Chapter 24 #2
Several more minutes passed.
“What should I do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Should we stay here? It’s not doing any good.
She’s not going to change. I shouldn’t even try.
It won’t work. And she’s right. I’ve even thought it before.
Any maid could do what I’m doing. We can leave.
We can go back to Denver. We can go to San Diego or Seattle. We can go anywhere. I don’t care.”
He was gentle, but his tone made it clear I wasn’t to argue.
“We’re not running away. You’re not just here to take care of your mom.
We both know you’ve been avoiding this your entire adult life.
I don’t know how long we have to be here, or if it will ever truly get figured out, but we’ve got to try.
” He took a breath and then continued. “And I know you don’t want to go back to Denver.
Plus we’re not down here just for your mom anymore.
I’m starting at Cottey in a couple weeks.
You’re going to help with the youth group. ”
I started to say something, to argue.
He cut me off. “We’re not running away from that either.
The youth group is something else you have to face, no matter how it turns out.
” He forced his voice to take on a lighter tone.
“We’ve got the Durkes in our lives now. I know how much you’ve missed Donnie.
We’ve got Maudra. I don’t want to leave her.
I’ve never met anyone like her in my life.
We’ve got Sister Heinz. And don’t get me started on the Brons.
Mandy is fantasmo, and where in the world are we going to find a hotter preacher than Tyler? ”
I laughed without meaning to.
“Seriously, Brooke. I know this is hard for you. Don’t give me that face.
I know hard isn’t an adequate word. I also know that part of you is glad to be back.
I can see it in you. I know you’re scared, but you’re also excited.
And I’ve never seen you quite as happy as when you are with the Durkes.
Almost makes me jealous.” He rushed ahead as he saw me start to protest. “It’s okay.
It’s a good thing. They’re family. They helped make you into the man you are.
How can I resent that? You thought they were out of your life, and now you’ve got them back.
” He kissed my forehead. “We’re not just here for your mom.
We’re starting to build a life, a new one.
It doesn’t matter if it is for the next several months or the rest of our lives. Let’s see it through.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, once again blown away by my fortune in marrying this man. I noticed I was shivering. “Did you realize we are sitting in the snow? I think my pants are soaked all the way through.”
He smiled down at me. “I was hoping you’d figure that out soon. Let’s get in the car and turn the heat up. You ready to go to the Durkes’?”
I exhaled. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
It was a little past noon by the time we got to the Durkes’.
Donnie looked up from playing on the floor with Blaire and Duncan. “Good grief, boys, where ya been? We’ve been holding presents and lunch for y’all. If you kept me hungry just so you can be frisky, I’m taking away your Christmas presents.”
“Donnie! Really!” Sue’s face flushed as she turned to welcome us. “How’s your mother?”
Jed spoke for me, which was probably a good decision. “She seems to still be drinking, so that was upsetting. She wasn’t in the best of moods, and things weren’t so smooth.” He exchanged a knowing glance with Maudra, who frowned.
Sue turned her sympathetic eyes on me. “Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry. What a way to start your Christmas morning.”
“It’s fine. I should know what to expect from her by now.”
Sue frowned at the bitterness in my voice. “Well, we won’t give up praying that she will get her life in order and turn to God.”
Typical Sue. Focused on the positive and turning every situation on God. Part of me wished I could be like her. Another part of me wanted to tell her to get real. “Let’s just put her aside for now and enjoy Christmas.” I turned to Jed. “We always open presents first thing, and then we eat.”
“Oh, I forgot to get the presents from the car. Would you help me, Brooke?”
Della broke in before I could respond. “We’re actually gonna eat first this Christmas. Dinner’s been waiting awhile, so we figured we would mix things up a bit.”
“I’m sorry we’re so late and making everybody mess up their plans.”
“None of that, Brooke. It will be fun to have a change. And, if we don’t eat, I think Donnie’s going to implode from hunger.”
“Like you don’t like to eat as much as I do, sis.”
Jed looked around the room. “Aren’t Mandy and Pastor Bron coming?”
Donnie shook his head. “Nah. They have their own Christmas traditions since Mandy’s mom died. Mandy and I had our Christmas together last night.”
“It’s her last Christmas as an unmarried woman.” Zephyra projected from the kitchen where she was setting food on the table. “Next year she’s going to be a Durke. Gotta squeeze a lot of being ‘daddy’s little girl’ into this Christmas while she can.”
“You’re full of it, Zeph.” Donnie’s face reddened.
“You know I’m right, Dionysus.” His face twisted as Zephyra repaid him for using a nickname.
Sue beamed at Donnie. “You do know she’s right, dear. Mandy’s a wonderful girl. She couldn’t be more like what I’ve prayed for.”
Chuck broke in, “And she had, too. Never stopped praying about who the kids were gonna marry from the day they was born. Two outta three isn’t bad.”
Zephyra made a face. “Daddy, stop it. Don’t get Mom started again.”
Della picked up Savannah off Willow’s lap and headed to the dining room, giving a mock whisper over her shoulder. “Mom’s upset because Dylan is Catholic.”
“Sue!” Jed held his heart with dramatic flair. “I’m a Catholic! That stings!”
Maudra grinned and winked at Sue. “Yes, Jed. That’s the part what concerns Sue!”
It was Sue’s turn to blush again. “Are we going to jabber all day, or is it okay if we eat now? I’m sure the girls are looking forward to opening the presents.”
Willow rushed to the tree, her blond curls bouncing. She picked up a present nearly as big she was, arching her back to be able to lift it off the ground. “I wanna open this one!”
Zephyra went over to her cloned niece. “That’s one of mine, sweetie.
It’s from Uncle Donnie. I’m hoping it’s cash.
Maybe keys to a new sports car.” Donnie let out an intentionally deafening laugh from the kitchen.
Zephyra rolled her eyes and returned her attention to Willow.
“But you can help me open it if you want to.”
Nolan shook his head, speaking for the first time. “You spoil my girls too much, Zephyra. Isn’t going to kill them if every gift isn’t for them. They’ve got more than enough.”
Zephyra took Willow into the kitchen, whispering loud enough for him to hear. “You just ignore that mean old dad of yours, sweetie. Take as many presents as you can get!”
Nolan groaned. “I’m gonna give that girl to y’all to raise when she hits thirteen.
” He shocked me by coming over and giving Jed and I tight hugs.
“Good to see ya, boys. It’ll be nice to have the family all together.
Della’s been beside herself all week having you here for a Christmas finally, Brooke. ”
By the time we started opening presents, all of us were groaning from gorging ourselves.
All but Zephyra. “If you all could be more stereotypical Ozarkian, I’d like to know how.
” She patted her flat stomach and batted her eyes in Donnie’s direction.
“Just because there’s twelve tons of food on the table doesn’t mean you’ve gotta eat every bit of it. ”
“Shows what you know!” Donnie popped open the top button on his jeans. “They aren’t teaching anything of any sense in that college, are they?”
Every Christmas Jed and I shared had been wonderful.
We always went to Seattle to be with his family.
Each one had been filled with love, laughter, and wealth beyond imagination.
But sitting in the Durkes’ living room, snow falling outside the window, everyone crowded in, wrapping paper everywhere, I was happier than I had been in a long time.
Jed seemed to know what I was thinking as he stroked my thigh.
I hoped he was enjoying it and not missing Seattle too horribly.
He’d talked to his family last night before we went to bed.
It had been a while since I had talked to Sam, and it had made me miss him.
Watching Blaire, Willow, and Savannah open their gifts was the best part.
Savannah sat on her dad’s lap, her eyes wide as he tore open the paper for her.
The colorful paper held more appeal to her than her presents.
Finally Nolan sat her down in a pile of it on the floor.
She grabbed as much as she could fit in her tiny fists and banged it up and down on the carpet, squealing joyously at the top of her lungs.
Duncan came over to investigate the spectacle and received a fist full of wrapping paper bopped on his head for his trouble.
I had forgotten the morning’s events before we had even gotten started eating lunch, and I didn’t think of her again the entire day. Jed was right; we were starting to build a life here. As I looked around from my husband, to Maudra, to each of the nine Durkes, I realized I was truly happy.
Donnie caught my eye and made a stupid face in my direction. “Don’t be getting sappy on us, boy! I don’t know how y’all do it in Denver, but here, there’s no crying, not even good crying. Only laughing, presents, and food.”
Somehow, a couple of hours later, we sat down to finish off what had been left of the lunch. Soon, everyone was once again groaning and holding their aching bellies. Even Zephyra.