The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection (35 page)

The family settled in their usual row.
Against her better judgment, Helen glanced across the aisle where
the Sikkema family always sat. Kathy and her children were there,
along with Loretta and Mike. As if she’d said his name aloud, he
turned, fastened his bright blue eyes on her, and winked. She felt
her face heat and she looked down, smoothing her skirt. Surely
everyone had seen that wink! He might as well have shouted her name
aloud.

The youth pastor began the song service, and
she rose to join in the singing. Since no one seemed to be staring
at her, she finally started to relax. But where was her younger
son? She’d begun to worry when Jonathan and his wife arrived just
after the first hymn. She sighed in satisfaction. All was right in
her world.

Before she knew it, the sermon was over, and
children and adults alike headed for their Sunday School classes.
She stayed in the auditorium for the rehearsal.

~~~~

The next night
she and Mike had decided to have dinner at the
Pizza Barn. They managed to get a booth right away, and Mary
Veeninga took their orders.

Helen wondered if tonight would be the night
Mike said his goodbyes. Now that Loretta’s medical woes had an
explanation he had no reason to stay. His mother was on medication
and had been instructed to stay away from certain foods that built
gas in her system. It must have worked, because last Sunday she was
there in the front row, next to her daughter-in-law and grandkids.
Mike would go back to his busy life in Chicago, and Zutphen would
be a distant memory.

“
Earth to Helen. Something
troubling you?”

“
No, just… thinking about
tomorrow’s rehearsal. I’m trying to figure out… how to keep those
kids in line when they’re not actually moving around on the
stage.”

“
I suppose you could
threaten them.”

“
With what?”

“
Oh, I don’t know. Maybe
with making them kiss a girl in the next pageant.”

She burst into laughter. “Now that would be
an awful thing to ask of an eleven-year-old boy!”

“
He’d thank you in about
four or five years.”

“
Think so?”

Her phone rang, and she reached in her purse
to turn it off. But she couldn’t find the right button, so she
pulled it out. Spotting the phone number, she frowned.

“
Something
wrong?”

“
It’s Nina Finch, Bradley’s
mom. The junior high school boy who is supposed to play the
father,” she added at Mike’s puzzled look.

“
Maybe you’d better answer.
Go ahead. I can check my messages while you do that.” He pulled his
phone out of his pocket.

Helen answered. “Hello?”

“
Helen, it’s Nina. Brad is
sick.”

“
Oh dear! What
happened?”

“
He came home from school
on Friday with a headache. Today I had to drag him out of bed for
basketball practice, and that never happens. But when I picked him
up an hour later, he had splotches all over his face.”

“
Splotches? Is it a
rash?”

“
It’s the chicken
pox.”

“
Oh no.”

“
I’ve got to keep him at
home. I hate to do this to you, since it’s so late, but I don’t
think he’ll be able to do the pageant.”

“
Of course not. He’s got to
take time and get better. Thank you for letting me know,
though.”

“
You’re welcome. I’d offer
to send my older boy, Randy, but he’s on the varsity team, and if
he misses practice, the coach won’t let him play.”

“
I understand. I’ll figure
something out.”

“
Good luck. I know the
pageant will be great, in spite of everything.”

“
Yes, it will. Good night,
dear.”

She hung up.

“
Problem?” Mike looked up
from his phone.

“
Brad has the chicken pox.
He won’t be in the pageant. I’ll have to find another
Father.”

“
From your expression, I
take it that’s a difficult job?”

“
I had to pull teeth to get
the boys I have.”

“
Mmm. Maybe the other boys
have a friend they can cajole into doing it.”

“
I suppose. Two of the
wisemen are brothers. David and Jason Ingle. I’ll talk to them
tomorrow.”

“
Why don’t you call them
now? That’ll give them time to find a buddy to bring to practice on
Wednesday.”

She frowned at him. “I thought it was
impolite to use the phone in a restaurant.”

“
Normally, I’d agree with
you. But this is an emergency you need to deal with. Go on. I’ve
still got messages of my own to read and respond to.” He picked up
his phone again. Helen gave a mental shrug then looked up the
Ingles’ phone number.

Jessica Ingle answered on the first ring.
“Helen! What a coincidence. I was just ready to call you.”

A knot began to form in her tummy.

“
David and Jason came home
from school with spots all over their faces. I took them to the
doctor today. I guess they both picked up the chicken pox. They’re
both in bed. I guess it says something about how they’re feeling
when they miss supper.”

“
Oh my, how awful! Well, of
course I can’t expect him to do the pageant. Just keep those boys
home in bed. I hope they feel better soon.”

She hung up her phone and sighed. And then
she sank onto her seat in the booth.

“
Bad news?” Mike set his
pizza slice down and reached across the table to take her
hand.

“
Two of the wisemen are
down with the chicken pox. I’ll have to find
three
new people. Soon.”

“
Uh…”

“
I knew something like this
would happen. Just when I’d started to relax and assume that
everything was going to go right and I could finish this job on a
high note, I have to lose a big chunk of my cast.” She groaned.
“What would you do if you were me?”

“
Well, I guess I’d get on
the phone and start calling people.”

“
Who?” I’ve got every
single boy in the church involved already. I had to pull teeth to
get them to understand what they were supposed to do. If I add
anything to their instructions they’ll freak. Or
forget.”

“
It can’t be that hard to
be a wiseman. Walk in, set the gift in front of the manger, step
back.”

“
Close. Walk in
majestically, slowly, don’t trip over robes, set gift gently in
front of manger, step back without running into anyone.”

“
Right. These are pre-teen
boys.”

“
And there aren’t any more.
I’d try to recruit a girl, but they’re all busy helping Joanie with
the younger kids.”

“
Hmm. Looks like you’re
stuck with adults, then.”

She stared at him, her brows raised in an
unspoken question.

He sighed. “Yes, I’ll do it.”

She broke into a wide smile. “That’s one.
Who else?”

“
One or two of your
sons?

The smile got even bigger, if it was
possible. “Great idea.” She picked her phone up again and
dialed.

Helen stood
at
the sink preparing a salad for the
evening meal. She had so much more energy and ambition to cook now
for two rather than one. They’d fallen into the habit of eating
dinner together each night. He spent the day with his mother or in
his apartment writing. But they spent their evenings together,
talking, playing board games, and cuddling in front of the TV. A
part of her wondered when the shoe would drop. Now that they’d
figured out what was bothering Loretta, would he return to Chicago?
Of course he would. He had an important job there. Why would he
remain in rural Zutphen, in the middle of nowhere, when he had a
life there? Well, now that her money woes had been taken care of,
she could go on more of those bus tours. She’d already booked
herself on the next tour with Donna. Next spring they would travel
to Branson, Missouri, to see some shows and do some shopping. And
later on there was a trip to the Mall of America that looked
interesting.

Maybe she’d do both. It would take a lot to
make her forget this wonderful fall and the handsome man who’d made
her life so magical. She wouldn’t ever forget, but her heart would
be shredded when he left. Only time would heal the pain.

Mike stepped up behind her and kissed her
cheek. He flashed something colorful in front of her. “Flowers! How
lovely.”

“
Lovely flowers for a
lovely lady.”

“
Thank you. Let me put
these in water.” She dug in her pantry for a vase. “I’ve got a nice
beef roast for dinner.”

“
My favorite.”

She swatted his arm. “Everything is your
favorite.”

He helped her move the food to the table,
and they sat. They held hands and said grace then dug into their
food.

“
So what did you do
today?”

“
I ran a few errands. I got
a new dress for the Christmas pageant and other holiday gatherings.
Got the last of my Christmas shopping done. What about
you?”

“
I filed the Mackinac
Island story for the magazine. And I talked to my editor about my
next article.”

“
Oh? Where are you
going?”

“
The Seychelles
Islands.”

“
The Seychelles? Isn’t
that—”

“
In the Indian Ocean. The
one ocean you haven’t dipped your toe in. I want you to come with
me.”

She put her fork down. “Come with you? I
can’t possibly do that.”

“
Why not?”

“
Well, it wouldn’t be… I
mean people will say… I mean…”

She stopped short when she saw the little
box he pulled out of his pocket.

“
They won’t say anything if
you’re my wife and we’re on our honeymoon.”

“
Honey… moon?”

“
Honeymoon. As in, will you
marry me?”

“
Marry — you?” She stood,
agitated, and hurried to the living room. He followed close
behind.

~~~~

Mike stood behind
her, wanting to touch her but afraid of her
rejection. “I’m sorry if I upset you. I thought you felt the same
as I did.”

“
This — this is so
sudden.”

“
I know. But it’s what I
want. I was hoping you’d want it, too. I’ve spent my whole life
thinking I needed a career to be happy. Now I know I need more.
It’s been a journey, but I finally have my priorities straight.
You’re what I need to be happy.”

“
Why would you want an old
woman like me?”

“
Old? Who called you an old
woman?” The look on his face was so fierce, Helen
giggled.

“
No one called me that. I
have a mirror to tell me the facts.”

He took her shoulders and squeezed. “You.
Are. Not. Old,” he told her. “You are a beautiful, confident woman.
Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.”

“
But I forget things. I let
things go and get into trouble, like running out of gas. I-I’m
always needing to be rescued.”

“
We all forget things. But
you remember the important things. Like family.”

He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“Listen, I know I sprang this on you, and I caught you by surprise.
I’m sorry. The Seychelles trip came up and I grabbed it, thinking
of you. And I knew you wouldn’t feel comfortable going with just
me, so I proposed. No — that’s not true. I was going to propose to
you anyway, but not yet. The trip made me propose earlier than I’d
planned. Maybe too early for you.”

He waited, but still she didn’t say the
words he wanted to hear. Finally he sighed and took her arm.

“
Let’s back up to where we
were talking about our day. We were sitting at the table eating
your delicious roast, which is still sitting uneaten on the table.”
He led her back to her seat and pushed her chair in for her, then
sat. Then he proceeded to make small talk while pretending to enjoy
a meal that had suddenly turned to dust.

~~~~

Later that evening,
he sank into the recliner in his apartment. He’d
prefer to be in the house on the other side of the wall, but he’d
left after that disaster of a proposal. He’d been so sure she
shared his feelings. How had he gone wrong? Now that he’d finally
embraced who and what he was and had come home, as his parents had
always wanted, the missing part of the puzzle didn’t fit, and he
was left with a gaping hole where that piece belonged. He wouldn’t
mind staying here, but without Helen it would be pointless. He
might as well go back to Chicago with his tail between his
legs.

His cell phone rang, and he picked up
without checking to see who the caller was.

“
Hello?”

“
Mike, you need to come
over. Now, if you can.”

He sat up. His brother never used that tone
of voice unless it was truly urgent. Something was wrong. “I’ll be
right there.”

Three hours later he returned to the
apartment. If his heart had been heavy when he’d left Helen, it was
even heavier now. Loretta’s test results had come in. Her stomach
problems were not just a matter of eating gaseous foods. She had
colon cancer. And since she’d waited so long to get a diagnosis, it
had spread. Surgery was an option, but since the cancer was so far
advanced, her chances of surviving even after surgery were not
good. As expected, Loretta had declined surgery. “I’ve lived a good
life. I’ve raised two sons who are healthy and happy—” She glanced
at Mike then. “Mostly happy, anyway. There’s no sense in chasing
after moonbeams. Just let me rest. I’m ready to be back with my
husband. I’ve missed him so.” She looked at Mike again. “If there’s
a silver lining in this, it’s the gift of having you around for the
last few months. Your father and I were always proud of your
success, but I’ve missed you. We both feared you’d never find true
happiness. I’d like to see you settled before I go.”