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Chapter 22
December 24th, 2005

“Happy Christmas Eve Day!” Latecia giggled as she jumped up onto her father’s bed.
“Feliz Navidad,” AJ muttered into the pillow.
“No daddy, it’s not Christmas yet,” Latecia laughed, jumping on her father.
“Please, baby girl, just five more minutes,” AJ laughed as he turned over to tickle Latecia.
“Nope, sorry daddy, not today, not on Christmas Eve. Can I call mommy?” Latecia asked.
“You can call your mommy any time you want baby, any time. My phone is on the desk, you know your phone number right?” Latecia rolled her eyes at her father.
“Yes daddy!”
“Look at you miss attitude, go on, go called your mother,” AJ swatted her on the behind and she took off with a giggle. AJ sat up and rubbed at his eyes, ran a hand through his hair and looked around the room. It was only around eight in the morning so it’d be about two o’clock in Florida. Latecia managed to get her mother on the phone without AJ’s help. He showered and dressed while Latecia gabbed with her mother in Spanish and English.
When she was finished AJ spoke to Edith, assuring her that everything was all right and wished her a merry Christmas, promising that Latecia would call her the next day. He looked towards Win’s door and wondered if he should break his promise and just go see her, but he didn’t want to do that, he didn’t want to but in. So he respected her wishes and took Latecia down to breakfast.

“How is she?” Brianna asked as AJ and Latecia sat down at the table.
“I don’t know. I’m respecting her wishes, she wants to be left alone for a while, so I’m letting her be alone.”
“Did you talk to her last night?” Brian asked.
“I told her good night. Honest guys, if she wants to talk, she’ll come out and say so. I told her if she wanted to come out with me and Latecia to give me a call. If she doesn’t call, it means she just wants some time to herself. We can’t rush her, she’s had a lot happen.” AJ picked up the menu and opened it up. He figured out what Latecia wanted then ordered for both himself and Latecia when the waiter came around again.
“Are you sure you don’t want to just call her, make sure she’s all right?” Brianna asked anxiously.
“Brianna, I’m worried just as much as you are, but this is what Win wants. And it’s not unreasonable. If I had been smart I would have realized that myself before Nick did. I don’t want to be a jerk about this but I think we really need to just but out for a while. We really don’t understand what she’s going through, and it’s time that we let her try and figure things out for herself. When she wants help, I think she’ll ask for it.” Brian and Brianna looked at him with somber faces.
“Daddy, how come Winnie isn’t eating breakfast with us?” Latecia asked. AJ turned to his daughter and put a hand on her head.
“She’s had a big surprise, and she needs some time to think about things.” AJ tried to explain as best as he could to a four-year-old.
“You mean like when you found out you were my daddy?”
“Um, something like that yes, although, that was a happy surprise. This wasn’t a happy surprise, and she wants to be alone for a while, okay?” AJ asked, his daughter’s shining eyes smiling at him.
“But it’s Christmas daddy, doesn’t she want to celebrate Christmas with us?” He frowned slightly, seeing the disappointment in the child’s eyes.
“I know she does, but this thing, this surprise, it means a lot more to her than Christmas. And she may miss Christmas. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you any less, okay?” AJ nodded, stroking his daughter’s hair.
“I know Winnie loves me. I just wish she didn’t have to be sad on Christmas, that’s all. I’m sorry it wasn’t a happy surprise, like, a bunny rabbit, no, another pet rat, that’s it daddy.” Latecia smiled and AJ laughed.
“What, you want to get her a rat for Christmas?” AJ asked.
“No, no, Winnie said that boy rats don’t like to make new friends when they get older, so she wouldn’t be able to have another rat. But do you think we could find a toy rat, a stuffed animal, for her, for Christmas, even if she doesn’t want to spend it with us?”
“I’m sure we could. I bet she’d like that a lot.” AJ grinned at his daughter.
“Good, then we can do that today instead of the museum.” Latecia beamed at her father and he returned the sentiment.

Win sat in the middle of her bed, looking out the window, watching as the snow drifted lazily past the panes. It was Christmas, in Paris, she could be sure of that. But she couldn’t think about that now. She couldn’t be happy about that now. She wanted to be happy, but it didn’t look like that’s what she’d be getting for Christmas.
Around her on the bed lay everything she could find about her parents. They hadn’t lied when they said it would ruin them if what they did got out. He, his real name Frank Esters, was head of the Princeton Law Department, professor, a practicing attorney with a record to rival any lawyer in the country. She, was Lily Esters, his wife, Chair of the Princeton English Department, a published author, professor and part time editor for various publishing companies. They had both been born and raised in upstate New York. Attended prestigious Ivy League schools. Married out of college, had four children, two girls, two boys. Heather Marie, Elizabeth Sonya, Frank Erik Junior and Malcolm Warner. The youngest was seven years old, the oldest was twelve.
Both had important families, Frank’s father a lawyer, his mother a professional pianist, Lily’s mother was an English professor as well and her father was another lawyer. The whole happy family history could be found on the Internet. Pictures, jobs, even ways to contact them. They had their own websites. Frank for his law firm, Lily for her books.
Win read over everything she could find, scrutinized every photo she printed out, made notes on every article she found Frank or Lily’s names in. But she still didn’t know them. She still didn’t know what to make of any of it.
She fell back among the stacks of paper and notes she had printed out and yawned so hard she thought her jaw would break. She hadn’t slept all night. She’d just searched and searched until there was nothing else she could find, but it still wasn’t enough. She wanted to know more. She did. No matter what she told herself, she wanted to know more.
Exhausted she fell into a shallow sleep, hoping that when she woke, she’d have some answers to her questions.