'Tis The Season: Under the Christmas TreeMidnight ConfessionsBackward Glance

by Robyn Carr

  “We could have thrown Jess a bone and told her she was right about that much—that you are the boys’ father.”

  “I’m afraid it might give her the wrong kind of power,” John said.

  They were standing on the sidewalk in front of a modest, suburban house that belonged to John’s parents. Leigh could imagine the activity that must have swelled within the walls of this small, two-story house during the years Mrs. McElroy was raising four boys. Leigh had never been accused of being psychic, but she felt that she would find love and acceptance here, despite her fears.

  “Shall we?” he asked.

  “Wait. What did you tell them? Exactly?”

  “That I want them to meet the girl I’m going to marry.”

  “And what did your mother say?”

  “She said, ‘again?’”

  “Oh, boy. I don’t know if I can walk.”

  “Come on. Chicken.”

  “What else did you say?” she demanded.

  “I said, ‘This is different. I’ve been in love with this woman for years, and my marriage was on the rebound, but we’ve got it together now, and it’s right.’ Well, something like that.”

  “We do have it together now, don’t we, John? It is right.”

  He kissed her, quick and efficient, and grinned that magnetic grin of his. “Right. Never more right.”

  Inside the McElroy house was a gathering that Leigh could never have prepared herself for. John couldn’t have, either, for that matter. The entire McElroy clan had gathered under one roof to meet and greet the newest addition. They had all hidden their cars down the block and in the garage. There was the aroma of roast beef in the air and a lot of noise in the living room. And right after Jeanette McElroy opened the door and greeted her son, they all yelled, “Surprise.”

  Minister Mike was the only one who’d had to fly into town for this gathering. He and his wife and kids were staying with Ted and Chris and their clan. Bob had taken time off, and Judy had come over early to help prepare an enormous meal. Leigh was hugged and welcomed by each and every one of them.

  “We thought you should have a look at what you’re really getting into,” Bob said. “This is no quiet little family.”

  “It probably knocks you out to see this many of us, but don’t worry that we’ll all converge on Durango at once. We’ll give you a couple of weeks of wedded bliss before we do that,” Mike said.

  “There’s a genetic problem in the family that you should know about going in,” Chris advised. “This family hasn’t produced a girl in generations, and we’re counting on you to be the first.”

  “How did you dare do this?” John wanted to know. “I mean, it’s not as though this is my first time around the matrimonial block. Or Leigh’s, for that matter.”

  “Easy,” Jeanette said. “I knew in my heart you had finally found your wife. The sound in your voice...I’ve heard that sound four times now,” she said, glancing around at her other sons.

  It wasn’t until the beef was sliced, the many kids settled in the dining room and the adults gathered in the living room at a long, portable dining table, that someone ventured the hope that John and Leigh planned on having a large family. The conversation slowly ground to a halt as the question hung in the air unanswered. Mouths slowly closed, eyes slowly turned toward John and Leigh.

  “Ah,” John said, “that’s one of the reasons we decided to come out and see you personally. It’s...ah...well, we’ve already gotten a start on that.”

  Silence was heavy around the table. It was the minister who broke the ice. “That happens. We’re delighted you’ve decided to get married. Double congratulations.” The family concurred, slowly coming to terms with this announcement, raising wineglasses one at a time, congratulating, finally laughing and toasting.

  “Well... ” John began. “Actually, Leigh isn’t pregnant. Um, we have a set of twins...who are about...um...four years old.”

  Again silence reigned. Everyone knew when John had gotten married and divorced. When had there been time to father twins in all that confusion? Even the minister couldn’t think of anything to say. Jeanette McElroy’s mouth stood open. Leigh’s cheeks were on fire. Robert McElroy frowned at his son.

  “Four?” someone whispered.

  “Twins?”

  “That’s a start, I’d say.”

  “Well...as a matter of fact...they’re boys,” Leigh said, watching the stunned faces turn to regard one another in total shock.

  It was Chris who burst into laughter. “You might know. Boys!”

  “I can explain...” Leigh began, but they were recovering, laughing and slapping each other on the backs.

  “Quadruple congratulations.”

  “We’re mighty pleased you’re getting married!”

  “No rush, of course, but we do have a minister at the table!”

  “Where have you been hiding them?”

  “What’s the hurry?”

  It was Robert Sr. who spoke the only reasonable words. “We’ll hear that explanation later. For right now, there are two things we need to take care of. One—when’s the wedding? And two—when can we see our kids?”

  Our kids. It had a wonderful sound to it. Leigh realized she hadn’t known just how smart she really was in choosing the right guy. Not only was John too good to be true, but his family was terrific. One of the things she wanted for her kids was siblings, cousins, grandparents, and a life filled with love and noise and people.

  They were a hard group to keep down; the racket went on and on. So did the conversation. Leigh learned a lot about John’s family, all their various careers and their children’s activities. And they learned about her. Ted was familiar with some of her father’s medical research and went on to regale them with tales of his brilliance and breakthroughs. By early evening Leigh was both relieved and exhausted. Most of the children had quieted down, the sun was setting, and those adults not involved in cleaning up were seated in the living room with coffee. There was an afterglow of peace and acceptance.

  Leigh offered to get the coffeepot for refills and went through the swinging door into the kitchen. There she found Mike giving his mother a comforting hug while Jeanette seemed to be having a little cry. Leigh was stopped in her tracks. And so were they. They broke apart to regard her, and Jeanette turned away, fishing for a tissue in her pocket.

  “Oh, Leigh,” Mike said.

  “I’ve made you cry, haven’t I? Because of the boys...and because of... ”

  “No, Leigh,” Mike said, moving toward her to give her a hug of support. “You’ll find we’re not the kind of people who do a lot of looking back. You don’t have to worry about that. We keep our eyes cast forward.”

  “John had a hard time forgiving me for keeping the boys’ paternity from him. I was confused... He had just gotten married, and I guess I—”

  “No, dearest, no. Whatever your reasons, I don’t blame you and I won’t ask. I’m happy, Leigh,” Jeanette said with a sniff. “I’m delighted to hear I’m a grandmother again, but it’s more than that. It’s John. I’ve worried about him having such a hard time finding what he wants—finding the right person to share his life with. I know it’s old-fashioned, but all I really ever wanted for my boys was for them to have the kind of family life that would fulfill them.”

  “It isn’t too hard to see that my brother is a new man,” Mike said. “We’ve all hoped he would find the kind of special happiness that we’ve found. And now he has.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for letting me in.”

  “Leigh, we didn’t do you a good turn by ‘letting’ you into the family. We’re honored to have you. And I mean that sincerely.”

  * * *

  June tenth was a bright, glorious day. Leigh and Jess got up early; there was a great deal to do
. The house had to be straightened, though it had already been thoroughly cleaned. The boys had to get their first bath of the day and their first set of clean clothes.

  The first to arrive was the florist, who came at nine in the morning to begin decorating the gazebo and tables. Leigh met his truck, and shook his hand, and he passed her a little bag, which she carried off to her room.

  Next the caterers arrived in two vans and began to unload their supplies—food, serving trays, punch bowls, linen and other accessories—into the kitchen. Leigh whispered with the caterers for a moment.

  “What is it?” Jess demanded. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing’s the matter, Mom.” Leigh laughed. “I just asked them to get the tables ready but not to put the food out until the guests start to arrive. We don’t want to poison anyone with spoiled potato salad.”

  “Oh. Of course not.”

  Next the string quartet arrived to set up their instruments and chairs in the gazebo, though they would leave and come back later to play.

  And then John arrived. “John!” Jess said, surprised. “You’re early! The party doesn’t start until two!”

  “I know, I’m sorry. I just wanted to see the backyard all finished, set up and ready to go. Unfortunately I can’t come to the party after all.”

  “Oh, no,” Jess said. “I won’t hear of it! You’re not working, are you?”

  “No, but as it happens, some of my family is in town, and I’m going to have to spend the weekend with them.”

  “Well, bring them!”

  “Oh, Jess, I couldn’t. It isn’t just some of them, it’s a lot of them. I have a big family. They do this sort of thing sometimes. My mom and dad decided to drive down, and my brother and his wife decided to come along, and another brother was planning a long weekend with his kids and...this sort of thing happens with my family. They don’t necessarily do it on purpose, but they tend to flock. You couldn’t ask that many—”

  “But I could! Bring them!”

  “Are you sure?”

  Leigh came into the room. “Oh, Mom, maybe John could just stop by for a few minutes later and—”

  “Don’t be silly. Bring them all. Half the town’s coming. Well, not half, but a grand showing. It would give your family a chance to meet Leigh.” They both glared at her. “Oops. Well, if your family happens to be here when my daughter happens to—oh don’t scowl. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “Well, can I see the yard anyway?” he asked.

  “Sure you can, John.” Leigh laughed. And she took him through the kitchen and down the stairs from the deck, and let him get an eyeful.

  Next it was time for Mitch and Ty’s second bath and second set of clean clothes. Seemed they had been remodeling their fort out in the far back of the yard. The fort had a dirt floor and there was a lot of moss to make grass stains. Leigh welcomed a chance to give them another bath and spend some time with them, sharing a secret or two. During the bath they did a lot of whispering, giggling and splashing.

  Finally it was one-thirty. The food was ready to be put out, the flowers decorated the tables and structures, the quartet had arrived, and Jess and Leigh stood together on the deck to look everything over. It was a lovely sight; peach-colored ribbons were woven through the carnation-and-rose garlands. Exotic centerpieces adorned the twelve-foot-long tables. Silver serving dishes shone against the linen tablecloths. And the sun was bright and warm.

  “It’s beautiful, Mom,” Leigh said. “It would have made a good wedding chapel.”

  Jess turned to her daughter. “Sweetheart, I hope you truly forgive me for being such a busybody. I’ve never done anything like that before, and I swear I never will again.”

  Leigh kissed her cheek. “I know. I’m just grateful you don’t have a heart condition, and I am glad to be back here. You were right. This is the perfect place to raise the boys.”

  “I thought I was doing a good thing.”

  “It was very sneaky of you.”

  “If I’ve hampered anything...if I’ve caused you and John to delay making plans just because I’m such a buttinsky... ”

  “Now, Mom, didn’t we decide you weren’t going to have any more to say about that? You have to butt out.”

  “Yes, yes, but may I ask one question?”

  “One.”

  “Didn’t I pick out exactly the right man for you and the boys?”

  “Mom... ”

  “Well...?”

  Leigh relented and smiled. “Yes, you did pretty well. And I hope you never try anything like that again. Oh, look, people are coming! And I’m not ready!”

  “Well, hurry up. I’ll greet them.”

  Leigh went into the house and sent out the boys. The first to arrive were the coconspirators, Abby, Kate and Peg. Next came Tom Meadows, bringing flowers for each widow and a lovely bunch for Leigh. Next the pastor and his wife, the golf pro, the local librarian, the town council. John arrived with his entire family, who took up three cars. Not surprisingly, the boys ran to him and seemed to be inclined to stick to him like glue. He introduced them to his entire family. Then the butcher, the baker and the owner of a gift shop. Then the Literacy Council and the Friends of the Library. Nearly fifty people were standing around the backyard with cups of punch before Leigh found her way down the redwood steps.

  She wore a long peach-colored dress, nothing too fancy, but Jess had no idea where the dress had come from. And Leigh had brushed out her long blond hair and pinned it back with baby’s breath. “Look at her,” Jess said half to herself.

  Tom Meadows cleared his throat. “Are you sure your heart is up to this?”

  “Up to what?” Jess asked as Tom began to walk toward Leigh, taking her the bouquet.

  John moved quickly toward the gazebo where his brother Mike magically produced a small, black leather book. John said something to the quartet, who stopped playing midsong and began again, a tune that had a very familiar sound.

  Jess’s and Leigh’s eyes met across the yard. Jess’s mouth was hanging slightly open, and Leigh’s lips curved in a smile. She blew her mother a kiss just before she accepted the bouquet and looped her arm through Tom’s. And then, to the melody of “The Wedding March,” Tom led Leigh toward the gazebo where John and the two little boys waited. John stooped to say something to them, and they laughed and nodded. Then he stood up to greet Leigh.

  An idea began to take shape in Jess’s mind. His family had just happened to flock to town. And she had never before seen John in a tie. He wasn’t wearing a tux or a suit, of course. But he had on a white-on-white shirt with a peach-colored tie that matched Leigh’s dress. It took a moment to sink in. She just couldn’t believe what was happening.

  “Dearly Beloved,” Mike began.

  Jess nearly swayed against Peg, and Kate came up on her other side. Abby joined Kate, and the four women stood, not six feet behind Leigh, struck speechless for the first time in all their lives. “He’s a minister!” Jess whispered. “I can’t believe it!”

  Finally, after a few introductory remarks about being gathered in the presence of God in the event of Holy Matrimony, Mike looked over the heads of the bride and groom and said, “Who gives this woman to be wed?”

  Peg held hands with Jess, who held hands with Kate, who held hands with Abby. They looked at one another and grinned through the hint of tears. And then all four hands went up in the air, and with a laugh they said, “We do!”

  And they did.

  When the bride and groom finally sealed their vows with a kiss, a cheer went up through the yard. The hugging that followed was too complex to keep track of, but families were united, children were passed around, glasses were filled with champagne that Jess had not ordered, and confusion of the most lovely sort reigned.

  “You sneaks,” Jess said.

&nb
sp; “We had good teachers,” John informed them.

  “You’re lucky I don’t have a bad heart.”

  “But did you get what you wanted?”

  “Well...I did... But I wanted to be in charge.”

  It turned out that very few people other than Jess were surprised, because Leigh had found a guest list and charged Tom and his receptionist with the duty of informing most of the guests by phone that a surprise wedding would be taking place. Although it was requested that there be no gifts, it seemed that some people just wouldn’t be denied the privilege and went to their cars to retrieve presents. There were many toasts to the newlyweds, and finally John proposed one.

  “I’d like to propose a toast to my mother-in-law,” he said.

  “Hear, hear,” everyone chanted.

  “Jess, I love you, but we’ll take it from here.”

  And she raised her glass and drank.

  * * *

  It was quite late on Saturday night. The caterers had cleaned up, the kitchen sparkled, the music had died, and even the widows had gone home. The house was quiet, and only a few lamps were lit. Jess held her grandsons on her lap; they were heavy and big and smelled of shampoo and fabric softener.

  “Gramma, what’s a honeymoon?”

  “It’s when the new husband and wife go away to be alone and get to know each other in private. Quietly. Without any grammas or little boys or anyone.”

  “Doesn’t Mommy already know John?”

  “Yes, but they still like to be alone together because they love each other. And then they’ll come back home and be with us.”

  “And John will be our dad?”

  “And John will be your dad.”

  “And take us to T-ball and fishing?”

  “Yes, and more things. From now on.”

  “But what are they doing?” Ty demanded.

  “Fishing?” Mitch asked.

  She squeezed them tightly and laughed. “Oh, I don’t know if they’re fishing. I bet they’re hugging and kissing, playing lovey-dovey and saying ‘I love you’ a lot.”

  “Bllllkkkk,” said Mitch.