Anna didn’t say anything.
“You probably think I’m being really stupid, don’t you?”
“No.”
“I just want David to be happy for us,” Celeste continued. “Is it too much to want him to want this baby?” She started crying even harder, and now Anna opened her arms and gathered up her sobbing sister-in-law.
“I’m sure David will be happy . . . eventually,” Anna assured her. “It’s just that your pregnancy has taken him by surprise. But trust me, I know that David is going to make a really good dad. And he’ll totally love having a baby. He just needs some time to adjust to this whole thing. It’s a big change.”
“Well, he’s got until May to get used to the idea,” Celeste said. Then she stiffened slightly, and Anna dropped her arms limply to her sides and stepped back, feeling uncomfortable.
“Maybe that’s why God designed a pregnancy to last nine months,” Anna said.
“All I can say is that David better get with the program.”
“So . . .” Anna glanced around her forlorn baby nursery. “It doesn’t sound like you’re going to change your mind about the baby furniture then?”
Celeste’s brow creased as she studied the furniture more closely. “I don’t know. I suppose if we were having a girl . . . and if David refuses to give in . . . well, maybe it would be okay. I guess I could think about it.”
“Right.” Anna wanted to tell Celeste to forget the whole thing and that she’d changed her mind about giving it to them, but instead she just pressed her lips tightly together as she reached for the doorknob. “Let’s go see what the guys are up to.”
The guys were in front of the TV, already tuned in to a football game, and Anna knew it was going to be a long day. Eventually she excused herself to the kitchen to put together some lunch for the four of them. It was as much to escape Celeste as anything. And when Celeste halfheartedly asked if she needed help, Anna quickly declined the offer. Her plan was to make grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. She knew it wasn’t a very exciting lunch, but she didn’t care.
“Need any help, sis?” David asked as he slipped into the kitchen.
“Nah,” she told him. “As you can see, this isn’t going to be a very fancy meal.”
“Hey, you know I love this kind of thing.” He plucked a dill pickle from the jar on the counter and took a big bite.
“Hopefully Celeste does too.”
He sighed loudly. “Celeste doesn’t seem to like much of anything these days.”
“She said she’d think about the baby furniture.”
David brightened. “Really?”
“She said if you guys are having a girl, she might be able to work with it.”
“That’d be great.”
Anna lowered her voice. “But she thinks you don’t want this baby, David.”
“I’m not crazy about the timing.”
“I know . . .”
“But it’s not that I don’t want it.”
“Well, that’s how she feels. Maybe you could try a little harder to see her point of view.”
“Maybe . . . but she could try a little harder too. Celeste is so self-centered sometimes. Like it’s all about her.”
“Maybe having a child will change that,” Anna said. “She’ll have someone else to take care of.”
“She’s already talking about a nanny.”
“A nanny?” Anna tried not to look too stunned.
“Yeah. Sometimes I think that Celeste thinks we’re made of money.”
“Well, at least she’s considering my hand-me-down nursery furniture.”
“Thanks for that, sis. I really do appreciate it. You know what old Ben said, a penny saved is a penny earned.” He glanced over his shoulder as if worried that someone might be listening. “Hey, speaking of money, last night I did a quick online search for that particular item you asked me about.”
She looked up from flipping a sandwich. “Any luck?”
“There are some options out there . . . but they’re a little spendy, Anna. You didn’t mention what you can afford yet.”
“How spendy are they?”
“You can get a new engine for about seven hundred, but it’ll cost that much again – maybe more – for the mechanic to install it. I’m assuming you want it installed, right?”
“Of course.” She flipped another sandwich.
“Okay. I just thought you should know. Do you want me to order one?”
“Not yet. I need to figure out some things first.”
“Well, just let me know.”
Anna carefully put the lid back on the butter dish. It was from her china set, something that had been missed when they were cleaning up on Thanksgiving. “Hey, David,” she said as she picked up the lid again. “You don’t think Celeste would like this set of china, do you?”
David frowned. “Why? I thought you liked it.”
“I do.” She studied the delicate floral pattern. “But it’s not very practical. It has to be hand washed, and I don’t even have a place to store it.”
“You want to get rid of it?”
“I don’t know . . . I mean, I realize it’s been in the family and – ”
“It’s yours, Anna. You should do whatever you want with it. And in answer to your question, Celeste would definitely not want it. Don’t kid yourself.”
“And I know Meri doesn’t like it either.” Anna sighed and replaced the lid.
“But I thought you liked it,” David persisted.
“I do like it. But like I said, I never use it.” Anna was thinking about what would happen to the heavy crates of china after she was gone. “And I just got to thinking that maybe it’s worth as much as an engine . . .”
David nodded. “Yeah, it might be. I mean, it’s a pretty big set, isn’t it?”
“Twelve full place settings plus every serving piece imaginable.” “And it’s in perfect shape?”
“Absolutely.”
David put a hand on her shoulder. “Anna, you’re breaking my heart here.”
“Huh?” She peered curiously at him.
He shook his head. “I guess I’m just trying to imagine Celeste doing something like that for me.” He laughed. “Yeah, right. Maybe in my dreams.”
“Or maybe when you guys have been married longer,” she said, although she wasn’t so sure. “You need to remember that Michael and I have been together for more than ten years . . . and we’ve been through a lot. That makes a difference.”
David still didn’t look convinced. “But I remember you guys from the get-go, Anna. You’ve always been like that.”
“Like what?” Michael asked as he joined them.
Anna slipped an arm around his middle, then smiled up at him. “Like in love,” she murmured.
He pulled her closer to him and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. “Yeah, so what else is new?”
“Is this a private party?” Celeste asked as she joined them in the small kitchen space. “What’s going on in here anyway?”
“Just lunch,” Anna said as she turned down the gas under the burner. “And it looks like it’s just about ready too.”
Fortunately lunch, with a somewhat caustic conversation between Celeste and David, ended relatively quickly. Then the guys declared the football game “hopeless,” and Celeste announced that she and baby needed to go home for a nap.
“I need a nap too,” Michael said as he closed the door behind them. “What did you put in that soup anyway? Tryptophan?”
“Yes,” Anna teased. “I thought it would be a sure way to safely get rid of our guests.”
“That Celeste,” Michael said, shaking his head. “She’s a real piece of work.”
“Poor David.” Anna headed back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.
“I thought she was going to rip his head off when they started talking about the nursery furniture again. Made me wish I’d never suggested you give it to them.” Michael rinsed a dish and handed it to her.
“I was te
mpted to rescind my offer several times today.” Anna slid a plate into the dishwasher. “I mean, it’s not that I want to be selfish . . . but I’d just hoped the nursery furniture could be enjoyed by someone who actually appreciated it.”
“I know how you feel. But give Celeste some time. Maybe she’ll come around.”
“I guess . . .”
But the truth was Anna felt like she’d rather just sell the furniture to a perfect stranger now. And that way she could put the money toward the cost of Michael’s engine. But then she thought about her brother again. For David’s sake, she would wait on Celeste. And maybe they’d have a little girl. Anna could imagine the pretty white furniture in a pale pink room. Although Celeste didn’t care much for pastels. Well, even a hot pink room would make the white furnishings stand out nicely. And David would certainly be happy with the compromise.
8
“I hate Christmas,” Monica Meyers announced as the teachers gathered around the big table in the teachers’ room to quickly devour their lunches. This was the only real break in their schedules and a time when they liked to let their hair down. Particularly Monica. She was a first grade teacher and sometimes a little on the impatient side, which made Anna wonder why she’d decided to become a teacher in the first place.
“Why?” Loraine asked. “I adore this time of year.”
“For one thing, we have to do all these extra things at school,” Monica pointed out. “The Christmas concert, the parties, the special Christmas crafts, and then we’re expected to make gifts for parents . . . you know, that whole hoopla.”
“Which is one reason I love teaching at a private school,” Loraine said. “Christmas traditions are fading fast in public schools.”
“But it’s exhausting,” Monica complained.
“I find it exhilarating,” Loraine argued.
“And I agree with her,” Anna added. “I already decorated and put my tree up, and I think Christmas is wonderful.”
“See,” Loraine said, “that’s the spirit.”
“Yes, but your children are grown,” Monica said. “And Anna doesn’t have any. But I do. And I do all this stuff at school, and then I have to go home and do it all over again for my own kids. On top of that, there are Christmas cards to send, which means another yearly Christmas letter, and the decorating, and buying gifts . . . Have you guys heard what the average family spends on Christmas each year?”
“How much?” Anna asked with slight interest.
“About a thousand dollars.” Monica just shook her head. “And they say that it’s probably even more, but people don’t want to admit it. Furthermore, most average American families use credit to cover holiday spending. So they’re just going further into debt.”
“You’re starting to depress me,” Nina, a fifth grade teacher, said.
“I’m just telling you the facts.” Monica crumpled up her brown paper lunch sack and tossed it into the garbage can.
“Well, I don’t care,” Loraine said. “I still love Christmas.”
“I can see Monica’s point,” Nina said. “I mean, I have kids at home too. And it is tiring. It’s like we have to do Christmas twice. Once at school and once at home.”
“See,” Monica said, “Nina gets it.”
“If you guys really dislike Christmas so much, maybe you should consider teaching in public schools,” Anna suggested.
Loraine laughed. “Yes, that would teach them, wouldn’t it?”
“And people don’t have to spend so much at Christmas,” Anna said. “I mean, isn’t it up to the individual to decide what’s best? There are lots of homemade things you can do.”
“Who has time?” Monica asked.
“Not everyone gets Christmas vacation,” Loraine said. “I find that I have more time than most people during the holidays.”
“And I don’t think we’ve ever spent a thousand dollars,” Anna said. Although, knowing the cost of what she wanted to get for Michael, she knew this year would be different.
“You know how I’ve made extra money for Christmas?” said Victor, the sixth grade teacher who usually couldn’t get a word in edgewise when the women were going at it.
“How?” Monica asked.
“EBay.”
“You sell things?”
“Sure. Already I’ve made close to five hundred dollars.”
“What kinds of things do you sell?” Nina asked.
“Just stuff we don’t need. Not only do I make money, I clear things out too.”
“You don’t worry about fraud?” Monica said. “I heard that sometimes people buy things and then scam you out of actually paying for them.”
“There are ways to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
“I have a set of china,” Anna ventured. “Do you think I could sell it on eBay?”
“I don’t know why not,” Victor said.
“What kind of china is it?” Loraine asked.
“Meissen.” Anna described the delicate floral pattern and gold trim. “It’s twelve full place settings and I don’t know how many serving dishes. All in perfect condition.”
Loraine nodded. “Do you know what you’d ask for it?”
“Are you interested?”
“I am.”
“That would probably be better than selling it on eBay,” Victor said. “Because you do have to pay for shipping and pack it so that nothing gets broken.”
“Do you have a price in mind?” Loraine persisted.
“Well, I need to do some research,” Anna said. “But I’d like to get at least, well, maybe fifteen hundred for it . . . if I could. There’s something I really want to get for Michael this year.”
“That sounds reasonable,” Loraine said.
“Really?” Anna blinked in surprise. “You’re still interested then?”
“Quite possibly. But I’d like to do some checking on the prices first. And then, of course, I’d like to see it.”
“Naturally,” Anna said, trying not to sound too eager.
“It may be worth more than you think,” Loraine said. “And I wouldn’t want to take unfair advantage.”
“I actually have no idea what its value might be,” Anna said. “But I can do some checking myself.”
“Speaking of checking . . .” Monica pointed to the clock. “Two minutes until recess ends.”
They scurried about, finishing their lunches and clearing things up, but as Anna hurried to meet her kids in the classroom, all she could think about was the possibility of Loraine buying her china set. And, although Anna didn’t really want to let the pretty china go, she knew that Loraine was the kind of person who would love it and take care of it. After Anna was gone, what more could she hope for anyway? Now if she could just think of a way to find out what the set was really worth. Maybe David would know how to figure this out.
After school ended and her classroom was empty, she called David at his office. “I hate to bother you,” she said quickly. “But do you know how to find out what my china set is worth? I might have a buyer for it.”
“Easy breezy,” he said. “But I don’t have time to explain it to you right now. How about I email you some information later on tonight?”
“That’d be great.” She thanked him and hung up. Maybe she was going to make enough money to get Michael his engine after all.
“Ho ho ho,” Michael called as he suddenly appeared in her doorway, bearing, once again, his Christmas tree. “Anyone in need of some Christmas cheer?”
“Thank you,” she exclaimed as she helped him set it up in the corner she’d already cleared out. “The kids will be thrilled.”
“Well, I needed to head downtown for a meeting, and I decided to stop by the house and pick this up for you.”
“A meeting?” Anna looked up at the clock. She’d been just about ready to go home. “Does this mean you’ll be working late again?”
“Sorry.” He leaned down and pecked her on the cheek. “We’re still in crunch mode.”
She s
ighed. “I guess I can get some sewing done tonight.”
“Good idea,” he said. “And don’t worry, this overtime thing should come to an end in a couple of weeks. That’s a small price to pay for what we’re accomplishing.”
A couple of weeks might seem like a small price to Michael, but Anna was looking at things differently now. Still, she knew that it was pointless to talk him out of it. Really, he needed to get this business solidly launched now. Besides, that might afford him more time to be with her later on down the line – perhaps when she would need him even more.
“Thanks again for the tree,” she said as he was leaving.
“My pleasure. See you later tonight.”
“Don’t forget to eat something for dinner, Michael.”
“Same back at you.”
Well, Anna told herself as she drove home, perhaps she would use her evening alone to figure out the value of her china set. And maybe, if Loraine was really interested, she could get that engine ordered this week. She hadn’t even asked David how long it would take to get the motor here or any of the details on how they would get it into the car in time for Christmas. Hopefully she could get it all worked out tonight without worrying about Michael overhearing her. Really, an evening alone wasn’t such a bad thing.
Even so, it was hard coming home to a dark house by herself. It was different when she knew Michael would be home soon, but as she walked up to the door, she knew that wasn’t the case tonight. Maybe she should get a timer for the Christmas lights. Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a cheerfully lit house? Well, at least it would be like that when Michael came home.
Anna’s stomach had been a little better today. But she still had to pass on coffee at school. Even with creamer, it was just too acidic for her sensitive digestion. And now she didn’t feel like having anything much besides soup and toast. If Michael had been coming home, she might’ve considered making homemade soup. But as it was, she was grateful to pour a can of chicken and vegetables into a bowl and put it in the microwave. As it heated, she popped a piece of whole wheat bread into the toaster, then turned on her laptop.
As she ate her meager meal, she checked her email and was pleased to see that David had delivered as promised. He’d listed several sites that would be helpful for figuring out the value of her china set, and by the time she finished eating, she realized that her set (if in excellent condition, which she felt certain was the case) might be worth close to two thousand dollars. But to be fair, one of the sites said that the value of antique china was determined by the market. If you had an eager buyer, it was worth more. If not, it was worth less. She wondered how eager Loraine would be, and how she would show Loraine the china without tipping off Michael as to her plan. Finally, she decided to simply call.
The Joy of Christmas Page 20
