Chapter Three
Angie
When she arrived at work, another colleague was out sick. Angie’s hopes of taking time off or even making it to the shopping center during lunch break vanished rapidly. Resigning to her fate, she called Nadine to ask if she could pick up the necklace later, only to get her voicemail.
Angie left a message and texted Neva next: I’m sorry, but could you finish the cookies? I might be home a little later. Love you.
Then she settled in front of her computer, though her mind kept wandering.
This was the first time they would be hosting both sets of parents at the same time for Christmas.
Usually, they visited one of their houses, seldom on the day, because it was also the twins’ birthday.
Angie and Neva never wanted to make them feel like the occasion was an afterthought.
And the anniversary. Angie had always dreamed of a Christmas wedding, since she was a little girl. Her dream had come true. On a chilly, sunny Christmas Day fifteen years ago, she had married the most amazing, generous, funny, and beautiful woman on the planet, who, by some miracle, loved her back.
It was her lucky day, her lucky season, so why did she feel like everything was about to slip away from her?
“Have you taken a break yet? Here, have some of these.”
She looked up to see that Marina had gone on a coffee run. She offered a cup to Angie, together with baked goods that smelled delicious, like cinnamon and clove. Angie’s stomach rumbled in response. How much time had passed? She had done her work on autopilot.
“Thank you so much.”
“No problem. It’s a family favorite.”
Angie realized that Marina had brought the treats from home. She winced at the pang of guilt. She had gotten a late start on the Christmas baking, otherwise she would have already brought cookies to the office. Everyone always asked for more.
“Thanks. I’m sorry. I’ll bring something tomorrow.”
Marina laughed. “We all adore your cookies, but you weren’t planning on coming in tomorrow, were you? You know today is Friday?”
“Oh. Right. Monday, then.”
“Can’t wait.”
Marina went back to her own desk, and Angie continued to fill in the form on her screen, almost sighing out loud when she tasted the gingerbread Marina had brought.
Perhaps they could try that too or make a gingerbread house with the girls.
They had done it with Christina for a few years, when their household consisted of three humans only.
It seemed to her that the harder she tried, the less she was getting done, especially this year. The time was running through her fingers like sand, and it scared her. Soon, Christina would be off to college. The twins would spend more time with their friends.
Neva was so smart and capable. Would she still need her once the kids were off to live their own lives?
Angie shook herself out of her spiraling thoughts and focused on the screen in front of her until Marina returned to her desk.
“I’m so sorry to make you do this, but I have a meeting in a few minutes. Could you get this to the client? I swear, I’ll be forever grateful.”
She held out an envelope.
“Yes, sure.” Angie usually didn’t do errands, but she knew that with colleagues being sick, Marina was just as inundated. “I’ll come back as soon as possible.”
“Thank you so much. I appreciate it.”
Angie hurried to her car and got on the road, her progress slower than she would have liked given the amount of work still waiting on her desk.
She passed by an accident site on the other lane, the sight making her shudder. She couldn’t see much of the car that seemed to be halfway in a ditch, partly covered in snow already. An ambulance was on the scene.
Angie sent a quick wish that the driver and any passengers would be safe, the sight reminding her to slow down.
She hoped their Christmas wasn’t completely ruined.
She remembered the paperwork following a minor accident she’d had eight years ago.
Nobody needed this when their to-do lists were already overflowing.
Angie made it to the client’s front desk and delivered the envelope, then drove back to work and continued until Marina arrived with a visitor in tow: Nadine.
“Hi, Angie,” she said cheerfully. “I got your message, and I thought I’d just bring it by. I’m so glad you’re still here!”
“Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that.” Angie felt like she had to say it, even though she was beyond relieved. She might have missed Nadine again.
“It’s no problem…Except my car broke down a block from here, but that’s another story.”
“Oh. How will you get home?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll catch a cab later.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Marina announced with a knowing smile, and left.
Nadine opened her bag, retrieved a gift box and held it out to Angie.
“I can finally show it to you,” she said, beaming with excitement. Inside the box, the necklace lay displayed on a dark blue velvet cloth.
Angie held her breath for several seconds, until the lightheadedness made itself known, and she exhaled.
“It’s so beautiful.”
It was. Exactly like she had imagined. The two intertwined hearts were dotted with tiny diamonds.
Like glistening snow and eternity. She swallowed, her throat tight, unexpected tears prickling behind her eyes.
She couldn’t wait to give it to Neva. She had also sensed that Neva was distracted lately, and Angie had been scared by what it might mean.
They were okay. They had to be.
She took out her credit card. “You brought the machine, right?”
Nadine shook her head. “I will send you the bill. There’s no hurry.”
Angie couldn’t hold back the frown. She had bought jewelry at this store before. This seemed like a new and strange business practice. Angie didn’t like to owe anyone.
“Hang on, I might have enough cash—,” she started, reaching for her purse, only to have Nadine interrupt her.
“Please. I insist. And then I’m afraid I must hurry. I have to get a cab before the service shuts down altogether.”
Angie cast a quick glance outside the window where the snow was still coming down, thinking that they might have already.
“I’m sorry. Where do you live?” she asked.
“25 Mistletoe Lane. I just moved in a few days ago.”
“Really?” What a coincidence. When she and Neva had moved into the neighborhood, they had been amazed by the unique cozy houses, and, she wouldn’t deny it, by the name of the street.
She remembered Mrs. Gabriel who had abruptly moved out five years ago.
The house had been empty since then, though every once in a while, she saw a van from a company to do cleaning, or upkeep outside.
“We’re neighbors! My wife Neva and I live at 24. You can ride with me.”
“Oh, I don’t want to impose, but that would be great. I was afraid I might not get that cab after all.”
“It’s no problem,” Angie assured her. “You’re just across the street.” How had she missed this? And what else had she missed?
She checked her phone, realizing that Neva hadn’t answered her question. Trying not to be discouraged, she gave Nadine a smile.
“Come on, let’s go. Would you like to have dinner with me and my family?”
“That sounds tempting,” Nadine admitted.
She waited patiently until Angie had shut down her computer and put on her coat and scarf.
Together, they walked to the parking lot.
“On the other hand, bringing the jeweler to dinner a few days before Christmas might give you away, and I wouldn’t want that to happen. ”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say that no one in her household would catch the possible implications. Angie held back the statement, fearing it might sound petty.
“It’s still over a week until Christmas,” she returned. “But it’s fine if you have other plans.”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t. And I have to admit, I’m curious to meet your family. I can tell from the gift you chose that there’s a lot of love in your home.”
She was right about that. Angie loved everyone in that home with all her heart, but she was so tired. She had to admit she was glad to have a passenger. Talking to Nadine would keep her from falling asleep behind the wheel during the drive home.
Once more, she was driving through heavy snowfall.
Usually, Angie appreciated how everything slowed down around this time of year, time to reflect and anticipate, and get excited about the days to come. Time, especially this year, was a luxury, and she had by far too little of it.
***
Mrs. Gabriel was in her eighties when she lived in the house across the street, but she had decorated her home, including the front yard, each year.
Angie and Neva had helped her a few times.
Angie had liked her a lot. She, too, was particular about how the lights and ornaments had to be placed.
She had a kind word for everyone, and she had exchanged batches of cookies with Angie and Neva.
Yet, the only people who came to her house seemed to be the cleaning and landscaping companies.
Angie didn’t want to prod, but she had assumed the elderly woman didn’t have any family left.
“I wished I had known sooner. She was my friend’s great-grandmother,” Nadine explained.
She leaned back into her seat with a wistful smile, lost in the memory.
“When we were little, she hosted the most wonderful Christmas parties. We were allowed to stay up until midnight, but we mostly fell asleep long before…and Santa always delivered. We lost touch when I moved away. I was shocked to find she left me the house, and that there was no one to challenge her will.”
“That is quite the story,” Angie remarked. “A lot of coincidences had to happen for you to come back here.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t call it coincidence,” Nadine returned with a wink.
Angie wasn’t sure what to make of it. As much as she cherished Christmas and its magic, she wasn’t na?ve and knew that it was created by humans. If you were lucky enough, you could protect and bring some of that childhood joy into your adult years.
“What would you call it?” she asked, genuinely curious.
“Fate, maybe? I have often felt that things happen at the right time. You just have to keep an open mind and read the signs.”
Angie kept her eyes on the road, wondering if she was going to regret bringing Nadine to dinner. She tried to relax her tense shoulders without success. All that stress from time issues and last-minute changes was making her judgmental, or maybe she wasn’t that good at reading any signs.
As she pulled into the driveway, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
This morning, she hadn’t been able to finish shoveling.
With the added snowfall today, it looked like no one had done any work today.
She parked on the curb, knowing that if she tried to force herself into the parking space, she wouldn’t make it out tomorrow.
Neva’s car had at least a couple of inches worth of snow on it.
Had she gone out earlier for the wrapping paper, or did that mean she had never left?
Dejectedly, Angie thought that she might have to cook the dinner she had promised Nadine.
She took a deep breath. Tomorrow was Saturday, she realized.
No work, but they still had a lot to do for the arrival of their parents.
Still, that antsy feeling wouldn’t leave her. She would have to address it later.
“Is everything okay?” Nadine asked, sounding worried.
Was it? Angie wasn’t sure. She checked her phone again and found a message from earlier she had missed for some reason.
I’m sorry, I didn’t have time. Tonight, I promise.
Angie was about to get out of the car when she realized that the new string of lights she had put on the tree at the break of dawn had gone dark entirely. She didn’t think they had another one left to replace this one.
“No, no, no,” she said quietly, aware of Nadine’s concerned look. “It’s not okay. I’m not okay.”
Wrapping gifts, preparing the house for guests, taking care of yet another new member of the household—even though she was cute and fluffy and didn’t ask for much.
Decorating the tree together was another Christmas tradition they couldn’t miss.
The Christmas market. Ice-skating. All while inside, chaos reigned.
Nothing would get done.
She heard barking and laughter from inside, while no one cared about her mile-long lists, and maybe they were just too nice to tell her.
Did no one care as much as she did?
“Angie?”
She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry…I just need a moment. Just a second.”
In her imagination, she could see it so easily, everyone’s joyful faces as they sat around the Christmas tree, music playing in the background, the twins playing quietly with their toys while Christina was engrossed in a book.
Her and Neva’s parents were watching them with unabashed pride.
She and Neva had a moment of quiet and peace, because in her fantasy, Angie had crossed every item off the list, and it was all perfect.
All I wish for every year is a perfect Christmas.
Just once.
Please.
Nadine had to think she had lost her mind, mumbling to herself like this. Angie couldn’t help it. The wish had become an almost physical need. She wanted it so much.
Then again, it didn’t matter what she wanted. It was just a silly fantasy. She was an adult and had to accept her reality the way it was, accept that she would never live up to that perfect image.
Something would always come up at the last minute, no matter how meticulous her lists were, no matter how early she started writing them.
If only she could just have a break, convince the people she loved that it mattered, all the work they put in year after year.
“Angie? Maybe we should go inside?”
Nadine’s worried voice broke the spell, and she opened her eyes to look at her, spooked by the musings that hadn’t left her alone all day. She had to get a grip. Only a few days, and their full house would be even fuller.
“Wow, I’m so sorry, I don’t usually do this. Yes, let’s get inside and have dinner.”
Perhaps they should invite Nadine as well this Christmas?