by Jenny Hale
Yes. On Christmas! Like a date…
“He wants to take me on a date,” she heard herself say, but she’d really just meant to ponder the idea rather than say it out loud.
She was still thinking about it when she noticed that Joe hadn’t responded. She looked over at him and the attentiveness she’d seen earlier had faded completely now.
The only thing she could think of was that it must be because Joe believed she might have feelings for Rhett and he was being considerate by pulling away. While she hated the absence of his interest, she knew it would be better for everyone involved if she could keep them on neutral ground. She’d tried before, but with Rhett asking for a date, this might be a foolproof way of maintaining her distance.
She texted back: Where do you want to take me?
It’s a surprise Rhett returned.
“Rhett wants to take me on a surprise Christmas date,” she said, playing it up. After all, why wouldn’t someone be interested in Rhett Burton? He was fun to be around, and there were hundreds, maybe thousands of squealing, bleach-blonde-perfect-legged girls in every one of his shows who would absolutely want to be with him.
Call me tomorrow with specifics she told Rhett. Then Holly put her phone down and went back over to Joe.
“He usually comes over on Christmas Day anyway,” she said brightly, her new role as Rhett’s love interest coming easily for her. The illusion was easy to hide behind. “I can’t say he ever plans dates on Christmas though. That’s new.” She shook her head and smiled, inwardly wondering what Rhett had arranged.
Joe looked pensive all of a sudden, that preoccupied stare returning. Then he stood up, and she noticed how edgy he looked. Had Holly’s and Rhett’s exchange brought back the stress of the wedding somehow—perhaps the “date” making him think of the big day? He seemed just like he’d been when Holly had overwhelmed him with her questions. “Shall we place your grandmother’s presents now? I think I’m going to turn in for the night. All that work today made me tired.”
“Sure,” she said, his reaction confusing her. She hadn’t meant to upset him. She’d only wanted to make sure she wasn’t overstepping her bounds.
She wanted to tell him that everything was okay, that he had to trust his heart, but she stayed silent. Joe turned around and went into his room to get Papa’s gifts, leaving Holly with her hot cocoa and the quiet lights of the Christmas tree.
Twenty-Four
Holly leaned over Nana as her grandmother opened her eyes, the sun streaming in through the window, bouncing off the lingering ice on the sill outside. Nana sat up slowly, clearly wondering why Holly was so excited. By the look she gave, Nana didn’t seem to feel any differently about today than she did any day. But, knowing that Nana was about to hear from Papa again, Holly was nearly certain that was about to change.
Holly took her hands.
“Nana, it’s Christmas!” she said, the thrill of what was ahead of them making her want to burst, but she kept calm. “You’ve had a hard time coming back here,” she acknowledged gently.
Nana pursed her lips, nodding, the pain showing in the creases on her face.
“Remember how Papa always used to tell us that Christmas was a magical time? It was when the impossible became possible.”
Nana allowed a small but loving smile at the idea of it.
“If you could have anything for Christmas,” Holly whispered dramatically, “what is your one wish?”
Nana focused on her face, seriousness taking over. “I’d like to have your papa back, you know that. So, while I adore your enthusiasm for the day, it’ll be difficult for me. That’s just how things are. But please don’t let me put a damper on the holiday for you.”
Holly had to use all her strength not to allow the tears to come and to keep her voice as neutral as possible because, in true form, Papa had managed Nana’s only Christmas wish. “I’ll let you get ready for the day,” she said. “And then I’ll meet you in the living room.” Then Holly closed the door behind her and went to get the muffins and coffee ready.
* * *
“Why do you have that silly grin on your face?” Nana said to Holly, once she finally emerged from the bedroom. She consulted Joe for an answer, but he shrugged as if it were a mystery to him.
Holly set a blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee on the table for Nana, another of their Christmas traditions. They always had a tiny bite to eat just to get them through opening presents, and then they put on the Christmas music and cooked a big breakfast together to celebrate the day.
“Thank you, dear, but I’m not hungry,” Nana said, leaving the muffin sitting. “If you two have eaten already, we can dive right in to presents.”
She knew that Nana didn’t like to eat when she was worried or upset, and she was visibly missing Papa. Christmas was difficult for her, and Holly prayed that Papa’s gesture would ease the emptiness Nana felt without him. “You sure?” Holly asked.
“Yes, dear. I’m sure.”
“Okay then.” Holly walked over to her and took her by the hand. “I need you to close your eyes.”
Nana watched her, openly trying to figure out what she was up to.
“Trust me,” Holly said. “Give in to the magic.”
Nana had a look of slight disapproval but then she closed her eyes and allowed Holly to lead her to the living room until she was centered in front of the mantle.
“Okay, look.”
Nana opened her eyes and noticed the gift right away, emotion surfacing immediately. She let go of Holly and clasped her hands as if she were about to say a prayer, every inch of her body directly lined up with the little wrapped package on the mantle. “Your papa always used to put my first gift here,” she said, her voice wobbly. “Then he’d hide the rest—did you remember that he did that?”
“Of course I remember. And he’s done it again,” she whispered in her ear. “One last time. Just for you.” Holly held on to her, this time to give herself some support.
Obviously perplexed by Holly’s comment, Nana’s fingers trembling, she reached out and gently took the gift. Holly was barely able to swallow, given the lump in her throat. Joe changed position in her peripheral vision, and she was surprised to see emotion on his face as well.
With slow movements, Nana peeled back the tape that had secured the paper and pulled the tin out of the wrapping. “It’s lovely,” she said as she opened it, and then she stopped in her tracks. The only sound in the room as she found Papa’s note, and peered down at his writing, was the tinkling of the music from inside the box.
Nana was still, the tin open in her withered hands, and her whole body started to quiver. She turned to Holly for answers, her eyes wide and full of wonder.
“He left a box for me in the barn. I didn’t know it was there until Joe found it.”
Nana turned and observed Joe with a look as if he’d just saved her life. In a way, Holly believed he had. Nana walked over and gave him the biggest hug, squeezing him tightly the way she did when she embraced family.
Then she looked back down at the note. Tenderly, Nana held it to her face, breathing in, probably hoping she could still smell him there. Her eyes closed, a tear made its way down her grooved cheeks, all those years of laughter left along the edges of her face. When she opened her eyes, Joe handed her a tissue as he looked on warmly. Holly was so glad he was there.
“Thank you,” Nana told him. She gave a dainty sniffle and dabbed her eyes. “Is there really another gift in the linen closet?” she asked, her eyes wide with excitement. It was the same look she had when Papa used to grab her and spin her around in the middle of her housework.
Holly nodded, feeling like she was witnessing a miracle.
With agile steps, Nana shuffled over to the linen closet in the hallway where the second gift was located. Holly had set it on top of the guest towels she’d bought for the renters. Nana swung the door open and reached in for the gift, unwrapping it quickly, the way Holly used to devour her own presents as a ch
ild.
“It’s our favorite Christmas song, ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’!” she said excitedly, half giggling and half crying. “Papa used to whisper the lyrics about how he sees me sleeping into my ear on Christmas morning.” She peered down at the note. “He’s right! I never did find that record. I think Papa took it to the second-hand shop by accident,” she said dramatically as if she were divulging a secret. “He was always cleaning out old junk.” She turned the CD over in her hand. “I want to play this right now.”
Joe leaned in and gestured for her to hand it to him so he could remove the cellophane that encased it. With eager hands, Nana held it out, and this time, she smiled kindly at him.
“This note says that if my back hurts to make you get the next gift under the sofa,” Nana said, waving Papa’s slip of paper in the air as she followed Holly back into the living room.
Joe put the CD in the player and turned it on. The whole room felt festive with the music playing and Nana happy—just like old times.
“I wish the rest of the family could see this,” Holly said.
Nana gave her a thoughtful look.
Holly reached under the sofa to retrieve the third gift and gave it to Nana.
Nana unwrapped War and Peace and rolled her eyes, throwing her head back and laughing. “He wants to bore me even now!” She flipped through the pages, spending a little extra time on the opening, and Holly wondered if she’d finally give the book a chance, just for Papa. “My last gift is at the window,” she said, reading Papa’s message, and Holly noted a twinge of fear in her hesitation. “I’m going to leave it for a bit.” By the look on her face, Nana was savoring the moment.
“Okay, Nana.” Holly understood completely. As she viewed that last gift—the little ring box—on the sill, it felt like Papa was still with them, watching over them.
“How about you two open some gifts? I’ve been monopolizing the morning.” She clutched the old book in her hands as if she were holding on for dear life.
“I’d say you’re allowed to,” Holly said with a laugh. “But I do have some presents for Joe.”
“Yes,” Nana said slowly, the skin between her eyes wrinkling more deeply. “I’ve been dying to know what’s in my refrigerator.”
“Holly has to open that one last,” Joe said, only piquing Holly’s interest more.
With the music still playing, Nana carried her book over to the sofa and took a seat. “Holly, why don’t you go first?”
Eager to see Joe unwrap her gifts, Holly didn’t protest, jumping right in and grabbing the first one. She sat down next to Joe, passing it to him.
With a quick grin at her, he took the present she’d gotten at Puckett’s and unwrapped it.
“Ah, a Moon Pie.”
Nana laughed.
Joe pinched either side of the wrapper. “Shall I try your childhood delicacy?”
“Yes! And if you don’t like it, I won’t be offended. I’ll be happy to take care of it for you.”
Joe opened it and took a bite, chewing slowly as if he wanted to let it sit on his palate for a while to achieve the entire taste.
“It’s not that sophisticated,” Holly said. “Just chew it up and swallow.”
When his bite was finished, he said, “I enjoyed that, thank you.” He folded the wrapper over and set it on the table. “I’ll save the rest for later. Don’t want to ruin my breakfast.”
Nana laughed again. “The vanilla ones are my favorites, I think; I trust Kay on that one.”
Holly was overjoyed to see Joe and Nana chatting as if they’d been friends all along.
“I’m just delighted that Holly thought enough of me to want me to try it.” He winked at Holly, and her heart gave a little patter.
Christmas magic certainly was all around this year.
“Let me give you your first gift,” he said to Holly, getting up and reaching under the tree. Joe set a slightly heavy box in her lap.
It was small enough that she could wrap her hands around it. Holly began to remove the paper, feeling another swell of fondness for Joe at the sight of all the tape at the ends. When she got the paper off, she was holding a white coffee mug. In black writing, it said, “Someone’s thinking of you in Leiper’s Fork.” The “O” in “Fork” was a red heart.
“I couldn’t be choosy with the options,” he said. “It was all they had. But your grandmother asked me to get her a mug from your family stash the other morning.” He acknowledged Nana with a happy glance. “She told me a story about each mug. But she didn’t mention that there was one under the cabinet that was just yours. Now you have one too.”
“I love it,” Holly said, charmed by his thoughtfulness.
“You two have to do all your presents first,” Nana interjected. “This is so much fun to watch.”
Holly took another of her gifts for Joe from under the tree and gave it to him. Joe unwrapped it.
“Ha!” He held up a camouflaged baseball cap with an old patch of an American flag on the front.
“That’s perfect, Joe,” Nana said, and Holly noticed her use of his nickname. “It’s so very suitable for you,” she tittered. “Although Holly didn’t need to buy you one. I’m sure Buddy and Otis have enough to share.”
“I was struggling to find you something,” Holly sniggered. “I thought you could wear it to the next barn party.”
“The next one?” he asked, enthusiasm in his question that Holly couldn’t deny. He liked it here.
“You’re welcome any time,” Nana said. Then she clapped her hands together. “Okay, enough chitchat. What do you have for Holly? This is better than one of those Christmas marathons on TV.”
Joe got up and gave Holly her second present.
With less tape on this one, she opened it easily. Slipping her finger under the fold of the wrapping, she noticed Joe smiling as he looked on. What had he found that would make him so happy? Holly looked down and gasped when she saw what was nestled in the paper. It was a tiny canvas, the size of a shoebox lid and painted in gorgeous watercolor was Times Square.
“Oh wow,” she said, taking in all the detail.
“I thought you’d caught me,” Joe said. “I popped into the art gallery to find something for you after leaving you in Puckett’s. I couldn’t believe it when I saw this. A local artist had done these paintings with locations all over the world. It’s an original, one-of-a-kind.” He leaned toward her to look at it with her, his presence now as much part of her Christmas in the new cabin as the flickering vanilla candles and the spruce tree, and she knew that next year, she’d definitely miss it. “You said you’d like to go to New York one day.” Then he tapped a little spot on the left of the painting. “Right there. That’s the location of Rona’s, the café that I mentioned. I know you’re going to California with Rhett, but I hope you get to New York, since it’s where you’ve always wanted to go.”
Joe had been so thoughtful that she was having trouble managing her feelings. But she’d be strong. “I have one more for you.” She grabbed the tiniest gift.
Joe opened it, slipping it onto his finger so it dangled in front of his face. It was a keychain with bubble letters that said, “Joey.” His chest heaved with laughter.
Holly was glad for the opportunity to laugh because emotion was taking over. “You’ll never forget that,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t.
“No. I will never forget.”
He seemed so truthful in the moment, but would he remember? Or would his time here fade away into just an old memory? Would he go back to his life in some big penthouse in the city, Katharine swishing around in her silk bathrobe every morning, gathering up his newspapers and talking about the rise in stock prices? That was how Holly imagined the two of them anyway.
She’d find out if her impressions were correct soon enough when Katharine arrived tomorrow. But for now, she pushed it out of her mind so she could enjoy Christmas.
“Okay.” He stood up. “Your final gift.”
He got up and w
ent to the refrigerator. “Ms. McAdams,” he said to Nana from across the room. “I owe you a tube of icing.”
“Call me Nana. That’s what all the kids call me around here.”
He gave her a warmhearted nod. “I apologize,” he said, returning. “I used the tube of icing that I found in the pantry. I’m assuming it was yours, as it appeared after you all came. I’ll get you more.”
“It’s fine, dear.”
“You made me a cake?” Holly said, unable to keep the grin off her face.
He shook his head, sliding it onto the coffee table. “Don’t tip it.”
Nana leaned in to see what it was.
Carefully, Holly unwrapped it and lifted the lid on the box. “Sweet potato pie.” White unsteady lettering read, “Merry Christmas.”
He remembered.
“Thank you,” she said, wanting to hug him but holding herself back. His gifts had been some of the best gifts she’d ever received, and she couldn’t imagine a better Christmas Day.
When she looked over at Nana, her grandmother had a funny expression, studying Joe. It was as if she was trying to figure out some sort of puzzle, but she blinked it away. Then Nana’s gaze moved from Joe and his pie to the window in the kitchen where the final gift from Papa sat. “May I open my last one from Papa?” she asked, getting up.
“Absolutely.” Holly followed Nana over to the gift, Joe following.
Nana took the present from the windowsill and cupped it in her hands, cherishing the delight of it, and at the same time, Holly knew that Nana was thinking this would be her final contact with the man she loved. She pulled back the paper slowly and opened the little box. Then her whole body stilled when she saw the ring. Without a reaction yet, she read that lovely message from Papa.
Nana folded the final note from him and held it against her chest, clearly trying to keep herself together. She looked up as if she could see him. Then she slipped the ring onto her finger and, even with her arthritis, it fit perfectly.
“I think what Papa wants you to know is that you’re allowed to be happy,” Holly said, placing her hand on Nana’s arm and rubbing up and down affectionately. She grabbed Nana’s hand. “None of his messages talked about how he was gone; they were all about the happiness he shared with you.”
