A Christmas Sampler a Christmas Anthology by Andrea DiMaggio Tony's Story

The CD player blared loudly...

The d'Artale home, Magnolia Chase Apartments, Virgina Beach, Virginia, December 19...

There's a place out there for us,
more than just a prayer or anything you've ever dreamed of.
So if you feel like giving up cause you don't fit in down here,
fear is crashing in, close your eyes and take my hand.

Carla d’Artale sat down on the couch next to her son. It was a long week after a long month after a very long two years. Tony d’Artale looked almost frightened, wondering just what his mother wanted to discuss. His father, Tony Sr., an F-18 Hornet pilot stationed at NAS Oceania in Virgina Beach, had been killed ironically in an auto accident on Virginia Beach Boulevard on the way home one evening. His RlO (Radio Intercept Officer), Chris Davidson, and Carla had fallen together and in love after reacquainting at a bereavement support group at a church in Norfolk. Chris had lost his wife two years earlier to cancer.

“Tony…I’m serious…It’s okay to wear my clothes, but if your father finds out?” Carla wasn’t at all angry but she remained nervous. Tony’s step-dad was hard to read. Carla had only been widowed a year when she and Chris began their whirlwind courtship, and Tony Jr. had really been almost lost in the shuffle. Carla had meant to take her time, but Chris was such a great guy and she was so sad and lonely.

“Mom…I love Chris…he’s so much like Dad….and Dad loved me. I wish…” The boy ran to his mother and fell into her arms. At fifteen, he felt so frightened and alone. After his father’s death they had moved back to Virginia Beach for support, since both sets of grandparents lived in Virginia. But leaving North Carolina meant leaving his only friends. He could only hope that he’d be able to make friends in his new school.

“Honey…he loves you like you were his own son.” She smiled, but her smile quickly turned to a frown when she realized just what she had said.

“But will he love me like I was his own daughter? Mom…I’m so scared.” Anthony James d’Artale was on the verge of dying, and he hoped that his resurrection would be welcomed, since he really wanted his new father’s love, even if it was for Antoinette Amelia d'Artale

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.
It's written in the stars that shine above,
a world where you and I belong, where faith and love will keep us strong,
exactly who we are is just enough
there's a place for us, there's a place for us.

“Tony…How’s my man?” Chris threw his jacket over the chair in the dining room and walked into the kitchen. He really wanted to show Tony that he could be a good father. Falling in love can be a dicey thing when your true love has already lived a lifetime with another, treasured love. And to be a father at thirty when your new bride is seven years older and has a fifteen year old son? He could only hope that he could be half the man Tony Sr. was; not just as a father and husband, but also a provider and an example to his new son. What he didn’t know about being a father could fill a building. What he didn’t know about his new child could fill a stadium. But what he had in his heart was big enough to fill Wisconsin, as they say.

When the water meets the sky,
where your heart is free and hope comes back to life,
when these broken hands are whole again,
well will find what we've been waiting for,
we were made for so much more

“Chris…we need to talk. Before we go any further I have a confession. I am so sorry for not telling you sooner. I guess I was afraid that if I told you, you’d walk away, you know?”

“Carla…there is nothing at all that you could tell me that would upset me at this point. I’ve told you as much as I can remember to tell, but I also know that you have a past…a beautiful past.”

“Chris…yes…Tony and I had a great life together….but that’s not what I need to tell you.

“Believe me, honey. I’ll try to understand. I might not get it right, but it won’t be for lack of trying. Just tell me and we’ll deal with it.

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.
It's written in the stars that shine above,
a world where you and I belong, where faith and love will keep us strong,
exactly who we are is just enough,
there's a place for us, there's a place for us

Tony lay in his bed, holding his comforter ironically like a teddy bear. He literally looked upward and prayed for his mother. He could almost bear rejection as a son if he knew Chris would accept his mother; she deserved to be happy after losing her true love. He tried not to cry; he wanted to stay focused on prayer, believing that if God could move mountains he’d certainly be able to move a man’s heart.

So hold on, now hold on,
there's a place for us

“I think there’s something you ought to know yourself before we go any further. I think what I have to say may be right in line with what’s on your heart. Can you let me speak first?” Chris smiled and Carla breathed out a big sigh. She wanted to believe things would work out, but after the last few years her faith had taken a real buffeting and her heart was more fearful than she could ever remember.

So hold on, now hold on,
there's a place for us

“First, understand that I took a vow when we married; that you could be just the best thing…the best person to ever, ever grace my life? I love you, and I want you to know I took that vow as serious and as sacred as anything in my life.” He smiled and pulled her in for a quick hug.

“But you have to understand that knowing Tony Sr. even before we ever met? Pretty big shoes to fill, okay? Tony and I shared more than a flightdeck. We shared as much as two friends can share. He was not only a great pilot but a great guy and my mentor. We prayed together and talked together. And that he trusted me? What a privilege and honor. I would never have dreamed that I’d be in this place.”

So hold on, now hold on,
there's a place for us

As the night wore on, Tony knew that his mother and his new father had to be talking about him. A strange and wondrous thing happened; not at all magical in the enchanged sense, but magical nonetheless. For the first time in his life…for the first time in her life, Toni felt that things would be okay.

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.
It's written in the stars that shine above,
a world where you and I belong, where faith and love will keep us strong,
exactly who we are is just enough,
there's a place for us, there's a place for us

“Carla…Tony was like a brother to me. Not only did he hear everything I had to say…everything on my heart? But he trusted me with everything as well. I know about Antoinette."

When the water meets the sky,
where your heart is free and hope comes back to life,
when these broken hands are whole again,
well will find what we've been waiting for,
we were made for so much more

A knock came at the door. Toni lifted her head…perhaps the first time she had ever felt herself without fear; filled with wonder as her parents entered her bedroom

“Honey…Chris and I have something we need to tell you.” Carla walked over to the bed and sat down. The child in the bed still wore boy’s pajamas, but it made no difference to Carla and Chris.

“Toni?” She turned and her face grew sad as she heard the familiar sound of her own name…that name…until Chris continued.

“Honey…I know…Antoinette Amelia…I married your mother and she made me the happiest man on earth. I can’t take your Dad’s place, but I want to try to be a part of his daughter’s life…Okay?” He smiled and grasped her hand, bringing it together with Carla’s as the family came together for the first time.

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.
It's written in the stars that shine above,
a world where you and I belong, where faith and love will keep us strong,
exactly who we are is just enough,
there's a place for us, there's a place for us

Next: Cindy's Story

There's a Place for Us

From the Motion Picture
Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Words and Music by
Carrie Underwood, David Hodges
and Hillary Lindsey
As performed by Carrie Underwood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB9ueVfyZ1M