Free Aqua - Christmas in New York City (Aqua Romance Travel Series) by Amanda S. Jones Page B

leather belts with silver buckles; a young man with wooden bagpipes, a man with a fur vest, another with silk striped pants.  
    The camera swept past a peasant woman with velvet clothes, an oriental woman with glass eyes, the lady with gold earrings with pearls holding a silver basket. As a child, Casey’s favorites were always the animals. The wooden camel with leather saddlebags, the adult goat with metal horns, a monkey with silver collar and chain. She had loved the black horse with velvet-covered saddle so much that her mom created a replica for her one Christmas and they sewed a satin saddle blanket with metallic thread and braided a gold mane together. It was the center point of the family Christmas tree every year, and one of the many items that her father tossed into the garbage.
    The camera pulled back to take in the entire eighteenth-century nativity scene, silk-robed angels floating from the candlelit spruce looking upon the lifelike figures below. Casey could just see herself decades ago, standing in awe while her mother explained the various figurines to her, and told her the Christmas story.
    The exhibit was a longstanding holiday tradition for New Yorkers and visitors, but to Casey it was a mother-daughter tradition. Since Loretta Hines Howard donated the crèche figures to the museum in the 1960s, she worked on the display each year. Then her daughter, Linn Howard, helped her with the annual installation, and continued the tradition after her mother's death. Now Linn Howard's daughter, Andrea Selby Rossi had joined the tradition and helped her mother create the holiday showcase. Casey could hear her mother’s voice. This is the magic of Christmas.  
    Instead Harry’s voice entered the room. “Happy twenty-fourth day of Christmas, Cassandra.” She saw his face briefly on the screen. I thought I’d bring what you love about Christmas to you. And for that, I needed some help because I didn’t have you as my tour guide.”
    The camera shifted next to Harry and revealed Foster. “Hi Cass. Hope you’re feeling better. I love you, my girl. And I’m proud of you.” A smile replaced his scowl and he slapped Harry’s back. “Harry’s not too bad either.”
    The camera shifted back to Harry. “Foster is going to take me on the window shopping walk you did with your Mom every year.”
    Foster’s face appeared on screen again, now at the steering wheel. “Right down to me driving the car like I always did.”  
    The camera shifted to the scene on the street as the car drove through downtown while Foster explained Casey’s favorite stops. The red bow at Grand Central Station, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the trinkets at the flea market.
    Foster told the story of how seven-year old Casey ran from one window display to another along Fifth Avenue and got separated from her mom. She walked right up to a Santa on the street corner and asked him to find her mommy for her. Foster broke out into fits of laughter. “You had balls.”
    The camera followed the window displays, from Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel to Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor. Foster had a cute story for each one, including the ten-story facade on Saks Fifth Avenue.  
    At the Tiffany’s window, Harry waved the store clerk over and she unlocked a cabinet and opened a velvet box. He turned to Foster. “This ring is for Casey. I wanted to ask you, for your blessing in marrying your daughter.”
    Foster’s face softened and his eyes turned misty.“Yes, Harry.” He slapped him on the back again. “I’d be proud.”
    Casey lifted her hands to her face and shook her head. When she finally looked up, Harry stepped out of the corner of the room. “Merry Christmas, Cassandra.”
    He handed her a gift. She opened the box to an album of childhood photos. She ran her finger along a photo of her and her mother on a swing set in Central Park. “I didn’t know this existed. Where did you find it?”
    “Your cousin had that in one of