Alma Mater (35 page)

"Has Mom spoken to you?" Vic returned to the subject close to her
heart.

"Yes. We're getting together to thoroughly discuss it after Christ
mas. There's too much to do right now, and this deserves our full at
tention." Bunny paused. "What have you bought Charly?"

"Nothing yet. I want to get him a bomber jacket, but I don't have
the money. Tell me, what would Uncle Don like?"

"Vitamins."

"Really?"

"That man needs help." Bunny tossed her head to the side. "Buy
him B-vitamins and ginseng, and anything that restores vigor."

"If you say so. What do you want?"

"A husband with restored vigor."

Vic smiled. "I'll think of something."

Bunny reached into the deep pocket of her skirt and pulled out a
wad of twenties. "Here. Buy that jacket for your boyfriend."

"Aunt Bunny . . . thanks. But I can't take it."

"Get your degree."

"I can't promise that either."

Thwarted, Bunny finally said, "Take the money anyway. Get him his

bomber jacket. By the way, did you read the Williamsburg paper today?"
"No. I got up early to take Chris to the Norfolk airport."

"Well, there's a photo of the Virgin Mary statue. And she's dressed

like Santa Claus. Did you strike again?"

"No. Honest."

"I'm glad to hear that. At least you learned something. And it ap
pears you started a tradition."

"Think I'd better get the paper."

"Have it in the office."

They trooped back to Don's office, past Hojo who was ensconced once more in her command post. Vic flashed the okay sign to her be
hind Bunny's back as she passed.

When she saw the photograph in the paper, Vic snickered, then
giggled, and then laughed out loud. "I would have put her in a cocktail
party dress."

"Tsk, tsk," Bunny scolded her, but obviously enjoyed the idea.

_V

is called Chris every day. Chris couldn't wait to get out of
there, for Christmas to be over and to be back in Vic's arms.
Her mother, committed to perfection and therefore eternally

disappointed, was going crazy over the holidays, and driving everyone
else nuts, too. Other than that, life was peachy.

Once R. J. walked by just as Vic was signing off, saying, "I love
you."

"Charly?" she asked, after Vic hung up the phone.

"No."

Her mother paused a minute, the dish towel she'd been using to
polish silver flapping from her waistband. "A rival?"

"Mother."

"Well, darling, one doesn't tell people one loves them unless one does."

"I love you," Vic mischievously replied.

"I love you, too. Shall I assume you aren't going to tell me?"
"Yes."

R. J. grabbed her dish towel to throw it at Vic when the phone
rang again in the kitchen. She reached past her daughter to pick it up.
"Hello?"

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Savedge." Charly's deep voice wished
her well.

"Merry Christmas to you. I'll bet you want your girl, and she's right
here."

"Thank you."

She handed her daughter the phone, walked over to the now spar
kling silver tray, and put the teapot, coffeemaker, creamer, and sugar bowl on it, carrying all of it into the dining room.

Vic called out, "Mom, Charly wants to come over later—is that
okay?"

R. J. called back, "Of course."

Mignon joined her mother in the dining room. "Mom, make
Daddy put together the base for the tree. I can't do it."

"I'll just bet that you can."

"Oh, Mom."

"Mignon, there's a lot to do. Now just reach down into your very

depths and summon up the courage to tackle this most arduous task."
Mignon's eyes narrowed. "You can be so mean sometimes."
"Mothers are supposed to be mean."

Vic entered the dining room. "All right, what next?"

"Bring the tree in. But you can't do that until your little sister here,
I amend that to your
afflicted
little sister, puts together the base."

"Make you a deal," Vic spoke to Mignon. "I'll do the base if you put
on the lights."

"I hate that job."

"You hate every job. Take your pick."

"If we did the lights together, it would take half the time," Mignon
bargained.

"If we did the lights together, I'd wind up doing them all."

"No. We'd divide the strands up. You take half, and I take half. I'll have to finish my half no matter what. Now that's fair."

"All right."

R. J. laughed, "Mignon, you'll wind up in politics."

Three hours later, the huge Douglas fir, sturdy in its base, lit by
strands of colored lights, dominated the corner of the living room far
thest from the fireplace. Piper had already made a bed under it.

R. J., Vic, and Mignon carried out the boxes of Christmas balls,
stored in the basement in a huge wooden chest. A few of the orna-

ments dated from the late 1800s, and one was from 1861 and
was
dubbed "the war ball." Most were from the
1950s
when R. J.'s mother
had gone on a Christmas buying spree.

They started with the inside of the tree limbs and worked their
way out. That's how Vic and Mignon had put on the lights. Doing it
this way created depth, fullness. R. J. allowed no shortcuts.

After all the balls were in place, the process would be repeated with
icicles. Then the golden garlands would be wound around the out
side, top to bottom, and finally the large gold star would be placed on
the top.

The mantelpieces were draped in pine garlands studded with holly and shiny red and gold Christmas balls.

In the wide center hall, also adorned with garlands, mistletoe hung
from the beautiful, hand-blown nineteenth-century light fixture. A
children's sleigh, filled with teddy bears, sat at the end of the hall.

Just as the setting sun turned the James as red as a holly berry, the
three women finished the tree.

R. J. took a step back. "Ladies, what do you think?"

"The best, really, Mom, the best tree we've ever had," Vic said.
Mignon walked around it. "Piper thinks so, too."

The thump thump of a dog tail punctuated Mignon's observation.

R. J. walked to the long windows overlooking the river. The hand-
blown glass in the small square panes was a little wavy in places. "The
winter solstice. Always brings a mixture of melancholy and hope."

Mignon, now standing next to her mother, said, "'Cause we get a
minute more of daylight each day after today?"

"Yes, but the worst part of winter is still ahead of us, so the melan
choly." She put her arm around Mignon's waist. "I'm lucky to have such
wonderful daughters."

"Oh, Mom." Mignon hugged her.

"You're looking so beautiful these days, Mignon." R. J. hugged
her back.

"My sister, the movie star," Vic called out as she stacked up the
empty boxes to take them back to the basement.

"You two put those away, and I'll make us some mulled wine.
We've earned it."

Vic and Mignon were still in the basement when Charly arrived.
When R. J. opened the front door, he presented her with an enormous
floral centerpiece for the hall. He dashed back to the car and returned
with his arms filled with presents. R. J. led him into the living room,
where she took the presents out of his arms, one by one, putting them
under the tree, where Piper sniffed each one.

"Why, it's Santa Claus." She kissed him on the cheek. "Here, let me
take your coat, come on in the kitchen."

They both heard the two sisters thunking up the wooden stairs, laughing uproariously about the Virgin Mary's latest transformation.

"Charly!" Vic hurried over and gave him a big hug and a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful." He kissed her back
_;
then he released
her and gave Mignon a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Merry Christmas
to you, Mignon. Another beautiful Savedge to kiss."

"No wonder you like coming here." Vic pulled out a chair for him.

"No, no, let's sit in the living room like civilized people," R. J. said.
She glanced out the kitchen windows. "God, look at that sky, will you?
What a show."

Flames of scarlet, orange, and melon curled high in the sky, the place on the horizon where the sun had set vibrating a deep red. At
the edges of this wide expanse, the clouds tinged with pink would
soon be scarlet, too.

"Let me run upstairs and get Charly's present." Vic dashed up the
stairs.

"Me, too." Mignon followed.

They fetched the present and then hurried down the wide front
staircase to meet Charly and R. J., who had carried the warm wine into
the living room.

"I'll just put this under the tree until you go. You can't open it until
Christmas morning." Vic knelt down, placing a large silver package
with a red ribbon under the tree.

"Mine, too." Mignon did the same.

Charly sat on the sofa so Vic could sit next to him. R. J. and
Mignon nestled in the large chairs opposite them. Outside the whole western sky was on fire.

"What a solstice!" R. J. exclaimed. "I just can't get over it."

They drank their wine and chatted about their holiday plans.
"Mom, when's Dad coming home?" Mignon asked.

"Why, are you hungry?"

"I'm getting there."

"He'll be home in about a half an hour, unless someone detains him at the office. Charly, you'll stay and have dinner with us, won't
you?
Actually, you must. Having you here is the best present." She smiled
her dazzling smile.

"He will." Vic squeezed his hand.

"Yay!" Mignon reluctantly followed her mother into the kitchen.
R. J. was giving her the high sign.

"Outnumbered," Charly sighed in mock defeat.

R. J. stuck her head back in the living room. "Are you starved, or
can you hold out for a little bit?"

"Hold out," Charly called back.

When R. J. returned to the kitchen and Charly felt secure that
Mignon wouldn't pop back in or spy on them, he wrapped his arms around Vic, giving her a long kiss. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas to you, too."

"Okay, you have to open one present now. The others can wait un
til Christmas morning." He rose and walked to the tree.

"Others, Charly?"

"Beautiful women need to be spoiled." He beckoned her to the
tree. "You have to open this one now." He pointed to a small, dark
green velvet box, silver icicles glittering over it.

Hesitantly, she untied the thin red satin ribbon. She opened the
box. Nestled in black velvet a five-carat marquise diamond glistened in a platinum setting, the cold light almost blue in its pure brilliance.

"Oh, my God!" Vic almost dropped the box, then juggled it to her
breast safely.

"It was my grandmother's."

"Charly, this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. My God.
I don't know what to say. 1, oh . ." She couldn't help herself. She
slipped it on her finger, and it fit perfectly. "I cannot believe it." She
threw her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. "I cannot be
lieve it. Oh, Charly, it really is the most beautiful thing."