O Come All Ye Faithful

by Faith Blum

  “No.”

  “That explains it.”

  The woman cocked her head. “Explains what?”

  “First of all, this is not the way to make friends.”

  “It isn’t?”

  Jenna shook her head.

  “But my foster mom said if she tied up me and my foster sister downstairs on chairs maybe we would become friends. Oh! I need to tie myself up, too. That’s what’s wrong here.”

  “No!” Jenna exclaimed. “Your foster mother was wrong. Being tied up won’t help anyone become friends with another person.” She paused to take a deep breath. “Can you please sit down? I’ll tell you how to become someone’s friend.”

  The woman did as she requested and Jenna let out some relief.

  “First, you need to get to know people. Find out their name, what they like to do, try to find some common interests. As you do that, you are building a relationship with them. Even if you don’t end up finding a lot in common, you can still become friends if you like to just talk together about what is happening in your life. Let’s try it out. What’s your name?”

  “Fay.”

  “Hi, Fay, my name is Jenna. How are you doing today?”

  “Pretty good.”

  Jenna ran her tongue over her teeth. “What is your favorite part of Christmas?”

  Fay’s forehead wrinkled. “The presents. It’s the only thing different about that day.”

  “Haven’t you ever had a special Christmas dinner?”

  Fay shook her head. “What do you usually have?”

  A reluctant smile flirted with Jenna’s mouth. “It depends on the year, but mostly we have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad of some kind, and lots of desserts. Pies, candies, and other Christmas treats. Go into the kitchen. There’s a tray of goodies on the table.”

  Fay looked around the room nervously. “You’d let me have some of them?”

  “You can eat all of them if you want. Although, you’d probably get sick if you ate them all at once.”

  Fay got up and gingerly walked into the kitchen. Jenna resisted the urge to try to escape. She was trying to win Fay’s confidence and an escape attempt would crush that.

  Jenna closed her eyes and forced herself to take deep, even breaths. She remembered enough of her college psychology to make a diagnosis of this woman even without a degree. This woman had to have multiple personality disorder. It would explain how she got the gifts and didn’t remember buying them. But how could she get away from someone like this?

  Fay returned carrying the tray. She held up one of the larger cookies. “What is this?”

  “It’s a Christmas cookie. It has a hint of lemon flavoring in it and is frosted with a special sugar-free frosting.”

  “Sugar-free? How can you have frosting that is sugar-free?”

  Jenna chuckled. “I can’t eat cane sugar, so I use other sugars instead. That particular frosting has honey in it. Try it.”

  “You didn’t put anything bad in these, did you?”

  “I had no idea you would be coming here to eat those. Do you think I would put something bad in something I’ve eaten myself?”

  Fay chewed her lower lip. “I don’t know. You eat it first. If you don’t die, I’ll try one.” She held the cookie close enough to Jenna for her to take a good-sized bite.

  Jenna bit the cookie and chewed it quickly. She was hungry. Not that this cookie would stave off the hunger, but it would help.

  Fay watched her closely. Jenna had the sudden thought to pretend she was dying, but instantly rejected it. “It could be a slow-acting poison.”

  Jenna sighed. “Another thing you need to learn about being friends. You have to trust your friends. If you want me to be your friend, you need to learn to trust me. Take this opportunity to start trusting and take a bite. It won’t kill you unless you are allergic to wheat.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Good. Then try it.”

  Fay cautiously brought the cookie up to her mouth and took a mouse-sized bite. As the flavors hit her tongue, she took a slightly larger bite and soon the whole cookie was in her mouth. “This is good. What’s this one?”

  “Chocolate peanut butter cup, homemade. I like my chocolate dark, though, so it isn’t very sweet.”

  Fay took a bite and chewed it. After two chews, she slowed down, closed her eyes, and moaned. “Mmm. This is the best thing I have ever tasted. What is this dark stuff?”

  “Chocolate.” How had this woman never eaten chocolate before?

  “It’s divine.”

  Jenna smiled. “Yes, it is.”

  She set the tray nearby and sat on the floor. “What else do friends do?”

  “Spend time with each other. Some go shopping together either for fun or because they actually need something. Maybe they’ll go to a movie, eat lunch somewhere together—”

  “You mean in a restaurant?” Fay’s voice held a note of awe in it.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve never been to a restaurant.”

  Jenna’s heart broke. Never being to a restaurant wasn’t the worst thing in life, but the way Fay said it made Jenna wonder what other little luxuries the woman had missed out on. “What do you think of untying me? I’d love to bring you to one of my favorite restaurants.”

  “You would do that?”

  “Yes, I would.”

  Fay looked at her intently. “You wouldn’t try to escape or call the police or something, would you?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure? I’ve never had good experiences after untying someone.”

  Jenna tensed. “You’ve done this before?”

  Fay nodded.

  “Why?”

  “I told you, I want a friend.”

  “Okay, how about you untie me and I will teach you how to be a friend. You can even stay at my house if you don’t have somewhere else to stay.”

  “Really?”

  Jenna smiled. “Yes. I’d like to have a friend, too, but I haven’t taken the effort to make friends yet. This way we can help each other out.”

  “And this would be with no strings attached?”

  “No. There would be a few strings.”

  A guarded look came to Fay’s face. “Like what?”

  “You would have to help me around the house, keeping it clean and maybe helping make some of the meals. I would also like for you to go to the doctor with me to have you checked for a few things.”

  Fay studied Jenna from the top of her brown hair to the tips of her stocking-covered feet. “I don’t have money for the doctor.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Jenna said. “My church will help cover the cost.”

  Fay set the gun in her lap and cracked each knuckle on both hands.

  “One last string—the gun has to go. I don’t want a gun in my house.”

  “But what about for bad people? You can’t protect yourself from them if you don’t have a gun.”

  Jenna cleared her throat. How did she tell Fay she didn’t worry about that too much because she had a gun but didn’t want Fay to have one? “This is a safe neighborhood. I’ve never even heard of anyone having any break-ins here until today when you broke in.”

  “It was easy,” Fay said with a laugh. “Your door was unlocked.”

  Jenna chuckled. “I know. I made it too easy, didn’t I? What do you say?”

  Fay stared at the floor for a while and finally looked back up at her. Jenna noticed how blue her eyes were for the first time. “It’s a deal. But no police.”

  “I promise.”

  Fay walked over to Jenna tentatively and untied the Christmas lights. “Can we truly go to a restaurant?”

  Jenna nodded. “Do you mind if I finish decorating my house first? You can help.”

  Fay chewed her lip. “You would let me help decorate?”

  “It’s what a friend would do.”

  Jenna and Fay made the entire house look like a Christmas wonderland and while Fay was distracted, Jenna made
the gun disappear into her gun safe. The two laughed and talked until Jenna finally put a stop to the decorating.

  “We’ll never get this finished if we keep going on like this. Come, let’s go eat.”

  Fay jumped up and down. “Where are we going?”

  “My favorite restaurant. You’ll see when we get there. Would it be okay if we go to the doctor afterwards?”

  Fay’s excitement faded into trepidation. “If you insist.”

  “I think it would be a good thing. Come, let’s eat first. Do you like ice cream?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never had it.”

  Jenna gasped. “Well, girlfriend, it’s time you tried some.”

  By Christmas Day, the house was perfect, presents were wrapped, food was made, and Jenna’s suspicions were confirmed. Fay did have multiple personality disorder, but it was something that could be treated with medication and a psychiatrist from Jenna’s church. The doctor applauded Jenna’s willingness to work with Fay, and Jenna made sure Fay’s room was perfect and that Fay had plenty of clothes.

  As Jenna predicted, the church came alongside her and helped her pay for the doctor’s visit and the clothes. The only thing she needed now was her family’s approval. She decided to make Fay a Christmas surprise for her family.

  They arrived Christmas Eve shortly after supper.

  “Mom! Dad! Jason! It is so good to see you!”

  They all hugged each other and talked all at once, catching up on the last few months apart. Jason, as always, was the first to notice the stranger.

  “Jen, you never said you had a roommate.”

  Jenna grinned. “That’s because she just moved in two days ago. Dad, Mom, Jason, this is Fay. Fay, these people are my family.”

  Fay waved at them, smiling shyly. “It is good to meet you.”

  They went inside and Jenna’s mother gasped. “It is gorgeous in here! How did you do all of this?”

  Jenna giggled. “It was mostly Fay’s ideas. I had just started decorating when she showed up. After we got to know each other, we decorated the house, and she has an eye for decorating.”

  “I’d say. Are you an interior designer?”

  “No,” Fay said. “I... I’m not one right now.”

  Jenna interrupted. “But, we’re changing that soon. We’ve talked to the tech college and they have an opening in the interior design classes, and Fay qualifies for a few scholarships, so she doesn’t even need to get a job yet.”

  Jenna’s dad gave her a look and Jenna quickly went on. “I know, that means I have a roommate who can’t help pay for anything, but I make plenty to cover all the costs we will have. Don’t worry, Dad, we’ll be fine.”

  “As long as you’re sure.”

  “Positive. Besides, Fay needs these classes, and when she’s done she’ll be so famous she’ll be the one paying for everything I need.”

  Fay’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t think so.”

  Jason grunted. “She’s teasing you, Fay. Just roll with it.”

  Fay looked among everyone. “Oh. Okay.”

  The night moved on and by the time Christmas Day ended, Fay felt like part of the family.

  When Jenna went to bed, she found Fay in her room. “Do you need something?”

  “Is that what a real family looks like?”

  Jenna sat on her bed and patted it. Fay sat next to her. “That’s what my family looks like, anyway. I don’t know for sure everyone’s family does, but some do. Why?”

  “You all seem to like each other a lot.”

  “We do.”

  “I want a family like that someday.”

  Jenna hugged her close. “You have one now. My family is your family. And maybe someday you’ll fall madly in love with someone and have a family of your own.”

  “I hope so.”

  “How was your Christmas?”

  “It was the best Christmas ever,” Fay said with little emotion.

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Something isn’t completely right.”

  Fay sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard that story your dad read from the Bible. It’s got me thinking.”

  “About?”

  “Why did Jesus have to be born? Why is His birth so important?”

  Jenna smiled. “Let me tell you.”

  Three years later, Fay and Jenna had started an interior design business together. Jenna ran everything from behind the scenes and Fay did all the designing. Fay had become a Christian shortly after the new year and helped at the church as often as she could and in any way she could.

  One of the young men in church had been paying attention to Fay right from the first time she had attended a service, and after Fay graduated, he approached her. They dated for two years before getting engaged and a year later, Jenna lost her roommate, but she was also dating someone and didn’t expect to be alone for long.

  Christmases with Jenna’s family were almost always held at Jenna’s home because no one in the family wanted to compete with Fay’s decorating skills. Fay and Jenna remained friends the rest of their lives and never forgot the beginning of their friendship. Whenever they saw Christmas lights, the memories came back and they had a good laugh over them.

  The Gift Goes On

  Priscilla looked around her group of friends. They each held the gifts they had received from a mysterious giver the year before, except Carlotta. “Well, we each had an interesting year.”

  Remus grunted. “That’s the understatement of the year.”

  “How are your parents doing?” Carlotta asked.

  Remus shrugged. “As well as can be expected. We have a live-in nurse now. It’s easier for all of us that way. Who would have thought they would both get dementia within months of each other. At least they still remember who I am. It’s not like they have Alzheimer’s. I think that would be the worst.”

  Newton nodded. “My gramps had Alzheimer’s. He never did remember who I was. He kept thinking I was my dad if he recognized me at all.” He turned to Carlotta. “How’s the writing going?”

  Carlotta grinned. “Quitting my job after receiving the insane Christmas bonus I got was the best thing I could have ever done. I have two books almost ready to publish and an agent helping me find publishing houses for them. We have one place who has expressed possible interest. I’m hoping to hear from them early next year.”

  Priscilla squealed. “I’m so happy for you, Carlotta! When can we read the books?”

  Carlotta ducked her head. “I suppose you could read them now, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.”

  Remus laughed. “So you’ll let a perfect stranger read the book, but not your closest friends?”

  Carlotta chewed her fingernail. “It does sound backwards, doesn’t it? But I think it’s harder to hear your friends say something bad about your story than some faceless person you don’t know.”

  Newton put a hand on hers. “I understand at least a little. It would be hard. But you know we’ll all be nice about it, right?”

  “Of course I do,” Carlotta said. “Priss, how is your health? It’s been a while since you were diagnosed now.”

  Priscilla licked her lips. “The Lyme’s is slowly dissipating. Right now I’m praying it doesn’t become chronic, but since the symptoms have lasted all summer, fall, and into the winter, I would be surprised if it doesn’t. The antibiotics help some, but otherwise I have good days, bad days, and in-between days. Today is one of the good days. It’s hard to keep up with work at my job on the bad days, though.”

  “I can’t believe how positive you’ve been through everything,” Remus said. “First your grandparents both died, then your mom had the car accident, and you got Lyme’s. After which you were fired after dropping the crate of wine bottles.”

  “But I did find a job that didn’t require lifting,” Priscilla said. “And they pay better. My new boss has a sister with chronic Lyme’s, so he is more flexible than I deserve.” She h
eld up a book with a yellow cover. “This book has helped tremendously. I started reading it right after I got it for Christmas from the mysterious giver last year and did the thirty-day challenge Mrs. Wolgemuth issued at the end of it. After thirty days of being grateful, I kept on going. After Grandpa died, I stopped for a week and felt miserable, so I tried again and every day I found something to be thankful for. It continued that way all year. Some days, I can only find one thing to be grateful for, but it’s better than nothing.”

  “Even on your bad days you can find something?” Newton asked.

  Priscilla nodded. “Sometimes it’s just the fact that I’m still alive to see my nieces and nephews grow up and other days it’s for the friends I have who check in on me even when I can’t call or text them because my hands hurt so much from the Lyme’s.”

  Carlotta smiled and squeezed Priscilla’s knee. “Can I borrow your book?”

  “Of course! All of you can if you want. It’s something that needs to be shared and put into practice.”

  Newton sighed. “Choosing gratitude, huh? I don’t know. I’m not sure I could do that after the year I’ve had.”

  Remus shook his head. “There has to be something you can be grateful for this year.”

  Newton stared straight ahead. “I can’t think of anything.”

  “All your friends and family are alive,” Remus said, “you learned some new things, and now you can fix anything you need to.”

  “Maybe,” Newton said flatly. “But most of my friends and family went through terrible things and all I could do was stand by and watch.”

  Remus scoffed. “You did much more than watch. When my parents’ house had the tree fall on it, you were the first one there to help me get it off and fix it up. When Carlotta decided to move back home with her parents, you built a mouse-proof shed in their backyard for her to store her extra things in and then you helped her organize them. When your parents’ water heater blew, you were there almost immediately to help them get the new one and install it. Mr. Doesn’t-know-how-to-fix-anything then helped Prissy make her house more amenable to someone who occasionally has limited mobility in all limbs.

  “I’d say you have a lot to be grateful for. If you don’t, we have a lot to be grateful to you for.”