Christmas Couragement

by LoRee Peery

  She nodded. “That’ll do, I suppose. Just think about Christmas in the window though.”

  “You’re much too good looking to frown.”

  “A compliment, oh, serious man? Where are the happy subjects in the photos you’ll display? No wonder you don’t smile. These shots are gloomy. Sorry, that’s my honest opinion. Even the dogs in your pictures have sad faces. I see hopelessness. It’s a downer.”

  “That’s the idea. Where’s hope in this dark world? I see the dregs. You see ’em, too. I guess you give and I take. These shots make me money.”

  “It’s sad you feel that way, Liam. God loves us. He wants us to have hope. First John 4:9 says He loves us so much He sent His only Son to be born amidst sinful humanity.” She looked him in the eye. “That means us. You and me.”

  ~*~

  How well Liam knew Christmas wasn’t temporary. Nightmares and daytime memories occurred no matter what day the calendar read. Zoe had given him something to think about. He used to read the Bible verses she referred to. He once had a cheery outlook on life.

  He couldn’t help how he felt. Every year Christmas rolled around, he relived what had happened to his mother. Then he’d lose himself recalling the lost months of his life that followed her death.

  Zoe headed for the door, where she picked up her bag. “I may have inherited more money than I know what to do with, but I could tell you about my bad choices, which resulted in careless living. The Lord showed me my dark side. Through Him, I’ve chosen to dwell on the light He brought into a dark world. I see Him in the bright world that He’s provided. I’m trying to pass on some of His light. Here’s your card for today.”

  She pulled a silver envelope from the pocket of her bag, a multi-colored quilted thing, and left.

  He followed to latch the door, but she strode back. Her smile stabbed him where he’d crossed his heart earlier.

  “It’s snowing, Liam. When was the last time you examined an individual snowflake? No two snowflakes are alike. God creates no identical humans, either. He made us in His own likeness.” She waved, and ran. Her booted feet thumped against the sudden deluge of icy crystals.

  He shot the bolt and rested his seat sideways on the window shelf, swinging the leg that didn’t rest on the floor. If anyone on God’s snowy earth could melt the granite of his heart, he supposed it was Zoe Danner.

  Liam studied the envelope in his hand. He ran a finger over his name scrawled in glittery red. He turned over the thick envelope and tore the paper around the seal, trying not to disturb the glob of he-knew-not-what. Somehow, she’d fashioned a Z design in a drop of blue on top of a gold ribbon that sealed the point of the flap.

  As with the Christmas tree card, the Bible verse was written in cursive on a sheet of detached parchment paper. Inside, he drew out nine snowflakes intricately cut in alternating gold and silver paper on a backdrop of green and red foil.

  Zoe and her favorite number nine. He’d shaken his head at her and Meredith all those years ago. Three cards given away on three Saturdays. Their unselfishness had made him proud, though he never would have admitted it back then. They were just a couple of girls.

  He hardly recognized the smile his mouth formed. That simple action of curving his lips up instead of down relaxed the tension he always felt in his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that. His life had turned into nothing but a serious ride.

  If he looked at the calendar, he surmised Zoe to be counting down to Christmas. Taking a guess, that meant seven more cards. She’d have a reason to search him out for seven more days.

  Then what?

  “I suppose, next she’ll expect me to do something for her. Such as hand out blankets to derelicts.” He stood and planted his weight on both feet.

  Could be, Zoe had a point. Maybe his life needed uplifting, the missing element in his photos. He glanced out the window. Huge snowflakes had replaced the tiny icy stuff of a few moments earlier.

  Was it time to catch more shots with feeling? Could his heart be thawing like the snow melting down the pane?

  All thanks to one feisty, full-of-life woman, who gave away her heart on a daily basis. He couldn’t help but conclude she’d offered him a piece of her heart.

  No way could it work.

  One of them was bound to get hurt.

  4

  Day Three ’couragement

  “We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

  ~Matthew 2:2

  The next morning Zoe continued a conversation with Meredith while opening up the Agape Wear door with her free hand. “You wouldn’t believe how much clothing was delivered from the church yesterday, Merri. Do you care if I still call you that?”

  “Not at all, silly Zee.”

  They shared a laugh that brought back the giddiness of girlhood.

  “I couldn’t be more tickled. They had a coat-and-mittens drive. Thank goodness several volunteers came in to organize. I didn’t have to sort them by size or gender. Someone even made signs for the piles. There are way too many items to hang up.”

  “The excitement in your voice makes me all the more anxious to see you again. I can’t wait to give you a hug in person and to see where you spend the majority of your work week. I’m arriving at the Lincoln airport Christmas Eve day.”

  They squealed in sync and broke off, Meredith first.

  Zoe continued to laugh. “It’s all right for us to remain girls at heart.”

  “I know. It’s too bad adults lose spontaneity.”

  “Maybe you can bring some life into your brother’s Gorgeous Photography.” Zoe lifted her gaze across the courtyard to Liam’s gallery. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her. She made no sense of Meredith’s response. Her cellphone slipped. A sideways jerk retrieved it before it hit the floor. “Sorry. I, uh, have to go.”

  Are my little gifts working, Lord?

  Strung across the front window, spaced in perfect precision to alternate against the green and red foil backgrounds, the white snowflakes she’d made for Liam hung in a swag, which brightened the window.

  She reached for the sign that read PLEASE WAIT. I’LL BE BACK SHORTLY, but didn’t hang it on the door. Two women and what looked like a dozen children noisily approached. She opened the door instead of locking it. Telling Liam how much his decoration meant to her would have to wait. “Welcome to Agape Wear.”

  Cautious faces turned to beaming smiles. Hundreds of coats and mittens later, Zoe sagged. Two vans from the mission had brought a steady stream of customers to the courtyard gate. She didn’t have the energy to stand when the door opened at the end of the day.

  “We must be closing in on the shortest day of the year; it’s getting dark so early.” Liam’s entrance brought her to her feet. “I hope you had some lunch. It was like a parade around here. You must have made a couple hundred people happy. Brought you some coffee.”

  “Perfect timing. Smells wonderful.”

  “Wait.” He reached into his pocket. “Let me unwrap this dark chocolate and I’ll drop it in.”

  “Thank you. How thoughtful.”

  “You are the thoughtful one. Smart, too. I took my camera along when I went out to lunch. You should be proud of me. Didn’t take one black-and-white shot.”

  “I’m glad.” She inhaled and sipped. “I wonder if there will be coffee in heaven. And chocolate, please.”

  His eyes held a silvery glint of blue she noticed for the first time.

  “Do tell, crafty man behind the lens, what mighty street scenes caught your eye today?”

  “Nope. You’ll have to wait to find out.” Liam smiled.

  Gasping, she lifted her free hand to hold onto her cup with both. Otherwise, she’d drop the coffee and burn herself.

  The smile disappeared. “What?”

  She grinned back. “It’s about time. I thought you’d forgotten how to smile.”

  “It’s your fault.”

  Zoe didn’t break eye contact as she blew and filled he
r mouth with the hot coffee tinted with dark chocolate. She swallowed, rested the cup on the counter. “I once heard a saying that’s run through my mind a lot since we ran into one another.”

  “I can hardly wait.”

  “It went something like, ’A smile is a gently curved line that has a way of setting things straight.’”

  “I believe it. If anyone can straighten me out, it’s you.” His low voice whispered over her senses much like a caress.

  “That’s a job for God.” Oh. My. Goodness. I should say, oh, my heart. Her heart had always waited for Liam. Now, her heart was in bigger trouble than ever.

  ~*~

  The smiling thing wasn’t as painful as Liam imagined. Thanks to Zoe. She’d awakened a buried part of him that his facial muscles remembered without him thinking about it.

  “Are you sure about keeping secret what you saw and shot today?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a secret. I saw nothing that you don’t see every time you take a walk. You’re no doubt used to noticing color, while I’ve focused on the contrasting undertones for longer than I care to admit.”

  She swirled the liquid in her cup. “Thanks for the chocolate touch.”

  “You’re welcome. Mind if I nose a bit?” He peeked around the counter and tucked his go-cup in the small wicker wastebasket, making sure the weight didn’t pull away the liner.

  “I did it at your place. Snooped.”

  “My place doesn’t smell like peppermint.”

  “It’s from a diffuser.”

  “Whatever that is.” He shook his head. Agape Wear was organized and surprisingly neat, considering how many kids had bombarded the place. He jerked at the pounding on the door. Liam scowled.

  The man at the door entered. He couldn’t look more ragged than if he’d tried out for Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.

  Liam took two giant steps to come between the man and Zoe.

  She joined him, and put her hand on Liam’s arm. “It’s all right.” She smiled. “It’s past closing time, sir, but may I help you find something warm?”

  What was wrong with her to address the reprobate as sir? The man stank. With red-rimmed eyes he darted his gaze to the corner where men’s coats were displayed on a double-rodded frame.

  She gave Liam’s arm a gentle squeeze then moved while she talked. “I’m going to guess a large is what you need. Do you have a color or style preference?”

  The man now acted as though he intended to join Zoe at the rack.

  Liam stayed him with the shake of his head.

  “Camo. Warm.” He shuffled his feet, shot a look of disgust at Liam. “I ain’t going to hurt your lady, man.”

  “That’s correct. You’re staying right here.” He’d never understand why Zoe interacted with such people.

  Both men followed Zoe’s actions. She folded two camouflage coats over her arm, rifled through a box marked Men’s Gloves, and brought over the garments.

  “I’ve got a hood, ma’am. That coat on top will do just fine. And I thank you for the gloves.” He looked at neither of them as he hurried out the door.

  “Wait.” Zoe caught up with him.

  He kept his eyes lowered.

  She nestled a New Testament in a coat pocket. “May God bless you and the coat warm you.”

  Neither Liam nor Zoe said a word as they watched through the window. The man dropped the coat on the courtyard bricks. He smoothed his scraggly long hair, upped the hood on his ragged sweatshirt, and donned the coat. With gloves in place, he nodded at Zoe once and exposed gaps in his teeth.

  Liam grimaced at what could have caused the teeth to rot. He strode to the door, making sure the man left the courtyard. He shot the deadbolt in place, swiveled, and shook his head. “Why you do it? Associate with the likes of him? That man has danger written all over him.”

  She faced Liam with a glint of moisture in her eyes. “There’s a lot we haven’t talked about. Such as, I’ve been down myself. I’ve hit bottom but had the money to climb up. Only God has kept me from walking in the shoes of the homeless. He saved me. If I can pass on help, and hope, to someone else, I will.” Zoe lifted the hair off her neck, and grimaced as she massaged her upper back.

  “Let me.” He pulled her to him, turned her to face the opposite direction. He inhaled her fragrance as he buried his hands in the mass of tri-colored hair that had the capability to hold him spellbound, and parted it to lay the tresses forward. The combination of hair products and her natural essence replaced the memory in his nostrils of the unwashed man of the streets.

  Her shoulders relaxed in response to his touch. She sighed.

  He had the urge to bury his face on her shoulder and absorb the silky softness of her neck. No one need tell him he could find peace in her presence.

  “Do that much longer and I’ll fall asleep at your feet.”

  His kneading stilled. He cleared his throat, fighting the impulse to chuckle.

  She raised her hands to set her hair back over her shoulders, and their fingers touched. He couldn’t resist. He ran his thumbs over the backs of her hands.

  She took a step and broke the moment. From behind a folding screen depicting a majestic peacock, she drew out a puffy navy bag. “Since we didn’t see one another earlier today, here you are.”

  The envelope she handed him was even bigger than yesterday’s, plain tan paper except for his glittery silver name on the front and the same kind of closure on the flap. Made of wax. He’d looked it up to see what substance made a seal.

  “Thanks, Zoe. I’ve anticipated your gift all day long.”

  “I saw what you did with the snowflakes.” Her face glowed. “Nice touch.”

  How did she do that? She struck a chord inside him that made his insides jiggle with enthusiasm. “You were right. Quite a few people, who all but bumped their noses against the cold glass, stared in at me. I pointed them to the Grand Opening announcement on the door.”

  “I won’t say I told you so.”

  He didn’t mind her smug look.

  Liam used a knife blade to slide underneath the seal of the envelope, preserving the ribbon as well. “Now then, what do we have inside this one?” Out slipped a simple heavy cardboard cut-out star, covered in gold foil and trimmed with silver glitter.

  Childlike in appearance, it took his mind back in time. “This looks familiar.”

  “You mean you remember? Meredith and I each made one for the tops of our trees—”

  “At the same time you made the ’couragement cards.” He finished for her.

  They smiled into one another’s eyes. “Mom took pictures of those cards and I put them in a scrapbook,” she said.

  “Good idea. All of a sudden, I’m starving. Do all your house mates cook?”

  “We take turns. Sometimes if I’m running late, I grab carry-out. I’m not up to cook tonight, but I should get going to clean up afterwards.”

  Liam slid the star back into its envelope. He spied the Bible verse written on parchment, but attached to a smaller star-shaped notecard. He shrugged into his coat. “I’ll walk you to the gate.”

  Zoe came to a standstill in the middle of the courtyard. “I’m so thankful I can look into the heavens from where I live. All a person sees from here is the reflection of city lights in the night sky. Did you know no scientist has figured out what the star really was that long ago night when Christ was born?”

  “I call that city lights glow.”

  She lowered her chin and studied his features. “I’m waiting. Did you know that fact about the Bethlehem star?”

  “Can’t say I ever thought about it. A comet, maybe? I always figured it was a sign from God to the shepherds and other men.”

  “There’s hope for you yet, Liam Gorgeous.” She pointed to a candelabra in Garden Gate’s front window. “Look at that detail. Now that’s Victorian. I read that Victorians put candles on their Christmas trees to represent the stars in the night sky.”

  She stood on tiptoe, hand on his heart, and ki
ssed his cheek. “Thanks for the shoulder massage. See you tomorrow.” She hurried off so fast that he had no time to react.

  Liam placed his hand on his chest where she had touched him. He still smelled her, even in the crisp air. He flipped up his collar and traipsed to his lonely mini-bachelor pad, nothing but Zoe on his mind.

  How and when had she been down and out? As far down as when he lived in San Francisco? She’d given him something to think about. He’d be fine with her on his mind, as long as his head was where she’d stay. Fat chance. He feared she’d already penetrated his heart, and he’d never be the same. Regardless, as long as she practiced contact with those street people, he’d never give her access to his life.

  5

  Day Four ’couragement

  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree…by his wounds you have been healed.

  ~1 Peter 2:24

  Zoe considered the Christmas symbols on her proposed list for cards or crafts designed with Liam in mind. She’d given him a tree, snowflakes, and a star. Would he take offense if she wrote something personal inside the card along with a Bible verse?

  She made her decision on both counts. With precision she drew a candy-cane shape, and then cut narrow strips of sturdy red and white paper to angle in between the outside lines.

  Before long, the noise level rose from the great room. Her roommates McKenna, Anna, and Cliff all had dates, celebrating a birthday for one of them. Zoe’d bowed out, mostly because she didn’t want to be the token single person. They’d asked her to invite someone, but she wanted to keep Liam to herself a bit longer.

  He would meet them at a later date because the roomies had given permission for Meredith to stay here on the acreage during her visit. Liam didn’t have room for his sister at his place.

  At the rate Zoe was going, she needed to set aside thoughts of the man; they circled and distracted her from the craft project laid out in front of her. In seconds, she’d returned to remembering the thrill of his touch. The warmth and weight of his hands on her shoulders had sparked unforgettable tingles as the zings shot throughout her nervous system.