by Mary Carter
“My girls,” he said.
“Our dad,” Hope said. They competed to be the first to throw their arms around him, then held as if they were never going to let go.
“Merry Christmas, Thomas,” Carla said from behind them.
“Carla,” he said with a nod.
“Merry Christmas, Grandpa,” Josh and Brittany chimed. Thomas stepped outside, tears rolling down his cheeks.
“My family,” he said. “My family.”
CHAPTER 42
Christmas Day found the gang surrounded by a sea of colorful wrapping paper, with snow falling lightly outside, and all the lights on the lawn gleaming. The aroma of pancakes and bacon and coffee wafted through the room as Bing Crosby sang. Thomas sat in the center of them all, with Mr. Jingles at his side.
“We all made out like bandits,” Hope said. Austin looked so handsome in the sweater she’d given him. He had bought her one from the very same store and she was wearing it as well as a bathrobe from Faith and slippers from Joy. Thomas had no less than three new caps and the sweater from his girls. He was wearing the sweater and every single cap, one on top of the other, which thrilled Josh and Brittany to no end. Faith and Hope had yet to take Joy over to the coffee truck, allowing Joy to think the coffee mugs were her only gift from them. Faith couldn’t stop smiling.
“These are great,” Joy said for about the fourth time, holding up her coffee mug. “Not disappointed at all.”
“I got you rum,” Carla said.
“Oh, it’s in here all right,” Joy said, lifting up her mug.
“Why don’t you put your coat on and take a walk with your sisters,” Faith said. She tossed Joy’s winter coat and it landed on top of her head.
“Maybe later,” Joy said. “I’m busy thoroughly enjoying my gift of a coffee mug.”
“We won’t be gone long,” Hope said. “Up and Adam,” she said to Joy.
“You always get that wrong,” Faith said. “It’s up and at ’em.”
“That sounds aggressive,” Hope said. “At who?”
“I don’t know,” Faith said. “Who is Adam?”
Hope shrugged. “Adam and Eve?”
“Dumb and Dumber,” Joy said. “Either way. I’m not going.”
“You’re going if we have to drag you,” Faith said.
“Be a sport,” Harrison said. Faith and Hope had shown him the truck last night. He helped keep his eye on Joy all night.
Joy huffed. “A walk,” she said. “How lovely.” She threw on her coat, and the three of them tromped to the mudroom to put on their boots.
“What are you two up to?” Joy said.
“We just want to take a walk with our sister,” Faith said. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Are you guys okay if I leave my coffee mug here. I mean, I wouldn’t want you to think I don’t appreciate it or anything.”
“Get out,” Faith said. She kicked her lightly on the rump. They trudged toward Austin’s cabin, Joy trailing behind. When they were halfway through the woods and almost to Austin’s property, Faith and Hope stopped and pulled out a red scarf.
“We’re going to blindfold you,” Faith said.
“I knew it,” Joy said. “You’re going to get me lost and leave me to find my way home.”
“Poor thing,” Hope said, looping the scarf around her eyes. When they were convinced she couldn’t see anything they each took one of her arms and began to lead Joy toward the coffee truck.
“What’s going on?” Joy said.
“We’re taking you to your other Christmas present,” Faith said.
“Not that you weren’t appreciative of the coffee cup,” Hope said.
“I was,” Joy said. “Although you could have at least thrown in some coffee beans.”
“We thought you’d have plenty of those when you start your business,” Faith said.
“I’m having second thoughts about that,” Joy said. Faith and Hope stopped and gave each other a look. Joy plowed into them.
“OW!”
Hope laughed. “I told you,” she said to Faith.
“I guess it could be anything they want it to be,” Faith said.
“What?” Joy said. “What could?” They were out of the woods now. The silver coffee truck, rimmed in little white lights, positively gleamed. A neon sign had been attached to the outside: J&H: Coffee and Cream. A giant red bow was wrapped around the hood. They stood back.
“Merry Christmas, Joy,” Faith and Hope said at the same time. Joy hesitated, then removed her blindfold. She stared at the gleaming truck, blinking several times. For once in her life, Joy was at a loss for words.
“It’s the nicest gift anyone’s ever given me,” Joy said. She wiped tears from her face with the sleeves of her coat. Faith and Hope put their arms around her. Joy let out a sob.
“You can always turn it into a taco truck,” Hope said. From behind them came singing. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” rang out as the rest of the family joined them. Harrison was holding a platter of pancakes.
“Let’s get in this baby and start making coffee,” he said. He winked at Joy as he got in the truck. “Come on, Mr. T,” he called to Thomas. Thomas laughed and followed Harrison into the truck. Soon their two faces grinned out from the serving window.
“Who wants a cup of java?” Harrison said. “Or hot chocolate?” he added with a wink to Brittany and Josh.
“Can I have a cup of coffee?” Josh asked.
“Sure,” Faith said. “It’s Christmas.”
The Garland Girls stood smiling, holding hands. Thomas beamed down at them. “Merry Christmas,” he said.
“Merry Christmas, Dad,” they returned.
“I’ll take my coffee black,” Joy said.
“Don’t I know it,” Harrison said. Joy squealed and then joined them in the truck.
“Can I come in?” Josh said.
“The more the merrier,” Harrison said. “In fact, let’s all get in. It’s cold outside.” One by one they started to pile in the truck. Austin caught Hope’s hand just as she was about to step into it. She looked up to find him holding mistletoe.
“Merry Christmas,” he said. “Here’s to the first of many.” Before he could lean in, she beat him to the punch, pulled his head down to her, and kissed him. Afterward, a shiver ran through her.
“Are you cold?” he asked, smiling.
“Not at all,” she said.
His eyes twinkled as he understood what she meant. Hope threw her head back to the sky. “Look,” she pointed. A bright star twinkled, even though they should have all disappeared from the sky.
“It’s Granny,” Brittany said, popping her head out of the truck. “Our angel.” Hope and Austin stepped inside.
“Look at all my gifts,” Hope echoed, squeezing Austin’s hand and gazing at the smiling faces of Carla and Thomas, and Stephen, and Charlie, and Brittany, and Josh, and Harrison, and Mr. Jingles. And, of course, her sisters. Faith and Joy. Always Faith and Joy. Laughing, not forced, not phony, but true laughter, a bit of happiness on this Christmas Day.
Suddenly her father was in front of her, holding a wrapped gift. It was about the size of a magazine and soft. Faith and Joy had the same ones. “I helped out a bit,” Carla said.
“She helped,” Roger said.
“We have to open at the same speed,” Joy said. “Because I think they must be the same.” Carla shook her head and laughed. Hope opened hers and caught sight of a red T-shirt. Sure enough, they each had one. They each held them up:
OLDER SISTER
I make the rules
MIDDLE SISTER
I’m the reason we have rules
YOUNGER SISTER
The rules don’t apply to me.
“Let’s wear these every Christmas,” Joy said.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Faith said.
“You guys,” Hope said. “Already planning next Christmas. I’ll have to check my calendar and see if I can pencil either of you losers in
.”
Joy squealed and picked up a can of whipped cream, then held it up as if aiming it for Hope’s face. Faith grabbed another and did the same thing.
“Don’t you dare,” Hope said, already backing up.
“On the count of five,” Faith said.
“You’d better run,” Joy said. Mr. Jingles barked. It was every man for himself as Hope squealed, grabbed a bottle of maple syrup, and prepared herself to battle the whipped-cream-toting nightmares that were her sisters. She readied the maple syrup for optimum flying distance (like Santa and his reindeer), and knew for certain that this was going to go down in Garland Girl history as one of the worst and best Christmases of their entire lives. Perhaps it wasn’t ever possible to have one without the other. Not that she was going to get any credit for it. The middle child never did. Her thoughts were interrupted by a string of whipped cream landing in her eye.
“This is war!” Hope cried, and squeezed the bottle of maple syrup in the direction of her sisters’ evil, smiling faces.
“I just love Christmas!” Brittany cried out. “Don’t you guys?” The Garland Girls stopped, then after exchanging knowing glances with one another, turned their sticky terror onto Josh and Brittany.
“I’m not cleaning this truck all by myself,” Harrison said as the children’s squeals filled the air.
“I’ll help,” Austin said.
“Me too,” Carla said.
“Roger that,” Thomas said. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked at him. “Thomas,” he said with a smile. “I’m Thomas.”
Merry Christmas to all
And to all a good night.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
HOME WITH
MY SISTERS
Mary Carter
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to enhance
your group’s reading of Mary Carter’s
Home with My Sisters.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When the novel opens, Faith and Joy brush off Hope’s invitation to get together for Christmas. What does this say about the relationship between the three of them?
2. Hope breaks up with Michael shortly after meeting Austin. Coincidence?
3. Hope wants to visit their grandmother primarily to find out what happened to their father. What is Faith’s and Joy’s motivation for going?
4. Joy is the sister who missed out on knowing their father. How does this shape her behavior?
5. How does their birth order affect each sister’s personality, or does it?
6. Faith is the only sister with children of her own. Do you think because of this that she’s not as stuck in the past as Hope?
7. Yvette is dying and is worried about Roger. Do you think this is the only reason she allows Austin to contact her granddaughters?
8. How does Yvette react to Josh and Brittany? Is she more or less open to them than to her granddaughters?
9. When Roger first meets Hope he leaves her a pinecone. Do you think he’s fully aware in this moment of who Hope is?
10. Yvette has a few words to say when she first meets Joy’s boyfriend Harrison. She says in her day they only drank one kind of milk. Is she really talking about milk, or like Joy believes, is she making a racist comment?
11. Josh, we learn, has recently made a suicide attempt. Do you think his state of mind has anything to do with the secrets that Faith is keeping?
12. Does Christmas approaching help everyone to heal, or does it make it worse for all of them? Or both? Please discuss.
13. How do the sisters change and grow at the end of the novel, if at all?
14. Will Hope stay with Austin? Will Joy and Harrison make a success out of their coffee truck? Will Faith make her new blended family work?
15. What do you think their relationship will be like with Roger from here on out?
