A Touch of Grace (43 page)

Kaaren glanced at the clock. “We better be hurrying along. We can have dessert with coffee when we come home.”

“One sandbakkel?” Samuel pleaded, trying to look forlorn.

Kaaren rolled her eyes. “You think you might fade away before we get home, and there will be nothing at the church?”

Grace stood, and the two women cleared the plates away and into the steaming dishpan on the stove.

“We’ll do those later.”

She stared at her mother. Leave something to later? What other changes had gone on while she wasn’t home?

The lanterns on the fronts of the sleighs looked like candles bringing the light of Christmas across the frozen snow. As soon as they tied up the horses and while the men threw heavy quilts over the teams, Grace was greeted like a long-lost celebrity. All the girls, Astrid, Rebecca, and Deborah—crowded around her and hustled her into the church, where they admired her fur hat and muff and asked questions faster than she could answer.

As their families claimed them, she promised to answer more during the coffee hour after the program.

Sophie and her family swept in just before the doors closed. Kaaren nudged Grace to look back. They took the places saved for them, and Grace reached across Samuel to squeeze her sister’s hand. She figured her eyes were just as tear filled as Sophie’s. She used the tip of her gloved finger to wipe away the moisture that had made it over the edge and trickled down her cheek.

“Sorry we are almost late,” Sophie signed. “Getting babies ready for anything on time is a major success.” As she passed Hamre down to Mor, Grace held him for a moment. He was so much bigger and even while asleep looked so alert. She felt a soft hand pulling at her and looked down as Linnie scrunched in next to Grace, giving her a big smile.

The congregation stilled when the ushers blew out the sconces on the walls. Two small children walked down the center aisle and lit two candles, then two more and two more, set on stands on either side. Grace knew the piano was playing. She could feel it through her feet. The congregation rose and joined in singing “Joy to the World.” Grace followed along in the hymnbook, remembering the times she had signed the carols and the hymns during church. Back at the Fen-way School they’d signed the hymns on Sunday, since none of the students could hear.

Trygve read parts of the Christmas story and the age-old play, with all the schoolchildren taking their parts.

A young woman Grace’s mother had told her was Laurie Clauson read the final section of her story, “The Lonely Donkey,” which had been run in the newspaper. Since they sat close to the front, Grace could follow the story and smiled at the ending. She glanced over to see Samuel staring with puppy love eyes at the reader. Ah, so that was the way it was. Trygve and Maggie, Samuel and Laurie. Did she like him back? Ah yes, that flashed smile at the end said so. How could her brothers have both gotten interested in the opposite sex just this fall? Or had it been going on and she’d been too immersed in her own pain to notice?

Was Toby here? She’d soon know. She wanted to wish him well and really mean it this time. She was grateful for his friendship all these years, but as she remembered Jonathan smiling at her again and the look in his eyes, she realized with Toby that was all it was, a good friendship. She smiled. She surely was remembering Jonathan as he’d asked.

The children all gathered in the front for the lighting of the Christmas tree. The congregation sang “Silent Night” while the candles were being lit, leaving the tree shimmering. Grace felt the tears burning. Tears of happiness were still tears. She glanced at her mother. Sure enough, Mor was mopping her eyes too.

“Whose baby did they use for Jesus in the program this year?” she signed to her mother.

“A new family, and he didn’t even whimper. Slept right through the whole thing. Just like this one.” Mor kissed Hamre’s forehead, and he scrunched his nose like a bunny.

Pastor Solberg and Thorliff were handing out packages from under the tree to all the children, along with an orange and a candy cane.

More signs. “What did they all get?”

“A book—different titles for different grades.”

“How wonderful.”

As soon as the children received their presents, they ran to their families to open them. Grace watched Grant take his gift to his father and hand one to his little sister. What a sweet little boy he was, she thought.

When the presents were all given out, Pastor Solberg invited everyone for coffee and desserts down in the basement, and everyone stood, turning to their neighbors and friends to wish them “God Jul” and “Merry Christmas.” Grace and Sophie came together like two magnets with open arms for hugs and smiles with damp eyes.

“I have missed you so.” Sophie leaned back so she could watch Grace’s eyes.

“Me too. Oh, me too.” They hugged again.

“You look so lovely, so fashionable and grown up.”

“The babies have grown so much.” Their words tumbled over and around each other. Joy started to fuss, so Sophie took her back from Garth, who took his turn greeting Grace. Grant pushed his way through the crowded aisle and looked up at her.

“You went away and never came back.”

“I am back now.” She leaned down to give him a hug.

“You going to stay?”

Grace caught her breath. Did she want to stay? Or did she want to return to New York and her school and Jonathan? “For a little while.”

“For Christmas?”

“Yes.”

“Good. See, I got an orange and a candy cane.” He showed her his treasures. “Sissy did too, but Hamre and Joy are too little.” He slid his hand into hers. “Ma brought cookies. Come on.”

As she allowed him to lead her toward the stairs to the basement, she saw Toby up ahead, watching her with a smile that curved his cheeks.

“Welcome home, stranger.”

There was no one with him. The thought flew by as Grace smiled back. “It’s good to see you. Merry Christmas.” She waited for the familiar longing, but there was none.

“Merry Christmas to you too. I hear you are doing well in New York.”

“I am. I love my school.” She glanced down at the tug on her hand. “I’m being called.”

“No. You are being dragged.” He smiled again and turned when someone spoke to him.

Grace sucked in a deep breath and felt herself go lighter and lighter. The pain, the longing for him to pay attention to her, was gone. She nearly danced down the stairs. It was good to see him, yes. He looked … what? Older? She couldn’t decide. But she was free. And freedom felt like dancing, like giggling, like twirling in place, like flopping in the snow and making a snow angel.

Grant dropped her hand and made his way to the table spread with plates of cookies and sliced quick breads and a beautiful braided stollen. Julekake and iced cakes were sliced and ready to be served, and a huge crockery bowl of warm applesauce waited for ladling. He picked up two cookies and brought one of them back to her.

“Here. Merry Christmas.” They took their first bites together, his eyes dancing above the gingerbread man he had chosen. They both bit off the heads. She could see he was laughing. The wish to hear his little boy laughter caught her by surprise. She was so used to not hearing that she’d given up wishing differently a long time ago. But with children it was different. Was it all children? No, on second thought, those related to her were more important.

“So is this the new man in your life?” Thorliff asked.

“I think so.” She swung Grant’s hand and glanced up to see Toby talking with one of the men. “I really think so.” But a picture of Jonathan flashed through her mind, of his sitting beside her, giving her his present in the train station. Her fingers caressed the cameo now at her throat. Waiting for her in New York.
“Remember me,”
he had said.
Looking forward to a new year together
.

And then she knew. So was she. She’d come home to be a snow angel and then leave again for a new beginning. To a man who loved her just as she was, whether in Blessing or in New York. Just Grace, or as he had said,
“Pure Grace.”

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