One Last Fight

by Brenda Kennedy

  “Not right now, but I thought it would be nice to make some Christmas cookies.” Leah used to make such detailed holiday cookies. She used to spend hours decorating them. I love iced sugar cookies. My mouth begins to water, and I have to swallow. Then I quickly remember I’m in training.

  “What are you doing with the boxes?” I ask, looking behind me at the door.

  “It’s some things I need to take to the shop. Dove and Bethany said they’ll help me decorate the shop for the holidays. Would you mind loading them into the SUV for me?”

  “Not a problem.” I load them up before I shower.

  Drake Sinclair

  The next day when I brought up the school lunches at the meeting, most people looked at me like they had no idea what I was talking about, but the superintendent knew immediately what the problem was. Once I explained that someone wanted to catch up all of the students’ arrears and have money in the cafeteria bank account for the future needs of the students whose parents or guardians were having a hard time financially, everyone at the table wanted to be a part of correcting the problem.

  It took the superintendent longer than I thought to get the numbers of the arrears at each of the schools. We decided to have another meeting with everyone who wanted to help, including Leah and Robert. At the meeting, I didn’t mention where the donations would come from. One good thing about Secret Santa is that the Santa part is a secret.

  I call Bobby and tell him we will be having a meeting on Thursday to discuss the arrears of the schools, and he and Leah should come. I also call Chelsea to let her know, too. I had no idea this was such a problem, and I scold myself for not paying more attention.

  Later that night, we take the kids out to do some Christmas shopping. They buy for the child whose name they picked off of the Angel Tree at the University Town Center. Madison chose a girl her age and Caden decided on a boy his age to buy for.

  Chelsea takes Madison shopping and I take Caden shopping. We try to buy everything on the list. Every child needs toys from Santa Claus. Chelsea and I also add a gift card from a local restaurant so the family can have a hot meal together away from home. This was Chelsea’s idea a few years ago and probably the best idea ever.

  When Caden and I finish shopping, we see Chelsea pushing a girl’s bicycle through the mall. I laugh. She and Madison also have an arm full of toys and clothing. We drop off the unwrapped gifts and gift cards at the Angel Tree collection center and have dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Amanda greets and seats us quickly.

  On Thursday, I meet Chelsea at the school board for the meeting. I left from work and arrived a few minutes late. I walk in and Chelsea is sitting beside Bobby and Leah. I nod and smile. I look around the room at all of the couples; they are sitting around the large rectangular table. Extra chairs have been pushed up to the table to accommodate the group. It looks like the same people from the last meeting are here with their spouse or significant other. It’s nice that everyone comes together to correct a problem.

  I sit beside the superintendent and her husband. “Sorry I’m late. Work,” I say.

  The superintendent stands and says, “As you know, we are here to talk about the lunch fees at the schools.” She passes out papers with all of the numbers on them for everyone to see. “These are the current total numbers to date on the top and below, they are broken down for each of the schools.”

  “Mr. Sinclair mentioned at the last meeting someone approached him and they wanted to pay for the arrears of each child. I went home later that night and talked it over with my husband, as I’m sure you all did with your partners as well. From the looks of this meeting, we are all here to come together to try to correct this.”

  She continues to talk about the money needed to pay it off in full. Bobby asks if it is possible to set up an account at each school for children who don’t have money in their personal account for their meals.

  By the end of the meeting, we have collected donations from everyone at the table. Bobby and Leah stay behind with Chelsea and me to discuss this further. We talk about how this would be done and Chelsea offered to volunteer at the school’s cafeteria if she needed to. She is excellent with numbers and has worked bookkeeping with me for years.

  Bobby and I agree to pay the remainder of the balance and to make a monthly donation to cover the cost of school lunches for those who need it.

  “Thank you, this means so much,” the superintendent says as she shakes everybody’s hand.

  Chelsea and I walk outside with Robert and Leah. “Thank you for doing this and for bringing it to our attention,” I say.

  “We’re just glad it got taken care of and every child has a nutritious and hot meal while at school,” Leah says.

  “Me, too,” Chelsea said. “I’ll be able to sleep better knowing that.”

  Me, too, I think to myself.

  On Saturday, Chelsea and I are having breakfast with the children at home. I’m reading the paper and the front page headline says, “Secret Santas Pay Children’s Lunch Arrears at County Schools.” The article doesn’t list any names of the people who have paid the late fees. But, it explains that a group of Secret Santas has paid all lunch arrears at every school in the county and has also set up funds to cover future debts that may accrue. I’m thankful the paper didn’t list the names of the people involved.

  Later that night, Chelsea and I get ready for date night. Madison and Caden are going to spend their first night with Leah and Bobby. I called them and told them that Caden didn’t need to come, but they insisted.

  Chelsea and I rarely do anything without the children. To be honest, I am looking forward to spending this evening with my wife. I’m no longer concerned about Madison going to spend time with Bobby and Leah. They are good people. Anyone who wants to pay arrears at every school in the county so every child can eat a hot meal can’t be all bad.

  While I add my cuff links that Chelsea got me for our tenth wedding anniversary, she walks into the bedroom. She is wearing a form-fitting red dress and carrying a pair of black heels. My wife is beautiful, but tonight she is breathtakingly stunning.

  I look up at her and smile. I planned a special evening alone with her for tonight. I reserved a suite at the Ritz-Carlton. I want to have dinner and drinks and then dance the night away with my wife without having to worry about driving home inebriated.

  I attach the last cufflink and walk over to where Chelsea is sitting. I kneel down in front of her and ask, “May I?”

  She hands me her shoes and smiles. “You know I can do this.”

  I laugh. “I know, I want to do this for you.”

  She rubs her hands up and down her arms and I wonder if she’s cold. I take her bare left leg and slowly and sensually run my hand down her calf. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m giving Chelsea a sneak peak of what the night will bring.

  I stare her in the eyes as I slip her heels on for her. Chelsea is a woman who deserves everything I can give and do for her.

  “Drake?”

  “Mm.”

  “I know what you’re doing.”

  “You do?”

  “Mm-hmm, and it’s working.”

  “Good.”

  Leah

  Robert and I wait anxiously for Madison and Caden to arrive. We baked cookies and put up the live tree. We plan to decorate it when the kids get here. All of the Christmas decorations are lined up in boxes along the wall. We haven’t put a tree up since Jamie died. Gracie is in her swing wearing a Christmas sleeper. Cranberry candles are lit, the house is clean, and the twelve Christmas DVD’s that Robert bought to choose from for tonight are waiting to be watched. For the first time in a long time, I’m excited about Christmas.

  Our parents arrive first. They spent the day cooking and bring in a variety of food and display everything on the kitchen counter.

  I pick up Gracie so she can be involved in the activities. Dad, Tim, and Robert plug in the old lights and the new lights to make sure they all work. Gracie gets excited
and starts cooing at the lights. I laugh and kiss her head.

  When I hear a car pull into the driveway, I get butterflies low in my belly. Our daughter is here. I didn’t tell Robert, but I was almost afraid they would change their minds. Robert walks over to me so we can greet them together. I think I can see the concern in his eyes. He smiles, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

  “You okay, Ace?”

  “Just hoping I can do this.”

  I smile. “I have faith in you.”

  We wait on the porch and watch as Madison and Caden pull their luggage-on-wheels up the sidewalk. My heart pitter-patters and Gracie squeals.

  “You excited to see your sister?” I ask.

  Gracie kicks and Robert laughs. He walks over and greets everyone. Chelsea and Drake are both dressed up for an evening on the town. Chelsea kisses each of the kids and Drake barks out things to do and things for them not to do. They tell us where they’ll be if we need them before they leave. They don’t stay like I thought they would.

  Once inside we put their luggage in Madison’s room and re-introduce them to our parents. The anxiety I felt earlier is gone and has been replaced with calmness. We fall into a regular routine as we fix the kids’ plates with the foods they like and some vegetables they need. We sit around the table that we had to add more folding chairs to in order to accommodate everyone. This time last year it was just Robert and me, and this year we have more people than we have seats for. I couldn’t be happier.

  We let Madison pick the first holiday movie to play while we decorate the tree. She decides on The Grinch and Robert sets up the video camera on the tripod in the corner of the room. He doesn’t want to miss anything about this day. Robert says his favorite holiday movies are Rocky V, starring Sylvester Stallone; Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis; and Lethal Weapon, starring Mel Gibson.

  “Rocky, Die Hard, and Lethal Weapon? Those don’t sound like Christmas shows.” Madison says laughing. I laugh, too.

  This house hasn’t had so much laughter in it since before Jamie’s death. Caden laughs and plays with Gracie a lot. She lies on the floor and kicks and squeals every time he approaches her. Robert helps Madison with decorating the top part of the tree. Mom, Margie, and I step back and watch. I love the interaction the two have. He is happy and carefree. He reminds me of Jamie and it makes me happy and sad. I miss her and I will never get over losing her.

  “There’s just something about a man and his daughter,” Mom whispers. “They have a bond like no other.”

  I smile and nod. I know my dad and I also have a special bond. I watch as Robert picks her up high and they both place the star on top of the tree. Everyone applauds and she hugs Robert. My heart melts. “They do seem to have a special bond.” He was so close to Jamie. I know how much this means to him.

  “You know your dad never wanted a son?” she says.

  “Really? I always thought every man wanted a son, someone to carry on the family name. Someone to fish with and stuff like that.”

  “Not your dad. He would have dressed up in heels and a boa for a tea party if that’s what you wanted.”

  We both laugh at the visual of that.

  “Once Robert watched Jamie while I went for a mani/pedi and when I returned home, three-year-old Jamie was polishing Robert’s fingers and toenails with red nail polish.”

  Mom cracks up laughing. “Oh my, I had no idea.”

  “He swore me to secrecy. It was so funny. Jamie chose the color red to use on her dad, and he went along with it. When I walked into the house, they were both sitting at the table just having a girls’ day at home.”

  “He sure did love her,” Mom says.

  “He did.”

  When the tree is all decorated, we decorate Christmas cookies while the guys go outside and decorate the yard with lights. Caden chooses Frosty the Snowman for his movie to watch. After he decorates a few cookies, he goes into the family room and watches the show. Mom and Margie help Madison while I feed Gracie in the nursery.

  I thank God for bringing us all here today. I tell Jamie how sweet her sister and brother are. I burp Gracie, and Madison walks into the room and sits down quietly on the chaise lounge.

  “Are you having a good time?” I ask quietly so I don’t wake Gracie.

  “I am, thank you. You have a nice family.”

  I watch as she fidgets with the arm of the chaise.

  “You know, Madison, this is your family, too. Something happened at the hospital when you were born that delayed you coming here and meeting us.” I stand to lay Gracie down so I can give Madison my undivided attention.

  “I know, Mommy and Daddy said the bad lady switched me and another baby.”

  I sit down on the edge of the rocker with my hands clasped in front of me. I see a shadow out in the hallway, but I ignore it. “She did. She was very sick.”

  She looks at me with sad eyes. “When Mommy and Daddy told me that, I was afraid. I was scared that I would be taken away from them and Caden, and that I would never see them again.”

  And just like that I am reminded that Robert and I did the right thing that day in the courtroom.

  “Madison, you never have to be afraid of us or that you will never see your mommy and daddy again. Robert and I will never take you away from them.”

  “I know. I know what you said in court about loving me. Mommy and Daddy told me that you must love me to the moon and back.”

  My eyes well up with tears and I try to swallow the lump in my throat. If she had any idea how much we love her, she would never fear us. “They’re right, we do.”

  “You guys are very nice.”

  Robert walks into the room. He was on the other side of the door, listening. Madison looks up at him and says, “And he’s big.”

  Robert smiles and sits on the floor in front of Gracie’s dressing table. “Better?” he asks.

  “Yes, but I’m not scared of you. You’re very nice to me.”

  “Madison,” he says, “you never have to fear me. I would never hurt you.”

  “I know. You guys are my family.”

  “Yes, Madison, we are.”

  Robert

  We say goodbye to Mom, Dad, Tim, and Sue. Madison hugs them goodbye as Leah and I stand at the doorway and watch. Surprisingly, Caden walks up and hugs them, too.

  Leah invited them over for breakfast in the morning and although I know they wanted to come, they declined. They know we need some alone time with Madison. We clean up the house and bathe both kids before bed. Leah kisses and hugs them both and I do the same. Caden is a sweet boy, and it’s easy to treat him like our own. Leah and I tuck them in bed and read them a Christmas bedtime story. Like Jamie, they both fall asleep before the story ends.

  Leah and I enjoy a few minutes alone on the couch. The clear lights on the tree are the only lights on in the house. The cranberry-scented candles are still burning, and the house smells and looks like Christmas.

  “I’ve missed this,” Leah says cuddling into me.

  “What? The cuddles?”

  “No, Christmas.”

  “You should have told me. I would have put a tree up for you.”

  “I guess I didn’t know I missed it until tonight. Funny how children make everything right in the world.”

  “And at home,” I add.

  “And at home,” she confirms.

  The next morning we get up, I find Caden asleep in Madison’s bed alone. A bolt of panic shoots through my body when Madison isn’t in there with him. I frantically start searching the upstairs of the house for Madison, trying hard not to show my fear. Leah is standing outside of Jamie’s bedroom, looking in. She is holding Gracie and Leah is smiling.

  I walk up to her and see that Madison is asleep in Jamie’s bed. No one has slept in Jamie’s bed since Jamie. “Should I move her?” I whisper to Leah.

  “No, let her sleep.”

  We walk down the hallway and once Gracie is fed, we begin breakfast. I turn cartoons on and Leah looks at me
.

  I say, “I’m pretty sure they won’t watch CNN.”

  “Good point, Ace.”

  The kids wake up and walk into the family room together. Caden rubs his eyes and Madison is holding his other hand. “Good morning, sleepy heads,” I say from the kitchen.

  “Morning,” they both murmur.

  Once they sit down, Leah goes over and covers them with a blanket. She kneels down beside them and asks, “Did you sleep well?”

  I can’t hear what they say, but I watch as Leah hugs them both. Madison kisses her on her cheek and leaves her head resting against her shoulder for a few extra seconds longer than needed. Caden hugs her but doesn’t kiss her. She smiles as she stands and joins me in the kitchen. “I wish Jamie were here. She would like the kids being here.”

  “Sweets, I do, too. It would be interesting seeing her with her sister…”

  “And brother,” Leah adds.

  We have a leisurely day at home just getting to know each other. Madison doesn’t want to wear any of the clothes she brought with her, so she and Leah go through the closet and decide on something hanging up. It’s good to know that Leah picked out clothing that Madison likes. The kids are comfortable and talk a lot. Gracie squeals and kicks a lot; she likes having kids around. Leah listens carefully to what Madison and Caden have to say. I soon realize that Caden talks a lot about nothing. I think he and I will get along very well.

  Chelsea and Drake pick up the kids precisely at 5:00 p.m. They come in and the kids show them the tree and the cookies they decorated. Chelsea asks if we would like to keep Madison on Wednesday after school. She says she has something to do with Caden. Leah excitedly agrees. She doesn’t ask where they’re going or how long they’ll be gone. I know we would readily agree on keeping Madison anytime.

  Leah places some of their cookies in baggies for them to take home. I notice she keeps some for us. As we begin to walk everyone to the door, Madison starts to walk past me as she looks up at me. I bend down and swoop her up in my arms. She squeals and laughs at the same time. I carry her outside with her tiny arm around my neck. “It’s big up here,” she giggles.