“Here’s to all the people who are going to volunteer tomorrow,” I announce. “Besides the obvious reason of performing a wonderful service for the community, I now understand why a person would want to avoid their own family on the holiday!”
A few snickers travel around the room, and then people slowly return to what they were doing. Sue smiles at me and pats my hand. Trying to calm my nerves, I stare at the floor for a brief moment before returning to my work.
“That was really something,” Audrey whispers.
“Yeah, I know,” I reply. “My mom is a trip sometimes.”
“No, not your mom—Harley.”
“Oh. Yeah, that was unfortunate.”
“She pretty well announced what she thinks about the whole city, didn’t she?” Audrey asks quietly.
Giving a slight smirk, I glance at her. “I guess so.”
“Too bad her cameraman didn’t film that, huh?”
“Yes, it’s too bad,” I agree with a laugh.
“Because I’m sure he would have gotten a much better video than I captured on my phone.”
Around 5:00 p.m., Audrey and I leave the shelter side by side. When I begin to walk toward the Tahoe, she pauses for a moment and then walks silently in the other direction toward her own vehicle.
“I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving, Audrey,” I wish aloud, to which she smiles sadly.
“We don’t really do Thanksgiving.”
“Well, at least you’ll be able to spend the day with your mom and dad,” I reply. She shakes her head and jabs the toe of her shoe into the gravel.
“Mom and Dad are in Jamaica,” she says. “They left last night. It will just be me and the housekeeper.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her, but she simply shrugs her shoulders.
“I’m used to it.”
“What about Derrick?”
“He’s with his family this weekend, out of state.”
I can’t believe I’m getting ready to say this.
“Why don’t you come over to my house?”
“You don’t have to do that,” she insists, pulling her jacket tightly around her waist to keep out the chill.
“I know I don’t, but you’re welcome to come if you want. My crazy family will be there, but we’ll have plenty of room.”
Audrey looks down at the gravel for a moment as though she’s a little embarrassed, and then brings her eyes up to meet mine. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.” While I’m waiting for her decision, I fumble with the keys in my pocket.
“Then I’ll be there!” she replies, smiling. The sun comes from behind a cloud and hits her face, causing her to squint her eyes a bit. “Thank you, Maddie.” She smiles warmly, and for a split second I’m afraid she’s going to hug me, but she just turns and walks away.
Poor Audrey. She doesn’t really have a family at all, just some people who happen to be her parents biologically, although they aren’t available for her emotionally. They throw money at her and hope she’ll leave them alone. I feel for her in a genuine, heartfelt way—probably more than both her parents combined.
“Maddie!” I hear my name being called across the parking lot. Turning, I see Sue rushing towards me with a big aluminum pan.
“What’s the matter, Sue?”
She catches up to me and holds the pan out in front of her. “Here, this is for you.” She begins to get goose bumps on her arms, which are bare past the sleeves of her T-shirt.
“What is it?”
“A turkey, fully cooked. If you warm it up tomorrow, it will taste like you took it right out of the oven.”
“That’s really nice of you, but I can’t take this from the shelter.”
“We’ve got plenty…there will be so much food left over. Please, take it.” She shivers a little as the wind blows through again.
“But I’ve already got a turkey,” I protest. “Can’t you use this for someone else?”
“Please, Maddie,” she begs, pressing her lips into a smile. “Just in case? Trust me on this one.”
“Okay,” I agree reluctantly, taking the pan from her hands. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for all your help,” she calls as she turns away. “Maybe we’ll see you next year.”
“I hope so!” I yell across the lot as I open the door to the Tahoe and slide the pan into the passenger seat.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Oh my goodness!
Thank God for Sue.
Thank God, thank God, thank God.
I got home last night and my turkey was all burnt on the outside and almost frozen on the inside. Immediately I called Dina to complain about the horrible directions she gave me. I did exactly what you said, I told her, and thawed it for six hours and cooked for thirty-six hours. Well, I didn’t exactly cook for thirty-six hours, because it looked horrible way before then.
“Oh, Maddie,” Dina sighed, “you were supposed to thaw for thirty-six hours and cook for six.”
Whoops. Tiny little error on my part. I must have reversed the directions when I wrote them down. This whole thing could have turned into a huge catastrophe if it hadn’t been for Sue and that pan of turkey. I can only imagine what Mom would have said about not having any turkey at our Thanksgiving dinner, after our confrontation yesterday. You better shape up by tomorrow. What does that mean, exactly?
I’m only slightly stressed out about the dinner, because—I must confess—Hazel brought a lot of food. She insisted, and I didn’t argue with her. I am in charge of the turkey (graciously provided by Sue), mashed potatoes (which were relatively easy to make, even for me), green beans and carrots (from a can – no one needs to know), and one dessert (cheesecake from a local bakery—believe me, no one wanted me to undertake that challenge). Hazel called me this morning and asked how I was coming with the turkey. If anyone else would have asked, I would have been offended; however, I know Hazel would never purposely insult me. She was just making sure I had it under control, or she would have stepped in to help. That’s very nice and motherly of her, in my opinion.
Dinner’s in thirty, so I expect people to arrive any minute. Hazel and Tucker are already here, having arrived with practically a carload of food. I’m a little relieved, actually. Mom had told me before that she was bringing some food, but last night she called to tell me that she just didn’t have time because she had volunteered all day. I didn’t bother to mention that she stormed out before lunch time, as that is probably best left unsaid. Who knows what kind of mood she will be in today, and Brittany… Well, I hesitate to even speculate about her state of mind.
The doorbell rings, and I peek out the window. Audrey—so she did come after all. I didn’t exactly expect her not to come, but I’m still a little surprised to see her here, at my own house. I mean, Josh’s house. Now that she knows my address, she’ll probably be here every night. Today’s not the time to think about that, though.
“Hi,” I say cheerfully as I open the door to her. She hurries in from the cold and pulls her scarf off her neck.
“Hi, Maddie,” she adds with a big smile. “Thanks for inviting me. I didn’t know if I should bring anything, so I stopped and got something at the bakery.”
“That’s nice of you,” I reply, turning away from the foyer. “This is Hazel and her husband Tucker. They’re Josh’s parents. You remember me telling you about Josh, who owns the house?” She nods quickly. “And this is my…friend, Audrey.”
“Very nice to meet you,” Audrey states as I take her coat and hang it in the closet.
I quickly head toward the kitchen, and she follows close behind.
“Wow, did you do all this?” she wonders when she sees the huge spread of food on the counters.
“No, it was mostly Hazel. She’s an excellent cook. If I cooked this meal, you might not want to eat it.”
“Maddie, do you need any help in the kitchen?” Hazel calls. “I feel useless sitting out here.”
“Sure, if you want to help.�
�
Hazel is behind me before I know it, placing spoons on serving dishes and stirring some of the food she brought. I set the table a couple of hours ago, getting ahead of myself on timing. I figured it would take me all day to do the cooking, but with the limited number of things I wound up doing, it took no time at all. Now I feel like we’re simply waiting until dinnertime, because there’s really nothing else to be done.
I’m sure Hazel doesn’t know what to do with herself either. She always thrives on being busy, so sitting and talking probably drives her crazy. She hadn’t seemed overly enthused when I suggested having the dinner at our house, but of course she didn’t refuse. She must have busied herself earlier with making the food, but now that she’s here, she seems a little uncomfortable.
“So, how do you know Maddie?” Hazel questions Audrey, readjusting the rolls she brought in her basket.
“We work together.” Audrey grins over at me.
“Yes,” I chime in, somewhat afraid that Audrey is going to tell her we go shopping all day. “Audrey and I have been working together on all the special projects we’ve been doing recently.”
“Really?” Hazel wonders, looking thoughtfully at Audrey. “It’s so wonderful the things you’ve been doing lately to help the community. It’s nice to see a company giving back to its neighbors.”
“Thank you,” Audrey states, standing a little straighter.
“Does your family live far away, that you’re not with them on Thanksgiving?” Hazel continues. Audrey looks down from the corner of her eye, unsure what to say.
“Actually, Audrey’s parents decided to use the vacation time to go on a little trip, so I invited her here instead.” I attempt to give Audrey a reassuring smile.
“Well, it’s certainly nice to have you with us,” Hazel insists, going back to inspecting her dishes.
Audrey and I busy ourselves removing the plastic wrap from the food containers until I hear the doorbell again. While I’m walking in the direction of the door, it suddenly flies open as Mom barges in.
“We’re here!” she announces loudly. “I hope you don’t mind, but we brought the Hubers.”
The Hubers?! So it’s not enough that you decide not to bring any food, but you also invite your own guests hoping that the food I have won’t cover everyone. Very nice. And the Hubers?? It’s like an official meeting of the Brittany fan club.
“Who are the Hubers?” Audrey whispers.
“The Hubers are my sister-in-law Brittany’s parents.”
Audrey nods her understanding as the house begins to bustle with activity.
“Hi, Maddie,” Dad says, peeking around the corner. I smile at him only briefly before he disappears.
“Where did you get all this food, Maddie?” Mom grills me as she comes into the kitchen. “Did you buy it somewhere? I know you couldn’t have made some of this.”
So much for the inspirational vote of confidence.
“Actually, Hazel helped me out quite a bit,” I explain, grinning at Hazel. Mom just makes a low noise in her throat and keeps inspecting all the dishes.
“We better eat soon. I’m starving,” I overhear Brittany complain from the foyer.
“Are you comfortable, dear?” Mrs. Huber wonders. “Can I get you anything?”
“Something to drink,” Brittany orders. “Why is it so hot in here? I can’t breathe!”
“I need something for Brittany to drink right away,” Mrs. Huber declares as she comes into the kitchen.
“Take whatever you need,” I offer, pointing to the refrigerator before I take in the scene. Mom is poking about the food, Mrs. Huber’s head is in the refrigerator, Hazel is stirring her gravy, and Audrey and I are hanging back in stupefied silence.
“I think everything’s ready, Maddie,” Hazel whispers, “if you want to go ahead and get started.”
Hazel can tell the natives are getting restless. Well, not all the natives—basically one in particular, who never ceases to complain no matter where she is or what she’s doing. I help transfer some dishes to the table and put the finishing touches on the ones that need it while Mrs. Huber hurriedly takes Brittany her drink.
“Who’s the girl?” Mom asks, pointing at Audrey.
I get that you’re upset with me, Mom, but you don’t have to take it out on everyone else.
“This is my friend, Audrey,” I explain. “She was at the food drive yesterday with me, remember?”
“How could I forget that fiasco?” she wonders, rolling her eyes. “I don’t suppose you told Hazel what you did?”
“Oh, Maddie told me all about it,” Hazel says, referring to the high number of donations and volunteering. Of course I didn’t tell her about Harley. “It sounds like it was a fantastic success.”
“I can’t imagine what lies you’ve been telling, Maddie,” Mom complains, turning and walking from the room. Hazel immediately shoots me a sympathetic smile. She knows all about Mom, and she’s seen these kinds of scenes many times before.
“Can someone turn on a fan or something?” Brittany belts from the living room. “I’m practically dying in here.”
“It is hot in here,” Mrs. Huber agrees. “Why is it so hot in here?”
“For goodness sake, just open a window and stop complaining,” Dad chimes in.
Thank you, Dad.
“The window’s stuck,” Mrs. Huber states. “The window’s stuck. Why won’t the window move? Somebody come here and fix this window.”
“You have to unlock it first,” I hear Lance tell her, and then I hear a whoosh as it rises into the air.
“Well, I was trying to unlock it,” Mrs. Huber replies. “It must be broken. Brittany, dear, are you comfortable now?”
“I’m pregnant. I’m never comfortable.”
“Mom,” Marilyn interjects, “can we go outside for a minute?”
“Ask your dad. Can’t you see I’m dying here?”
“Dad?”
“No, sweetheart, we’re getting ready to eat.”
“You better hurry, Maddie,” Hazel hints. I agree—this is falling apart quickly.
“Dinner’s ready!” I call. Shuffling can be heard as people begin to travel in my direction.
“Is it always this crazy?” Audrey whispers.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“You’re going to have to open a window in there,” Brittany demands. “If it’s hot in one room it will be hot in the other.”
“Why don’t you just eat in here where it’s more comfortable?” Lance suggests.
“No. Why should I have to miss out on the adult conversation just because I’m pregnant? I’m having a child, that doesn’t mean I am one, Lance.”
The level of restraint that I am showing in not hitting that lobbed softball is pretty impressive.
“Lance, why don’t you push the recliner into the dining room for Brittany so she’ll be comfortable?” Mrs. Huber suggests.
“No!” Lance replies. “If Brittany wants to sit in a recliner, she’ll just have to stay put. I’m not dragging Maddie’s furniture all over the house.”
“Some of us are going to have to sit in here,” Tucker speaks up. “Maddie wasn’t expecting this many people, and not everyone will fit at the table.”
“I can eat outside,” Marilyn suggests.
“Me too!” little Jordan pipes up.
“You’re not going outside,” Lance states, “so drop it.”
“Maddie set up a special table for you, so you won’t have to sit with the adults.” Lovely Tucker, defending me so heroically. No wonder Josh is so admirable—he has a great role model.
“I hope you set my place at the special table,” Audrey jokes.
“Trust me, Audrey,” I say with a laugh, “if I could have put myself at the special table, I would have.”
“Tucker and I can sit in the other room,” Hazel offers. “We don’t mind.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I tell her.
“That turkey looks good,” Mom says, insp
ecting the table. “Hazel must have made it.”
“Actually, Maddie provided the turkey,” Hazel interjects.
“Humph!”
“Somebody needs to tell me everything that Maddie made,” Brittany begins, waddling into the dining room, “so I don’t accidentally make myself sick.”
Nice—going to visit someone’s house for the express purpose of eating dinner and then refusing to eat anything they prepared. Brittany and Mom have got to be in this thing together. It is “punish Maddie” day, simply because I ruined her celebrity sighting.
“Apparently she made the turkey,” Mom states.
“She might have made this,” Brittany says, pointing to one of Hazel’s dishes. “It doesn’t look very fancy.”
“If you don’t want to eat here, you know where the door is,” I blurt, unable to contain my frustration.
“My goodness, Maddie,” Mom chides. “What a gracious hostess you are.”
“Maddie has invited us to her home,” Dad comes to life, “and she has gone to a lot of trouble. The least you can do is be respectful.” Diverting his attention from Mom, Dad offers me a hint of a smile. “Everything looks fantastic, sweetheart. You did a good job.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I manage through a lump in my throat.
“Well, I don’t think—” Mom begins.
“That’s enough,” Dad mentions quietly, glancing at her. She shuts her mouth and crosses her arms over her chest.
“Maybe we should just say a blessing,” Tucker suggests.
“I’m not playing that ‘I’m thankful’ game,” Brittany whines.
“He wants to pray, Brittany,” I tell her, “so be quiet a minute.”
“Father, we come to You today with thanksgiving in our hearts for all the things You’ve done in our lives.”
“Uh.”
That must have been one of the kids. Can no one in this family be respectful of anyone?
“We trust You to feed our spirits, and we pray that You will use this food we are receiving to nourish our bodies as well. Please bless Maddie for her hospitality as she has graciously welcomed all of us into her home.”
“Ohhhhh.”
What the…?
Simply Mad (Girls of Wonder Lane Book 1) Page 24
