I think that was the very first time in my life I had heard my sister use the word epiphany, and I knew for a fact it would be the last.
Mary sighed and moved forward to select one of the gifts. I watched, fascinated, as she deliberated before extending it to me.
I opened it tentatively, slowly pulling the Sellotape from each section of paper. I could hear James and Alfie discussing what on earth the gift could be, considering how both their mother and Mary seemed so obsessed by it.
As the paper separated, I felt tears welling again. I knew what it was before I peeled the covering away. My hands were holding a box. Inside the box were two figurines of two very well-known characters. At the base of the cellophane covering was a Post-it with “You and Me. Best friends forever” surrounded by little love hearts. SpongeBob and Patrick grinned back at me, their goofy smiles shooting directly to my heart and making it ache in that swelling-with-too-much-love kind of way.
“I told you Patrick was here.”
My vision was becoming blurry, but the bright yellow and pink were unmistakable. I trailed my fingers over the faces of my cartoon heroes, paying special attention to their smiles. As if from a distance, I heard Hannah encourage Mary to continue.
“I, well, this isn’t a new gift,” she murmured.
My head shot up, my eyes fixing on hers. Mary chewed her lip, then sighed as if realising she had to continue now she’d started.
“I bought it five years ago. I…bought it to give to you…to help me tell you how I felt.”
“So, why didn’t you?”
“Because you told her just beforehand that you didn’t think of her that way, you knob head.”
Trust Hannah to not be able to keep her gob shut. Now was not the time to mention my oversized mouth and inability to recognise a special moment.
“Is this true?”
My question was aimed at Mary. She tilted her head, her eyes closing momentarily, then she straightened her shoulders and stared right into my eyes, and it felt as if I was having my soul examined.
“Yes. But it was for the best.”
“I’m bored. Mum, can I—“
I heard Hannah shush Alfie and then whisper for him and James to go and find their dad, who was God knew where.
“How can it be for the best? We’ve wasted five years.”
Mary’s smile was so beautiful, so radiant, that I wanted to kiss her senseless without a care for my audience.
“We, my woman, have never wasted a moment. Every single day you have been in my life was a gift, the reason for me breathing. I have loved loving you, loved being in love with you whether you knew it or not.” Her hand reached up, slender fingers stroking the side of my face. “And I will live and love every day from now on, with the wonderful knowledge that you love me back.”
I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. Words would have been redundant. They were mere air, after all. Throwing my arms around her, I kissed her, our lips melding together perfectly as if each had been made in the other’s mirror image. Mary pulled me closer, our connection blindingly beautiful, perfectly synchronised.
I heard shuffling from behind me and knew my family was finally giving us the privacy we needed. I heard my dad’s mumbled, “But what’s happened? Is Patrick coming or what?” I smiled into Mary’s mouth.
The kiss was perfect, just like her. My lips knew hers, and hers knew mine. It seemed as if our kiss was the promise of one soul to another, a promise to never forget the love we shared. To never forget the connection we had. To never forget to keep telling each other how we felt, how we loved each other and would continue to do so for the rest of our lives.
I have been in love with my best friend for as long as I can remember, and I will continue to love her for the rest of my life. Given the chance, I would continue to love her beyond even that.
She was my woman, my SpongeBob, my pineapple loving best friend whom I loved to distraction, loved with the completeness of my whole being, and would love which every breath I took for the rest of my life.
Mary Carpenter was my reason to breathe in and out every day. She was my Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, birthdays, and everything else. And the best bit was knowing she felt the same way, even though it had taken us years to pluck up the courage to admit it. We knew now, and that’s all that really mattered.
For that knowledge, for that love, for my Mary Carpenter, I am truly thankful. These were Christmas gifts I definitely would not be returning this year, although I seriously doubted Hannah’s gift of a jumper sporting a cross-eyed reindeer on the front would have a long life.
I might even trade it in for one sporting the character who lived in a pineapple under the sea. That seems like a better fashion statement after all, especially for a starfish.
Christmas Road Trip
Jae
Meghan wiped her hand over the fogged-up window and stared at the unfamiliar white landscape passing by. How much longer was this going to take? She’d thought that it was a short trip, but this bus ride seemed to last forever. Jeez, are we going via Timbuktu? And on a bus of all things! In her imagination, this journey had always been very different.
Even though she hadn’t seen a stop ahead, the bus came to a halt and opened its door.
Not again. They had stopped twice already since Meghan had gotten on the bus. If they continued at this pace, she’d spend eternity on this freaking bus.
A woman climbed aboard, her blonde hair matted by the helmet that was now dangling from her hand. Bicycle pants clung to her shapely thighs and calves. She walked along the rows of seats, looking for a place to sit, but most of their fellow travelers were staring off into space with dazed expressions on their faces or were trying to see out the window, so no one made eye contact.
Finally, the stranger reached Meghan’s place at the back of the bus and gestured next to her. “Is this seat taken?”
So far, none of the other people getting on the bus had approached her, probably chased off by her foul mood.
But the blonde didn’t seem to notice her scowl. She continued to look at her with a friendly smile, patiently waiting for her answer.
Meghan sighed, but she had never been able to resist a woman’s smile. “No. You can take it.” She moved a little to the side. At least she’d have something nice to look at now.
“Thanks.” The blonde sat and offered her hand. “Kellie Gibson.” Her grip was unexpectedly strong for such a slender woman, but her skin felt soft.
Nice. Meghan always appreciated a firm handshake and soft skin on a woman. “Meghan Webster.”
Kellie’s eyes widened. “I thought you looked familiar. Are you the Meghan Webster?”
Meghan had long since gotten used to people recognizing her wherever she went. “Yes. I’m the head coach of the US women’s soccer team.” She grimaced. “Well, I was the head coach. Now that incompetent bunch calling themselves the management team will probably have my equally incompetent assistant replace me.” She smacked her fist against the fogged-up window, making the people in front of them turn in their seats and glower at her. Unimpressed, Meghan stared back.
“Oh, right. I heard my neighbors talk about it when I left my apartment earlier, but then I turned on my MP3 player, so I didn’t hear if management made a decision yet.” Kellie pointed at the earbuds shoved into the front of her shirt.
A pretty nice shirt, revealing a bit of cleavage, despite the winter weather outside.
Meghan gave her an appreciative glance out of the corner of her eye and smirked at herself. Well, at least some things apparently hadn’t changed. Despite everything that had happened, here she was, ogling women. Well, one woman, but this one was so attractive that she’d keep Meghan looking for quite some time.
“I’m very sorry about what happened. You didn’t deserve that.” Kellie put her hand on Meghan’s forearm.
For a moment, Meghan let the warm touch distract her from her misery. Then her morose mood returned, and she flicked a drop of conde
nsation off the windowpane. “I so didn’t need all this.” She swept her arm in a gesture that encompassed the entire bus. “Especially not on Christmas Eve. That’s just cruel.”
“Yeah, that really spoils the Christmas cheer, doesn’t it?” Kellie said with a little grin.
Meghan studied her. She’s taking this awfully well.
The bus braked again, and more people got on. The seats all around them were quickly filling up.
“You’d think people would stay at home, safe and sound, on Christmas Eve,” Meghan murmured. But then again, that hadn’t helped her.
“No, lots of people are traveling to visit family. The streets were hel…uh, I mean, they were incredibly busy earlier.”
Meghan couldn’t care less. Christmas had never been her thing, and she was still cursing herself for agreeing to put up a Christmas tree this year. That would teach her for listening to her sisters.
“What about you?” Kellie peeked at Meghan’s clothes. “Apparently, you weren’t traveling to visit family for Christmas.”
The bus started to move again.
Meghan shook her head. “No. My sisters and I get along better if there are at least two thousand miles between us. We stopped spending Christmas together when my parents died.” She studied the woman next to her. “And you? Anyone who’ll miss you when you’re not there for Christmas?”
“My dad,” Kellie said. For the first time, her ever-present smile faded. She turned her head and stared out the window.
Meghan didn’t know what to do. She’d never been good at comforting others. Maybe that was part of why she’d been so successful as a coach. She hated having to console her players after losing a game, so she made sure they won most of them. Hesitantly, she reached over and put her hand on Kellie’s arm.
Kellie put her hand on top of hers, turned her head, and looked into her eyes.
They rode in silence for a while.
Slowly, Kellie’s smile returned.
Meghan gave her arm one last pat and withdrew.
As the bus traveled up yet another hill, she leaned her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. She tried to sleep, but that was an impossible endeavor now. Time seemed to drag. Only God knew when they’d finally arrive. Growling, she opened her eyes again, turned her head, and studied her traveling companion. “You never told me your story.”
“My story?” Kellie looked back at her with her big, blue eyes.
“Yeah. What brings you to this hellhole?” Meghan indicated the bus.
Kellie’s gaze darted around. “Sssh. Don’t call it that. You don’t want the driver and his boss to change their minds and decide to send you to a different destination, do you?”
Meghan bit her tongue. Nope. She certainly didn’t want that. Her mother had always told her to watch her language. Maybe she should start to follow that advice. Swearing apparently wasn’t appreciated around here. Prudes. “Okay, okay. But you still didn’t answer my question. What brings you here?”
Was that a blush creeping up Kellie’s cute face? “Ooh, I bet you’ve got some story to tell! Shoot!”
The man in the seat in front of her turned and gave her a narrowed-eyed stare.
Meghan ignored him, focusing only on Kellie, who was squirming in her seat.
“I think I’d better tell you later.” Kellie peeked at the man in front of them. “Some people here might be a little…sensitive, so you’d better watch what you say.”
Huffing, Meghan crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, come on. It’s not like there’s much entertainment here. I’m bored to death already.”
Again, the man in the seat before hers whirled around and glared at them. “If you can’t stop making tasteless jokes and telling depressing stories, at least keep it down. The rest of us don’t want to listen to that kind of thing.”
Meghan rolled her eyes.
“I’ll tell you later,” Kellie said, her voice lowered to a whisper.
“All right. But no chickening out.”
Kellie slid her finger in a cross pattern over her chest. “Cross my heart and hope to—”
The man in front of them jerked around and sent them a deathly glare.
Kellie held up both hands, palm out. “Okay, okay. We’ll shut up. Sorry, sir.”
As he turned back around, throwing one last warning glance at them over his shoulder, Kellie and Meghan looked at each other like two first graders being caught talking during class.
Meghan grinned, her mood improving.
As the bus traveled farther up the curvy street, Kellie pulled the earbuds from her shirt, directing Meghan’s attention down toward her full, firm breasts.
Mmm, nice.
“Do you want them?” Kellie whispered close to Meghan’s ear.
When tingles ran down Meghan’s body, she grinned to herself. Who knew that was even still possible? She searched Kellie’s face. Was she really offering what Meghan thought she was offering? “Uh, what?”
“The earbuds,” Kellie said, a grin curling the corners of her mouth up. “I thought you might want to listen to some music. Maybe it’ll help you relax and forget about this whole mess.”
Couldn’t hurt to give it a try. Meghan nodded and took the earbuds that Kellie held out. Their fingers brushed, again making Meghan tingle all over.
Their hands lingered against each other for a second before Kellie pulled back. Her expression was unreadable, not giving away whether she felt the chemistry between them too.
Meghan untangled the cord and put the earbuds into her ears.
At her nod, Kellie pressed play on her MP3 player.
Nothing happened. Only the muted sounds of the traveling bus filtered past the earbuds.
Meghan reached over to see if the cable had gotten lose, again letting her hand brush against Kellie’s. She unplugged the cable and then put it back in.
Still only silence, no music.
She pulled the earbuds from her ears and handed them back.
“Too loud?” Kellie asked. She fumbled for the tiny volume wheel. “I’m sorry. I had it set pretty—”
“No, that’s not it. It’s not working.”
Kellie shook the device. “Oh. It must have gotten damaged.”
The bus drove up a steep incline, slowed, and came to a stop. The door swung open with a hiss.
Meghan expected to see more travelers climb aboard, but instead, the driver got up from his seat and announced, “Last stop. All out, please.”
Instantly, silence descended as the travelers looked at each other, each hoping someone else would get up the nerve to leave the bus first. A few wiped at the condensation and tried to see out the windows, but no one moved from his or her seat. Finally, an old woman stood and made her way down the aisle. As soon as she’d stepped off the bus, others jumped up and followed her.
Despite her earlier impatience to arrive at their destination, Meghan now found herself hesitating.
Kellie put the MP3 player away and took a deep breath. “Then let’s go.”
Not sure what to expect, Meghan followed her. She wanted to reach out and take Kellie’s hand but held herself back. They barely knew each other and would likely never see each other again once they got off the bus. The thought made her sad.
Kellie made her way down the aisle and then stepped outside.
Behind her, Meghan paused on the last step before squaring her shoulders and jumping down. Slowly, she looked around. Whatever she had expected to find, this wasn’t it.
A lonely bus stop lay in front of them, fog wafting around it.
Meghan and Kellie exchanged glances.
Around them, the other travelers were whispering to each other, apparently not sure what to make of this either.
“Are we to wait here or what?” Meghan asked. She found herself whispering too.
“No idea. I’ve never made this trip before either.” Kellie gave her a small smile.
Meghan had to laugh, but it sounded a bit hysterical. “I’d hope
not.”
A man with curly, gray hair got up from the bench in front of the bus stop. “Ah, the new group. Welcome. I’m Peter, your instructor. If you’d please follow me.”
He led them along the deserted street, easily climbing the steep hill, even though he looked as if he were closer to seventy than to sixty.
Finally, they reached a nondescript building at the top of the hill.
“This is it?” Meghan whispered to Kellie.
Kellie shrugged. “Doesn’t look like much, does it?”
To Meghan’s surprise, the door of the building wasn’t locked, and there was no gate.
Do they just let anyone in here?
The group followed Peter inside and up a winding staircase that seemed to go on forever. Upstairs, golden light danced over polished hardwood floors and sparkled on the crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. Peter opened a mahogany door and led them into a room that looked as if it were too large to fit into the house that hadn’t seemed all that big from the outside. A giant oil painting of children playing on a flower-dotted meadow took up one wall.
“Please, take a seat.” Peter gestured to a circle of chairs. “I know you had a long trip, so make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right back to start your training, but there’s something I have to take care of first. As you can imagine, Christmas is a busy time around here.”
He hurried out, leaving behind his group.
Some of them started to pace while others looked around curiously. A woman wearing an apron lifted one corner of the oil painting away from the wall to see if there was anything behind it.
Meghan wanted to look out the window but realized there were none. The room didn’t hold anything of interest either. Figures. Can’t give away all the company secrets to the newbies. That’s how she’d done it in soccer too. Never tell anyone your winning strategy if you weren’t sure you could trust him or her. She pulled Kellie with her to the chairs and took a seat.
Kellie plopped down next to her and stowed her bicycle helmet under her chair.
“Why do you keep holding on to that thing?” Meghan asked. “I don’t think you’ll need it here.”
Unwrap these Presents Page 12
