Lawfully Festive

by Natalie Middleton

  Jerry rushed into his room. He pulled out a clean shirt from his bag and quickly changed. He splashed some water on his face and spritzed some cologne, and quickly joined the family.

  “Good to have you join us Jerry,” Edward nodded. It didn’t take them long to reach church.

  Jerry looked out of the window as the church approached. It was brightly lit up. Edward parked the car and they walked towards the Church. People from the town approached the Pooles and hugged them. They seem to be quite popular in town, Jerry thought. Some old men dragged Edward away to the side.

  “They’re his best friends in town. They’ve grown up here together,” Riley clarified. They sit together every Midnight Mass, and let me tell you, if you’re wondering who makes the most noise, it’s them.” She pointed a thumb towards her father’s friends who were laughing at some joke.

  “Wow, I never had friends like that. Their friendship is amazing.” Jerry looked at the group in awe.

  “Yeah. My mom’s not the one to be left behind either. Her friends will drag her away too.” Riley said. In no time, five ladies surrounded Martha and dragged her away, laughing all the way. Jerry looked amazed.

  “I don’t think my dad was as close to people in our town,” he mused.

  They had been a private family, without much interaction with the townspeople. After Jerry’s mother died in his childhood, his father withdrew, not looking at others for memories or interactions. He noticed Riley standing in the same place, nodding at people and waving at them.

  “Are you going to be dragged off by a group as well? Should I have stayed at home?” Jerry asked. He didn’t want her to go, he realized. Fortunately for him, Riley smiled and shook her head.

  “They kept their outgoing nature to themselves. I don’t have that many friends. And I’ve not been in touch with many people. So I’m afraid you’re going to be stuck with me,” she smirked.

  Jerry chuckled. He looked in her eyes. “I would love to be stuck with you. You’re great company.” Riley blushed.

  She didn’t have much time to think of a reply because the crowd started moving inside.

  The Northampton church choir was a reputed choir. They sang songs with a beat, and Jerry found himself enjoying and tapping his feet even though he didn’t know the words.

  Riley winked at him and said, “I don’t know the words either. Never did. But the beat’s catchy, and I love that. These people make Christmas fun, you know.” Jerry agreed. He felt his connection with Riley deepen.

  Just like Riley’s prediction, he didn’t realize how quickly time passed. The choir belted out one brilliant song after the other, and after an hour, they cleared the stage for the Pastor. Silence fell across the church when the Pastor stepped on the pulpit. The Pastor joined his hands, and the townspeople followed. They sang hymns. The soft tones of the hymns comforted Jerry, almost lulling him to a deep meditative sleep. He didn’t hear any prayer, but he felt calm. The load he carried with himself after the tragedy at work lightened.

  His eyes jerked open when he felt a sharp jab on his side. Riley had poked him! He looked around him and everyone was alert, waiting for the Pastor to speak. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see it was almost half an hour since they had begun praying. Where had the time gone?

  The Pastor smiled at everyone.

  “Today, I want to speak to you about time. More specifically, the past, the present, and the future.” He picked up the mike and walked around.

  “Our past makes us who we are. The person we are today, is a direct result of the experiences, decisions, and interactions we have had in the time we’ve been here on Earth. This also includes any interaction you may have had with the Lord.” His eyes swept the room. He commanded everyone’s attention.

  “Now, all of these experiences are definitely not happy ones. We know the happy ones because we have experienced disappointment, frustration, hurt, and anger. Knowing these emotions and experiences helps us relish the good. Both these experiences, good and bad, balance each other.” He stopped and stared at each row individually. Jerry swallowed.

  “Our past is meant to educate us, to help us move towards becoming the people we are destined to be. Our past is merely a teacher, and a ladder that helps us when we want to move forward. But—” He paused.

  Jerry held his breath.

  “We use our past as an armor. We carry it around until it becomes so heavy we can’t move forward anymore. We let our past influence and decide our future. It filters out all our present experiences. We’re all guilty of it, yours truly included.”

  Jerry heard Riley’s sharp intake of breath beside him. The Pastor continued.

  “On this day of the Lord, let us feel the Lord’s grace in our lives and use our past as a way for us to be the best version of ourselves. Let us cast away that heavy armor and all the remorse, guilt, and anger we carry, and march free towards a better, more fulfilling life. Our past is gone, we cannot change it. However, what we can do is welcome the future and live in the present. I wish you a Merry Christmas.”

  Riley looked at Jerry with tears in her eyes. Jerry squeezed her hand.

  “That was very deep. I think it’s the best sermon I’ve heard in a long time,” Jerry said, his voice hoarse. Riley nodded. A bell rang and shouts of ‘Merry Christmas’ were heard in the church.

  All the townspeople wished each other with a hug. People he didn’t know came over to him and hugged him. Jerry’s throat thickened. The whole experience was so uplifting. It seemed as if life had wanted him to come here, to be here in this moment. The Pastor’s words were simple, but they were true.

  Edward and Martha made their way to where Riley and Jerry were standing outside of the church. Martha approached them first, warmly hugging Riley.

  “How was your experience, Jerry?” Martha asked. Edward caught up to his wife

  “Thank you so much for bringing me here.” Jerry said. “It was an amazing experience.” He looked at Riley.

  “Alright then, family. Let’s go home. We’ve got a big day tomorrow,” Edward said. Jerry looked a little confused. Martha clarified.

  “Let me tell you our usual celebrations. We sleep in late, really late. Once we’re up, we exchange presents, and then have a relaxed brunch. Ed and I usually watch Christmas movies. We usually walk around the town in the evening, the decoration everywhere is simply magnificent.”

  “That sounds lovely, Martha. I look forward to celebrating Christmas, Poole-style tomorrow.” Jerry added. Martha beamed at him as they made their way to the car.

  As he lay down on his bed, he kept hearing the Pastor’s words in his mind over and over. Before he could fall asleep, he heard a noise in the kitchen. His eyes flew open and he got up. It sounded like someone was stumbling around in a dark room unlike the regular noises that would come from a kitchen. Could it be an intruder? He had to find out. His law enforcement training kicked in and he pulled the gun from under his pillow. Alert and ready, he walked noiselessly into the hall. He could see a figure sitting on the couch. He walked behind the figure and called out.

  “Hands up.”

  The person squealed and turned around. It was Riley.

  Chapter 6

  Jerry was surprised to see Riley. He put the gun down and relaxed his stance.

  “What are you doing here at this hour?” He quizzed. Riley looked at his gun and back at him.

  “The question is, what are you doing with that?” She pointed at the gun. Jerry looked sheepish.

  “I’m sorry. I thought you were an intruder. I’ll just go put this back.” He went back to the guest room and placed it under his pillow. Riley was standing with her arms crossed.

  “You thought I was an intruder?” Riley looked at him skeptically. Jerry felt embarrassed.

  “I heard a noise. It didn’t sound like someone was in the kitchen. My law enforcement training kicked in. I wanted to keep you all safe,” he said.

  “Well, it was wrong of you to assume and pull a g
un at me. It’s not funny. What if you had shot the gun?” She narrowed her eyes.

  Jerry sighed. “I’m sorry, Riley. I didn’t mean to. Can I join you?” He asked hesitantly.

  Riley gave him a curt nod. “Yes, you can join me. But give me some time to get over that stunt you just pulled. I absolutely hate guns.” She stated firmly.

  Jerry nodded and sat on a chair opposite her. They stared at the fireplace in silence. Jerry looked guilty. He kept flashing glances at Riley. After a while, Riley’s stance softened. She smiled and patted the couch. She shifted so there was place for him to join her. Jerry took the cue and joined her.

  “Don’t ever do that again. I’m scared of guns. I’m scared of the police.” She said flatly.

  Jerry raised his hands in surrender. “No pulling the gun again. Got you.” He said. He racked his brain for something to say. It seemed like Riley was thinking the same because she started a conversation.

  “So, you couldn’t sleep eh?” Riley asked. Jerry shook his head. “Me neither. The Pastor hit it out of the park with this sermon, didn’t he?” Jerry leaned back.

  “Those words keep going in my head, you know? About using my past as an armor and hampering my growth. It was really deep,” Jerry said. Riley agreed with him.

  “I can’t stop thinking about those precise moments in the past I was carrying with me. Like for instance, college. I have a degree in Commercial Art, but for almost half a year after college, I didn’t have a job. I don’t think I worked very hard in college. I bummed, and without a portfolio, it’s hard to get a job. I was broke. So, I took up any job I could find—digital marketing and media. That’s how I started my own business, because I thought I could do a better job than the people who employed me. I’ve got to tell you, running a business is tough.” She paused and fidgeted with her fingers. Taking a deep breath, she continued. “But I’m burned out now. And I keep wondering, if only I had pushed myself harder in college, or done some side project or hustle, I could have had a career in art or advertising. Like the Pastor says, I took my past performance as a benchmark for the future. And I took it as a sign that I had to put more and more of myself in my business.” She sighed and leaned back. Jerry stared at the fireplace. Riley looked at him, waiting for him to say something. Jerry gulped. It was not easy for him to open up about his job, especially to people who were not police or from the SWAT.

  “I think what hit me was using the past as an armor and letting that hold me back. I love my job in the SWAT. But before I left, we raided a house and that went horribly wrong. Three of my friends died. I almost died myself.” Riley looked at him, shocked. Jerry could see the raid happening in front of his eyes. His pulse quickened. He clenched his fist.

  “And, I felt so responsible for their deaths. If only I had seen it better, if only I had been sharper or more alert.” He felt all his energy leave him. “My performance at work lagged, I know it did. Taking a break was not an option. I had to leave, I wanted to leave.” Jerry said weakly. Riley reached out and squeezed his hand. He gave her a small smile, glad for her support.

  “It feels good saying this out loud to someone. Thanks for listening.” He said softly. She nodded and stood up.

  “I’m getting us some hot chocolate. Such conversations need a drink.” She walked towards the kitchen and stared at the shelves. “You like yours with marshmallows or without?” She called out from the kitchen.

  “Two marshmallows please,” he called out.

  He could see Riley bustling about in the kitchen. A small smile appeared on his face as he observed her. She was a clumsy person. She almost hurt her finger taking out cups, and she spilt some hot chocolate on the counter. He heard a yelp and noticed she was sucking her finger.

  “Are you alright?” He called out. Riley nodded. Clumsy, she’s really clumsy, he thought.

  He couldn’t believe it had only been two days since they met. It felt like they had been friends for much longer. Friends? He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want more. He did. But, he was from LA and she was from New York. It wasn’t going to work out. Long distance relationships never did. He didn’t expect her to pack up and move just for him. That was asking too much from anyone.

  A warm feeling spread in his chest as he saw her walking towards him with two cups. She handed him his cup and sat on the couch. She picked a blanket and snuggled into it. Jerry wanted to share that blanket very much.

  “Isn’t it just beautiful here?” Riley said, taking a sip of the hot chocolate. Jerry looked at her quizzically.

  “I mean the snow. I don’t suppose you see much of it in LA,” she said. Jerry shook his head.

  “Not like this, no. Not so much of snow. Maybe in the mountains, but not in the city. I thought I would be shivering because of the cold, but so far, it’s been manageable.” Jerry said. “But then again, we’ve been indoors. I can’t wait to go out for a walk or play in the snow. I haven’t done that for a long time.”

  “Do you want to go now?” Her eyes glinted. Jerry looked hesitant.

  “Right now? It’s already so late.” He was unsure. Riley stood up and kept her hot chocolate aside.

  “Come on, let’s go make snow angels. Let’s go for some time, please. I haven’t done something like this for a long time.” Jerry nodded and they walked out to the backyard. There was a fresh coat of snow in the yard.

  Riley fell backwards into the snow with a laugh. She looked at Jerry, who looked at her hesitantly.

  “Come on, this is fun.” Jerry thought a little and then fell backwards.

  “Woah, that snow was softer than I thought.” Jerry said as he sat up.

  “It’s fun isn’t it?” Riley laughed. She put a hand out and pulled him down. “Let’s do snow angels.”

  Both of them made snow angels and then stood up to survey their handiwork. Riley looked at both critically. Jerry frowned and looked at both. They did look like angels.

  “We did a good job, my man.” She said solemnly and shook Jerry’s hand. He laughed. They walked inside. Riley took his cup and heated the hot chocolate. They stood in the kitchen sipping.

  “I didn’t think you’d be spontaneous enough to make snow angels at what,” He checked his watch. “2AM at night.” He said.

  “I know right? I really just felt like doing it, and I thought why not?” She paused and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

  “I’m not a spontaneous person. Really.” Jerry looked skeptical.

  “You got into a car with an unknown man, shared personal details from your life, invited him home, and now, made snow angels with him.” He raised his eyebrows.

  “Which part of this doesn’t seem spontaneous?” He pretended to think. Riley laughed.

  “I’m not like that in New York. I’m a typical boring person.” She said.

  “I just stick to my job, work all day. I don’t even go out to explore my city. I haven’t explored so many parts of my city. I’ve been so involved with my business. I had a meltdown before I came home for the holidays.” She looked away.

  “What? Are you okay?” Jerry was concerned.

  “Yeah, I’m fine now. But, the pressure got a little too much at that time. I was working for almost seventeen hours a day, and somehow that didn’t improve my bank balance so I pushed harder. The day I had a meltdown, I literally picked up papers in my fist, screamed and started tearing them. Needless to say, my assistant locked office and took me to the hospital.” They left their hot chocolate cups by the sink and went to the couch.

  “There’s so much pressure in a SWAT job. But, I find I relish it. That’s just me. I think I work well under pressure. It’s very tough when you lose someone though. My team is my family.” His throat constricted thinking about his three colleagues.

  “I’m really sorry. That must be the hardest part.” Riley said softly.

  “The hardest part is knowing that there’s always danger lurking around. That we can’t keep everyone safe all the time, Sometimes, we tend to get hyper-aware, th
ink there are dangers when there are none. I think that’s what happened tonight with the gun. I sleep with a gun beneath my pillow. All the time.”

  “That sounds so difficult. I’m such a klutz, I can’t imagine being so aware all the time.” She looked at Jerry and smiled. They sat in a comfortable silence. Jerry felt a warm sensation spreading across his chest.

  “You know,” Riley looked at him. “I can’t believe we met yesterday. It seems like I’ve known you for a long time. Even though we hardly met the entire day today. Did you rest all day?” She quizzed.

  “I did, actually. I slept after every meal. Martha did her best to completely stuff me up. What about you? How did you spend your day?”

  Riley’s face took on a dreamy expression.

  “Oh I lazed like a sloth too. One of the few advantages of coming back home is that I always get to sleep in for a few days before I start helping out. I felt so relaxed by evening. I really needed to sit and do nothing. This one up here—” she pointed at her head, “this noggin needed a few days off.”

  Jerry stood up and walked to the fireplace where he could feel the warmth of the fire. He found a cozy spot and sat down. He looked back to Riley and patted the space next to him. Riley scooted over to him. He put his arm around her and she snuggled into him. Jerry was amazed how well she fit in, as if that space was meant for her.

  “I can’t believe we met yesterday either. It feels like I’ve known you for a long time. I think I’ve fallen for your ugly sweaters,” he said. Riley laughed. She looked down at her green reindeer sweater.

  “Oh boy, you’re in for a treat then. I’ve got a drawer full of these.” She giggled.

  Riley had tied her hair in a bun. Jerry leaned over and gently pulled the comb that was holding her hair together. Her blond hair cascaded slowly on her shoulders. She looked at him confused. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, and gave her a small smile. Her face turned red and she looked down and twirled her hair.

  “I can’t wait to see them then.” He whispered. She looked into his eyes.