice’s needs into consideration too. She sighed.

Alice didn’t notice because she was talking non-stop.
“…and Grandpa Earp let me ride his horse, and help out on the farm…and Grandma Holliday taught me how to make sugar cookies…mama, can I go see Nicole when we get home?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so, ladybug. If she’s not too busy?”

“Nicole’s never too busy to see me, mama, I promise!”

The door to 820 opened and the smile that came over Nicole’s face was blinding in its intensity.

Wynonna felt her heart squeeze for a moment; the emotion surprised her.

“Princess!”

Nicole picked Alice up easily and spun her around until they were both laughing and dizzy.
They plopped on the sofa together, talking breathlessly at the same time.
“…and I rode a horse and baked cookies…and I missed you so much…”

“…I missed talking to you and watching Perry Mason with you…would you like to stay and watch with me, it’s coming on soon…” She stopped herself. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Holliday, you probably had plans, I know you’ve missed her too.”

Wynonna felt like she was standing at the edge of an abyss.
Time to take a chance.

“Nah, we were probably just gonna order a pizza anyway. May I stay and watch, too? And please, call me Wynonna.”

Wynonna didn’t expect the evening to pass so quickly or enjoyably. Nicole and Alice discussed the finer plot points of Perry Mason; Wynonna was amused by Nicole’s subtle sarcasm regarding the show’s interpretation of courtroom procedure.

“I realize that I never asked before, and now I feel really rude, but what kind of law do you practice, lady lawyer?”

Nicole glanced sharply at her, looking for ridicule, but finding none. There was only interest in the blue eyes gazing at her over the top of Alice’s head. She smiled shyly.

“I do financial stuff: contracts, wills, trusts. I only know about courtroom procedures from law school.” She paused, then added with quiet pride. “I’m going to be a partner in the firm when Mr. Nedley Senior retires at the end of the year.”

Alice cheered loudly and Wynonna laughed. “Ladybug, do you even know what a partner is?”

“A partner is one of the bosses in a lawyer’s office, or an equal shareholder in a business, or one-half of a same sex relationship.”

“Wha-“ Nicole began, then began coughing, face flushed.

Wynonna choked on the beer she had been sipping. When she recovered somewhat, she sputtered “I’m not even sure I want to know how you know that, Alice.”

“I learned it at the library, mama. You know I’m really smart for my age, you always say so.”

Wynonna cleared her throat in embarrassment. “Please excuse my not-so-humble daughter, Nicole. Ladybug, it’s time we got you to bed; you’ve had a long day.”

“Aw, mama, do we have to go? I really missed Nicole.”

“Yes, we do, but I promise we’ll get together with her again really soon. If that’s all right with you, Nicole?”

“Perfectly all right, Mrs. Holl- …Wynonna. Princess, come give me a good night hug. It’s so good to have you back home.”

“Good night, Nicole.”
“Good night my Princess, and good night, uh, Wynonna. Thanks for sharing her with me tonight.”

“Good night, lady lawyer.”

Nicole watched them walk down the hallway, hand in hand. She quietly closed the door.

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday:

August 22

My little genius returns home and upsets the apple cart.
What are the thoughts going on in that brilliant mind?

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, August 22

Same sex relationships! I was speechless. Does she suspect anything?
What on earth goes on inside Alice’s head? I’m almost afraid to know.

Wynonna had taken the remainder of the week off to spend time with Alice before school started again. She took her to Macy’s to do school shopping, they visited Alice’s favorite tea shoppe/bookstore, saw Rooster Cogburn at the movie theater, but for Alice the best thing was that her mom invited Nicole to their apartment for dinner and to watch another Perry Mason re-run.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, August 29

I didN’T kNow my mama Liked peRRy mAsoN so much. she speNT ALL AfTeRNooN cookiNg foR NicoLe ANd me. NicoLe gAve my mama a boTTLe of wiNe ANd They LAughed ALL ThRu The show. I hAd To shhhh Them.

“Why do they call it Labor Day if you and Nicole don’t have to work today, mama?”

Wynonna paused, hummed under her breath, and looked at Nicole over Alice’s head.

“I think this one’s for you, lady lawyer.” she deflected.

“Well, princess, Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers…” Wynonna immediately tuned out and when Nicole wasn’t looking, she made a funny gesture with her hand that made Alice laugh.

Nicole glanced at her sharply, then they all laughed together.

Alice walked between them for the whole trip to the Museum of Modern Art, refusing to drop their hands, even though it was a sweaty experience for all.
The air-conditioning might have been the best part of their museum visit.

Art appreciation wasn’t Wynonna’s strong suit and even Nicole seemed flummoxed several times. They did have episodes of delirious giggling at some of Wynonna’s commentary though.

Alice noticed that the attention people gave them when they laughed wasn’t always friendly; and that her mama and Nicole usually moved further apart when it happened.

She decided she would have to think over what that meant later when she was alone.

A statue that seemed to be a representation of two women’s bodies entwined caused an awkward silence.

Alice decided to think about that later, too.

The walk back to their apartment building was highlighted by a stop at an ice cream shoppe; which resulted in a heated discussion over the merits of chocolate versus vanilla.
Once, Alice had the feeling that her mama was not talking about ice cream when she was discussing vanilla, and she didn’t understand why Nicole’s face got red.

There was going to be a lot to think about tonight when she wrote in her diary.

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

September 1

Today the lady lawyer offered to watch Alice every Thursday evening when I “work late”.
Alice adores her, and I will admit that she can be fun when she drops that pompous attitude.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, September 1

The more time I spend with her, the more attracted I am. She is irreverent and sarcastic and gorgeous. What am I doing? This won’t end well.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, September 1

I ThiNk They ARe sTARTiNg To Like eAch oTheR buT ARe scARed

Tomm Tomo I go bAck To schooL iN The moRNiNg I Am exciTed

Alice’s return to school changed the tempo of their lives.

September flew by as Alice’s after school activities and homework time took away much of her former freedom. Wynonna was allowed to adjust her work schedule: she went in earlier after dropping Alice at school and left work earlier to pick her up afterwards.

Though Nicole was working longer hours in preparation for Nedley Senior’s retirement, her Thursday evening time with Alice was sacred and she never cancelled.

Dr. Williams rattled the sheet of paper in her hands.
“These requirements for a long-term relationship are very interesting to me, Wynonna. I can tell you put some thought into this list. The fact that you invested the time tells me that you have finally accepted that you are open to looking for this type of relationship. Do you agree?”

“I hate to admit when you’re right, but I think seeing it in writing really helped me realize some things, doc. I know I avoid thinking long-term and I hate facing my issues. Evasion is what I’m good at. But seeing it on paper helped me a lot.”

“Excellent, Wynonna, that’s what an exercise like this is meant to do: give clarity. Would you like to talk over your list, or is it enough for you to have written it down?”

“I guess I wondered if you thought some of it was dumb or unrealistic? Am I asking too much?”

“I don’t think it’s unrealistic to want a life partner that places you and Alice as their priority, or has a steady income, Wynonna. Shared interests are good, too, though lots of couples have separate interests and still thrive. I also understand your desire for a lasting physical relationship, however, healthy long-term relationships are built on more than sexual attraction. Overall, no, Wynonna, I don’t think your list is unreasonable.
…Now I’m sure you’re not going to like what I’m going to ask you to do next. Moan and groan if you wish, but I think it would be helpful for you to write out a plan of action for what steps you can take to seek out a long-term relationship.”

“Doc, don’t I do enough homework with my daughter? You’re giving me more?”

“As always, it’s optional, Wynonna. Your therapy, your choice.”

“I know, doc, I know.”

“Work, friends of friends, bars, church…
…Wynonna, you don’t even attend church! And bars? You found Pete at a bar, didn’t you? And work? Wouldn’t it be problematic to date someone at work? I don’t want to shoot down every idea, Wynonna, so let’s talk about friends of friends.
You’ve told me you’ve gotten to know your new neighbor better, does she have any male friends she could introduce you to?”

“Doc, I wracked my brain over this and we’re reduced to relying on a lady lawyer having male lawyer buddies? You know how I feel about lawyers!”

“Maybe she has brothers, cousins. What has she said about her family?”

“Hmm, now that I think of it, not a word. Interesting.”

“Have you thought about joining a club? Photography, bridge, reading, wine-tasting?”

“I don’t know, doc, sounds kinda lame.”

“Think it over, Wynonna. Be open to new ideas.”

“Okay, doc. I’ll try.”

“You brought a newspaper home, mama?”

“Yeah, ladybug, I was just seeing what kind of clubs are out there.”

Nicole looked at her curiously. She was tidying the kitchen after making popcorn for Alice and herself to snack on while they watched Perry Mason.

“Clubs, Wynonna? What do you mean by clubs?”

Wynonna, a little embarrassed, tossed a kernel of popcorn into the air and caught it in her mouth.

“Oh well, you know, I was kinda thinking about getting myself back out there in the dating world again, and someone said maybe a club…you know, shared interests and all…” her voice trailed off.

There was dead silence in the room. She couldn’t decipher the looks she was receiving from her daughter and her neighbor.

Nicole’s face was blank. Her daughter’s face looked slightly…disappointed?

“Don’t look so excited, everybody.” Wynonna said, hurt.

Alice, apologetic, ran to her mother and hugged her. “No mama, I’m happy! That’s great!”

Nicole turned away and hung up the wet dishtowel. “It’s wonderful, Wynonna. You deserve to be happy.” Her voice didn’t sound like she thought it was wonderful though.

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

September 25

Photography? Would need to buy a camera (expensive)
Bridge? Bored by the very thought
Book club? Not a great reader
Wine-tasting? Maybe

Didn’t feel like the right atmosphere tonight to ask Nicole if she knows any guys who aren’t lawyers.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, September 25

You knew all along you didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.
She and Alice deserve happiness. Keep reminding yourself of that.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, September 25

why couldNT she see NicoLe wAs sAd? Im sAd Too.

Wynonna couldn’t pinpoint what was different, but something was definitely off.

Every Thursday when she came home from her therapy sessions, Nicole was already packed up and ready to walk out the door as she arrived.
Their interactions had dwindled to single sentences: mostly information about Alice’s schoolwork status.

Wynonna missed the small conversations they had shared previously. Where once Nicole had asked about her day or had told stories of her own job, there was now silence. She never asked Wynonna about the clubs or if she was dating.

Wynonna had thought they were becoming friends. She decided she had thought wrong.
She tried not to acknowledge how much she missed Nicole’s attention or the real reason why she never bothered to find a club to join.

She had never seen Alice get excited for Halloween before.

“Mama, we’re just going to go trick-or-treating in our own building. We won’t be outside on the streets where it’s not safe.”

Wynonna eyed Nicole with disfavor. She was leaning in the doorway, trying to look inconspicuous in her stupid Willy Wonka costume.

“I don’t even know what an Oompa Loompa is, ladybug, but you look pretty cute. You can go, but I want you home by 8 o’clock.” Willy Wonka nodded. “And I need a snapshot of you both before you go.”

The Oompa Loompa beamed happily. Willy Wonka appeared to be blushing. The flashbulb popped.

“I see the attraction in trick-or-treating. She can’t eat all this candy, I’m gonna have to help her.
Umm, my god I love Milky Way bars.”

“Wynonna, if you think she didn’t catalogue every piece of candy, you’re kidding yourself.”

Wynonna was unreasonably happy. Nicole was friendly to her for the first time in a month and she was basking in the good feeling, content.

“I’m just happy she finally fell asleep after all that sugar! Thanks for taking her, Nicole. I was never into Halloween, you know how I am about fantasy-“

“I do.”

“-but she was so happy tonight. Maybe she needs to have some typical childhood experiences.”

“I never thought I’d hear those words from you.”

“I’m not too old to learn new things, Nicole.”

“I never said that, Wynonna.”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

October 31

The way I felt tonight: it was almost joy.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, October 31

Be careful with your heart.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, November 1

mAmA ATe some of my cANdy buT i foRgive heR

“Wynonna, it’s been over a month and you’re still drifting. You haven’t attempted to find any clubs, ask your friends if they can introduce you to anyone, even go to a church or a bar. What’s going on inside your head? I’d really like to know.”

“Maybe I’m just lazy, doc. Maybe I’m scared.”

“Maybe you’re not being truthful with yourself. I think you know why you haven’t made any effort to get out there.”

There was a long, long silence and the only sound was the ticking of the clock.

“Doc, have you ever had any patients who are bisexual?”

“I know you’re incredibly busy at your job right now with the partnership in your firm, but Thanksgiving is only three weeks away. And that means the parade is only three weeks away.
I’ll be putting in so many extra hours, I’ll probably forget my own name! And I trust you, Nicole. I trust you with her.”

“I promise I can manage, Wynonna. I’ll talk to Nedley tomorrow.”

The younger Mr. Nedley was not a talkative man. Nicole explained the changes she wanted to make to her schedule to accommodate picking up Alice after school. His eyes examined her face shrewdly and she was afraid he saw more than she wanted him to. But he only nodded and told her that it was no problem, then went back to his papers.

Wynonna continued to walk Alice to school each morning, but now it was Nicole walking her home after school, supervising her homework, feeding her dinner, and of course they still faithfully watched Perry Mason. Before bed each evening, they read stories from some of Nicole’s favorite books, brought over from her collection.

Nicole was never bored with Alice’s company: she was bright and inquisitive, a thinker and a questioner. She kept Nicole on her toes. More than once, Nicole thought to herself how impressive it was that Wynonna had obviously nurtured these characteristics and had not suppressed Alice’s enthusiasm, instead encouraged it.

That sort of thinking was not helping her get over her crush on Wynonna.

Most evenings, Nicole would be awake when Wynonna arrived. There was always a serving of that evening’s dinner kept warm in the oven for Wynonna, since she was usually hungry and exhausted. They would exchange a few quiet words concerning Alice’s day, then Nicole would walk down the hallway to her own apartment.

Except one evening.

“Nicole.”
“Nicole.”
“Nicole!”

She shot upright from where she had been dozing on the sofa; with the realization that Wynonna’s hand was gently touching her upper arm. It felt like flames had erupted on her skin.

“Holy crap, Wynonna! You scared me! I’m so sorry, I must have dozed off—“

“It’s all right, Nicole, don’t worry. I know it has to be tiring for you: going to work earlier to make up for leaving earlier. I can’t even find the words to say how thankful I am that you are helping me with Alice. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

At that moment, Wynonna became aware that she still had her hand on Nicole’s bicep and that it felt wonderful. She swiftly pulled back her hand as if she had received an electrical shock.

“I…uh”
“I should, uh…” They stuttered simultaneously.

“Yeah.” Wynonna said, unnerved.

“I guess I should head home…” Nicole’s hair was messy; expression wide-eyed and vulnerable. Wynonna thought it was unfairly attractive.

Flustered, Nicole gathered her things and moved quickly to the door.

“Goodnight, Wynonna.”

“Goodnight, Nicole.”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

November 19

Just gave myself something to discuss with my shrink this week.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, November 19

I had to look in the mirror to convince myself there wasn’t a red spot on my arm where she touched me. That’s the first time we’ve ever touched and I almost didn’t survive it.

It was finally the day of the big Thanksgiving Day parade.

Wynonna hadn’t been able to come home the night before; promising she would see them at the end of the parade instead. Alice enjoyed a sleepover and waffles for breakfast at Nicole’s apartment before they walked to Macy’s to a reserved area in front of the massive building.

Alice had previously attended the parade, but this was the first year that Wynonna was the one of the main overseers of the event; therefore Alice was personally invested in everything being perfect. She eyed every float, every balloon, every marching band with a critical eye.

Nicole, however, had never attended the parade in person and was swept away with excitement.

An older gentleman standing near them was watching them, enjoying Nicole’s enthusiasm.

Alice stared at him, unblinking. Nicole touched her shoulder and asked “What’s going on, princess? Do you know that man?”

“Nicole, he looks just like Santa Claus!”

“Shhh, Alice, he might hear you!”

The man smiled at them both. He moved the cane he was leaning on into his left hand and held out his right. “Kris Kringle at your service, ladies.”

Nicole said “You must be kidding me” but offered her hand.
He had a warm, strong handshake.

“That’s what it says on my driver’s license if you want to see it, counselor.”

Nicole gazed at him in astonishment. “How did you know-”

Just then, Wynonna came up to them and picked up Alice in a bear hug.
“My imprisonment is almost over, ladybug, and we can go home and spend some time together again. I’ve missed you so much!”

She spun her around and put her back down, turning to face Nicole. “I can’t say thanks enough for all you’ve done for us this month, but I’ll try.”

Nicole blushed. “It was my pleasure, Wynonna.”

Alice was explaining to Kris “She hasn’t really been in prison, she works here.”

Kris smiled gently to himself. “Oh, I know.”

Nicole, to hide her blush, had turned to watch the parade again.

Wynonna grabbed Alice’s hand. “Let’s beat the big rush and head inside.”

Nicole looked disappointed. “But Santa hasn’t passed by to end the parade.”
She felt two pairs of eyes regarding her in astonishment. “What’d I say?”

Kris tipped his hat and melted into the crowd.

They fought their way through the hoards of shoppers inside the store.

“You believe in Santa Claus, Nicole?” Alice was obviously a skeptic.

“I do. You don’t?”

“I’m reserving judgement: innocent until proven guilty.”

“You’ve been watching too much Perry Mason, ladybug.” Wynonna smiled at her.

“Wynonna, I don’t want to go against your views on fantasy, but may I take Alice to see Santa?”

Wynonna listened for sarcasm, but Nicole’s tone was soft and non-judgmental.

“If she wants to?” Alice nodded hopefully. “Then I will head up to my office and wrap things up so we can go home afterwards.”

Their timing was good. Santa had yet to arrive after the parade and they waited behind only two or three dozen excited, chattering children and their long-suffering parents. After a 15 minute wait, the jolly fellow himself finally arrived, waving as he passed the line and uttering ‘ho-ho-hos’.

Then he stumbled.

Even though she wasn’t a trial lawyer, Nicole was still observant…And what she observed was that Santa was drunk.

She leaned over to whisper in Alice’s ear. “Princess, I need to go talk to your mom for a minute and I’ll be right back. Stay in line, please?”

Alice nodded and immediately engaged the dark-haired boy in front of her in conversation.
“Hi, I’m Alice Michelle Holliday.”

“Christ, Nicole, let me call Gran Sawyer in Personnel. We need to get down there right away…

…Gran, it’s Wynonna Holliday. We’ve got a report that the Santa you hired is downstairs with hundreds of kids and he’s drunker than a skunk! …I don’t care whose uncle he is, we have to get him out of there before the parents figure it out! …You know there will be someone who will report it to the papers…Yes I’ll meet you down there.”

“Thanks, Nicole, let’s go.”

With profuse apologies, they hustled Santa away from the crowd of children and into an employee break room.

He attempted to defend himself. “Hey, it was cold out there, I just needed a little antifreeze, you know? Gran, tell her. Your uncle’s not a bad guy.”

Wynonna glared at them both. “Gran, if you don’t fire him, I’m going to Mr. Macy himself.”
“Oh, yeah, Mrs. Holliday? Tell me, who do you have to replace him? Or are you going to ask hundreds of kids to leave and go home without seeing Santa?”

Nicole, who had been watching silently, spoke up. “I know someone! Maybe he’s still in front of the store.”

She pushed open the door, only to collide with another body in the hallway. They both began to apologize at the same time.

“I’m so sorry…”

“No, I’m sorry…”

“Mr. Kringle!”

“Counselor!”

Nicole had no time to consider the implications of his coincidental proximity to their emergency situation.
“Can you come in here with me, sir?”

“Yes, I’ll do it.”

“Time is of the essence, we’ll go out into the hall so you can get into the suit.”

The crowd was beginning to get restless, but a loud cheer went up as Kris was sighted.

He waved merrily, took his seat, and immediately gestured for the next child in line.
Wynonna and Gran appeared to be having a heated conversation, so Nicole returned to Alice’s
side.

Alice whispered “Why did Mr. Kringle take the other Santa’s place, Nicole?”
She amazed as ever at Alice’s observational skills. No one else had appeared to notice the substitution.

“He was, uh, incapacitated.”

“Oh, drunk.” As Nicole gazed at her incredulously, she rolled her eyes. “I’m nine years old, I’m not an idiot, Nicole.”

“Alice, you are anything but an idiot!”

The dark-haired, dark-skinned boy in front of them shyly climbed into Kris’ lap.

Kris leaned down to look him in the eyes “Como te llamas?”

The boy’s face lit up. “Me llamo Manuel.”

"Que quieres para Navidad Manuel?”

“Quiero una pelota y el libro!”

“Lo tendras, mi amigo.”

“Gracias, Santa Claus!”

Alice looked on in astonishment. “He spoke Spanish to him! He knew before he even said anything that Manuel was Spanish!”
Nicole was also astonished. She moved out of the way and observed as Alice approached Kris.

Kris held out his hand “Alice Michelle, it’s so good to see you again! What would you like to have for Christmas?”

Nicole’s eyes narrowed. How does he know her middle name? She was almost starting to believe he was actually Santa Claus. Her legal mind rebelled a little at the thought.

“All I want this year is for my mama to finally find someone who will love her and me, and we can be a family forever.”

Kris’ eyes found Nicole’s immediately and she found herself blushing again. Damn, does he know?

“I’ll see what I can do, Alice.” Again his eyes caught Nicole’s over Alice’s dark head.

“Mama, I think he’s really Santa Claus! His name is Kris Kringle and he spoke to Manuel in Spanish and he knew my name and he said he would help with my Christmas wish!”

“Take a breath there, ladybug. He’s probably visited Mexico or Spain and he most likely overheard your name when you were outside and I bet his name’s not really Kris Kringle.”

“Now you need to take a breath, mama.” Alice replied, unswayed.

“You rascal! What did you ask him for Christmas?”

“It’s a secret, mama. If I tell you, it might not come true.”

“Maybe Nicole will tell me.”

Nicole, speechless, halted in her tracks. Wynonna laughed and loosely grabbed her wrist, causing a zing of current to flow up her arm.

“Okay, you guys keep your secret then. Let’s go home and order some Chinese.”

The phone rang as they were reading the fortunes from their cookies. Wynonna grumbled but went into the kitchen to answer.

“What now, Gran?…He what?…Does Mr. Macy know?…I was supposed to be off tomorrow but I’ll come in…okay…I will…Goodnight.”

She flopped on the sofa, groaning. “I don’t remember my fortune cookie saying that sh—, I mean poop, was gonna hit the fan today.”

Nicole looked at her in concern. “What’s going on, Wynonna?”

“Oh, not much, only that your Mr. Kringle has caused quite the stir. One of the children asked for a toy Macy’s doesn’t carry, and your good ol' Santa sent the mother to Gimbel’s because they do! Mr. Macy is going to be very unhappy once he hears about it. You know they’re our biggest rival. I should have never listened to you, Nicole! I went out on a limb and now I’m probably going to get fired.”

Nicole stood up, stung by her criticism. “You’re a grown woman, Wynonna! I didn’t force you to hire him! And maybe you could give him the benefit of the doubt and actually talk to him tomorrow instead of throwing around accusations!”

She stomped to the door and closed it firmly behind her.

Wynonna threw her arm over her eyes and groaned again. Alice touched her leg and said quietly “Don’t worry mama, it will be okay. Mr. Kringle will help make everything okay again.”

“I wish I had your faith, ladybug.”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

November 27

It wasn’t the worst day of my life, but it was definitely in the top 5. Shit.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, November 27

“I can’t thank you enough, Nicole. Let me rip out your heart, Nicole.”

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, November 27

ITs goiNg To TAke A miRAcLe To geT Them TogeTheR Now

Wynonna was wearing her prettiest work dress; trying not to fidget as she waited in Mr. Macy’s outer office and ignoring the glares of one angry Personnel Director seated next to her.

There was dead silence other than the clacking of typewriter keys by Mr. Macy’s personal secretary.

The intercom buzzed. “You can go in now.” She said with a sympathetic glance towards them.

In her six years with the company, Wynonna had never set foot in Mr. Macy’s office. It was surprisingly utilitarian and functional. The man himself sat behind the desk. He was holding a letter in his hand and had a newspaper at his elbow.

Her heart sank.

“Mrs. Holliday, Mr. Sawyer. I originally called you in today to reprimand you both for your handling of the Santa Claus situation yesterday.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Macy.” Wynonna murmured.

“But you have been saved by the court of public opinion.”

“I don’t understand, sir.” said Gran.

“You already know about the situation with our store Santa sending a mother to Gimbel’s for a
toy, but what you do not know yet is this” he rattled the sheet of paper “I have a letter here from that mother; thanking us for our generosity in helping her find the exact gift that was asked for by her child, and praising us for our unselfishness in doing so. The same mother was so grateful, she wrote a letter to the editor of the Times, sharing the story. It has now blown up into a media sensation. Our Public Relations director reports that their telephones have not stopped ringing and that the Associated Press has picked up the story. You, Mrs. Holliday, and you, Mr. Sawyer, helped make Macy’s name synonymous with Christmas spirit. Now get downstairs and help organize the chaos.”

“The chaos, sir?”

“You’ll see when you get there. Now go, and thank you both.”

“Yes, sir.” They looked at each other, mystified, and left.

Downstairs was a madhouse. The line to see Santa Claus went out the room, down the hallway, around the corner, out the side door of the store, and halfway down the block.

Gran fled to his office to pull employment files, looking for temporary applicants to help keep the line under control.

Wynonna called nearby bakeries to send cookies for the masses of people waiting. She was certain Mr. Macy would approve the expense.

By evening she was exhausted, but Kris never tired.

His smile, his cheerfulness, his ’ho-ho-ho’s’ never flagged. As the store was nearing closing time, she finally had a moment to lean over and thank him.

“Santa, Mr. Kringle, or whatever your name is, I want to thank you. I don’t know how you came up with the Gimbel’s gimmick, but it definitely worked. You saved my job.”

“Mrs. Holliday, it was no gimmick, it was Christmas spirit. I knew exactly where that child’s toy could be found and I shared that information. I know you don’t believe me, but there was no ulterior motive involved, other than the child’s happiness. Now, I can see you’re worn out; you should go home to your daughter and your…friend.”

Wynonna spoke quietly as if to herself. “If she’s still my friend. I said some nasty things to her.”

“I think she’ll forgive you. Talk to her.” Wynonna looked at him, surprised. Deeply involved with her own thoughts, she had forgotten he was there.

Alice opened the door to Nicole’s apartment when Wynonna knocked. She looked over Alice’s shoulder to see Nicole standing in the kitchen, back turned to her.

“Thank you for watching her today, Nicole. I know it was chickensh—, I know it was cowardly to send her alone to ask you, but I knew you were angry with me…”

Without turning around, Nicole replied “And you were angry with me.”

“I’m not angry anymore, Nicole. I wasn’t even angry five minutes after you left last night. I felt so guilty for the things I said. You’ve never been anything other than helpful, and a good friend to me.”

“Friend.” Nicole echoed. “Yeah.” She still hadn’t turned around.

“I brought a six-pack of Miller Lite as a peace offering” she rattled the bottles “and it’s almost time for Perry Mason. Will you forgive me? I’d love to tell you about my day.”

Nicole finally walked over to her and snatched a bottle from the cardboard carrier. “Okay, but it had better be good.”

“Oh it is!”

They were so focused on each other that neither of them noticed as Alice closed the apartment door and sat down on the sofa, smiling to herself. She turned on the television, switched the volume to low, and listened to them talk.

She had trusted Mr. Kringle and he had come through for her.

It was a Christmas miracle.

The dinner Wynonna cooked for what she called the “I’m Sorry Party” was Nicole’s favorite: pot roast. It was coincidentally Alice’s favorite meal too, so they dug in with fervor and ate until their bellies groaned.

Nicole moved toward the sofa with her glass of wine, letting out a notch on her belt, sighing in satisfaction. It was only then that she noticed the photograph of John Holliday was missing from above the mantel.

Alice noticed the direction she was looking.

“Mama let me put it in my bedroom. I’ve been asking for months and she finally said it was okay.”

Nicole glanced over her shoulder at Wynonna, who was straightening the kitchen.
“Did she say what made her decide?”

“She said it was time for change. She said she’s buying a Christmas wreath to put there.”

“Your mom is buying a Christmas wreath? It’s a freaking miracle. Pardon my French.”

“That’s funny, Nicole!”

“What’s funny, ladybug?” Wynonna placed her wineglass on the coffee table.

“I said you buying a wreath was a Christmas miracle, Wynonna.”

“This has been a year of big changes for me, Nicole. I guess it’s one way to express that.”
Was she blushing? Her face felt warm. Must be the wine.

“I love you, mama.” Alice hugged her.
“I think that’s great, Wynonna.”
Nicole stood next to them, awkward, until Wynonna’s arm swept her into their hug. Her skin was on fire where they touched.

In an attempt to diffuse the emotion of the moment, Wynonna picked up her wineglass and toasted: “To change!”
Nicole lifted her glass, motioning for Alice to grab her glass of water and join them.
“To change!” They all clinked their glasses and sipped, smiling.

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

November 30

Part of me will always love him, but it’s time to let go. To change!

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, November 30

Just because she’s ready for change doesn’t mean it’s you she wants. Choosing you would be the most difficult path she could possibly take. It’s too much risk: she has Alice to consider.
Be supportive. Be a friend, because you’ll never be her lover.

Everyone was so busy with the holiday season that the meal had to be simple, so they were all sharing a pizza in Nicole’s apartment.

“I’m so happy you could join us tonight, Mr. Kringle.”

“Call me Kris, please, and it’s my privilege to be here. I wasn’t expecting for Mrs. Holliday to include me in your gracious invitation.”

“It’s fine to call me Wynonna when we’re not at work, Kris. I had a dual reason for inviting you tonight. One was to thank for boosting my image at work. This Christmas spirit thing has really taken off and you’ve made me look like a genius for hiring you! And the second reason is this young lady right here. Alice has been pestering me non-stop because she wanted to see you again. So you’ve made both of us happy tonight.”

“Ah yes, thank you, Wynonna. Miss Alice, I will need to confer with you in private regarding your Christmas wish before I leave.”

Nicole and Wynonna exchanged amused glances.

Alice raised her voice a little louder with faux innocence. “Mama, it’s nearly time for Perry Mason. You and Nicole should start watching and Mr. Kringle and I will join you shortly.”

Nicole chuckled and walked to the television, turned it on, and twisted the dial to the correct channel. Alice and Mr. Kringle gravitated to the kitchen and began whispering.

Nicole and Wynonna seated themselves on opposite ends of the sofa, idly watching a Coca-Cola commercial. Nicole hummed the catchy tune under her breath.

Wynonna smirked at her. “Do you really think that teaching the world to sing will stop all the harm people do to each other, Nicole?”

“No, but I think it’s okay to feel hope during the holidays, Wynonna. Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“I’m just stating an opinion, lady lawyer.”

“Mrs. Holliday, I would love to know why you despise my profession so much.”

Wynonna’s voice softened. “I’m sorry, Nicole. I support the type of legal work you do, and I trust you. But when Doc, when John died, I had a lot of legal issues to deal with. Having him declared legally deceased and attempting to collect his benefits…I got swindled by a shyster lawyer. He took the fees I paid him and disappeared.”

“Wynonna, I’m so sorry that happened to you. I wish I could change the awful things that you’ve been through—I, I mean you…and Alice, of course.”

Too much, Nicole, dial it back.

“You’ve been a good friend to us, Nicole, almost too good. You never do things for yourself: for example, I don’t think you’ve been on a date since I met you, and you never seem to see your family. Am I allowed to ask why?”

Nicole took a deep breath to steady her heart rate. “Wynonna—“

“Time for Perry Mason!”

Alice flopped down between them on the sofa as Kris settled gratefully into the recliner, groaning happily as he cranked the footrest upward.

“I love this show!” Kris exclaimed.

“I know!” Alice bounced on the cushion. “It’s the best ever!”

“I don’t know that I’d go THAT far, ladybug, but it is fun watching with you and Nicole…and now you, too, Kris.”

“Oh, this is a regular activity for the three of you? How fun it must be to have a shared interest like that!”
Wynonna snapped her head around, staring sharply at Kris. He looked back at her with an innocent expression.

The show was nearing its end; Alice waited for the exact moment when Nicole and Wynonna both reached for their beer.

“So why doesn’t Della just be brave and tell Perry that she’s in love with him? It’s obvious to everyone, why doesn’t she say anything?”

Nicole choked and spit out a dribble of beer.
Wynonna slapped her own chest as foam came out her nostrils.

Alice and Kris shared a secret smile.

Wynonna fled to the kitchen for a napkin as Nicole grabbed a paper towel to swab the coffee table.

“Look at the time!” Wynonna said in a falsely cheerful tone. “Time to head home and get this little ladybug ready for bed.”

Alice whined “Do I have to, mama? I was having fun!”
“I don’t think you should argue with me this time of year, Alice. Kris will tell Santa you haven’t been good and you won’t get your Christmas wish.”

“Mr. Kringle IS Santa, mama! And anyway, you don’t believe in wishing.”

“That’s nice, sweetie.” Wynonna said distractedly; not really listening as she gathered up paper plates, napkins, and bottles.

Nicole helped Kris shrug on his coat and handed him his cane. “It’s been…interesting having you join us tonight, Kris.” She looked meaningfully into his twinkling eyes.

“Same for me, counselor.”

“By the way, how did you know I was a lawyer?”

“I think in your heart, you know the answer, Nicole. Because you believe in fantasy, in magic, in the Christmas spirit.” He leaned closer. “A little word of advice. Don’t give up on her.”

Nicole stared at him, disconcerted.

There was a flurry of good-nights at the apartment door. As Alice gave Kris a big hug, Wynonna and Nicole stood by awkwardly.

After a moment Wynonna gingerly wrapped her arms around Nicole’s shoulders in a cautious embrace. “Uh, thanks for dinner, Nicole, and um, everything. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Her breasts tingled where their bodies had been pressed together; she fervently hoped there was no outward physical manifestation of it.

“Good night, Wynonna and my princess Alice. Kris, I hope to see you again soon.”

“I’m certain we’ll meet again. Good night, Nicole.”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday
December 20

Well, that was embarrassing.

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, December 20

Apparently my feelings are as clear as glass to everyone, except Wynonna.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, December 20

eveRy ideA kRis ThoughT of woRked puRfick peRfek gReAT

“Nedley & Nedley, Nicole Haught speaking.”

“Nicole, I have a big problem and I need to talk it over with you as a lawyer, not a friend.”

“Wynonna, what’s up? Is it Alice…?”

“No, it’s Mr. Kringle again. We’ve got an issue over here, can you come? I know you’re working, but I don’t think it can wait.”

“I’ll tell Nedley and I’ll be there ASAP.”

“Thank goodness you’re here, Nicole. I hope Nedley wasn’t too upset.”

“He wasn’t thrilled that I left but I said it was an emergency.”

“Let me brief you. Ha, if I wasn’t so worried, that would be hilarious. You know, brief a lawyer? …anyway, today Gran Sawyer was chatting with Kris, asking him about his address for his paycheck…”

“Sounds normal so far.”

“Yes, but then Kris told him that although he was temporarily living at an old folk’s home, his actual address is the North Pole.”

“Okay well, that’s unusual, but Wynonna, he’s harmless.”

“Well, Kris went on to tell Gran that he’s THE Santa Claus. The real, one and only Santa Claus. Like he truly believed that he IS Santa Claus. Gran responded with a rude comment. I think because he’s trying to get back at me for getting his drunk uncle fired, and well, one time I turned him down for a date.”

Seeing the expression on Nicole’s face, she deflected. “That’s a story for another time…Anyway, Kris got angry and waved his cane at him. Now Gran is saying that Kris tried to attack him. Mr. Macy wanted to fire Kris, and not take any further action, but I stalled him because I wanted to get your legal opinion first.”

“What do you mean by 'further action', Wynonna?”

“Nicole, you know I don’t believe in Santa Claus, but I also don’t want to believe Kris is insane or dangerous. Can you help me protect him? Gran wants to have him committed to a mental hospital.”

“I know, Nicole, it was very wrong of me to threaten Mr. Sawyer. His sneering expression when he called me a crazy old fart just pushed me too far. I will apologize to him.”

“I’m sorry, Kris, but the situation has gone a little past that now. Wynonna and Mr. Macy have agreed that you should speak to a psychologist of the company’s choice to get an unbiased evaluation of your mental status.”

“Wynonna agreed to this? I thought she was beginning to have some faith in me. If not as Santa Claus, then at least in my moral character.”

“Kris, you and I know Wynonna has very little faith in anyone other than herself and Alice. But she is fighting for you to keep your job. She’s putting her neck out there for you, I promise.”

“It doesn’t sound like it to me, counselor. It feels like she’s throwing me to the wolves.
Tell me what happens if I don’t see this doctor.”

“You lose your job. There will be a legal hearing on your sanity in front of a judge. You don’t want that, Kris.”

“I thought you believed in me, Nicole. I can’t understand why you agreed to this.”

“This has gone past anything that I may or may not believe in, Kris. This is serious.”

“I’m not going to see any psychologist, Nicole. I’m not crazy. I want to go to court and I want you to defend me.”

“Me? Kris, I’m not that type of lawyer: you wouldn’t have a prayer! Let me call some people I know from law school—“

“NO, Nicole, I want you or no one. I trust you.”

“Please rethink this, Kris. I can’t do it, I’ve never actually tried a civil case as an attorney. You have to let me—“

“No, Nicole. If you don’t believe enough to do this for me, then they can go ahead and put me away.”

Nicole sighed, resigned. “All right. I’ll talk to Nedley. Now, we have to surrender you to the authorities until your hearing. I’ll make some phone calls.”

“What did he say, Nicole?” It was getting late and Alice was already asleep. The lights were turned down and they were talking quietly side by side on the sofa.

Nicole leaned forward, elbows on her knees, head in her hands. “He said I was kissing the partnership goodbye. That Nedley and Nedley didn’t need an associate who couldn’t put the firm first. He said to think it over very carefully, because my belief in a crazy old man was going to cost me my career.”

“What are you going to do? Do you give in to Nedley and turn your back on Kris?”

“I can’t do that, Wynonna. I made a promise. I know you think I’m being stupid and naive; just say it…”
“I’m not going to. Nicole, you are the most principled person I’ve ever met. You’ve even won my trust and that’s not easy to do.”

Wynonna gently laid her hand on Nicole’s thigh. They both took a shaky breath. “I may not completely believe in him, but I do believe in you.”

Very carefully, Nicole covered Wynonna’s hand with her own. “Thank you, Wynonna. Your support means a lot to me.”

They sat silently for a few minutes, then Nicole squeezed Wynonna’s hand and stood up to leave.
“I’d better get some rest. I have a big day tomorrow. Goodnight, and thank you for listening. It helped reinforce my decision.”

“Goodnight, Nicole, sleep well.”

It felt strange that it was a weekday and she wasn’t at the office.

Nicole was seated on her sofa, notes strewn about. She was researching commitment hearing procedures and testimony. The morning had disappeared; the day was flying by too quickly.

She felt dejected and unprepared.

Kris had pinned his hopes on the wrong person. Her appointment to see him in the afternoon was only an hour away and she had very little encouragement to offer.

There was a tap at her door. She opened it to see Alice and Wynonna standing in her doorway.

“Nicole, mama said you’re going to go see Mr. Kringle so I wrote this letter for you to give him. I wanted to go with you, but she says I can’t.”

Nicole met Wynonna’s eyes with sympathy. “I know, princess. It’s not really the kind of place you should be visiting. Kris will understand why you couldn’t come. And I’m sure he will be happy to get your letter.”

Wynonna also handed Nicole an envelope. Nicole read Kris’ name and looked at her in surprise.

“Don’t look at me like that. He needs to know we support him. Now get dressed and go see him.”

Kris looked tired and defeated as he sat down on the other side of the barrier. Nicole was concerned.

“Are you feeling ill, Kris? Have you eaten today?”

“I didn’t sleep well and I wasn’t hungry. I can’t stop thinking about all the children that I’m letting down by being forced to stay in this institution so close to Christmas.”

“Macy’s will survive without a Santa, Kris.”
“Macy’s is not what I’m talking about, Nicole, and you know it. I’m talking about the children around the world who won’t have a Christmas present because the State of New York wants to declare Santa Claus is insane. What can children believe in anymore?”

“I don’t know about all children, Kris, but I do know one child who believes in you. This is from Alice.”

He carefully opened the envelope; reading the words. His face lit up, like…Christmas.
He handed the paper to Nicole, who read:

MR. kRiNgLe
I beLieve iN you
Love ALice MicheLLe HoLLidAy

“And someone else had something they wanted to say to you, too.”

She gave him the other envelope. He stared at the handwriting, eyebrows raised.

It must have been a short message, yet he re-read it several times. He had tears in his eyes.

Nicole gently took the paper from his hands.

It read:

Santa Claus,
I believe in you, too.
Wynonna Earp Holliday

“Kris, there are very few things in this world that Wynonna believes in.”

“Nicole, I can’t help feeling we’re going to win tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to bring you down, but you’d better be praying for a miracle.”

“It’s Christmastime: the season of miracles.”

“I certainly hope so. I have to go home and do more preparation, so I’ll see you in court tomorrow morning. Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?”

“I will. And thank you, Nicole. Don’t think for a moment that I’m not aware of what you’ve given up for me.”

“I would say I'm shocked you know about that, but obviously I do believe in you or I wouldn’t be here.”
“I believe in you too, counselor.”

On her way home, Nicole happened to walk by the Post Office. On the spur of the moment, she decided to go inside and collect her neglected mail.

Finding only a slip of paper in her mailbox, she went to pick up her bundled mail at the desk. As she waited in line, she idly observed a couple of workers throwing envelopes into a large plastic cart.

She couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.

“Yeah, more letters ta Santa. Whaddya going ta do wid ‘em, Ralph?”
“Trowin’ ‘em inta dis cart until the boss decides.”

A lightbulb went off in Nicole’s brain. A devious smile ghosted across her lips.

Collecting her mail from the clerk, she made one more stop, then walked home. Though she was sorely tempted to stop at Wynonna’s apartment, she resisted. She entered her own apartment and went directly to her telephone.

“Hold the elevator!”

Nicole held her hand out, making the doors bounce open.

Wynonna and Alice joined her.

“Good morning Wynonna, hi princess! Why are you two out and about so early?”

Wynonna noticed Nicole looked fatigued, as if she hadn’t slept. Her tailored navy blue suit emphasized her height and hair color; making her look older, more professional.

The lawyer look did something for Wynonna. She realized she was staring and cleared her throat.

“Uh, we’re going out for breakfast and then we’re going to go to the hearing.”

“I know Kris would appreciate your support, but I’m not certain this will go our way, Wynonna. You may not want Alice there to watch, if things don’t work out in our favor.”

“Nicole, we have faith in you. You’re going to win today.”

“I wish I had the same faith, but thank you both anyway.”

The doors opened to the lobby. They parted in front of the building.

“See you at 10am, Nicole. We believe in you.”

Kris looked at the dress suit in Nicole’s hand questioningly.

“Research suggests there can be unconscious bias against the defendant if they are dressed in institutional clothing. I want you to look your best. Research also recommends you shave, but in your case, Kris, I don’t think that’s feasible.”

He chuckled and rubbed his chin. “No child wants to see a clean-shaven Santa! Good call, counselor.”

“The guard will take you to the men’s room so you can change. See you in the courtroom.”

Kris smiled happily at Wynonna and Alice as he sat next to Nicole. He also smiled at the judge, the prosecutor, and the usual rabble that attended hearings of this type. Most looked bored and unimpressed.

A little girl that appeared to be about 5 years old sat next to a distinguished gray-haired gentlemen. She looked excited; he looked anxious.

In the last row of seats, a young man sat slouched down. His glance was interested and missed nothing. Next to him was a camera and a notepad.

The State of New York was represented by the District Attorney, Thomas Mara. He immediately called his one and only witness to the stand.

“The State calls Kris Kringle.”

The crowd was intrigued by his strategy: they whispered amongst themselves.

“Order!” Judge Harper banged the gavel.

Nicole was thrown off-guard by the tactic. “Kris, you don’t have to speak. You can decline.”

“No Nicole, I want to do this.”
He took a seat to the left of the judge.

“Good morning, Judge!” He said brightly.
The judge looked back skeptically. “Good morning, Mr. Kringle. Mr. Mara, you may begin.”

“Mr. Kringle, are you indeed the one and only Santa Claus?”

“Objection!” Nicole jumped up quickly.

“No! Nicole, I mean Ms. Haught. I am happy to answer the question. Yes, Mr. Mara, I am Santa Claus.”

The courtroom buzzed.

“The State rests its case, Your Honor.”

“The defense would like to call Mr. Macy to the stand.”

“Mr. Macy, thanks for coming today, the defense recognizes you are a very important businessman with many responsibilities.”

“Ms. Haught, get to the point please.”

“Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Macy, do you yourself believe that Mr. Kringle is the one and only Santa Claus?”

Macy looked out at the crowd, noting the unfriendly expressions in the courtroom. He hesitated a moment, then meeting the eyes of his 5 year old granddaughter, he nodded.

“Mr. Macy, we need a verbal response for the record.”
“Yes, I believe this man is Santa Claus.”

The crowd murmured. The gavel banged.

“Order!”

“Thank you, Mr. Macy. The defense calls Dr. James Pierce.”

“Dr. Pierce, what are your qualifications?”

“I am a graduate of Columbia University, with specialties in both geriatric care and psychology.”

“What is your association with the Happy Valley Senior Home?”

“I am the consulting physician on staff.”

“Are you acquainted with the defendant?”

“Yes, I’ve known Mr. Kringle for nearly 8 years, as he is a long time resident of the home.”

“And how would you describe his overall health?”

“He suffers from osteoarthritis, but other than that, he’s amazingly healthy.”

“Counselor Haught, we are not here to determine Mr. Kringle’s physical health!”

“Sorry, Your Honor. Dr. Pierce, what is your considered medical opinion on Mr. Kringle’s mental health status?”

“He’s as sane as you or I. Or even you, Mr. Mara.”

The crowd tittered.

“Order!”

“Thank you, Dr. Pierce.”

“Your Honor, may the defense and prosecution meet at the stand?”

“Yes, Mr. Mara. Proceed.”

“Ms. Haught, your defense is composed only of hearsay and is disgraceful. I move that we save everybody's time and Judge Harper declare that not only is Mr. Kringle mentally unstable, but that there is no such thing as Santa Claus.”

“I will take your motion under advisement, Mr. Mara. The court will adjourn for a short recess.”

Nicole slumped in her chair. “We’re done. It’s over. I’m sorry, Kris. If you hadn’t pinned your hopes on me, maybe things would have gone differently.”

“I haven’t given up yet, Nicole. Miracles happen.”

In the judge’s chamber, two men sat at a desk, unhappily gazing at each other.

“You can’t declare there is no Santa Claus, Henry! You’re up for re-election next year. Do you want to be the judge that decided that Santa Claus was insane? That some nice old man is delusional? That Santa Claus doesn’t exist? Voters have children, Henry; you’ll be defeated in a landslide!”

“How do I get out of this without looking like a fool, Charlie?”

“Call a recess until this afternoon. See if the defense can come up with a miracle, or else both of us will be out of a job.”

“The court will adjourn for a lunch recess and reconvene at 1pm.”

Wynonna sat next to Nicole and took her hand, uncaring of what anyone watching might think.

“He didn’t rule against you yet, Nicole. He could have come out from the recess and made a judgement but he didn’t. I’m going to believe that’s a good sign.”

“Wynonna Holliday says she believes in me, believes in Kris, believes in signs. This is truly Christmas magic.”

She smiled at Wynonna and their intertwined fingers. “Now I need to make a miracle happen for Kris. I’ll see you back here at 1pm.”

“Court is back in session. Counselor Haught, call your next witness.”

“The defense calls George Payne to the stand.”

“Mr. Payne, please state your profession.”

“I am Postmaster of the Borough of Manhattan.”

The crowd expressed surprise.

“Order!”

“The Postal Service has a long history in the United States. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

“Counselor, we don’t have all day.”
“Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Payne, isn’t it true that the postal service prides itself on the accuracy of their mail delivery?”

“That is true.”

“Sir, I ask you to identify these three pieces of mail.”

“They are letters to Santa Claus, counselor.”

The crowd gasped. Mr. Mara jumped to his feet.

Before he could interrupt, Nicole continued “And how did it happen that they were delivered to this particular courtroom?”

“They were delivered here because they were addressed to Santa Claus, in care of this courtroom. I brought them myself.”

The crowd erupted.

Mr. Mara, still standing, raised his voice above the noise.

“Your Honor, I ask you, is this matter to be decided on only three letters? Is this enough evidence to let a potentially dangerous man be set free?”

“Your Honor, may I respond? I hesitate to place a burden upon this court, but since my esteemed colleague has requested it…”

She turned to the rear of the courtroom. “Gentlemen, please enter.”

The doors were flung open and a procession of at least a dozen men carrying huge mailbags hauled them in and dumped them at the front of the courtroom.

Letters spilled everywhere. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of letters.

Mr. Mara’s shoes were covered in them. He leaned over and picked up a handful, feeling faint.

“Your Honor, every one of these pieces of mail are letters to Santa Claus, delivered here, to Mr. Kringle, by the United States Postal Service. What the United States Postal Service believes to be true, the State of New York should also believe is true. This man is Santa Claus.
The defense rests, Sir.”

The crowd applauded wildly.

The judge banged his gavel, shouting over the crowd.

“I, Judge Henry Harper, on behalf of the State of New York, do hereby declare that Mr. Kris Kringle is the one and only Santa Claus!”

He wiped his brow, feeling relief. Charlie looked relieved also. “Court is adjourned.”

Alice excitedly threw her arms around Kris, then Nicole. Surprisingly, Wynonna did the same.

Kris whispered something in her ear as they hugged and Wynonna stared at him with something approaching awe.

Kris turned to Nicole and shook her hand vigorously. “Thank you, counselor. I always believed in you. And now, I hope you’ll understand, my friends, that I must take my leave. I have so many things I need to get done tonight!”

They watched him hurry out the courtroom doors. The man with the camera took a photograph of him as he passed by.

Wynonna turned to Nicole. “That was an ending straight out of Perry Mason, Nicole. I never thought I’d see such drama in real life!” They giggled hysterically at the comparison.

A middle-aged man sporting an impressive handlebar mustache walked up to them.

“Haught.” He nodded to Wynonna and Alice.

“Mr. Nedley! I didn’t expect to see you here, sir.”

“I originally came here to find you and apologize. I stayed to watch you fight for what you believed in. That kind of dedication is hard to find, so I’m hoping you will forgive my harsh words and come back to the firm. The partnership is still yours, just as we planned.”

Nicole didn’t hesitate. “I will, sir.” She gave him a swift hug.

His face turned bright red. He cleared his throat and patted her awkwardly on the back.

“Uh, go ahead and take the week off and we’ll see you back in the office after the first of the year. And Nicole, congratulations. That was impressive work.”

“Wynonna, that smells delicious!”

“I was so sure you’d win that I cooked your favorite meal to celebrate, Nicole.”

“Umm. Pot roast.”

“Can you open the wine for me? Alice, please go wash your hands and then you can set the table.”

They were comfortable and relaxed. It felt like a family.

The phone rang as they finished their meal. Wynonna answered.

“Mr. Macy…Yes, sir…Thank you so much…Merry Christmas to you too, sir and to your granddaughter.” She hung up with an indecipherable expression on her face.

“Is everything all right, Wynonna?”

“I guess you could hear that was Mr. Macy. He told me he fired Gran Sawyer and he’s promoting me to Personnel Director!”

“Mama, that’s great!”
“Wynonna, that’s wonderful!”

“Let’s get out more wine to celebrate!”

After the excitement died down, Alice yawned; worn down by the emotions of the day.

“Why don’t you go get a plate from the cabinet and set out the milk and cookies for Kris? Then I think you should get ready for bed.”

“Yes, mama. Can I leave him one of the sugar cookies I decorated?”

“I think he’d be disappointed if you didn’t!”

Nicole smiled at their discussion.

Wynonna seemed softer, more gentle, than Nicole had ever seen her. She wanted to know this Wynonna better.

They tucked Alice in to bed, taking turns kissing her forehead and wishing her sweet dreams.

“And may visions of sugar plums dance in your head.”

“Nicole, what’s a sugar plum?”

“It’s a piece of hardened sugar candy in a small round or oval shape. It has nothing to do with plums.”

Wynonna chuckled “Only you would know that, Nicole.”

“Don’t make fun of me, Wynonna.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. I’ll dream of sugar plums instead.” She smirked.

“Good night, princess.”
“Good night, ladybug.”

“‘Night, mama. 'Night, Nicole.”

Nicole and Wynonna sat on the sofa, drinking wine and admiring the beautiful wreath above the mantel and the three stockings hung below.

The wedding photograph had recently been replaced with a picture of a very tall Willy Wonka and a much smaller Oompa Loompa.

Wynonna offered to refill their wineglasses. When she returned she sat infinitesimally closer to Nicole.
Neither one noticed the door of Alice’s bedroom opening just a crack. A blue eye was pressed to the gap.

“Nicole, you were amazing today. Watching you defending Kris even though you felt it was hopeless, never giving up, coming up with the idea of the Postmaster and the letters…It made me feel differently about some things.
I realized that not all lawyers are out to swindle unsuspecting people; that some can be good, even noble. Noble is an old-fashioned word, but it still applies to you. You are so good-hearted and I…I…really admire that.”

“Wynonna Holliday! I hardly know what to say. Here you are, getting all soft and sentimental for Christmas!” she teased. “I can’t believe you’re the same woman didn’t trust me, who called me a shyster. Where has that woman gone?”

“Well, at this minute, she’s going to the kitchen for more wine.”

Wynonna returned with their glasses refilled, sitting so close to Nicole that their thighs and arms were almost touching. The air felt warm between them.

“What’s happening here, Wynonna?”

“I’m trying to make a move on you, Nicole. And here I was, thinking you’re so smart. Obviously not as smart as I gave you credit for, though.”

“But, but, you’re not…you were married…t-to a guy…”

“…And now you’re stuttering. You were much smoother in court today. There’s a new concept out there, it’s called bisexuality. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

“Wynonna, you can’t be serious. If this isn’t just some whim, then you haven’t thought through the implications - for yourself or for Alice. If it IS just a whim, then I—“

“Nicole, since you met me, have you ever known me to be whimsical? I have thought this through. I have thought of the implications for Alice. The conclusion I came to was this: how great it would be for Alice to finally have two people in her life who love each other but also love her. Like a real family.”

“In the eyes of the world it wouldn’t be a real family.”

“I don’t care about the world, Nicole. I care about Alice. I care about you! I can’t believe I’m having to argue my case with you: the lawyer who was willing to give up her job to defend Santa Claus!”

“You don’t really have to convince me. I want to believe in this, in us. It’s all I’ve wanted since the day we met.” Her voice was lower, huskier.

Wynonna took Nicole’s wineglass from her hand and set it on the table. She slipped into her lap and looked down into her face.

She hummed “Mmm, this is sexy. This is the first time I’ve had this viewpoint because you’re so damn tall…I could get used to this…”

“Quit talking so much and kiss me.”
“Says the lawyer.”

“Wynonna…!” her dark eyes held a warning.

She breathed softly into her ear “All right, counselor…”

She moved her mouth gently over Nicole’s eyebrows, touching her eyelashes with her breath, her beauty mark with the tip of her tongue, nosing the dimples in her cheeks. It was exquisite torture.

They were both breathing heavily by the time she reached those gorgeous lips.

She paused there for a tension filled moment.

“God, Wynonna…” Nicole groaned.

Their lips met and time stopped.

Neither heard the click of Alice’s door as it closed.

Excerpt from Alice’s diary, December 24

he did iT !! mR kRiNgLe mAde my wish Come TRue !!

It was nearing midnight.

“If I don’t go home soon, Wynonna, Kris is going to catch us making out on the sofa when he gets here.”

“He won’t be surprised. He already knows how I feel about you.”

“Is that what he said to you at the courthouse today?”

“You saw that? Yes, he said ‘Be brave. Tell her tonight.’ So I did.”

“He’s a very smart man.”

“He is. Come join us in the morning for pancakes?”

“You can count on it.”

They leisurely kissed goodnight at the door.

“Merry Christmas, Wynonna.”

“Merry Christmas, Nicole.”

Excerpt from personal journal of Wynonna Holliday

December 25

Who would have ever thought that I would believe in miracles?

Excerpt from Nicole’s personal journal, December 25

She cares for me. She thinks we can be a family. She kissed me. Miraculous.

NEW YORK TIMES December 25, 1975

JUDGE DECLARES MACY’S SANTA IS THE REAL DEAL

-Judge Harper’s approval rating soars

-Up and coming defense lawyer touted as possible candidate for District Attorney

NEW YORK POST December 25, 1975

HOTSHOT ATTORNEY SAVES CHRISTMAS

-Exclusive photos of Santa Claus leaving courtroom after victory

-How does Santa travel around the world so fast? UFO’s! See our expose, page 3.

Wynonna swung open the door.

“I hope you’re ready, because it’s mint chocolate chip today. I told her it might be too one many flavors, but she said they were Christmassy. Eat at your own risk.”

“I think I can handle it. Is she in the kitchen?” whispers ‘Because I really want to kiss you right now.”

“Once we get started I won’t want to stop. So we need to tell her at breakfast…”

“Tell me what, mama?” Alice stood at the entrance of the kitchen, the epitome of innocence.

“Uh, ladybug, Nicole and I have something to tell you. We—“

“You love each other and you want us to be a family. I know, mama.”

“Alice, how on earth did you already know?”

“It was my Christmas wish, mama: plus, I peeked last night.” There was a look of satisfaction on her face.

“You scamp! I thought you were asleep! What did you see?” Wynonna wondered nervously.

“Don’t worry mama, I went back to bed when the kissing started.”

The blush on Wynonna’s face was surpassed by Nicole’s.

“Uh, yeah, let’s change the subject and eat some pancakes! Nicole, can you pour us some coffee? Ladybug, get yourself some milk from the fridge and grab the whipped cream on the bottom shelf.”

Over Alice’s head, she waggled her eyebrows at the mention of whipped cream.

Nicole blushed again. “I can see there’s never going to be a dull moment in my life from now on, and I’m okay with that.”

“You’d better be!” Wynonna and Alice chorused.

Alice was thrilled with the charm bracelet Nicole gave her.

She studied the charms carefully.

“The owl symbolizes knowledge. I’ve always been impressed with your intelligence, Alice, and I wanted to show you that. The giraffe is for the time we went to the zoo, the easel is for the art museum, the pumpkin is for our first Halloween together, and of course the Santa Claus represents Christmas miracles.”

“I love it!” Alice threw her arms around Nicole and hugged her tightly.

“You can add charms that mean something special to you any time you want.”

“The Princess Bride?!? Mama, you bought me The Princess Bride! I’m so excited to read it!”

“I thought maybe we could all read it together at bedtime. That is, if you both want to.”

“Yes!” Alice opened the book and began leafing through the pages.

“Absolutely! Wynonna, you keep surprising me. What’s next?”

Wynonna smirked.

“I’m not talking about that…yet.” Nicole’s cheeks were red.

“Open your gift first, then I’ll open mine. Oh my god, would you go faster? You don’t have to be so careful with the paper!”

“Don’t be so impatient…A heart locket? It’s beautiful…”

“I put a picture of Alice in it for you.”

“Now I’m going to need a picture of you, too. My family.” she blinked, eyes misty.

“Yeah, about that. Why don’t you ever talk about your family, I mean your real family?”

“It’s a long story. Someday we’ll talk about it, but for now I hope you understand that you and Alice are my real family. Please, go ahead and open your gift from me.”

Wynonna ripped through the paper eagerly. “You got me a necklace? This chain is gorgeous, and knowing you, I’m sure this pendant is symbolic of something.”

“It’s a phoenix. It represents change or new beginnings. I bought it after you said this was your year of change.”

“Now it can also represent new beginnings. I love this. I love you, Nicole Haught.”

“I love you, Wynonna Holliday.”

“I’m going to my room, you can kiss her now.”
Alice smirked at their embarrassed expressions and closed the door to her bedroom.

Wynonna shouted after her sarcastically “Thanks for your permission!”

She patted the sofa cushion closest to herself. “Haught-ness, get yourself over here.”

“Wynonna…”

“Haught-body?”

“You’re lucky I love you.”

“I never believed in luck before, Red-Haught, but I do now.”

“I never knew you talked so much. Shut up and kiss me.”

“With pleasure.”

A memorial service was held Saturday, November 11 to honor the life of Captain John Henry Holliday, USAF, Vietnam. In cooperation with the government of Vietnam, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recovered Captain Holliday’s remains and brought him home for interment in our local cemetery.
Attending the military ceremony were Wynonna and Alice Holliday, widow and daughter of the deceased, Henry Holliday, father of John Henry, Michelle Earp, mother-in-law, and Nicole Haught, longtime companion of Mrs. Holliday. The memorial was also attended by a crowd of hundreds who wished to honor Capt. Holliday’s service to his country.
John 15:12-13 - “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
Welcome home at last, John Henry Holliday.