The girls continued to examine the goodies, while Anne turned the computer screen back. “That was so sweet, Henri.”
“And did you like the card with the roses?”
Anne blushed. “Shhhh. I didn’t let anyone read it.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Anne glanced toward the girls to make sure they were not eavesdropping. “Because you said something about wanting to kiss me again.”
“Is that bad? They do not want you to kiss me? Perhaps I should talk to them.”
“If you’re going to talk about kissing, you should get a room.” Emily’s teasing resulted in even more heat in Anne’s already flushed face.
“Mom, you’re such a prude. We don’t really care. Just don’t make kissing noises where we can hear them,” said Charlie.
Exasperated, Anne grimaced at Henri. “That’s why.”
The girls left early for the subway station, so Anne could take them by Carved Wood Creations. Mr. Hamilton was nowhere to be seen, so Anne showed them all the beautiful carvings. Each girl picked out a favorite.
“This one is mine,” declared Anne, showing them the Inseparable Love pair. “He carved it from a single piece of wood. That’s how he made them where they won’t come apart.”
“I like this one,” Emily picked out a mom reading a bedtime story to a small pajama-clad child, nestled in her lap. “Or maybe this one.” She spotted a pair of ballet dancers, with the female gracefully arched backward and perfectly balanced over the head of the male dancer by one hand.
“These are the best. Look.” Charlie found a group of five figures, male and female, with their feet together and their hands clasped, stretched all the way out in a leaning position and held up by the balance of the others. “Look, you can change them around, but they only balance if you put them in just the right order. Otherwise they fall over. It’s like a puzzle.”
“I secretly call that one ‘World Peace.’” Mr. Hamilton emerged from the back. “It’s a really delicate balance and if anything is out of order, it topples over. These must be your daughters you were so excited about.”
“Yes, Mr. Hamilton. This is Emily and Charlie.”
“I’m so glad to meet you both.”
“Mom told us about your shop, but I couldn’t really picture it. These carvings are incredible.” Charlie managed to balance the figures in their original order.
“How on earth did you ever learn to do this? The detail is amazing,” said Emily.
“Lots of practice. I was a chauffeur for the Gherring family for many years. That’s a lot of time sitting around waiting to drive them home. Whittling was how I passed the time. Now I have to use these magnifiers to see what I’m doing, but I still love it.”
“See Charlie, it wasn’t that he loved his job, but the job made his pastime possible. And he loved his pastime,” said Emily.
Charlie crossed her arms. “So, if you had your life to do over again, would you do it the same way? Would you choose the same job?”
“Yes dear, no regrets. It’s not really the job anyway. It’s the people. Wherever you work and whatever you do, whether it’s a job or a hobby, it’s the people you interact with that really matter. If the Gherring family hadn’t been such incredible people, I would’ve found another job, lickety-split.”
“Round two for me.” Emily sported a smug smile.
“You haven’t won yet,” said Charlie. “Mr. Gherring hasn’t given an answer yet, so round one is still up for grabs.”
“Have you met Mrs. Gherring?” he asked.
“Not yet,” said Anne. “We’re having dinner tomorrow night at her house. I can’t wait for them to meet her.”
“Yes, she is quite a woman.” Mr. Hamilton chatted easily with the girls, and by the time they left for the museum, they were exchanging hugs and regrets.
“He’s like a great-grandpa, right?” asked Charlie. “I mean he’s old enough to be ours?”
“Yeah, I guess he is. He’s ninety.”
“Maybe we could just adopt him,” Emily suggested. “He’s so cute and artistic and talented. That’s what I want to be like when I get old.”