The Christmas Town

by Donna VanLiere

  Cassondra shakes her head as Lauren flips down all the tiles with people with dark hair. “You remind me of my mommy.”

  “That’s funny because I thought you reminded me of myself when I was your age. Except I was never as pretty as you.”

  Cassondra can’t hide her smile. “Is your person a woman?”

  “She is a woman!” Tiles are flipped down with great flourish and Cassondra beams. “Somehow I think I’m about to get beat! Okay, does your person wear glasses?” Cassondra shakes her head and Lauren flips down three tiles. She looks at her tray, which is mostly filled with upraised tiles and then to Cassondra’s, where four tiles remain up.

  “Does your woman’s name start with M?”

  “If you mean Megan, then yes!” The little girl crosses her arms and smiles. “I hope you’re as good at singing as you are at this game!” Cassondra laughs and Lauren finds herself joining her.

  “I called and left a message.” Lauren looks over her shoulder to see Travis, holding some papers. “I brought paperwork for use of the gazebo. I didn’t hear back from you so I thought I’d swing the paperwork by just in case you decided to move ahead.”

  Lauren stands, feeling awkward and sorry for running away yesterday. “Yes! I mean, no, I haven’t heard back yet.”

  They each stand in the clumsy silence before Travis hands the papers to her. “Well, here they are just in case you get the answer to go ahead.”

  “I didn’t mean to run away yesterday,” she says, taking the papers.

  “No! No problem! You aren’t the first girl who’s run away from me.” She laughs out loud and thinks that despite what Miriam thinks of him, Travis is a good guy. “I hope I didn’t say anything wrong. That’s why I came today, because I wanted to apologize.” He slips his hands into his coat pockets and shifts from one foot to the other.

  She can feel Cassondra’s eyes on them and turns to her, squinching up her face to make Cassondra smile. “You don’t need to apologize. I was a jerk. I can’t believe I did that.”

  “No. I’ve run from lots of things. Just last week a raccoon chased me and Barry through one of the parks.” She laughs out loud again and knows that all is forgiven.

  “Thanks for stopping by. You don’t have to make another special trip. You can call and talk with me or Miriam.”

  “Who?”

  “Miriam Davies. You know, you’ve talked to her before.”

  He looks down at the floor, trying to picture Miriam’s face. “I don’t remember her. Maybe I made her run away, too.” Lauren smiles and he shifts his weight once more, clearing his throat. “Do you work here every day?”

  Lauren tucks some hair behind an ear. “I don’t work here at all. I’m just helping with the fund-raiser at the gazebo.”

  “Then I guess I’ll see you around since the gazebo is kind of my thing.”

  Lauren wonders if that is something like his version of wanting to get to know her better and isn’t sure how to respond. “Okay. And I promise not to run away again.” She wishes she hadn’t said that but he laughs, smiling. He waves and she watches as he walks through the front doors and back to his truck.

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Cassondra’s hands are over her mouth as if she is about to pop.

  Lauren grabs her bag from the table. “No, he’s not my boyfriend!”

  “He should be.”

  Lauren looks shocked. “So this is why I came to Grandon? To take advice from a five-year-old?” She shakes her head, laughing, and reaches for her phone while she walks to the lockers. She checks her e-mails and notices a new one from Craigslist. She reads through the list of questions from a woman named Laura and sighs.

  “Everything okay?” Stacy asks, putting her purse into a locker.

  Lauren slips her phone into her back pocket and closes the locker. “It’s great. Just weird people on the Internet.”

  “Is everyone fighting with each other on Facebook?” Stacy closes a locker and reaches for the door.

  “No.”

  Stacy hands her the sheets with the lyrics and begins to set the chairs in a circle. “I didn’t see you leave yesterday.”

  Lauren is quiet, placing the lyrics on each chair. “I didn’t mean to run off.”

  “I didn’t know you ran off. I just didn’t see you leave.” She looks at her. “Did you run off because of something I did?”

  “No!” Lauren stops what she’s doing. “I’m just stupid sometimes.”

  Stacy reaches for the music stand and pulls it up, into position. “I’m stupid, too, sometimes.”

  Several children take their places, and Lauren feels Cassondra holding on to her leg. Lauren has never believed much in the miracles or magic of Christmas, but when these voices rise and fall to “O Holy Night” she finds herself believing. Maybe the home that she keeps looking back on is really in the manger from so long ago. Maybe her loneliness is swept away into those starry skies in which the angels appeared. Maybe the greatest gifts have never been received because she hasn’t opened her hands. Maybe the greatest miracles of Christmas are here in this room or just around the corner. She realizes that a small voice, as clear and sharp as a bell, is rising above the others and she leans down to hear. Cassondra looks like a baby bird opening and closing her mouth and Lauren pulls her to her. She never realized that one of the miracles of Christmas was wrapped in the voice of a child.

  TEN

  Miriam sits at the computer in the spare bedroom of her home and checks her e-mail. The room is as tidy and organized as Miriam and in the same shades of gray and black with just a pop of red, like Miriam loves to wear. She sees the reply from Craigslist and opens it.

  Dear Laura,

  I am not a criminal and I’m not a prisoner. I never have been.

  I’ve never pulled a gun on someone or caused anybody bodily harm. I know this whole thing sounds crazy but all I’m wanting is someone who would accept me into their family and make me a part of it. I’m not looking for money or even Christmas presents. I’m just looking for a family that I can sit around a table with and eat Christmas dinner. I can’t cook but I could bring something! If you would like to meet before Christmas so you can be sure I’m not on the FBI’s Most Wanted list I understand. It would be nice to meet you, too.

  Thank you,

  Kelly

  Miriam reaches for her phone, thinking that she would call Gloria to tell her about this but decides against it. Gloria would never let her hear the end of doing something that Miriam had advised her against. Miriam still is not convinced that the woman is not a grifter of some kind but feels the very least she can do is meet her. She puts her fingers on the keyboard and types.

  How lovely to hear from you and to learn that you are not being tracked by the FBI. A meeting sounds like a good idea. I also have been alone for several years but am blessed with wonderful friends that I call family and I have grown children and young grandchildren who still make Christmas a magical time for me. I will be spending Christmas with my dearest friends and I’m sure they would be pleased to have you as well. As audacious as her personal tastes are, my friend is one of the kindest and most generous people you will ever meet. Thankfully, she’s also a wonderful cook (not my strong suit). I am willing and able to meet you at your convenience.

  Most sincerely,

  Laura

  * * *

  Lauren sits at a table in the break room at Gordon’s Grocery and slides money into the vending machine while looking up the number for the chamber of commerce in Grandon. She opens the bag of chips as the phone rings. “Is Maria available?”

  “Who’s calling?”

  “This is Lauren. I work with her kids at Glory’s Place.” She is put on hold and hopes to come up with the right things to say.

  “This is Maria.”

  Lauren sets the chip bag on the table and takes a breath. “Hi! My name is Lauren and I’m working with your kids and the others at Glory’s Place for the sing-a-thon on the eighteenth.”

  �
�Cassondra mentioned that. Is everything okay? Did the kids get into trouble?”

  “No!” Lauren stands up from the table and walks around the break room. “Miss Glory’s fund-raiser is on the eighteenth, the same day as the Christmas parade. We had hoped to use the gazebo for the sing-a-thon but the parks department has said that the chamber is using it that day.”

  “Oh! I see. Yes, local vendors were going to set up in the gazebo and town square.”

  Lauren is nervous. Who is she to suggest anything regarding Grandon? “This is different for Glory’s Place. Normally, Miss Glory does a fund-raiser with silent auction items and desserts at Glory’s Place. It was my idea to use the kids in a sing-a-thon because Glory’s Place is all about kids. I haven’t even mentioned this scheduling problem to Miss Glory yet because she has her heart set on it. So do all the kids!”

  “There must be another date that’s available for the gazebo. I can even check with the parks department.”

  “All of the invitations have already gone out. I may have single-handedly ruined this fund-raiser for Glory’s Place, and those kids are so sweet. Your kids are awesome! I love Cassondra!”

  Maria laughs on the other end. “This isn’t a hard sell for me. Don’t forget that I have a vested interest in Glory’s Place. It was full but Gloria knew that my husband and I could not afford child care at this time and she made room for Cassondra and Aidan. I know that there are more people just like us out there who need this place. Cassondra loves it so much that she gave Gloria a special wooden box for the auction.” Lauren can hear her shuffling things. “Let me talk with the chamber president and I’ll get back with you.”

  Lauren sighs as she hangs up, looking at her phone. There are four Craigslist e-mails and she clicks on the first. She smiles when she reads that Mary lives in Grandon. She quickly clicks reply and uses her thumbs to type.

  Hi, Mary! Awesome that you live in Grandon! I could meet you at Betty’s Bakery on Thursday. I have the day off but I’m busy from 3:30-5:00 but could do anything before or after. Just let me know a time that works. I’m excited but a little bit nervous to meet you. Hope that makes sense.

  Kelly

  Lauren feels like a fraud using her middle name but she doesn’t want kids she knew in high school or anyone she works with to see the posting and make fun of her or question her motives. When she meets Mary she will tell her the truth. She clicks on the next e-mail and smiles again before responding.

  Hi, Laura! I forgot to ask where you live but if you are close to Grandon I could meet you at Betty’s Bakery on Thursday. I’m busy from 3:30–5:00 and I know I will have one more meeting that day but I don’t know the time yet. If you don’t live close to Grandon then we could meet somewhere else. I’m excited AND nervous.

  Kelly

  The other two e-mails are from people who are calling her even more creative names for loser and telling her how lame she is. When she posted the listing, Lauren had no idea what to expect. There are those who think she’s an idiot, but now there are also two women out there, one of them actually in Grandon, who have agreed to meet her. She slides the phone back into her bag and puts it inside her locker. She is either crazy for doing this or about to open a Christmas gift she’s always wanted.

  * * *

  As Christmas draws closer, Clauson’s gets busier every day. Ben’s note writing has more than doubled each evening. Stacy and Jacob and even Lucy help him decorate each note with a Christmas star after his name. Les has compared sales from this year to last year and at each staff meeting he explains that sales are up, along with customer satisfaction. As he observes people standing in Ben’s line each day, he wonders if those small notes of Christmas cheer are making the difference. Les has tacked these and other messages from Ben on the bulletin board in his office.

  The Spirit of Christmas lives inside you and that is a great gift to me.

  Merry Christmas! Ben

  Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store.

  Dr. Seuss said that and he’s right!

  Merry Christmas! Ben

  Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth but we can have Christmas every day when we keep him in our hearts!

  Merry Christmas! Ben

  On Thursday, when Lauren drives into Grandon, she makes her usual stop at Clauson’s for a note from Ben. “White Christmas” is playing throughout the store as she opens a cooler near the cash registers and pulls out a bottled water. This time, Ben’s line is so long that the end of it reaches into the baking aisle. Again, Les encourages customers to step into another line but his attempt is halfhearted; he doesn’t want them to move any more than they do. “Little Drummer Boy” begins to play and then “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Lauren knows that if customers stood in line this long at Gordon’s, another line would be opened. She smiles, looking at the other two short lines and feels as if she’s in on some sort of secret, just as she felt all those years ago when she’d sneak off to her closet and open the wooden box from beneath her parents’ bed. There is something magical here that people don’t want to miss.

  “Hi!” Ben says, when he sees her back in the line. “We’re so busy because people are getting ready for Christmas!”

  “I think you’re so busy because you’re a rock star!” she says, making the others in line around her smile.

  When she is able to put her water on the conveyor belt, Ben says, “Thanks for waiting in my line.”

  She hands money to the cashier and watches as Ben puts the note inside her grocery bag, handing it to her. Lauren steps toward him, taking the bag. “Ben, I’m so glad I discovered your line!”

  “I’m glad you discovered Grandon!” he says, bagging the next customer’s groceries.

  Lauren reaches inside the bag and pulls out the note as she walks to the exit.

  Everything is more beautiful at Christmas. I hope you see the beauty around you.

  Merry Christmas! Ben

  Lauren holds the note and puts it inside her back pocket. Perhaps it is Ben’s reminder or just the fact that the town square is covered in fresh snow, but Lauren does notice how beautiful the white is as it clings to branches and sits atop the gazebo. Even the clouds are puffed up white and full as she drives beneath them toward Glory’s Place. She was surprised to hear back from Laura and learn that she also lives in Grandon. What are the odds of that happening? She will help Dalton and Heddy and Stacy organize the items for the silent auction and begin assembling gift baskets before meeting Mary Richards first and then Laura at Betty’s Bakery for coffee. She shouldn’t be nervous but her palms are sweating. Who knew that meeting potential family members could be so nerve-racking!

  ELEVEN

  She finds Dalton, Heddy, and Stacy hauling boxes to cafeteria tables where they unload them. There are candles and candlesticks, gourmet foods, boxed handmade candies, picture frames and glassware, an apron and cookware, various books, small clocks, vases, figurines, and more. Lauren is overwhelmed looking at it all, but Heddy has a plan and is already organizing the items in front of baskets. Dalton pulls out a cardboard box from under the table and begins to pull out the wooden keepsake box that Cassondra gave Gloria. “Don’t put that out,” Heddy says.

  Dalton looks inside the box. “Why not? I thought Gloria wanted us to fill it with stationery and other stuff.”

  “Heddy thinks it needs to be sanded and stained,” Gloria says, behind them.

  “It’s beautiful!” Heddy says. “It just needs a little TLC to bring out the full beauty!”

  Gloria looks at Lauren and her eyes brighten. “After we’re through here, babe, would you mind dropping this off at Larry Maccabee’s house?” She reaches for the cardboard box from Dalton and places two small, wooden bowls inside on top of the wooden box before handing it to Lauren. “He said that he would get these things looking brand-new again.”

  Lauren takes the cardboard box from her and sets it beneath the table. “Sure. Just let me know where he lives
.”

  “He’s not too far from here. I would drop it off myself but I have a meeting right after this and he said he would like them today.” She looks over the tables, piled high with the generosity of the people of Grandon, and claps her hands together. “Just awesome! Weave your magic, Heddy!”

  “I will if you’d get out of the way,” Heddy says, raising her eyebrows at Gloria.

  “I’ve always known when I’m not needed, so I’ll leave you to it and make some calls to see how the baking is going for the fund-raiser.”

  Lauren, Dalton, and Stacy begin work on the basket that Heddy puts in front of each of them. “I’ve never put a basket together like this in my life,” Lauren says. “What if it’s ugly?”

  Stacy picks up the decorative paper, ribbons, bows, and colored cellophane. “All of this makes the ugly beautiful.”

  Lauren’s cell phone rings and she pulls it out of her pocket, looking at the number. She doesn’t recognize it but answers anyway. “Hello.”

  “Lauren? It’s Maria with the chamber of commerce.” Lauren feels that pit in her stomach again and steps away from the table. “I spoke with the president and she is not crazy about the idea of giving up the gazebo on the day of the parade. I had thought vendors would be there, but actually Santa is supposed to set up inside.” Lauren is disappointed and feels her palms sweating again. “But we both feel that the children singing in the gazebo can only add to the enjoyment of the parade.” Lauren feels hopeful and finds herself holding her breath. “And I did pull, ‘But what about the kids? They have their hearts set on this!’ out of my hat.”

  “And it worked?”

  “It worked. Have you mentioned this to Miss Glory since we spoke?”

  Lauren looks at the others, who are busy putting together the baskets. “No.”

  “Then it will be our secret!”

  “But what about Santa?”

  “He’s going to set up residence at the North Pole, which is on the ground floor of Wilson’s.”

  Lauren smiles. “You have been so great! Thank you so much!”