The Last Lonely Christmas

by Claire Sanders

  “Is that okay with you?” Will repeated.

  “Oh, sure,” Mary blurted, embarrassed that he’d caught her daydreaming.

  Will drew a flashlight out of his pocket. “If my daughter bothers you, tell her I said to wait in the truck.”

  It was growing colder and darker by the minute. Wouldn’t the girl be frightened out there, all alone? “I don’t mind if she waits in here with me.”

  “I’d appreciate it. I’ll be as quick as I can.” He headed up the stairs and, a few moments later, Mary heard his footsteps overhead.

  Mary removed her jacket and hung it from a nail near the back door. A new roof, updated wiring, new insulation…the list was almost endless. She knew exactly how much money she had to spend on renovations, but she wasn’t going to share her budget with the contractor until he came up with some figures. Affordable figures, she hoped.

  Mary rested her hands against the sink and gazed out the window at her neighbors. Mrs. Kaminski was placing plastic snowmen around the front yard while her husband attached lights to the edge of the roof. Christmas was less than a month away. Another holiday she’d spend alone.

  A small hand tapped her on the side of her leg. “Do you have anything to drink?” Robin asked.

  The child’s straight brown hair was parted in the center and hung down her back in uneven lengths. Someone other than a trained stylist had cut it. “What would you like? I have water, milk, or orange juice.”

  “Do you have any hot cocoa?”

  “Hmm…I don’t think so. Is that your favorite?”

  Robin nodded. “I like it with little marshmallows, but Grant likes whipped cream best.”

  “Who’s Grant?”

  “My big brother. He’s in high school.”

  “And you? What grade are you in?”

  “First grade. My teacher’s name is Mrs. Hancock. Do you know her?”

  “I don’t think so. I work at Alden’s Department Store.”

  Robin walked to the tiny kitchen table Mary had purchased at a yard sale and climbed onto a chair to look through the window. “Daisy’s watching the squirrels in your tree.”

  “I bet that’ll keep her busy. Those are pecan trees, and the squirrels love pecans.”

  “My grandmother used to make pecan pie. It sure was good. Can you make pecan pie?”

  “To tell you the truth, I’ve never tried. Still want something to drink?”

  “Water, I guess. If you’re sure you don’t have hot cocoa.”

  Mary handed a bottle of water to the girl. When it came to conversation, there were three types of children. The talkative ones insisted that everyone pay attention to them, the shy ones rarely did more than move their heads to indicate yes or no, and the ones like Robin who did just fine talking to adults as long as they believed the adult was genuinely interested.

  “I like your dog,” Mary said.

  “Do you have a pet?”

  “No. I’d like to have a dog, but I work so much it wouldn’t be fair. The poor thing would end up being alone most of the time.”

  “What about a cat?”

  “Same problem.”

  “You could get fish. They wouldn’t know if you were home or not.”

  “That’s true, but it’s awfully hard to pet a fish, don’t you think? And how could I ever dress one up for Halloween?” The sound of Robin’s giggle warmed Mary’s heart. Children laughed so easily. “Do you dress up Daisy for Halloween?”

  “No,” Robin answered with a definitive shake of her head. “But, if I could, I’d make a collar that looked like flower petals. That way, Daisy could be a daisy.”

  Mary touched her forehead with the heel of her hand. “Now why didn’t I think of that? And if Daisy were a daisy, what would you be? A carnation?”

  “No, I’d be a butterfly. Then I could pretend to land on Daisy.”

  Mary smiled at the girl’s quick wit. A child with a sense of humor was rare.

  Will walked into the kitchen. “What’s so funny?”

  Robin laughed again but didn’t answer her father’s question. “Is it okay if I go outside with Daisy?”

  Will nodded his agreement. “But don’t leave the yard.”

  Mary turned on the porch light and watched Robin flap her arms while she skipped around the dog.

  “I see you’ve been scraping paint off the cabinets,” Will said. “Are you going to refinish them?”

  “I was thinking more along the lines of painting, but I’ll do that myself.”

  “Painting’s not as easy as people think it is.”

  Mary tore her attention away from Robin and focused on Will. “I’ve had lots of experience.”

  “As long as you know what you’re getting in to. When we spoke earlier you said new everything in the bathrooms. What about the kitchen?”

  “Counter tops, for sure, and there are new appliances and a new sink in the garage. I was hoping the cabinets could stay.”

  Will ran his hand across the old wood. “You could probably get by with cleaning and painting them. These glass-fronted doors cost a pretty penny now, so you might as well keep them. I’ll get the prices for three or four different kinds of countertops. Then you can decide.”

  “That’s fine by me.”

  “Is it okay if I drop by on Monday with the estimate?”

  He was polite and professional. Why had Mr. Alden described him as short-tempered? “I’m usually home by six.”

  “Six o’clock it is.” Will opened the back door and called to his daughter. “Let’s go, squirt. Time to get home and see what your brother made for dinner.”

  Robin ran up the back steps. “Grant always makes grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s the only thing he knows how to cook.”

  Will stuck a pencil behind his ear. “Thanks for everything, Miss Thompson. I appreciate your kindness toward my girl.”

  “It was nothing.”

  “It was a lot more than nothing.” Will looked into her eyes, his gaze conveying the depth of his sincerity.

  Ever since she’d been old enough, Mary had helped with the younger kids at the orphanage. Being with children was a hundred times easier than having a conversation with grown-ups. “I’ll see you on Monday?”

  Will smiled for the first time, making his scar temporarily disappear. “Yep. Once you give me the go-ahead, my crew will start the work.” He stepped into the cool night. “Have a nice evening, Miss Thompson.”

  “Thanks,” she said. As she went to close the door, she saw Daisy wag her tail lazily and amble toward the truck. At least the dog liked him. That must count for something.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Neil slouched in the doorway of Mary’s office and peered over his glasses at her. “I thought you were off on Saturdays.”

  “I’ll only be here a few hours today. I want to take one of your classes on the new cash registers. What’s going on with our e-mail? I’m getting duplicates of the same message and I’m unable to send anything.”

  Neil sauntered into her office and peered at her computer screen. “I know, I know. I’m working on it. There wasn’t a problem until Alexis uploaded her new and improved inventory tracking system. It seems to be interfering with the e-mail.”

  “I’m glad that’s your problem and not mine. Did you get the training schedule I left you?”

  “I got it, but you’ll have to do it again.”

  “Because…”

  “Because the cash registers aren’t working correctly, either.” Neil’s frustration was evident in his voice.

  Mary lowered her voice to a near-whisper. “Does Mr. Alden know all this?”

  “Not that I know of,” Neil whispered back. “Are you going to tell him?”

  Mary’s job description had nothing to do with technology or being the boss’s informant. “I’m sure you can get everything straightened out.”

  “Yeah, right,” Neil said with exaggerated sarcasm. “Just like I straightened out my love life.”

  Mary smiled to herself
. Talking about his girlfriend was the real reason Neil had come to visit. “What happened? Didn’t you have Thanksgiving dinner with Stephanie’s family?”

  Neil plopped into one of the cloth-covered chairs in front of Mary’s desk. “I showed up on time. I brought flowers for her mother. I was the perfect, well-behaved guest, but…”

  Mary leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. Neil would get to the rest of his story when he was ready.

  Neil ran a hand through his dark hair. “Stephanie told me I didn’t fit in with her family.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Neil shrugged. “I don’t know what I did wrong.”

  “Bet you were nervous.”

  “Of course I was. But I tried to be polite. I even helped with the dishes. Now, Stephanie will probably break up with me.”

  “You don’t know that. A friend of mine used to say, ‘don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet.’”

  “Yeah, but…it’s just that...I really had my hopes set on Stephanie. I was even thinking about buying her an engagement ring as a Christmas present. Now, I’ll probably be spending Christmas all alone.”

  Neil was in his early twenties, the only child of well-to-do parents. It was sometimes difficult for Mary to sympathize with his many problems. “What about your family?”

  His face formed an expression of outrage. “Can you believe my parents are taking a river cruise through Austria during Christmas vacation? They said that now that I was grown up and leading my own life, they were going to stop having big holiday get-togethers.”

  “Sounds reasonable. After all, you didn’t spend Thanksgiving with them.”

  Neil held up a hand to stop her from saying more. “I know, I know. I guess I’m just feeling sorry for myself. Say, Mary, what are you doing for Christmas?”

  Neil was always looking out for himself. Mary had yet to decide if that was a good trait or a bad one. “I don’t have any plans for Christmas, but I’m sure something will turn up.”

  “Tell you what.” Neil leaned forward in his chair. “If Stephanie breaks up with me, you and I will spend the day together. Lunch? A movie? What do you say?”

  As much as she liked Neil, he wasn’t a man to be counted on. If she depended on him to provide an escape from solitary holidays, he’d likely cancel at the last minute. Besides, he offered his companionship only if Stephanie broke things off with him. “Let’s wait a few weeks before we make plans, Neil. Things might turn out all right with your girlfriend.”

  He fell back in his chair. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Now, back to business.” Mary folded her hands on top of her desk. “The new cash registers?”

  Neil got to his feet. “All of Alexis’s new technology is on an indefinite hold. I’ll let you know when I’ve worked out all the kinks.” He tapped the door frame twice as he left, his way of saying goodbye.

  Mary turned back to her computer screen. Cruising along the rivers of Austria must be a nice way to spend Christmas. But even if she could afford such an indulgence, she’d still be alone. The historic treasures of Austria wouldn’t be very interesting without a close friend or someone special to share the experience. She had a college education, a job, and a house. Now, she had only one goal left to fulfill. But finding a good man, marrying, and having a family was not something she could do by herself.

  She pushed away from her desk and headed toward the elevator. Until Neil fixed the computer problems, she couldn’t proceed with training. Might as well check on the employees before she headed home.

  Mary tried to ignore the mermaids as she rode the escalator to the first floor. There was just something wrong with looking at shell bikini tops while listening to Little Drummer Boy.

  In the jewelry department, Mrs. Gallagher was still wearing a Santa hat, but today, her sweater was bedecked with several sparkling Christmas pins.

  Olivia Bishop stepped away from the display case and smiled when she saw Mary. “Better today,” Olivia said. “I took your advice and now, my oldest employee is in charge of greeting customers.”

  “How are sales?”

  “Good. The weatherman is predicting light snow and that’s sure to put people in the Christmas spirit.”

  “I hope you’re right. Anything else I should know about?”

  “No. Everything is ship-shape in the jewelry department.”

  Mary gave a quiet sigh of relief. One of her duties was to help employees who weren’t doing a good job and, if unavoidable, to fire them. She didn’t want to have to dismiss Mrs. Gallagher.

  Just as Mary was about to step away from the counter, Mrs. Gallagher called to her. “Mary! Oh, Mary!”

  Mrs. Gallagher’s wrinkles disappeared as she smiled. “How are you doing?” Mary asked.

  “I’m having a grand time. But I wanted to talk to you about my schedule. Would it be possible for me to work longer shifts?”

  In consideration of the time they’d spend on their feet, Mary had scheduled the older part-time workers for four-hour shifts. “Are you sure, Mrs. Gallagher? I wouldn’t want you to push yourself too hard.”

  “I know, dear, but once I’m here, I have such a good time I forget my aches and pains and next thing you know, it’s time to go home. And, to tell you the truth, going home to my empty house is such a letdown after being with all the friendly people here.”

  Mary could certainly sympathize with that feeling. “I’ll remember your request when I make the next schedule, but you must let me know if it’s too much.”

  Mrs. Gallagher didn’t reply. Instead, she wiggled her fingers and smiled at a toddler in a stroller. “Isn’t he the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” the older lady asked. “I just love children.”

  Another characteristic that Mary shared with the older woman. “How many children do you have?”

  Mrs. Gallagher’s cheery smile never faltered. “Oh, I wasn’t blessed that way. The good Lord gave me a wonderful husband, but children weren’t in His plan.”

  No husband. No children. No wonder Mrs. Gallagher wanted to fill her days with work. “Mrs. Gallagher, what are you doing for Christmas?”

  “Oh, I usually find something to do.”

  “Would you like to share the day with me? We could have lunch.”

  She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Mrs. Gallagher’s face brightened even more. “That sounds like such fun! Do you ever watch Christmas movies? That’s what George and I used to do.”

  What had she done? Whether by temperament or circumstance, Mary had grown accustomed to being alone. Plus, her house was barely habitable, and by the twenty-fifth of December, she’d be living in the middle of renovations. But Mrs. Gallagher’s need had been so obvious, Mary couldn’t simply ignore it. “Feel free to bring your movies,” Mary said as she walked away. “We’ll iron out the details later.”

  * * *

  A light snow drifted lazily in the darkening November sky as Mary drove home on Monday evening to meet Will. Today, she’d receive his estimate and decide how much she could accomplish in making her old house new again.

  Just as she exited her car, Mrs. Kaminski hurried down her back steps and called to her. “Mary! Do you have a minute?”

  Mary walked to the low brick wall that separated her driveway from her neighbor’s property. Before she could offer a greeting, Mrs. Kaminski spouted a stream of questions.

  “When do you plan to start renovating your house? Before or after Christmas? I’d like to know because I need to make plans with my family for Christmas day. If there’s going to be a construction mess, we might have to go to my sister’s place this year.”

  Mary wanted to laugh at Mrs. Kaminski’s rapid-fire delivery and point out that her neighbor’s holiday plans really didn’t concern her. But she also wanted to be a good neighbor. “There’s a good chance the contractor will be in the middle of renovations by the time Christmas comes around.”

  The middle-aged woman tightened her gray sweater around her bo
dy. “That’s what I thought. I don’t mind putting up with the noise and the mess because I’ve been living next to that sorry old house for too long. Besides, it won’t kill my sister to host the family. Goodness knows I do it every year. Time for her to share in the fun.”

  Will’s dark blue truck pulled into her driveway. “I have to go now,” Mary said to her neighbor. “That’s my contractor.”

  Mrs. Kaminski squinted to read the writing on the truck. “I’m not familiar with that name. Let me know if he does good work.”

  Mary walked away from her neighbor, but Mrs. Kaminski stayed in her spot. Apparently, eavesdropping and spying were her hobbies. “Where’s Robin tonight?” Mary asked as soon as she reached the truck.

  Will had a paper cup in one hand and his portfolio tucked under his arm. “Her big brother has babysitting duties tonight. I promised him I wouldn’t take more than an hour.”

  Robin had talked of her grandmother during her first visit. Now the big brother was caring for her. Where was Will’s wife?

  As they passed Mrs. Kaminski, Will nodded and smiled. “Good evening.”

  “Evening,” she said, without moving.

  Did her neighbor expect Mary to invite her inside? Mary had business to discuss with Will, and entertaining her neighbor would be awkward, to say the least. Although it might be impolite, she ignored Mrs. Kaminski. She unlocked the back door, hung her coat and purse on the nail, and got a bottle of water from the old refrigerator. “Can I get you anything?”

  Will held up the paper cup. “Don’t go to the trouble. I brought my own coffee.”

  Mary led him into the dining room which contained a thrift store dining table and four unmatched chairs. “Am I going to need CPR after I see your estimate?”

  “I don’t think so.” He withdrew a sheet of paper from his folder and passed it to her.

  Mary studied the figures. The price for materials was in line with what she had found at the building supply store and the cost of labor seemed reasonable. Still, it was more than she’d predicted. “Is this the best price you can give me?”