A Mommy for Christmas

by Danielle Lee Zwissler

  “Madelyn, I’m going to let you off with a warning this time. Please, just slow it down. I don’t know how far you have to go, but I’m sure the place will still be there when you arrive.”

  Madelyn smiled, and he felt as if his heart would stop. She was very beautiful.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you so very much, Officer—”

  “It’s Brice. Brice Reynolds. And, just be careful, you may not be so lucky the next time.”

  “Thanks, Brice. I will…be careful. And Merry

  Christmas!”

  Brice smiled and nodded. “Merry Christmas, Madelyn.”

  A few minutes later, Brice watched Madelyn drive away, and then went back to the warmth of his squad car. Only an hour and a half until his shift was over.

  As Maddie pulled away from Brice she couldn’t help but get the feeling that she should have said something more. Brice was very attractive, and she acted like a crazy person. He probably let her off because he was afraid that she might jump him, or worse…date him! And all that talk about her being 120 pounds! So embarrassing! I wonder if cops look at the weight.

  After about twenty minutes of driving on RT 12, Maddie felt a thud, and then her car skidded across the road and off into a ditch.

  Chapter Two

  Brice pulled out of the cove and headed toward the police station. It wasn’t long on RT 12 when he saw the familiar sedan. His heart sped up and he pulled his car over, hoping that Madelyn Makenna was okay.

  When he got to the window, he saw that it was steamed up a bit. He knocked once, then went for the door handle. “Hey!” she yelled, covering herself up.

  Brice’s eyes widened. “What are you—?”

  “I’m changing! I figured I needed warmer clothes on!”

  “What happened?”

  Maddie took a deep breath, pulled the sweatshirt over her head and then looked at Officer Reynolds. “Well, I ran off the side of the road.”

  “Going too fast?”

  Maddie looked at him, took a bite of her bottom lip and sobbed.

  “Hey, don’t cry. Come on, you can ride with me.”

  “What about my car?”

  “We’ll get it towed out of here.”

  “But I can’t…”

  “I’ve got AAA. Let’s get out of here.” Maddie grabbed her coat, her keys and her purse. “Do you have any bags or anything in the car?”

  “Yeah, my suitcase and a few presents.”

  “Get those, too. You don’t want to leave anything in your car around here.”

  “Okay.”

  After five minutes of loading the cruiser, Brice opened the passenger side back door and made her get in. She felt like a criminal.

  “Is this seat necessary? I mean, can’t I sit up front?” “Nope.”

  “Why not? You’re not taking me in to the station, are you?” That was all she needed, to be picked up on Christmas Eve!

  Brice chuckled. “No, Madelyn, I’m not going to take you in. It’s standard protocol; I’m not allowed to have you in the passenger seat.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, so where were you headed?”

  “For Christmas, you mean?”

  “Yeah.”

  “My parents. They live in Ohio.”

  “Ohio, eh? I haven’t been there in a long time.”

  “Oh? So, let me guess—Cedar Point?”

  “Yeah,” Brice smiled, then continued, “how’d you guess?”

  “That’s where everyone goes when they go to Ohio.

  There’s nothing more to the place than that.”

  “So, Ohio is the birthplace of one Madelyn Makenna?”

  Maddie didn’t know why he kept calling her by her full name. It was odd coming from his perfect lips. She smiled. “Yeah, its home.”

  “Well, then I’m sure there is something that you like more about it than Cedar Point.”

  “Well, of course there are a few other things that I appreciate.”

  “We have a good fifteen minutes until we get to the station, and then another few until I can get my car.”

  “Your car?”

  “Well, I can’t get you to where you need to go in a cruiser, now can I?”

  Madelyn had no idea what he was talking about so she just finished. “I guess I like the weather, even though people say if you are waiting on a different outcome, just wait fifteen minutes… or the Browns, and the Indians. I know…they haven’t won in a while, but the fans—they are crazy! I just love it. There are a lot of things that I like about home.”

  Brice looked over at Madelyn’s smiling face and nodded. “I haven’t been home in a while either.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Chicago. My parents died a few years back. There isn’t anything there for me anymore.”

  “Oh, Brice, I’m really sorry. Don’t you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “Nope…Mom and dad always joked that they stopped at one…they already had their perfect son. A few years ago they died in a freak car accident. When I came up on your car…well, I’m glad that you’re okay.”

  Madelyn blushed. “I’m really sorry. I…well, I wasn’t going fast, Brice. I skidded on some ice and lost control of the car. I’m really glad that you were there to help. You’ve been helping me all night. I just got to thinking about how if you wouldn’t have pulled me over, I’d have gone too fast and it could have been worse.”

  Brice thought about that, too. He nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. Soon they were pulling in to the station. Only a few cars were in the lot. “Would you like to go in with me, or wait outside? I can get your things into my car.

  Without thinking, Madelyn said, “I’ll just get my stuff out of the car, if that’s okay?”

  “Yeah, no that’s fine.” Brice got out of the driver’s seat and stretched. Sitting in a squad car for the last six hours put a lot of strain on his back. Usually after his shift, he just went home and got something quick to eat before falling asleep. Today he wasn’t sure what would happen. The thought of spending a little more time with Madelyn made him feel better. After helping her out of the car, Brice pushed the fob for his 4 wheel drive and listened for its tone. “I’m right over there,” he said, pointing.

  “Wow, that’s nice.” Brice had a beautiful, cherry red F150 extended cab.

  “Thanks, let’s get you all set. I’ll leave the keys in and get the heat going. Please, don’t steal my truck,” Brice joked.

  Maddie smiled. “I should do it, you know? Wouldn’t that just put a perfect ending to my day?”

  Brice smiled back, “Yeah, it would do wonders for mine, too. Look, I’ll be right back. I did most of my paperwork already, I just have a few things to do, and then I’m all yours.”

  “Oh…”

  “Be right back.”

  ***

  Brice had no idea what he was thinking when he walked into the station, other than that he wanted more than anything to spend more time with Madelyn. There was something about the girl that made him just want to help her. Call it intuition, but he knew that she needed him, and hell, it was a great feeling for once.

  ***

  “You ready to go,” Brice said to Maddie once he got in his vehicle. The paperwork took about fifteen minutes longer than he thought. The truck was nice and warm when he got in.

  “Yeah, where are we going exactly?”

  “Ohio,” Brice said confidently. Until that moment, he had no idea what he was going to do, but taking her to her family made sense.

  Maddie turned toward Brice. “You are going to take me to Ohio?”

  “Yeah, why not?”

  “Brice, it’s…it’s Christmas Eve! I’m sure there are places, plans—”

  “There’s nothing,” Brice said, looking at his steering wheel.

  “Are you sure…I mean, I can just.”

  “What? Your car won’t be out for a few hours yet, and then of course, you will have to make sure everything works.”

/>   “That’s true, but…”

  “Look, I know you don’t know me, and I would be worried if my sister took a trip with a man that she didn’t even know.”

  “I thought you didn’t have a-–”

  “That’s just an example, no sister. It’s just. Well, honestly, I don’t have any plans. And you seem to have a bad run of luck lately…”

  “Isn’t that the truth,” Maddie interrupted.

  “Yeah,” Brice said, then turned his body toward hers. “Look, I’ll just drive you home, and then when you’re ready to go, I’ll swing by and pick you up and bring you back here. I can have the tow truck tow your car to the station.”

  “You’d do that for me?” Maddie said, her face reddened and her bottom lip started to quiver. “You’d take off with me for Christmas?”

  Brice began to feel uncomfortable. “Of course. Listen, it’s not a big deal. How bad can Ohio be?”

  Maddie laughed. “Hopefully those won’t be famous last words!”

  ***

  Two hours on the road brought the two to Chicago, Brice’s hometown. Brice suggested a stop at a small diner.

  Maddie was happy to oblige.

  “This place is great!” Maddie said cheerfully. “I’ve wanted to stop for a while now, I’m starving!”

  “You should have said something. You know we still have a good 6 hours until we get to Ohio.”

  “Yeah, I know. The drive isn’t that bad, it’s just. I’ve been craving a cup of cocoa! I also didn’t stop or eat anything when I left…and that was a long while ago, remember? I was sitting on the side of the road for over an hour!”

  Brice couldn’t believe it himself. Really it was nothing short of a miracle. He’d never done anything like this in his life. “I know what you mean. All I had for lunch was a pb&j… and I made it. So, it wasn’t exactly great.”

  Maddie laughed. “Ah, poor baby! Not much of a cook, eh?”

  “No, never had a reason to be. It’s okay. I don’t have a great kitchen or anything, just an efficiency apartment. I live down the street from the station. Work is pretty much all I have right now.”

  “Well that’s depressing, Brice! What about dates?”

  “What about them?”

  “Don’t you go on them?” Even though the question was innocent enough, Maddie felt herself flush. “I mean…”

  “No, it’s okay. I go out…but not a lot lately.”

  “Brice, is something wrong?”

  “No, nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been concentrating on getting things together. I’ve been saving for a place to call home.”

  “Oh, that’ll be nice. I’ve been in-between jobs for a while, and I just finally got something that I really like.”

  “Oh yeah, what do you do?”

  “I’m a teacher. I have preschoolers. I have my associates in early childhood education. I’m hoping to get my bachelor’s degree, when I can finish school.”

  “Here’s your hot cocoa, Miss, and here’s your coffee, sir…Is there anything else that I can get for you both?” the waitress interrupted, before she ran off. Two hot mugs were set in front of them.

  “I think that’s it for now, unless you want to get lunch?” Brice asked Maddie.

  “This is good for now.”

  “I can’t believe you’re a teacher,” Brice said. “I think that’s great.”

  “Why can’t you believe it?”

  “Well, you had a way with words earlier…”

  Maddie laughed. “Well, yeah, I wasn’t exactly at my best! The breakup, remember?”

  “How can I forget?” Brice said, placing his hand on his chest for effect. “So, who was the guy?”

  “Thomas Landry. We’ve been dating for two years now. I thought he was going to ask me to marry him. Well, obviously he didn’t. I found him in bed with a 19 year old actress!”

  “So you two were living together then?” Brice picked up his coffee and took a sip.

  “No, we didn’t live together. I was going there to surprise him! We had a snow day at school, and he works nights. I thought I’d go over and spend the day with him.” Maddie shook her head. The scene at Thomas’ apartment still set her off.

  “Wow…the guy’s a real idiot.”

  Maddie agreed. “Why would you say that?” she asked, drinking her hot cocoa. She ordered extra whipped cream and a little got on her nose. Brice smiled, nearly taking her breath away.

  “Because,” he said, using his finger to get the cream off her nose, “he let you get away.”

  Maddie and Brice locked eyes and she breathed, “Oh.” After the café’, Maddie asked Brice where he used to live, and before they knew it, they were sitting in the truck in front of his old home. It was a medium sized place, complete with a two-car garage and a long shared driveway. The street where he grew up was one of the only brick roads left, making it look like something out of a different time.

  “This is nice, Brice. Are your parents…?”

  Brice swallowed. “Down the road.”

  “Let’s go see them.”

  Brice looked over at Maddie and smiled. “Thanks, I’d like that.”

  ***

  The cemetery was full of poinsettias and reds and greens. Little Christmas trees adorned several of the tombstones, making them a little less drab this holiday season. Brice walked down the rows of graves until he came to a stop in front of one. Kneeling down, he brushed the snow off of his parents’ names.

  James and Rhonda Reynolds—parents of Brice. Loved and never forgotten.

  Brice stood still for a moment, and Maddie felt sad. She had both of her parents, a slew of brothers and sisters, and a ton of cousins. Brice was alone in this world. She reached down and grabbed his hand, immediately feeling a shock. He stood up and she moved into his embrace. They stood there for a few minutes. Brice was tall, and she fit perfectly under his chin. His arms were strong, and she felt great being there. She could feel his heart beat, slowly at first, but gradually speeding up. “I’m so sorry, Brice,” Maddie whispered.

  Maddie could feel him swallow, then sniffle. She stepped back and looked up into his eyes. He looked down at her, and then as if nothing happened, they walked away—hand in hand—to his truck.

  Chapter Three

  “So, what’s your favorite Christmas song?” Maddie asked as they made their way into Indiana. Indiana was incredibly flat, and there was a lot of ground to cover, and unfortunately not a lot of places to stop.

  “Hmm... I’d have to say the Grinch one.”

  “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” Maddie sang. Brice turned up the station louder. “Hey!”

  “What?”

  “You don’t like my singing?” Maddie pretended to be offended, but was laughing inside. Brice took one look at her and they both smiled.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  Changing the subject Brice interjected, “So, what did you tell your parents about me?”

  Maddie winced. “So, don’t get mad, but I just mentioned that a friend was bringing me.”

  “So, we’re friends?” Brice asked, amused.

  “Well, yeah. Even though we really don’t know each other, you know pretty much more than anyone else that knows me. So, friends.”

  “Okay, friend, so what’s your favorite color?”

  “Blue, yours?”

  “Black.”

  “Black isn’t a color!”

  “Uh, yeah it is.”

  “Agree to disagree,” Maddie said, then changed the station on the radio. “What was the first tape you ever listened to?”

  “Wow, first tape,” Brice said, tapping the steering wheel. “Okay, I think it was Bruce Springsteen.”

  “Really? Wow, Brice, you are old!”

  “Nice. Well, since you’ve heard of tapes, I know that you are, too. Same question?”

  “No comment.”

  “What do you mean, no comment?” Brice looked over at Maddie and she had a grin on her face.

  “How old are you,
Maddie?”

  “Never ask a lady her age!”

  “I’m not asking a lady,” Brice joked. Maddie smacked him.

  “I’m 28.”

  “I’m 34,” Brice said. “So, you weren’t lying about your age on your license.”

  Maddie’s eyes widened. “I knew you looked!”

  “Of course I looked at it. That’s my job.”

  Maddie shook her head. “Why does it matter how much we weigh or when our birthdays are?”

  Brice chuckled. “Because, it’s used for buying alcohol, or in case someone were to impersonate you, we would know your stats.”

  “I’m really not that…”

  “Maddie, I could not care less about how much you weigh. You look perfect.”

  “Thanks, Brice.”

  “You’re welcome. So, you never answered.”

  “Ace of Base.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “I know!” Maddie laughed. “It’s embarrassing!”

  ***

  Two hours later they arrived in Ohio. Madelyn’s home was another hour away in a small town called New Philadelphia. It was a charming place, with a beautiful park that housed a Ferris wheel, some swings, and several carnival rides. The place wasn’t huge, but they did have a mall, a Wal-Mart and it was the county seat.

  “Now, I kind of live far from town. But, this is where the fun is.”

  Brice looked unconvinced.

  “Seriously…There are a few bars around here,” she pointed down the main street of town. “And down that way, is where I went to high school, and over there,” she pointed to her right, “is where the mall is located. It’s not big or anything, but there are some good stores.”

  “Definitely not Chi-town.”

  “No.” Maddie found herself laughing, “Definitely not.”

  From the last seven hours, Brice learned that Maddie’s mom was a nurse at the hospital, and her father was a manager at Subway. Her brothers all worked at the Belden Brick Company, and her sisters were all stay-at-home moms. Maddie was the youngest of five children. She was also the only one that moved away. And she was also the only one that went to college. Her parents were very proud of her.