by Delia Parr
Ginger set the bubble wreath on the table, plucked a gooey bubble of warm dough and held it high. “I’ll have to talk to Tyler, of course, but I know he’ll want to come so I second Barbara’s idea!”
Within a heartbeat, Judy and Barbara each raised a piece of dough in mutual support before turning their attention to a more serious matter—devouring that bubble wreath!
Chapter Twenty-Two
Just before seven o’clock on New Year’s Eve, Ginger pulled into the last open space close to the gazebo in Welles Park and turned off her car. A short distance away, dozens of families were gathered along the shores of the lake, huddled in small groups under a clear sky, with countless stars twinkling around the rising full moon.
Returning to the park for tonight’s prayer service, which was scheduled for seven-thirty, resurrected precious thoughts of Christmas Day, along with the not-so-great memory of the hours she, Tyler and Vincent had spent that night in the emergency room.
Before she had a chance to ask him, Vincent had shot out of the backseat and had the crutches ready while Tyler eased himself out of the front seat of the car.
“Are you sure you’re up to this?” Ginger asked Tyler as she joined him and Vincent and reached up to rearrange the woolen muffler at her husband’s neck.
Tyler grunted a bit before he balanced himself on his crutches. “I’m fine. We can’t let a little sprained ankle ruin New Year’s Eve, can we?” he asked as he leaned on one crutch to rub the top of Vincent’s head.
Grinning from ear to ear, Vincent held on to one of the crutches. “Don’t worry. I’ll help.”
“Me, too,” Ginger added.
With Vincent on one side of his grandfather, the three of them made their way to the gazebo, slowly but surely, where their friends were waiting. The twins and Brian raced to greet them, obviously eager to hear the tale behind the crutches. By the time they met up with John, Barbara and Judy, who were waiting inside the gazebo, Ginger and Tyler were spared having to do much explaining to the adults. The children handled telling the details of the accident quite well.
Jessie, ever the leader, spilled the news first. “Mr. King fell and hurt his ankle right here on the lake on Christmas Day!”
Melanie shared better news. “But it’s okay. He didn’t break it. It’s just a sprain. He’ll be better in just a couple more days.”
“Him and Vincent was having a race,” Brian added. “A skating race.”
“I woulda won, too,” Vincent said proudly, “but I stopped to help him when he fell.”
With the children surrounding him, Tyler laughed. “I guess I’m not as good on skates as I used to be, but that about tells it all, folks.”
“Not quite,” Ginger added as she hugged each of her friends. “Before Tyler fell, we had a wonderful time here at the park. It was the trip to the emergency room that ended the day a little bit differently than we planned, but God is good. Tyler wasn’t seriously hurt, and he’ll be off the crutches in another few days. I hope your Christmases were a little less eventful.”
“Absolutely,” Judy replied as she reached over to zip up Brian’s coat.
Barbara nodded. “I should hope so. I’m glad nothing was broken, Tyler.”
“That goes for me, too,” John added. “If you’re up to it, Tyler, we should probably take the children over to get our candles ready. Then we’ll come back for the ladies.”
“We’re up to it, right, Gramps?” Vincent asked.
“Right, champ. If you lead the way, we’ll follow.”
With the four children, John and Tyler made their way to get the candles, leaving Ginger, Barbara and Judy in the gazebo. Ginger pulled her coat tighter around her. “It’s a good thing it isn’t windy. That would make the chill factor drop close to zero!”
“Not to mention the havoc a strong wind would wreak on the service,” Judy added. “So tell us. Other than Tyler’s accident, what did you do on Christmas Day after services?”
“Just what you suggested. We came home, opened presents and headed to the park for the afternoon. We skated, using our brand-new skates from Santa and roasted hot dogs on the fire when we got hungry…before Tyler decided that having a race with Vincent across the lake was a good way to end the day.”
“I’m glad we didn’t suggest that part,” Barbara teased.
“So how was Christmas on the farm?” Ginger asked.
“Amazing. Simply amazing. Micah and Ruth were more than wonderful. After a delicious country supper on Christmas Eve, they took us out to the barn where Micah had a creche set up in one of the stalls. There were figures of Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus and Micah had put in some baby animals. A pair of little lambs, some tiny pigs and a few chickens.” She chuckled. “I’m not sure if there were any chickens there in Bethlehem for Jesus’s birth, but there were in upstate New York this year. The girls loved it! We took pictures, but I haven’t had a chance to get them developed.”
“I’d love to see them,” Ginger said eagerly. “What about you, Judy? Did you volunteer at the Towers like you’d planned?”
Judy shrugged. “Not exactly. Brian got sick a day or two earlier, and he was still running a fever on Christmas Day. Nothing serious, but I was afraid he might be contagious and the last thing the seniors need is to have a volunteer bring in sickness.”
“I’m so sorry. What did you do, then?” Barbara asked.
“Nothing much. We just played some of the games he’d gotten from Santa. He was feeling a whole lot better after he beat me three times in a row playing Candy Land!” She paused. “To be honest, I spent half the day worrying that Candy might show up, and there’s part of me that still thinks Brian got sick because he was worried that she wouldn’t. We talked about her, of course, and he was sad, but now that Christmas is over, he seems to have bounced back.”
“I’m glad that you had Brian with you for Christmas.”
“And that he had you for Christmas,” Ginger added. She pointed toward the lake. “And it looks like our candles are coming.”
Within moments, the troop arrived back with the candles, along with small slips of paper, candleholders made from plastic milk containers, tiny golf pencils donated by the sports shop, and a book of matches. They separated into families, each preparing small messages to loved ones that they tucked into the candleholders beneath the votive candles that would soon be part of the service as luminaries that would cover the frozen surface of the lake. When all the candles were lit, everyone, carried their luminaries to the shores of the lake. There, John led the children across the ice, allowing each child to find a special place for his or her luminaries while Tyler remained behind with the three women.
When John and the children returned, Reverend Fisher took his place in the center of the lake, the crowd hushed, and the service began. “Father God, we thank You for the gift of Your son, who remains present with us even now to guide us and teach us the vast wonders of Your love, for He is the Light of the World. Tonight, we gather together to remember all those who have been called Home to be with You and those who live far away and cannot join us. Like the candles on this lake, let the light of Your faithful love fill the darkness within our lives and our hearts.”
As the pastor continued to pray, Ginger edged closer to Tyler and held on to Vincent’s shoulders as he stood before them. Her gaze focused on the luminary Vincent had lit for his mother, and she prayed that Lily might one day be touched by the gift of grace and return for the son she had abandoned. Before sadness and loss overwhelmed her, she shifted her thoughts to the luminary that Vincent had made for his new family, and she gave thanks for the wonder of having this child as part of her and Tyler’s life now.
Beside her on the right, Barbara and John each held on to one of the twins. No doubt, there was a very special luminary flickering on the lake in memory of Steve, but Ginger also knew there was one there for the girls and their grandparents, as well as one for their new grandparents.
To her left, Judy and Brian stood
hand in hand, the boy’s face mesmerized by the shining lights of the dozens of luminaries that were mirrored on the frozen surface of the lake, and his gaze centered on the candle he surely had lit for his mother.
Reverend Fisher concluded the prayer service. “And finally, Father God, we also ask tonight for Your unending blessings in the New Year on all those who gather here. Share with them the joy that comes from serving You. Guide us. Comfort us. Continue to nurture us, that may we leave tonight kinder and gentler, more loving and more patient, as shining disciples and followers of Your Word. Amen.”
Ginger’s voice blended with the others in a resounding “Amen!” even as volunteers brought around baskets filled with small candles, one for each of the attendees. When they finished, Reverend Fisher lit his candle, along with several other people at different points along the shores of the lake who each turned, first from one side to the next, to light the candle of the person next to them. Within moments, the lake was surrounded by light—the light of faith, the light of hope and the light of promise.
When he led them in song, Ginger’s voice joined the others. “This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine,” she began, full of hope that the light of faith would be bright enough to sustain them all in the days and weeks ahead and shine down upon them as they spent time together as grandparents, grand parents and grand friends, indeed.
Chapter Twenty-Three
On the second Monday in January, when Pretty Ladies would normally be closed, Ann and Judy hosted the annual Open House at the salon for friends and clients to stop by to celebrate the start of a new year.
For Judy, knowing this would be Ann’s last year as the owner of Pretty Ladies, the Open House was bittersweet. Although Ann was still hoping to retire by the start of summer, she had yet to make any formal announcement to their friends and clients, in part because the bank had not approved Judy’s request for a loan. The bank had agreed, however, to review Judy’s application again after she completed her computer classes and submitted a revised business plan. Fortunately, Ann had agreed to buy the computer for the salon, assuring Judy that the investment would pay off whether Judy purchased the salon or someone else did.
Whether Judy’s venture into becoming a business owner would be one grand adventure or a disappointing misadventure remained to be seen, but the new year held great promise for her and she gladly bid the old year goodbye.
If she had looked ahead one year ago and realized within a twelve-month span of time she would be raising her grandson, trying to buy Pretty Ladies and taking computer classes, she might not have made it through the year.
But she had made it, meeting one challenge at a time, but she had not done it alone. Among all her blessings this past year, she counted Ginger and Barbara’s friendship as the best, after Brian, of course. And Ann, too, she reminded herself, not to mention the loyal clients and friends who had been stopping in all day to reminisce and to wish them both well in the coming year.
The fact that Candy had not shown up to ruin Christmas was a blessing, too, although Judy wondered if that thought would be enough to qualify her for worst mother of the year. With the Open House finally coming to a close, however, she simply embraced the idea that this had been one perfect day and for that, she was grateful indeed.
At four o’clock, Judy shooed Ann out the door. “No, you will definitely, absolutely, positively not stay to help clean up! Go home,” she urged lovingly and shut the glass door to the salon.
Ann turned, shook her finger at Judy as a mock reprimand, then blew her a kiss before heading home and into a new year that, Judy prayed, would be blessed with better health. After pulling down the shade on the door, Judy turned around to face the remnants of the day’s celebration and groaned. Cleaning up would take every minute of the two hours she had left before picking up Brian at the after-school program. She hauled out two large garbage cans and lined them with plastic bags. Before she had a chance to start filling them, a knock at the front door interrupted her.
“The party’s over.” She hummed a tune on her way to the door, hoping to douse her annoyance before facing whoever had decided to arrive so late. When she opened the door, found Barbara and Ginger standing there, each armed with plastic bags and a broom, surprise and delight instantly changed her mood. “What are you two doing back here again?” she asked, sounding dumb even to herself.
Ginger giggled and waved her broom like a magic wand. “Well, we’re not the prize squad or whatever it’s called. What do you think, silly? We’re here to help you clean up!”
“But don’t be too quick to thank us. We have an ulterior motive,” Barbara cautioned. “Did you want us to sweep the sidewalk or can we come in?”
Judy stumbled back a few steps to let them in and closed the door again. “You two are amazing. Actually, I’d really appreciate your help. The salon is a mess.”
“We’re very experienced at cleaning up, too,” Ginger remarked as she began clearing off one of the two long tables littered with used paper plates, plastic utensils and trays that had recently overflowed with mini deli sandwiches and baked goods from McAllister’s.
Barbara started on the other table, gathering up leftovers she boxed together. “I wouldn’t be too grateful. Not until you hear what we want you to do for us.”
Judy waved away any objection she might have to returning the favor she owed them. While her two friends attacked the tables, she walked around the salon and picked up paper plates that had been left helter-skelter at different stations and the reception desk or picked up food that had fallen to the floor. “Whatever happened to simply doing good works, without expecting any reward?” she teased.
“That goes both ways, doesn’t it?” Ginger asked coyly as she started rolling up the plastic tablecloth. “We do a good work coming here to help you and you’ll do a good work helping us.”
This time, Barbara giggled. “I’m not sure how Reverend Fisher would feel if he heard us, but I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be asked to lead a Bible discussion on the topic anytime soon. Not with that logic.”
Judy dumped an armful of trash into the can. “I’ll help you. There. No more discussion. We’re friends. If you say you need help, then I’ll help you. I think that falls under the ‘Do unto others’ umbrella that the reverend always preaches under.”
Ginger giggled so hard this time she had to stop working to wipe the tears from her eyes. “The first time I saw Reverend Fisher in the pulpit standing under that bright bright turquoise umbrella, the one with Do Unto Others printed on it, while he preached about how we should treat one another, I knew I was in the right congregation. Ministers don’t always have a sense of humor.”
Judy groaned as she lugged a large potted plant they had received from a client over to the floor near the window ledge and saw that it had started to rain. She wiped her hands on her already-soiled slacks. “Not everyone thought the umbrella sermon was…appropriate.”
“Well, I loved it. Maybe we should ask him to help us, too,” Barbara suggested before she took the boxes filled with leftovers to the back room.
“Ask him to help clean up this mess? Not a chance,” Judy argued.
“No. Ask him to help us with our new assignment for the PTA,” Ginger explained. Barbara returned from the back room and helped Ginger with refolding one of the cleared tables before continuing. “I got a call yesterday from Pam, the PTA President. She said since we’d all done such a good job working together for the Book Fair, we might want to work together again,” Ginger said before she snapped one of the table legs back into place.”
“What did she have in mind for us to do?” Judy asked.
“Apparently, this year it’s up to the Park Elementary PTA to host the annual Mother’s Day Breakfast for the school district, and she wants us to plan it.”
Judy froze in place and clutched the small planter she had been carrying over to the window ledge. She was half-tempted to hurl the planter across town straight at the PTA President to k
nock some sense into her, but decided not to waste the plant. “You’re kidding, right?”
Ginger shook her head. “That was my first reaction, too. I couldn’t believe she’d ask any of us to work on something for Mother’s Day. It’s not like it’s a big secret in town that my daughter has abandoned her child, along with us, or that your daughter is still missing…and this is the first Mother’s Day for Barbara without her son.” She paused. “Then…then she told me why she asked us.”
“As if that could matter,” Judy quipped.
Ginger smiled. “She said she admired all three of us for taking in our grandchildren and raising them. She said…” She stopped to clear her throat. “She said we were good role models for the younger mothers and we could help others to see that being a mother means more than giving birth, that any woman who nurtures and loves a child should be included in the breakfast.”
Barbara nodded. “And she also said she was absolutely certain we would be able to make this event even more memorable because we planned it.”
Judy swallowed hard. The idea that she could be a role model for anyone was so foreign she had a hard time grasping the concept and she felt guilty for thinking the worst of Pam.
“So what else could I do?” Ginger asked. “I told her I had the time, but that I wasn’t sure about you or Barbara. Even setting aside the fact that this is a Mother’s Day event, which is going to be hard for you to get through, you’ve got your job and computer classes now and Barbara—”
