Unenthusiastically, she unwrapped the next present as if she were bored to death with Christmas. With each passing present, she was tired of opening them. Her Christmas spirit was broken. I wish I wouldn’t have gotten her that other stuff. I should’ve just bought her the tablet. With only one present to go, Dale gave her the last package and announced, “Last one.”
She took the package and began joylessly tossing the wrapping paper to the side. Suddenly, she began tearing into it as she had with the very first present. I watched, confused as to why she was getting so excited.
“Momma! Look! Dale! Look! He didn’t forget it, momma! He didn’t!” she squealed.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“He did bring me a tablet! And it’s even purple, my favorite color!”
My jaw dropped. How could he have known? How would Dale had known that’s what Nevaeh wanted so badly? And did he really remember her favorite color or was it an accident that he just happened to buy a purple one? Either way, I was glad that he’d gotten her the tablet she so desperately wanted. I turned to him and mouthed the words, “Thank you” without making a sound. He nodded and smiled.
“Who’s ready for breakfast? I’m starving!” he called out.
“Me! I’m hungry!” Nevaeh said as she opened her tablet.
“I’ll make some cinnamon rolls while your mom helps you get that all setup,” he said as he walked into the kitchen.
On his way to the fridge, he peeked his head into the living where he spied Nevaeh and Kimberly working on her tablet, downloading the latest games and apps. It made him proud that he’d made her so happy. He reached for the can of cinnamon rolls and flipped them from his hand to his forearm and caught them mid-air as he made his way back over to the stove. Indeed, it was a good Christmas.
Chapter Eleven
The following week, Dale accompanied us to Nevaeh’s testing appointment. As we walked in and registered her, he told me to go sit with Nevaeh while he took care of things. Once I was an earshot away, he began talking to the receptionist behind the check-in desk.
§
“I know that Nevaeh already has a balance on her account. I’d like to pay that off and pay for all of her testings today as well, please.”
“Give me one moment while I look that up for you,” she said, looking over the top of her glasses while she pecked away at the keyboard.
The woman glanced at the screen, then to me and back at the screen. “Sir, are you sure you’d like to pay off the entire balance?”
“Yes, please.”
She did some more typing and finally said, “You do realize that with today’s testing, it will be several thousand dollars if you include all of her labs, right?”
“That’s fine,” I said, taking out my credit card.
“I’m sorry sir, but before we can accept your payment, we’ll need authorization from her mother to give you the exact balance. Is it okay if I call her over here?”
“Sure, I’ll do it for you,” I said and turned to the waiting area. “Kimberly, can you come here, please?”
She said something to Nevaeh before getting up and walking over to the counter.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“This man would like to pay your account balance, but we need your permission to give him the exact amount. Do I have your permission to do so?” the woman asked Kimberly.
“Yes, you have my permission.”
“Okay, sir that will be eight thousand, fifty-three dollars and twenty-nine cents, please.”
Kimberly almost fainted when she heard the balance. “Why is it so high? My last bill was only for a few thousand.”
“That bill,” the receptionist said while scanning the computer screen, “was only for the MRI and X-rays. It shows in the computer that we just mailed you a statement for the radiologist fee, the appointment, and her labs. The insurance did their part, the rest is your responsibility.”
“Oh, my,” Kimberly said, taken aback. “Dale, you don’t have to do this. It’s too much.”
I placed my hand on hers and said, “It’s fine. Let me do this for you.” He proceeded to give the receptionist his credit card and asked her to run the whole balance.
“Thank you, sir. Would you like a receipt?”
“Yes, please.”
The woman printed the receipt on the noisy printer and tore it from the serrated edge before handing it to me. “Thank you for your payment. You’ll be called back shortly.”