Authors: Kay Gordon
Detective Bradley gave me a hug and insisted that I call him ‘David.’ While mom and Matthew handed out the desserts at the dinner line with Sarah and her husband, the detective and I handed out some of the wrapped toys that had been donated for the children.
After we’d been hugged by a little boy who was thrilled over the truck he’d just unwrapped, I glanced at David.
“What’s the deal with you and Sydney?”
He looked at me before quickly looking away, like I’d caught him doing something wrong.
“Nothing. We’ve just crossed paths once before and apparently she’s not my number one fan.”
He didn’t say anything else and I started trying to think up all of the reasons they would have crossed paths. The most obvious and probable one was that he busted her for having sex in public, because it wouldn’t be the first time.
I didn’t ask him to elaborate anymore; I figured I’d have better luck with Sydney once she had some wine in her.
When I made it back to the apartment that night, my roommates and boyfriend were in the living room watching the cartoon version of
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
.
“Hey guys,” I said as I hung up my coat. I put the cookies mom had sent home with me on the coffee table, and Sydney had snatched up two before I’d moved away.
“Finally, I’ve been waiting for these cookies all night.” Sydney gave me a fake glare and she took a bite out of one.
Amanda snagged one too, and glanced up at me. “What time is dinner tomorrow?”
“Not until four, but I told mom I’d be over there about one. Just head over whenever you want.”
I walked over and grabbed Josh’s hand, tugging on it so he’d stand. “Josh and I are going to go to bed.”
He smiled at me and Sydney rolled her eyes. “No one here believes that.”
Amanda nodded in agreement. “I’m just happy you all aren’t as loud as Sydney.”
I just gave them a little wave and Josh and I retreated down the hall.
I woke up the next morning feeling very content and rested. Josh was settled behind me with his arms wrapped around my stomach, and our feet tangled together. I moved my head to burrow deeper into his chest, and he let out a hiss.
“Your ear is like an icicle.” His voice came out rough and gravelly.
I smiled, rolling over to face him, and he groaned. “Your nose is worse!”
He reached his hand up and rubbed a thumb over my nose, a sleepy smile on his face.
“Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas back to you.” I kissed him softly and settled back on the pillow, closing my eyes.
“No way, you woke me up with your frigid appendages so you don’t get to go back to sleep.”
I let out an exaggerated sigh and sat up. “That’s hardly my fault.”
“Between your cold feet and the cute snoring, it’s hard for a guy to get any rest in here...”
I gasped. “You’re so mean!” I stood up, suddenly shivering as the cold air hit my body. I quickly pulled on a pair of my pajama pants and grabbed one of Josh’s hoodies to wear over my t-shirt. He was still in bed, nestled under the covers, just watching me intently, an amused expression on his face.
“That snore comment just cost you Christmas morning sex, buddy.” I shot him a smile as I sauntered out of the room.
Amanda was already awake, sitting on the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee.
“Merry Christmas, Amanda.” I said, grabbing my own cup.
“Merry Christmas, Mad. Sleep well?”
I nodded, and took in her sweatpants was wearing. “No Christmas morning run?”
She just shrugged. “It’s really cold out there. I miss summer.”
Sydney stumbled into the kitchen, her short hair mashed on one side of her head. “You’re such an addict, always needing your next running fix.”
We took our coffee and moved into the living room, turning on the Disney Christmas parade. Josh emerged from the bedroom, dressed, and smirked when he saw the TV.
“The Disney parade? Really?”
“You don’t mess with tradition, Richards,” Amanda replied, glancing back at him. “Besides, look how warm it looks there. I bet I could run every morning if we lived in Florida.”
I looked to Sydney and she gave me an approving nod, so I jumped up and grabbed Josh to help me move Amanda’s Christmas present out of the bedroom. The box was heavy, but Josh and I were able to slide it into the living room. It had been too big to wrap so Sydney had put a big red bow on the top of it.
“Merry Christmas, Amanda- From the three of us!”
Amanda just stared for a minute and then broke into a huge grin. “You guys got me a treadmill?” She jumped up from her spot and immediately started inspecting the box.
“Oh guys, this is too much!”
Sydney shook her head, and giggled. “Trust me- it benefits us as much as it benefits you.”
I made pancakes and bacon for breakfast as Josh and Amanda put together the treadmill. After we ate and the treadmill was placed in Amanda’s room, we all sat down to finish exchanging gifts.
Sydney had stuck to her usual and given everyone clothes. Even Josh had a few new designer shirts that she had declared would look ‘sexy’ on him. Amanda had given everybody electronic pedometers to track our daily fitness, and I was pretty sure Josh would be the only one to really use it. Josh had given Sydney some boots that she had mentioned wanting, and that I had helped him pick out.
I handed Josh his present and he pulled a small one out from under the tree to hand to me.
He ripped the paper off of his quickly and let out a delighted cheer.
“Kings against the Lakers and Kings against the Jazz! Thanks babe.” He leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss. “You’ll go with me, right?”
“Of course. Or if you wanted to take someone more into it, I’m sure Matt would go. They’re your present, you get to decide.”
He just re-read the tickets again, and smiled happily before looking back at me. “Open yours.”
I pulled the lid off the present he had handed, and flipped open the velvet box that was nestled inside of it. A necklace lay in the satin, a white gold heart studded with delicate diamonds. I gasped and pulled it out to look at it.
“It’s so beautiful,” I looked up and Josh, who was watching me intently. “Thank you.”
“Do you like it?”
I turned my back to him and lifted up my hair so he could clasp it for me. “I love it, you did a good job.”
He kissed the back of my neck as he helped me, and when I turned back around he was beaming.
“Your love is fairly sickening,” Sydney noted as she stared at us happily. “If I didn’t already love you both so much, I’d hate you.”
I looked around the living room for a moment. “Where’s Amanda?”
Josh laughed. “Just listen.”
We all fell silent and the heard the faint hum of a machine along with the soft thudding of running feet.
“Thank God,” Sydney breathed. “If she didn’t run soon, I might have had to strangle her and that would suck on Christmas.”
Chapter Twenty
We lounged around the apartment for a little while longer before Sydney disappeared into her bedroom, muttering about going to her parent’s house.
A happier Amanda emerged from the bedrooms, showered, dressed, and off to spend time with her mom before meeting us at the house.
Josh and I were left alone in the living room, watching some basketball game that had been playing. He’d make a comment here and there about a play or a call, but otherwise it was pretty quiet.
Sydney walked out of her room, wearing another floor length dress, this one a deep red with sheer sleeves and it was completely backless. As she slipped into her heels she sighed heavily and turned to grab her formal coat.
“Okay, I’ll maybe see you guys later. Merry Christmas.” Her tone of voice would suggest that she was going to face the firing squad rather than Christmas with her parents. We waved goodbye as she walked out the door, and Josh turned his head back to the game.
I trailed my hand down his chest, all of the way to his hips, and suddenly he turned at looked at me.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want to watch the game?” I gave him the most innocent smile I could muster.
He moved so quickly that I let out a surprised scream, and suddenly I pinned beneath him on the couch, a big grin on his face.
“Sweaty basketball players or a sweaty Maddie. That’s a tough one.”
–––
After we were showered and dressed in some of the new clothes Sydney had bought us, Josh and I loaded his truck with the presents we needed to take to my mom’s house. On the way over there, he reached across the cab and grabbed my hand.
“Are you working on New Year’s Eve?” He cast me a sideways glance as he asked.
“No. New Year’s Eve is when they’ll be at their drunkest, and I’m not really ready for all of that. Why?”
“Well, I was thinking we could leave the city and ring in the New Year somewhere other than Sac.”
“Where did you have in mind?”
“Wherever you want: Tahoe, Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego. You decide.”
I smiled at him. “Let’s go to San Francisco then, I’ve always wanted to celebrate the New Year on the ocean. Do you think we’ll be able to get a room this late?”
“I reserved one a week ago.” He pulled into the driveway of my mom’s house and turned to me with a smirk affixed on his gorgeous face.
“And what If I’d said Vegas?”
“Then I’d figure it out. But I had a feeling you’d choose San Francisco. You definitely have some weird love for that ocean.”
Josh was right, of course. The ocean has always been one of my favorite places, and the only thing I didn’t like about San Francisco was that the temperature never made it to where swimming in the ocean was like you saw it on TV.
He came around my side of the truck and opened the door, taking my hand as I stepped out.
“That dress looks fantastic on you,” he said, as he pulled me to him. I was wearing my new red sweater dress with black boots I had stolen from Sydney’s closet.
I brushed imaginary lint off of his forest green button-up shirt he was wearing and smiled.
“You look pretty great yourself.” I gave him a simple kiss, and we loaded our arms full of presents to take inside.
Pushing open the door, the smell of Christmas assaulted us. It was a magnificent blend between cinnamon, pine tree, gingerbread, and chocolate all invading your senses at once.
We barely had time to put the presents down that we were carrying before my mom rushed over to us, enveloping me in her arms first, and then Josh.
“Merry Christmas, kids!”
“Merry Christmas, mama,” I said as I returned her embrace.
“Merry Christmas, Linda.” Josh replied, giving my mom a kiss on the cheek.
We hung up our coats and headed into the family room where, to Josh’s delight, Matthew was watching the basketball game we had abandoned earlier.
After a few minutes, I left them in the family room to bond and searched out my mom. I finally found her in her room, standing in front of her full length mirror. She didn’t notice me at first, and I just watched her scrutinize herself in silence. I had never seen my mom so nervous or so worried about her appearance. At that moment, my mom reminded me of a love-struck teenager.
“You look great, mom,” I said softly, and she did in her black pants and red sweater. She quickly turned around to give me a nervous smile.
“Oh, the butterflies this man gives me make me feel like I’m young again.”
“How long have you been dating?” I sat at the foot of the bed as she continued to preen herself in the mirror.
Mom let out a big sigh and turned to me with an apologetic look on her face. “We started seeing each other about six months ago.”
My jaw dropped as I stared at her in surprise. “And you’re just now telling us?”
She sat down next to me on the bed and pat my knee. “You kids mean everything to me and I know you’ve wanted me to find someone for a long time. It’s a lot of pressure you know?”
I leaned into her and she wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Oh mom, we just want you to be happy, that’s all.”
“Since I had you kids, there’s never a time I’m
not
happy, Madelyn. Craig just makes me a bit happier.”
“Well, I understand. And as long as he isn’t a dick to you, you have my blessing.”
She laughed and stood, pulling me up with her. “Well, then he better not be a dick, right? Because the opinion of you kids means a lot to me.”
I walked back with mom and finished helping her out in the kitchen. I was just showing her a neat trick that Paul had taught me for peeling hardboiled egg when there was a knock on the door. Matthew answered it and came back in with Amanda and Karen, both of them looking happy.
Amanda sat her mom down with a drink of apple cider and a book before coming back into the kitchen.
“The doctor told me to make her a memory book that holds comforting and familiar memories. He said it may help keep her grounded when she’s overwhelmed, and so far it seems to work.
My mom pulled Amanda in her arms. “You’re such a good girl, Amanda. So strong and so loving. Your mama is very lucky to have a daughter like you.”
Amanda just blushed and mumbled ‘thanks’ before heading back into the family room.
Mom and I followed Amanda, but Amanda had stopped suddenly and I almost knocked her over. She had frozen in the entry way to the family room and was watching Matthew engage with her mom.
He was sitting on the couch next to her observing the book with her. She would point to a picture in the book and he’d describe it for her. Karen would just stare at Matthew’s face while he explained, a look of loving awe on her face.
“That’s Amanda’s 14
th
birthday, and I remember that you and Steve had decorated your whole backyard to look like a Hawaiian beach, with lots of leis and tiki torches. You brought in the lady to help everyone learn the Hula Dance. Steve knocked over one of the tiki torches and set a tablecloth on fire.” Matthew laughed softly, and Karen imitated him, laughing a little too.
Amanda turned back and looked at my mom, red rimming her eyes. “Linda, you have pretty great children yourself.”
She turned back and walked into the room to sit on the other side of Matthew as he read.
Josh, who had been watching them as well, looked back at me and held out a hand. I took it before settling next to him on the floor and he kissed my temple.
My mom cleared her throat. “Okay, presents!”
We helped mom pass out the gifts and soon her family room was a mess of wrapping paper.
Mom was fawning over her new KitchenAid mixer when Matthew held up a present for Karen. She looked to Amanda as if asking for permission and Amanda nodded encouragingly.
Amanda helped Karen pull the paper off and inside was an iPod along with a comfortable pair of ear buds. Karen looked up at Matthew and he showed her what it was and what it did, helping her get the ear buds in. He turned on a song and immediately a smile broke out on Karen’s face as she began to tap her toes to it.
“I read that people who have Alzheimer’s respond really well to music because music memories settle in weird spots in our brains. I pre-loaded it with a lot of my mom’s favorite music, figuring they might have the same taste.”
Amanda threw her arms around Matthew and after a few seconds he let his arms reach around her tightly. They sat in the embrace for a few moments, only letting go when Karen gestured that she wanted to show Amanda something on the iPod.
“That boy,” my mom said happily, staring at the three of them. “He and Amanda will make a great couple.”
I couldn’t disagree with her, but I wondered why it hadn’t happened yet.
Before I could think about it too hard, the doorbell rang again, and Josh got up to answer it.
We could hear the formal ‘Hellos’ being given and then Josh led a man back into the room where we were all sitting.
The man was dressed in nice jeans and a flannel plaid shirt. He had a head full of hair that was completely gray, including the mustache under his nose. He had the warmest smile, and his eyes absolutely lit up when he saw my mom.
Mom greeted him with a hug, and he kissed her on the cheek. She turned around and smiled at all of us.
“Kids, this is Craig Pierce. Craig these are my children Matthew and Madelyn. The girl next to Matthew is Amanda with her mother Karen, and the young man clinging to my daughter is Joshua.”
We all said hello, and Craig sat down on the couch to chat with Matthew. It turned out that Craig was a big basketball fan too, so the boys all ended up in serious conversation concerning who would take it all this year, and whether or not the Kings had a chance.
I watched my brother interact with Craig, and although he started off tense at first, Matthew warmed to Craig the longer they spoke. After about fifteen minutes of conversation, they were laughing like old friends.
We all moved to the dining room for dinner and the big table was piled high with all different sorts of delicious looking foods my mom had cooked. As we moved to claim our seats, Craig respectfully took one off to the side, leaving Matthew his normal spot at the head of the table with our mom across from him. I didn’t really know Craig, but I liked him already. Josh took the seat on the other side of Craig, and I sat between him and my brother.
Light conversation filled the dining room as everyone loaded up their plates. Amanda sat to Matthew’s right, across from me, and she and Matthew were chatting about some of the other research he’d done on Alzheimer’s. I didn’t miss the impressed looks that Amanda tried to hide, as well as the loving looks Karen kept giving Matthew.
Josh and Craig sat next to each other and discussed work. Craig talked about how he preferred working in the hospital as opposed to having his own practice. Both my mom and I sat in silence, just watching everyone interact.
Halfway through dinner the door banged opened, and the clicking of heals on the hardwood floor alerted us to Sydney’s presence.
Still in her red dress, she walked into the dining room and headed straight for the empty place setting my mom had set out especially for her. She sat between my mom and Karen, with an irritated look on her face.
“Merry Christmas all,” she said irritably before dishing up her own food.
Craig looked a little confused, but the rest of us just continued eating, barely pausing our conversation.
After the plates were clean, we all started to trickle back into the family room, sitting on the furniture and the floor. I helped mom pass out the different desserts, and we exchanged different stories and memories of previous Christmases.
Sydney had walked back to my old bedroom and swapped her evening dress for a pair of my old pajama pants and a t-shirt, and was in a much better mood. She introduced herself to Craig, and apologized for her erratic behavior, but also warned him to get used to it with all of us girls around.
The doorbell rang again, and Matthew jumped up to get it.
“Oh, that must be my son,” Craig said, a smile on his face.
Matthew came back into the room with a young man following behind him that I recognized immediately. He recognized me too, because a smile appeared on his lips.
“Hello Maddie, it’s good to see you again.”
I stood and gave him my hand, just like the last time we met. “Hi Sean.”
He looked very similar to the way he had at that Halloween party, with his hair purposely mussed and a twinkle in his eye. Instead of his perfect suit, he was wearing a pair of jeans with a navy blue long sleeved t-shirt.
Sean looked to Josh and extended his hand to him as well. “Josh, it’s been awhile.”
Josh returned the sentiment, and then gave me a curious look.
Craig looked happy as he clapped his son on the back. “Well, small world! Everyone, this is my son, Sean. Sean, I want you to meet Linda.”
My mom gave Sean a hug, which he returned, a genuine smile on his face. She introduced everyone again, and I didn’t miss the way Sean’s smile faltered when she introduced Josh as my boyfriend.
Craig stood by the Christmas tree, clearing his throat and everyone turned to look at him.
“Well, Merry Christmas, everyone. I know we just met, but I wanted to tell you all how much Linda means to me. She’s brought me the love I never thought I’d find again after Sean’s mama passed. But she makes me happier than I can stand to say.”
“So with that I want to…” He took one of my mom’s hands and slowly sank to his knee. “I want to ask if you, Linda Thomas, will make me a happy man and agree to be my wife? I may just be an old fool, but I’m an old fool who is head over heels in love with you.” He retrieved a ring from his pocket and held it up to my mom.
I gasped along with Amanda and Sydney, and my mom just smiled down at him, a tender look in her eyes.
“I’d love nothing more.”
Craig stood and gave mom a huge, smacking kiss, and we all cheered. My mom looked as happy as I’d ever seen her, and I decided right then that I didn’t just like Craig, I loved him for that.
As everyone tittered around us, Sean appeared at my side, a big smile on his face.
“I suppose it’s a good thing we never did get a chance to go on that coffee date, seeing as we’re going to be brother and sister soon.”
I just laughed and nodded my head. “Yeah, that would have been a bit awkward.”
He walked over to congratulate our parents and Sydney leaned in. “Would it be awkward if I slept with your new brother?”
I pinched her arm and tried to glare at her, but all it did was make us both laugh.
Amanda declared that she had to take Karen home shortly after Craig’s proposal, and one by one we all started to trickle out until it was just Josh and I with mom and Craig.
Josh and Craig took a load of trash out to the garbage, and I stood with mom in the kitchen as she decided what food we had to take home with us.
“Is the wedding going to be soon?”
She shrugged, the smile still on her face like it was glued there. “I don’t need anything big or fancy.”