The Joining Tree

by Claire Fogel

  If I wanted to leave the house, it meant two pairs of socks, heavy waterproof boots, layers of warm clothing, my warmest parka, gloves, and a knit cap. Therefore, I wasn’t leaving the house!

  The snow didn’t seem to bother my parents. Mom still managed to open the bookstore every morning, and my father had no problem stalking through three feet of snow to get from his camp to our house. Fortunately, he had boots that came up to his knees, as well as a heavy poncho-like cape. There were only two greys left at his camp, both hardy enough to handle the cold, although he assured me they were both wearing heavy blankets.

  My father admitted that there wasn’t nearly as much snow once you got closer to Elvenwood. It was cold there, but not frigid.

  Kevin joined us for dinner on Christmas Eve, since his mother was still out taking care of real estate business. However, she promised him she’d be home on Christmas Day and had arranged to have a holiday dinner delivered by the classiest caterer in town. She had also invited a few friends who had no family locally to join them. I think Kevin was relieved it wouldn’t just be the two of them on Christmas.

  On Christmas Eve Mom lit all our Christmas candles and we had dinner by candlelight. She’d made lasagna because it was one of Dad’s favorites, and we cracked open one of the bottles of Elvenwood’s homemade wine. I think Kevin and I were both a little tipsy by the time dinner was over. We were both giggling and couldn’t seem to stop.

  Looking amused, my father said, “I think that wine was more potent than I realized, Alicia.” And, of course, that just set us off again.

  I’d discovered that alcohol was an excellent anesthetic for pain.

  It was our first Christmas together as a family, and my parents seemed happily content. Mom made pancakes for us before starting our traditional Christmas dinner. The kitchen was full of good smells and quiet laughter as my father tried to help Mom prepare dinner. Well, he mostly tried not to get in her way.

  In the past, spending Christmas with both my parents would have made me deliriously happy. But this year, someone was missing.

  Amy called around noon, thrilled with the makeup assortment I’d given her. We had opened our gifts after breakfast, and I was delighted with the watercolor paper she had given me. Good quality watercolor paper wasn’t cheap.

  A little later I heard Kevin’s usual knock on the front door. Clad in a puffy parka, he almost suffocated me when he hugged me.

  “Merry Christmas, short stuff! I come bearing gifts.”

  Kevin was in a very good mood and hardly stopped smiling for the next hour. He gave my father a pair of fur-lined leather gloves saying, “My dad said you might need these, Mr. Blackthorne.” Which was when I realized my father never wore gloves.

  My dad was delighted. “Kevin, that was really thoughtful. Thank you, son.”

  Kevin gave my mother a pair of antique candlesticks that matched the beautiful porcelain bowl his mother had given my parents for a wedding gift. Kevin’s mom said the bowl was an antique, but Mom filled it with fruit and kept it on the kitchen table.

  Smiling, Mom said, “I think there will be more candlelit dinners in our future, Kevin. Thank you, dear.”

  Handing me a large box, Kevin said, “I hope you can make use of these, short stuff.”

  Inside the box there were different kinds of watercolor paints, some in tubes, some in solid cakes, and an assortment of watercolor pencils and ink pens.

  “I wasn’t sure what kind of paints you like using, so I got every kind they had at the art supply store downtown. I hope the kind you like are in here.”

  “Wow. Kevin, you’ve outdone yourself. I have a small assortment, but with all of these paints I can mix more colors to get the shades I want.” I kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Kev.”

  He was beaming, happy we all loved our gifts.

  “I have one for you too. Don’t move.”

  I ran upstairs, got his gift, and ran back downstairs. Being Kevin, he didn’t waste any time tearing off the wrapping paper. He opened the box and took out the dark green sweater with a big smile. “This is great, Cara. Amy’s been telling me I should wear more green, that it brings out the green in my eyes.” He rolled his eyes and I had to laugh.

  He hugged me, immediately pulled off his sweatshirt, and pulled on the green sweater. Mom and Dad both told him how good he looked. I grinned and said, “Amy’s gonna love it!”

  My father said, “One more thing, Kevin.” He got up, went to the coat closet and came back to the kitchen with a large object wrapped in a sheet. The shape was familiar, and as Kevin pulled the sheet off of it, I saw a beautiful, handmade bow.

  Dad added, “I thought you might like the kind of bow all my Elves use. We make our own and no two are alike.”

  Kevin looked awestruck as my father handed the beautiful bow to him.

  “I don’t know what to say, Mr. Blackthorne. I’m honored to have this. Thank you.”

  My father smiled. “I think you’ve earned it, Kevin. You’ve become as good an archer as your father. He wanted you to have it.”

  Kevin just smiled, apparently speechless for once.

  After we all exchanged rib-crushing hugs, Kevin gathered up his gifts and left for home.

  I was helping Mom with dinner preparations when Sean called.

  “Merry Christmas, beautiful! We’re having an early dinner, but I could stop over later if it’s okay with your parents. How about it?”

  “Let me check with Mom, Sean. I’m not sure when we’ll be eating, although you’re welcome to join us.”

  My mother said we’d be having dinner at four o’clock, but she asked if Sean wanted to join us for dessert.

  He did, joking that dessert was his middle name, and that he’d be over around five.

  After we’d done justice to the turkey Mom roasted, filled up on orange-glazed sweet potatoes, green beans in a butter and almond sauce, hot biscuits, and a cranberry and orange salad, there was still an apple pie and a cheesecake waiting for us. We thought it would be wise to take a brief break from eating until Sean arrived. Dad was sure the chair he was sitting in was about to collapse from the strain of holding him.

  Laughing, Mom made a pot of tea and I took Ralph out in the backyard to play in the snow for a short while. I loved my dog, but there was no way I wanted to be out in the cold for more than ten or fifteen minutes. Ralph, of course, loved playing in the snow and was reluctant to come back in.

  I had that weird feeling that we were being watched from the woods. I pushed it out of my mind, telling myself I was just being silly. There was no one out there.

  After Sean arrived, Mom served the apple pie and the cheesecake. Apple pie had always been my downfall, which my father was well aware of.

  He told Sean, “Cara ate so much apple pie in Elvenwood last summer, we all thought she’d explode.”

  I rolled my eyes. What could I say? I had no will power when it came to apple pie. Unfortunately, that reminded me of all the times Adam told me apple pie looked good on me. I had too many memories to deal with today.

  We were all still at the table when Mom got up and said, “Cara, we have a few more gifts for you.” She went to the coat closet and brought back a slim box, beautifully wrapped. I opened it to find an assortment of watercolor brushes, flat ones, wide ones, fine-tipped brushes, a complete assortment. Knowing my mother, she had bought only sable brushes, which I knew were expensive.

  “Mom, these are perfect. I’ll make good use of them.” I got up and hugged her. Between Mom, Amy, and Kevin, most of my art supplies had been taken care of.

  Dad smiled and walked over to the same closet, pulling out something else wrapped in a sheet. Was I getting a handmade bow too?

  “Cara, I know you’ll need this eventually, but maybe not until spring,” he said with a smile. He set it in front of me and pulled the sheet off. It was a free-standing easel, the kind I could fold and carry with me.

  “It’s perfect, Dad. I haven’t seen anything as nice as this at the store
. Was it made in your wood shop?”

  “Yes. Garrett made it himself after receiving a few suggestions from Francis Sullivan. He knew you’d need it.”

  Naturally, that reminded me of someone else who had worked in the woodshop with Garrett. Today reminders of Adam were everywhere. I sighed as I ran my fingers over the wood. It had been sanded until the wood was like satin.

  “I love the easel, Dad. Please tell Garrett he did a great job on it. It will be getting a lot of use.”

  With all the art supplies I’d received, I had even more incentive to master watercolor painting. I could play with all the paints and brushes to find techniques that suited my kind of art, and learn how to mix the vivid colors I loved.

  My artwork would keep me from dwelling on what I’d lost. Adam was out of my life, wherever he was. If he’d just stay out of my dreams at night, I might survive.

  The day after Christmas it snowed again. And again, right up until New Year’s Eve. I had spent the week at home, experimenting with my paints and brushes. I was so focused on my painting, I didn’t think about that box on the top shelf of my closet. Well, not much.

  The decision to paint in my bedroom might not have been the best idea, but the living room was too dark, and there wasn’t anywhere else for me to set up my easel and paints.

  I was doing my best not to think about Adam.

  Dion had planned a New Year’s Eve party, but if the snowplows didn’t clear most of Thornewood’s streets by tonight, it might have to be cancelled. I didn’t really care one way or the other, but I knew Sean would be disappointed. He’d already told me he wanted to start the New Year with me in his arms.

  Amy kept calling to update me on the snowplow’s progress. She and Kevin were really looking forward to Dion’s party. They had officially become a “couple,” to no one’s surprise. Beginning a new year together meant something special to them.

  Finally at four o’clock, Sean called to say the roads had all been plowed and he’d pick me up at seven. Amy called immediately after that to ask what I was wearing.

  “No idea, Amy. I didn’t even think we’d be going. What are you wearing?”

  “Well, I think the weather and the four feet of snow out there has made that decision for me. My favorite little black dress is out. My mother insists I wear something warm, which is probably what everyone will do. Ski pants, boots, and turtleneck sweaters will be popular tonight, Cara. You might as well do the same. Tonight is obviously not the night to try looking sexy.”

  She sounded so disgruntled, I had to laugh. “Don’t complain. You look great in ski pants and sweaters. If I were your height, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

  When we got off the phone, I turned to my closet to see what I could find that might look New Year’s Eve-ish.

  I was definitely not a fan of winter outdoor sports, so no ski pants. Hmm. But I did have a pair of warm knit tights and a wool miniskirt. Once I added a green turtleneck sweater, I was as ready as I was going to be for a cold, snowy New Year’s Eve. I put on the pendant Sean had given me and my warmest boots, and I was ready to go.

  Mom and Dad were downstairs sharing a bottle of champagne, looking happy to be celebrating a new year together. Mom looked at me approvingly.

  “That’ll keep you warm, dear. What time will you be home?”

  “No idea, Mom. We’ll have to see the New Year in, so after midnight, I guess.”

  “Cara, I know the roads have been cleared, but they may get icy tonight, so please tell Sean to be really careful driving.”

  “Absolutely. You know how I feel about snow and ice.”

  The doorbell rang. Right on time, as always. I let Sean in and he came into the kitchen to wish my parents a Happy New Year while I put on my Michelin-man parka, and we left for Dion’s.

  As we made our way out to his car, I said, “Hope you’re planning on driving very slowly. The roads will be icy tonight, and I’m not in any hurry.”

  He smiled as he helped me into the car. “No worries, beautiful. As long as we’re together, I don’t care how long it takes us to drive to Dion’s.”

  And that was Sean in a nutshell. He always knew the right thing to say. He did take his time, probably driving no more than twenty miles per hour, so I sat back and relaxed.

  We finally reached Dion’s, where the entire street was lined with cars. And that was when I remembered the last party I’d attended here, when I’d had too much spiked fruit punch and got unintentionally drunk.

  Sean had driven me home that night, and Adam had held me up until I managed to get into the house. Another memory I wished I could erase.

  We had to park a block away, but Mr. and Mrs. Washington had put up lots of lights and Christmas decorations, so the area around their house looked a bit like Times Square. There were even a few reindeer on the roof, one with a bright red nose. Maybe New Year’s Eve would actually be fun.

  Dion welcomed us at the door, hugged me and slapped Sean on the shoulder. He led us downstairs to their big, beautiful family room, full of sports memorabilia from Mr. Washington’s years playing pro football. There was a huge Christmas tree in one corner, and an expensive stereo built into a wall that also held the biggest flat screen TV I’d ever seen.

  Sean whispered, “They take their football very seriously.” I had to laugh.

  We heard the doorbell ring again so Dion pointed us to a table of assorted sodas and dashed back upstairs. Most of Sean’s football buddies were huddled together on the other side of the room; one or two had brought dates. Sean got me a drink and then wandered over to say hello.

  Suddenly arms grabbed me from behind, and I turned around to see Randi with a big smile on her face. “I’m so glad you came, Cara. We’re really overdue for another girls’ night, you know.”

  I smiled. “You’re right.” It had been at least a month since she moved back to Thornewood.

  “I guess Christmas got in the way, but let’s get together again before we go back to school, okay?” she asked.

  “Absolutely. You can pick the night. How are you and your dad doing?”

  “It’s really going well, Cara. He stayed home for a few weeks until I felt settled, but I know he has to travel for his job. I think he knows now that I’ll be fine on my own when he’s away. I’m even learning to cook!”

  “Well, you’re one up on me. I can boil water, but that’s about all. Mom keeps waiting for me to express more interest in cooking, but as long as I have a toaster and the microwave, I’ll never starve to death.”

  Dion had come back downstairs with four more of our classmates. Randi said, “I’ll bet the rest of the basketball team will be here tonight. Are Amy and Kevin coming?”

  “Yeah, I’m surprised they’re not here yet. I think I’ll give her a call.” I pulled out my cell and called, but it went straight to voice mail. I called Kevin’s cell and it just rang and rang. Finally, he answered, sounding strange.

  “Kev, what’s wrong? Where are you?”

  “Cara, thank God. My car skidded off the road about six blocks from Dion’s. We need help.”

  “What street are you on, Kev?”

  “Uh, I’m not sure. I think Oak.”

  “Kev, I’m calling the police now. And we’ll get there as soon as we can. Are you okay?”

  “Uh, I hit my head, but Amy’s out cold. She hit her head on the window when we rolled.” His voice was slurred, which scared me.

  “Kev, I’m calling for an ambulance. Try to relax. We’re on our way.” I hung up and called Chief O’Donnell. Thankfully, he was still working. I told him what had happened and he said he’d get an ambulance to Kevin and Amy right away and would meet us there.

  I grabbed Sean. “We have to leave. Kevin and Amy had an accident a few blocks from here. The Chief is calling an ambulance but I need to be there.” I must have sounded panicky because Sean said, “Were they hurt?” I nodded. “Okay, Cara. Just relax now. I’ll get our coats.”

  We told Dion we had to leave, and surprisin
gly, he grabbed his coat too and said he’d come with us. “We can take my dad’s car. It’s got snow tires.”

  We followed him out of the house where a huge SUV was parked in the driveway. We piled in and Dion pulled out of the driveway.

  “Kevin thinks he’s on Oak, but he wasn’t sure. He said he was about six blocks from here.”

  Dion nodded. “We’ll find him. He can’t be too far.”

  Sean’s arm was around me firmly as we slowly drove up and down streets in Dion’s neighborhood. When we reached Oak St., we found them. Kevin’s Jeep was on its side in a shallow ditch. Within seconds we heard sirens. Dion turned on his flashers to help them find us.

  Sean and I jumped out and ran to Kevin’s car. I knocked on the driver’s window and he turned to see us, blood running down his face. I couldn’t even see Amy, she was slumped down so far.

  “The ambulance is almost here, Kev.” He nodded and mumbled, “Thanks, babe.” Then he closed his eyes and put his head back. He was very pale.

  The next twenty minutes went by in a blur. The Fire Dept. arrived and managed to get Kevin’s door open and carefully brought Kevin and Amy out of the car.

  All I could see of Amy was her red hair and freckles that stood out starkly against her fair skin. Her eyes were closed. That alone was frightening.

  The ambulance pulled up and the EMT’s got them on gurneys, immediately provided whatever first aid they needed, loaded them into the ambulance, and took off, siren blaring. I felt as though a piece of my heart went with them. I was fighting tears.

  The Chief had pulled up behind Dion’s SUV and spoke to the EMT’s before they left. I heard him give them Amy’s and Kevin’s names.

  “Chief, where are they taking them?”

  “They’ll have to go to Greenville, Cara. That’s the closest hospital. It looks as though Kevin may have a concussion from the injury to his head. Amy’s still unconscious, which concerns me more. I’ll call their parents right now.”