The Christmas Secret (22 page)

“That'll look like snow laying on the branches!” Zach said, plucking a cotton ball from the table.

“And I can put my mom's present under it,” Haley said, running for the heart box.

“Oh, how beautiful!” Gloria said, kneeling down in front of Haley. “Where did you buy this?” she asked, winking at Miriam.

“I didn't buy it. I made it. Me and Jason did it together.”

“Jason?” Gloria said. “Oh, Marshall's grandson. I haven't met him yet. What do you think of him?”

“He's the best ever,” Haley said.

“Well, I can't wait to meet him,” Miriam said. “I've met the best for a day.”

“I've met the best for a month,” Gloria said. “But never the best ever.” She held the box in her hands. “Would you like help wrapping this?” Haley nodded. “We'll get to this first thing after dinner.” She stood up and looked at Miriam. “I'm going to start dinner,” she said. She carried a bag of groceries into the kitchen. “Why don't you get busy cleaning the bathroom?”

Miriam pushed her hair behind her ear. “Why is that every time we do this sort of thing that I am relegated to the bathrooms as you enjoy the comforts of the kitchen?”

“Do you cook?” Gloria asked.

Miriam studied her nails. “I don't see how that's relevant to my question.”

“Do you cook?” Gloria asked again.

Miriam sighed and trudged to the bathroom.

 

Gloria opened the oven door and reached for the chicken and rice casserole when the doorbell rang. “Miriam, can you get that?” she yelled, pulling the casserole toward her. “My head's in the oven.” The bell rang again.

Miriam left the bright yellow latex gloves on and turned the lock, opening the door. A man in a leather jacket stood on the porch. “Yes,” she said.

“I'm here to pick up Zach and Haley.”

The children were in Zach's room playing and Miriam stepped out onto the porch. “Their mother never mentioned someone picking them up. Who are you?”

“I am their father. I was supposed to be here yesterday but something came up. Who are you?”

Miriam bristled at his tone. “Christine never said you would be taking the children. You'll need to wait here while I call her.” Gloria appeared in the doorway, listening.

Brad moved toward Miriam. “There's no need to call her. She knows this is my visitation.”

“What's going on?” Gloria asked.

“This man claims to be the children's father—”

“I
am
their father!”

Miriam continued. “He's saying he has visitation.”

“I'll call Christine,” Gloria said.

“You don't need to call her,” Brad said, trying to push past Miriam.

“If you take one step closer to this door I will rain fire down on your head,” Miriam said, waving a yellow finger in his face. “Back off right now.” Brad took a step back and stared at her. “We know all about visitation rights in this state so you better be sure you have those privileges tonight because if you don't we will make life very difficult for you. Go call,” she said, looking at Gloria.

“Yeah, you tell her I'm not putting up with this shit anymore and am going to drag her ass back into court.”

“I will say nothing of the sort,” Gloria said, squaring off to him. “That's what lawyers and the court system are for. I can't believe you would use that kind of language when referring to the mother of your children! When you do call your lawyers you better be sure you have all your ducks in a row because I plan to call a meeting with Judge Reddy over this. If you're the father of these children you should act like it instead of like a fool.”

“Go call her,” Miriam said.

“I'll call her myself,” Brad said, slinking away.

They watched as he backed out of the driveway, squealing the tires as he barreled down the street. “You'll rain fire down on his head?” Gloria said. “What exactly does that mean?”

Miriam folded her hands and brought the bright yellow gloves up under her chin. “And who exactly is
Judge Reddy
?”

They laughed and Gloria closed the door behind them. “How's your blood pressure?”

“High,” Miriam said, fanning herself.

Gloria used the dish towel to fan her face. “I'm hot. It's like someone rained fire down on my head.”

Miriam rolled her eyes and headed back to the bathroom.

 

.    .    .

 

Tamara sat in my section late in the afternoon, and I noticed she looked like she was in a hurry for me to get to her. “I haven't seen you in the last few days,” I said.

Her eyes were wide and bright. “I got a job.”

“Congratulations!” I leaned down and hugged her. “Where?”

“At Wilson's. In the mailroom. I already started.”

I sat across from her. “Are you going to like it?”

“I think so,” she said. “Mr. Wilson is really nice. He hired me. His grandson had said no but then Mr. Wilson came in and hired me right on the spot.”

“So what does this mean?” I asked. “Will you still be part of the rescue mission?”

“I can stay in the program for another five months,” she said. “Now that I have a job I can save for a place of my own.”

“But what about your kids?” I watched her face but she turned to look out the window. “Will you see them for Christmas?” She shook her head. “Why not?”

“I have this job now.”

“Tamara,” I said, leaning onto the table. “Do you want to see them?”

A tear made its way down her cheek but she made no attempt to brush it away. She nodded. “But I can't.”

 

.    .    .

 

Gloria picked the casserole dish and the bowl of beans off the table. “Are you sure you have full bellies?” she asked.

“Full to the top,” Haley said. “You should enter a pie contest except it'd be for chicken and rice.”

“A chicken and rice pie contest!” Gloria said.

“You'd win!” Haley shouted.

“But if you're full to the top,” Gloria said, “that means you don't have any room for a chocolate chip cookie.”

“Yes, I do,” Haley said. “There's room down here in my leg.”

“Both of my legs are empty,” Zach said.

Gloria laughed and set the plate in front of the children.

“Yesterday was our last day of school,” Zach said.

“I know!” Gloria said. Then it dawned on her. “Does your mother have a sitter for you on the days that the center is closed?”

Zach shrugged. “Sometimes we watch ourselves,” he said.

Gloria glanced at Miriam. “Do you ever go with your father?”

“He says he doesn't have money to pay my mom to help with us so we don't see him much.”

“Only when he can pay,” Haley said. “But he can't do that right now because he got a new motorcycle.”

Miriam rolled her eyes. “Do you like to see him?”

Haley shrugged. “I don't like his apartment. He doesn't have toys or much food and the bed we sleep in smells like poop.”

Gloria changed the subject. “How about Christmas presents around here. What do you want Santa to bring you?”

Zach shoved a whole cookie in his mouth. “There isn't a Santa.”

Haley pounded her fist on the table and shook the plate of cookies. “Yes, there is! Zach says there isn't going to be Christmas this year.”

“Of course there's going to be Christmas,” Gloria said.

“Even for us?” Haley asked.

“Especially for you,” Gloria said, squeezing her shoulders.

“Tell him,” Haley said, looking at Zach.

“Christmas is alive and well,” Gloria said.

“Fine,” Zach said. “Whatever you say.”

“A skeptic,” Gloria said.

“Worse,” Miriam said. “A Christmas skeptic.”

“What's a skeptic?” Zach said.

“Someone who questions whether something is real or not,” Gloria said. “A Christmas skeptic questions the realness of Santa and the spirit of Christmas.”

Haley gaped at her. “What's gonna happen to him?”

“Well,” Gloria said, “hopefully the spirit of Christmas
will sweep through this place in such a powerful and mighty and magical way that Zach will believe again.”

“Will it hurt?” Haley asked.

“Maybe,” Miriam said. “But I doubt it.”

 

I cashed out my tips at the end of the night and opened the back door. It was snowing again and I ran across the nearly empty lot. I unlocked my car and slid in, putting the key in the ignition. The car rumbled to and I looked behind me to back up, screaming as my eye caught a shape in my backseat. I threw the car in park and reached back for a tiny dress with wings that was propped up against the seat. What in the world? Who put this . . . ? How did they get into my car? It was locked! I reached for a sack next to it and found a command station building set. An envelope sat on top of it and I pulled it out, looking for a note. There were five twenty dollar bills inside and nothing else. My heart thumped loudly in my ears. I looked over the parking lot but no one was around. I leaned over the seat and felt for any piece of paper that could have slid onto the floor. I got out of the car and looked around and beneath it. There wasn't anything. I sat in the car and held the dress in my lap. I could still hear my heart.

I turned off my headlights before I pulled into the driveway. The front door was locked and I was careful as I turned my key; I didn't want the kids to hear me and come running.
I poked my head inside and saw Gloria smiling at me from the sofa. “Are the kids in bed?” I whispered. She nodded. I stepped through the door holding the bag and tiptoed around the sofa.

“What is going on?” Gloria asked.

I ran down the hall to make sure the kids were asleep and closed their doors behind me. “I can't believe it. You won't believe it,” I said, throwing my coat on the couch. “Where's Miriam?”

“She left to walk the neighbor's dog. One of those hairless varieties named Sweetie, which she ain't by the way. If Miriam doesn't take her out by nine Sweetie pees all over the floor. Why are your eyes bugging out of your face?” I put the bag on the sofa and pulled out the dress with wings. “Oh, she'll love it,” Gloria said, whispering. “Where'd you get it?”

“In my backseat. Along with this building set and this,” I said, handing her the envelope. Gloria opened it and looked at me, shocked. “I know! It's crazy.”

“How'd they get in your car?”

“I have
no
idea,” I said. “It's always locked.”

“I've never heard of such a thing happening,” she said. She hugged me and we bounced up and down together.

“Thank you, Gloria,” I said. “Please thank Miriam, too.” I turned and looked at the living room. “You cleaned.” She smiled. I stepped around the corner to the kitchen. “You
really
cleaned.”

“It's actually the only thing that Miriam can do,” she said. She opened the closet for her coat. “You should know that your ex-husband showed up.”

What a way to end the night. I felt my shoulders sink. “Claiming visitation?”

She nodded. “He was squawking but Miriam shut him up.”

I leaned on the back of the couch. “I'm so sorry. He hasn't paid child support in months but loves to take me to court claiming abuse of power, overstepping my parental authority or whatever.” Gloria put on her coat and began buttoning it. “I don't know why I married him. I look back on it and still can't believe it.”

She finished the last button and looked at me. “We can't live our lives looking back; if we did we'd turn into a pillar of salt.” She pulled on her hat. “I've seen quite a few of his kind over the years. I've noticed that they just seem to fade away over time.” I couldn't imagine Brad fading away. “Now we'll be back tomorrow, too, because I know you're working that insurance Christmas party.”

“How'd you know that?”

“Zach told me,” she said, smiling. “We'll be here at noon. You go on at twelve thirty, right?”

“Yes,” I said, opening the door. She walked out and I pushed my head outside. “I forgot to ask. How were the kids?”

“They were great,” she said. “You should be proud of those two.” I closed the door and looked over my house. It hadn't been this clean in months. I sat on the sofa and held the dress and wings, building set, and money. I still couldn't believe it. The envelope I'd put under the tree caught my eye and I reached for it, pulling out the shredded pieces.

I walked to the kitchen and got a pen and some tape to piece the torn paper back together. I smoothed out the wrinkles and spread the paper as flat as I could get it.
Thank you
, I wrote.

 

Gloria pulled into her driveway and walked across the lawn to Miriam's house. She knocked on the door and let herself in. “Hello!” she yelled over the television.

Miriam swept into the living room wearing a long flowing pink robe and gold-colored house slippers and carrying a bowl full of popcorn.

“What did you put in the car?” Gloria said.

Miriam threw a handful of popcorn in her mouth. “A dress and wings.”

Gloria snapped off the TV. “So who left the building set and money?”