The Problem With Mistletoe

by Kyle Baxter

  Everyone at the table watched them both. Finally Mama stepped in. “You’ll need new supplies if you’re redesigning the concept.”

  “Yes, and that might be a concern. We need a new venue, too.” Alex leaned back in his chair so that it rested solely on the back two legs. Pausing in her knitting, Mama frowned at him until he set it full on the floor again. Justin and Maria shared a grin, enjoying someone else being the object of her sharp eye.

  Alex huffed. “Sorry.”

  Mama pulled a credit card from her apron and slid it across to him. “The SuperStore has a huge Christmas section. Take this.”

  He pushed it back, aghast. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Hush.” Reaching over, she put the card in his shirt pocket. He didn’t resist; there was no point. But he wasn’t going to use it. No doubt they’d argue about that later too. She’d probably put secret money into his luggage if he wasn’t careful.

  “Bonnie goes there every Saturday to pick up things for the restaurant. You can go with her.” She inclined her head to Bonnie. “Please?”

  Bonnie grunted and looked through the list of supplies point by bullet point, but she didn’t argue. “Meet me there, at 10:00 a.m. sharp.”

  “Jawohl, mein Kapitän,” Alex snarked, making her snort in laughter. At last. He wondered why she was short with him. Coming back home was certainly a mixed bag.

  “It’s settled, then.” Mama stood using the tabletop and the back of the chair for support.

  Alex watched her. She wasn’t as spry as she used to be. Of course, the last time he saw his aunt and uncle was years ago, when they visited him in Manhattan on the return leg of a European tour.

  Returning to the paperwork, he was making notes when she cried out and fell to the floor by the host stand. He rushed to help her, with Bonnie and Justin right with him.

  “I’m okay.” Mama sat up, but her voice was strained.

  “Don’t try to get up,” Bonnie instructed. “Stay there.”

  “I’m calling an ambulance.” Alex reached for his phone.

  “No, that’s not necessary.” Mama was firm.

  At the sound of the commotion, Papa flew out of the kitchen. Kneeling beside her, he took her hand. “What happened?”

  “I . . . just lost my balance. Let me rest here for a moment. Can you get me some water, dear?”

  Papa made to get up, but Justin beat him, racing back to the kitchen himself.

  Alex rubbed a hand over his face. “Okay, I’m calling an ambulance.”

  Mama fixed him with a sharp eye. “Alejandro, I told you no.”

  “Fine.” Lifting up his phone, his fingers moved across the screen.

  “I told you no.”

  He waved a hand dismissively. “I promise I’m not calling an ambulance.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  True Colors

  David was warm and toasty, lying in bed and watching TV when the call came in. It made him jump. His phone rarely rang after 10:00 p.m.

  “Something’s happened to Mama,” came the voice he knew so well.

  “What is it?” He sat up like a shot.

  “Mama lost her balance and fell but she won’t let me call an ambulance,” Alex said. “I know it’s asking a lot, but can you come over?”

  “One minute.” After he climbed out of bed, he padded down the hall to Eric’s room. After a soft knock he opened the door. In bed under the covers sat his son. A light shone through the openings.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” he asked.

  Eric threw the comforter off and pushed his book aside. “Nothing.”

  David pointed at the flashlight. “That’s nothing?”

  Eric switched it off. “Couldn’t sleep.”

  The boy had trouble sleeping sometimes. David would check on him some nights, only to find him like this, hiding in a makeshift fort and reading. Better than being on the Internet and up to lord knows what, he supposed. When asked, the boy invariably shrugged and said, “Nothing.” Something was off. It worried him and kept him up some nights too.

  “You want to take a quick road trip?” In response to the boy’s excited face, he spoke into the phone. “We’re on our way.”

  Ten minutes later, David was in Capili’s Restaurant, placing a blood-pressure cuff on Mama’s arm. His black bag lay open on the floor beside him.

  Papa sat at the table nearest to them, tutting every now and then and rubbing his hands on his slacks. Alex hovered, pacing nervously.

  Bonnie and Justin sat with Eric at a table by the bar. The boy insisted on occupying the same one Alex held court on. Justin made him a hot chocolate while Eric and Bonnie colored with crayons on the coloring sheet on the back of the kid’s menu.

  Listening to Mama’s heartbeat with his stethoscope, David gave her a questioning tilt of his head. She responded with an almost imperceptible warning shake of her own.

  “What was that?” Alex asked.

  From under heavy brows, David glowered at him.

  “What?” Alex protested, but David continued to frown at him until he walked away. “Fine.”

  Once he was out of earshot, David spoke under his breath. “You want to tell me what’s going on, young lady?”

  “Nothing for you to concern yourself with,” Mama said. “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. I’ll talk about it with him. I promise.”

  “Okay.” David sighed in resignation and, standing, addressed the others. “Her vitals are fine. Blood pressure is a little high but nothing too serious.”

  Mama got to her feet with his support. Alex and Justin rushed to help but she shooed them away. David helped her over to a chair. Justin picked up the water bottle and handed it to her.

  “I was only a little dizzy,” she said. “But I told David I will go see my doctor tomorrow.” Mama glanced up at him and he dipped his head in reply.

  Not the whole truth, but it wasn’t a lie either. Clearly something was up with the shakiness he observed and her drawn appearance. It worried him. He loved her. She was an auntie to him like Bonnie was to Eric. But her health was her business and it wasn’t his place to share that he saw her at the hospital, even if they were all friends and family. The situation made him uncomfortable though. It felt like lying.

  “Let’s get you home.” Papa kissed her cheek.

  Justin took her hand and, with Papa, led her to the door. Alex followed and helped his aunt and uncle with their coats.

  “It’s past someone’s bedtime,” David said to Eric. The boy stood and walked over to lean against him.

  It was everyone’s cue, and they all made their way to the coat check to put on coats and gear up for the cold. Papa clapped Alex on the back as he helped his wife out of the restaurant.

  After bundling up his son, David had to pick him up and carry him. The late event tired him out and he’d sleep soundly once they were home.

  After quick goodbyes in the cold winter air, Papa and Mama drove off in their minivan. Bonnie waved as she climbed in her car and left for the bank. Justin stood for a short time, watching her vehicle move down the street, then walked away just as snow started to fall. Maria followed suit, going in the opposite direction. They both lived in off-campus housing nearby.

  Alex tentatively approached them while David buckled a dozing Eric into the back seat of his car. David felt his presence over his shoulder and gently closed the door. Eric stirred but settled down quickly.

  He leaned against the door, waiting.

  “I appreciate you coming over,” Alex said.

  “You know that I’d do anything for Mama.” And you—where did that come from? True, the annoyance he felt at Alex for leaving and for being gone so long with no word was still there, but it grew less intense the more time they spent together. It was becoming flirty and fun, like it used to be. His friend was back.

  Alex’s eyes darted over his face before holding his gaze. “Coop, would you like to tell me what those conspiratorial glances you two shared were about?”


  Here we go. He exhaled a long breath. “She’s going to see a doctor tomorrow. Ask her, okay?” he asked politely but firmly. Alex’s hazel eyes bore into him for a long moment before relenting. Good thing too; David felt his resolve crumbling under their onslaught. He forgot how intense his friend’s stare could be.

  David gave him a pat on the shoulder and went around the front of his car. As he climbed in, he felt the man’s attention follow him. It was at once disconcerting and comforting.

  As he drove away, David briefly thought it was a good thing Alex was only here for a few weeks. I don’t want to get hung up on him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  We Are Family

  “I can’t believe they have one of these here.” Alex stepped out of his truck in the parking lot of the SuperStore. A small ATV snowplow was just finishing clearing the lot.

  Getting out of her own car, Bonnie gave him a cockeyed look. “Yes, our sleepy little town is now a sleepy little city.” Rushing past him, she picked out a shopping cart.

  Following, he pointed to the line of people waiting to get in. “They aren’t open yet? But I can see customers inside.”

  “To get in early, you need the more exclusive Prime membership. But it’s not worth it. We peasants can wait out front.” Hunching over the handle of the cart, she pushed it forward and bent over her phone, ignoring him.

  He leaned over her shoulder. “What’s that?” The image on her phone looked like a Christmas shot of the exterior of the restaurant. “Is that for the website?”

  With a scowl, she jerked away. “Space, please.”

  “I’m sorry.” He stepped back. “Have I done something wrong?”

  She stared at him in amazement. “No, you didn’t. You never do anything wrong.” Bonnie turned her shoulder to him and went back to her phone.

  He wanted to pursue it, but they were about to get in line and he didn’t want a public scene. It was best to wait until later.

  They took their place in the queue, each with a large shopping cart. He suspected they were oversized on purpose, probably to provoke you into filling it up. His list was long, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Briefly he considered snagging one of the flat-bed trolleys.

  “I can’t believe there’s a line to get in.”

  She looked up from her phone. “Yeah, it’s kind of gross, but the prices are so good it’s hard not to shop here. And believe me, I tried.”

  The store opened and they moved with the line. Bonnie flashed the Capili’s membership card to the senior citizen manning the entrance.

  Alex took off his peacoat and stuffed it in the top of his cart. “But isn’t progress good?” He adjusted the scarf around his neck.

  “It’s good and bad.” She rocked her head from side to side. “Getting bigger certainly means we have more to offer kids and keep them from moving away, but we also lose some of our small-town charm.”

  Alex was wide-eyed as they entered. The building was a large, open warehouse-like space with wide aisles and product stacked on shelves and pallets halfway to the ceiling. The megastore concept wasn’t new to him, but having one here?

  Looking up in surprise, he found David approaching them with a cart, Eric beside him. What were they doing here? Things were thawing between them, but there were still tense moments. And with Bonnie being short with him, this excursion looked to be challenging.

  “Alex,” the boy shouted, waving frantically.

  He gave Eric a high-five. He was delighted to see the boy. Mini Coop was a great kid and it was clear that David was a good father. That at least was not a surprise. “What are you guys doing here?”

  David gave Bonnie an accusing glance and turned to him. “We meet here every Saturday morning.”

  “You didn’t tell me that,” Alex scolded her.

  “You didn’t ask,” she said and turned to Eric. “Let’s check out the video games.” Taking the boy’s hand, they raced off into the bowels of the store.

  “Why did I need to ask?” he called to the retreating figures.

  David patted him on the back and pushed forward. “We’ve been set up.”

  “I don’t think so. She’s mad at me.”

  “What did you do?” David asked.

  “What did I do?” Alex considered that for a moment. “I came home? I guess I need to talk to her.”

  “At least.”

  That was telling. “We need to talk too.” They strolled along, their carts side by side, absently exploring the highly stacked wares.

  “Yeah, but not here.” The big guy grabbed a four-pack of disinfecting wipes and set it in his cart. “Hey, how is it going with the redo of the party?”

  “I know exactly what I want.” That got a snort from David, but Alex ignored it. “I mean, the original concept was striking, but like the venue, it was too sterile. This event—as I see it—is more like a family get-together, and so we go more classic than modern decor.”

  “I agree.” David stopped and pivoted full-on to him. “But what about for the donors? There are people coming.”

  “That’s great news, and I like modern personally . . .”

  “Of course.” David looked skyward.

  He let out a deep sigh. “However, it can alienate some people, but an old-fashioned, family Christmas? It’s always a winner.”

  “Now we just need a venue that is both warm and appealing,” the big guy grumbled.

  There was a chime and Alex fished out his phone. After a quick glance at it, he slid it back in his slacks. “We need someplace with character. I’d suggest Capili’s but we’re booked up through the end of the year.”

  “And you said you weren’t into Christmas.” The skin around David’s eyes crinkled as the corners of his mouth twitched up.

  He lowered his head guiltily. Christmas.

  David quickly changed the subject. “Did Mama see her doctor?”

  “First thing this morning. Low blood sugar was what she told me.” He felt a muscle in his jaw twitch, and he caught David staring at him.

  “Hey, low blood sugar can cause someone to get dizzy and even faint. Was that all she said?”

  “More or less. She kept pushing it aside. Said it wasn’t important and I should concentrate on this party.” Alex picked up a huge package of paper towels and put it in the cart. You can always use paper towels. He was going to need them when he cleaned up his dad’s house. “Something is off.”

  Reaching over, David put a hand on his forearm. “Then keep an eye on her and wait for her to open up. Let her know it’s okay to talk to you about it.”

  “You think there’s more to it.”

  “I didn’t say that.” David’s face reddened. “I don’t know what is going on with her.”

  Alex knew him well enough to know when he was telling the truth and when he wasn’t saying something. This was one of those times. Coop had a terrible poker face. He’s a nurse. He might suspect something. Do I push it? No. Things are going well. He did not want to ruin that.

  They walked their carts through the store in silence. Eric reappeared, followed by Bonnie.

  David asked, “How are the games?”

  “I want a console.” The young boy looked up with his best hang-dog eyes.

  Holding up a finger, David said, “Christmas is only a few weeks away. Maybe Santa will bring it.”

  Eric moaned and stomped his feet.

  Bonnie motioned to Alex. “Christmas supplies are that way.”

  Moving in the opposite direction, David gave them a little wave. “We’ll be in housewares.”

  “You’re not coming?” He gave his voice a tone of deep concern. “‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’” It was a Star Wars quote, and he hoped it was irresistible to his old friend.

  David dramatically grabbed both of Alex’s shoulders. “‘No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.’”

  It was from The Last of the Mohicans, and it made them both laugh.

  Eric tugged on Bo
nnie’s sleeve. “What are they doing?”

  “In high school your dad and Alex used to run around quoting movies, constantly.”

  Alex caught her grimace. “We were very obnoxious.” His phone rang and he retrieved it from his coat. “Sorry, it’s work.”

  “Aren’t you on vacation?” David called after him.

  “Working vacation. It’s not the same thing.” He stepped away as he spoke into the phone. “Hey, Enrico . . . Yes, send me the updated seating chart, and I’ll do what I can.”

  Hanging up, he caught the downcast expression on David’s face before the man recovered.

  Coop dramatically pointed down the aisle. “Onward to housewares!”

  “I’ll come with you.” Bonnie pushed her cart forward. “We need a few things for the restaurant.”

  Eric didn’t move. “I’m staying with Alex.”

  “You okay with that?” David asked him. His eyes glimmered, and Alex felt his heart flutter.

  “Of course,” Alex stammered. He mussed Eric’s hair, making the boy grunt.

  “Are you sure?” he repeated, but Alex waved him off with a flick of his hand. “Okay, then.” Walking away, David called out over his shoulder, “Be good Eric. I love you.”

  The boy turned beet red. “Daaaad.”

  Watching him retreat, Alex sighed with appreciation at the view of David’s backside. Damn, that man . . .

  Eric looked up at him, watching his father. “What are you doing?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hang with Me

  Taking up a large corner, the holiday department was a brightly lit beacon. Half a dozen decorated Christmas trees formed the border. The piped-in odors of Christmas were heavy. Alex smelled pine, cinnamon, cedar, and lavender. Inside was a free-for-all, and he felt for the employees cleaning and restocking it throughout the day.

  They rummaged through aisles of Christmas decorations. Alex’s taste tended to the traditional while Eric’s naturally leaned to the whimsical. They repeatedly asked the other’s opinion.

  Eric clearly enjoyed himself and Alex was intent on treating him like a person, not just a kid. He vividly remembered his own feelings and opinions being disregarded when he was young.