Melody's Christmas

by ID Johnson

  “It would look great right there,” Reid agreed. “And everyone could see it from the street.”

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Sarah smiled. “And we could also see it first thing when we walked in the door.”

  Melody realized her arms were crossed, but she couldn’t fight the negative comments flooding her head. “But, Mom, we always put it in the same place. Why move it now?”

  “Why not?” Sarah asked with a shrug. “Why not try something different?”

  There were so many reasons why not to, Melody couldn’t even formulate a complete sentence.

  “We can always try it there, and if you don’t like it, I can move it,” Reid offered.

  “I don’t want you to have to do that,” Melody replied, uncrossing her arms. What would her dad think if he could see that they’d moved the Christmas tree?

  “Listen, Melody,” Sarah said, her tone even, cautious, “I know there are certain traditions you like to keep intact, but someday you’ll have a family of your own, and your own home, and you can put your Christmas tree wherever you’d like. I honestly don’t think your father would be upset if we put the tree here. Is that what you’re concerned about?”

  Feeling another onslaught of tears coming on, Melody tried to focus on something else. Michael was playing with the Santas behind her, and she tried to listen to his conversation instead of thinking about her father. Apparently, one of the Santas was a princess and another was trying to rescue her from a group of evil ninjas. It was enough to make her giggle, so, closing her eyes for a moment, she concentrated on the sweet voice of the child behind her, and managed to say, “Okay, Mom. It’s your tree. If that’s where you want to put it, go ahead.”

  “Quick, Reid! Go get it before she changes her mind!” Sarah teased, resting her hand gently on her daughter’s shoulder.

  “Do you need any help?” Melody asked, ignoring her mother’s remark.

  “Nope, I got it,” Reid assured her, turning a bit to flash her a smile, and he headed back out into the snow, leaving Melody to ponder what had gotten into her mother’s head wanting to change everything.

  “He’s so cute!” Sarah whispered, taking another step closer to Melody.

  Looking over her shoulder to make sure Michael wasn’t paying attention, Melody’s eyes became darts. “Mother! Shhh!” she insisted. “Michael can hear you, you know.”

  “Oh, he’s not listening. Besides, he’d probably just assume I was talking about him. And he is a cutie, too. But that’s not who I was talking about.” Her voice went up at the end, and Melody crossed her arms again to keep from shaking her.

  “Mom! We are just friends,” Melody reminded her, trying to keep her voice even.

  “We’ll see,” Sarah said, a little twinkle in her eye. “I’m going to go check on the cookies.”

  Melody shook her head, reminding herself she should have known better than to bring Reid home with her just yet, especially since her mother was already so fond of him through the conversations she’d had with her friends about the quality of his work. Now, she was going to be pestered repeatedly about whether or not they were dating. Feeling her face grow hot, she decided she needed some fresh air. “Michael, I’m going to go see if your dad needs any help, okay?”

  “Okay,” he replied, not even glancing up from his Santas.

  Just looking at him brought a small smile back to her face, and she felt herself calming down just a bit as she made her way back to the door. As soon as the wind hit her face, she felt relief flood over her, hopeful that her cheeks weren’t red. Reid had the tree out of the truck and was lugging it up the porch. She stepped out onto the porch, holding the door open for him. “You got it?” she asked.

  “I think so. Yours is the easy one. It’s ours that will be a bit of a challenge.”

  “Oh, do you want me to come and help you with it?” she asked as he went past her with the tree.

  “That’s okay,” he said. “We’ll manage. Besides, I think we’ve taken up enough of your Saturday.”

  While she wanted to assure him that it was absolutely no problem at all, that she would love to go help him with his Christmas tree, she didn’t want to be pushy, and she also wasn’t sure if he was saying no to be polite or if he really had had enough of her for one day, so once he had the tree inside, she followed in silence, thinking any kind of an insistence would be met with more negativity.

  The tree really wasn’t all that big, and once he had it inside, it only took a moment to get it into the adjoining living room. “I’ll drop it in the stand, and if you’ll hold it, I’ll tighten it up,” he explained.

  “Sure,” Melody nodded, and Michael dropped the Santas to come and watch. As soon as Reid had it in the stand, Melody grabbed ahold of it, which wasn’t difficult since the Taylor family made sure it was wound up tightly with lots of rope.

  “Is it straight?” Reid asked from his position near her feet.

  “I think so,” she replied, trying to determine if it needed altering at all. “Michael, does it look straight?”

  “It looks straight from here,” Sarah said, coming back into the room. “It’s… lovely,” she said, and Melody could tell instantly she didn’t like it.

  “What, Mom?” she asked. Reid finished tightening the last screw in the stand and climbed to his feet.

  “Nothing,” Sarah said, a forced smile on her face. “The color is very nice, and it smells very fresh.”

  “And?” Melody asked.

  “And nothing,” Sarah assured her. “It’s very nice.”

  Melody took a step toward her mother. “Mom, what is it? Too small?”

  “Well, maybe a tad,” Sarah finally admitted.

  “I wanted something I could reach,” Melody explained sticking her hand up next to the tree.

  “That’s what ladders are for,” Sarah shrugged.

  Frustrated but not wanting to start an argument with her mother in front of Reid and Michael, Melody took a deep breath. “I knew you should have come with me.”

  “Maybe we should switch?” Reid offered. “You could take our tree, and Michael and I could take this one.”

  “Oh, no, we can’t take Michael’s perfect tree,” Melody replied, shaking her head.

  “Thank you for offering, Reid,” Sarah said, “but this tree is just fine. It’s lovely. It really is. I’ll get used to it. Besides, just because we’ve always had a tall tree in the past, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have a smaller tree now. Things change.”

  Melody wasn’t quite sure exactly what she was getting at; she’d been talking about changes a lot lately, and she was beginning to think her mother was hinting at more than just Christmas. “We could put it on a table, if you’d like,” she suggested, her voice more even now.

  “No, I like it just the way that it is,” Sarah said with a final nod. “Now, who is interested in some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies?”

  “Me!” Michael shouted, bounding off toward the kitchen behind Sarah.

  “Don’t spoil your lunch!” Reid shouted after him, and then, checking his watch, he shook his head and muttered, “It’s way past lunch. I’m a terrible father.”

  Melody laughed. “He had cinnamon almonds and a caramel apple at the farm.”

  “You’re right,” Reid nodded, “and now cookies. No lunch but lots of junk food. That confirms it. I’m a terrible father.”

  “Oh, stop,” she insisted, swatting him on the arm again. “It’s what? Two o’clock or something? People eat lunch this late. And he’s had nuts—which is protein. And an apple. He’ll survive.”

  “Man, I wish you were my mom,” Reid joked. “If that was the kind of fruits and vegetables I had to eat growing up, I’d have been in heaven. Of course, I’d probably only be two feet tall and weigh four hundred pounds….”

  Melody was laughing so hard now, she put her hand against her stomach. “You’re awful,” she said. “I’m not saying I’d let my kids eat like that every day, but, you
know, on special occasions, why not?”

  “Why not? Tell you what, I’ll call you when he’s up bouncing off the ceiling at midnight okay?” he asked, but he was grinning at her now, and Melody realized just how closely they were standing again.

  She stopped laughing, his scent clouding her senses. “Okay,” she said quietly. “You can call me.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her, but his grin didn’t dissolve. “I think… I should go rescue your mom.”

  “Right,” she said, clearing her throat and studying the toes of her boots. “The kitchen is this way.”

  It was hard work prying Michael away from the cookies, but once he was outside, bundled back up in his coat, he was ready to play in the snow, and Melody watched from the porch as he ran around her front yard, catching snowflakes on his tongue.

  “That would keep him busy all afternoon,” Reid laughed, one foot on each of her top two steps.

  “He’s so silly,” Melody replied, watching Michael dart around like a squirrel. “Is he coming to rehearsal tomorrow afternoon?”

  “Yes,” Reid assured her. “There are three things the child cannot stop talking about—Christmas, the festival, and you—though not necessarily in that order.”

  Melody felt her face grow warm again. “Are you coming with him?” she asked, hoping her tone seemed innocent enough.

  “No, not this time,” Reid answered quickly, and Melody saw a shadow pass behind his eyes.

  “Oh, okay.” She pushed the toe of her boot into the mounting snow on the edge of the porch.

  “I’ll be there for the festival though.”

  “That’s good,” she said, looking up at him and forcing a smile. She wanted to ask what was so important that he couldn’t be there for his son’s practice, but she knew it was none of her business. She also knew it must be significant, or else he would be there. He definitely wasn’t one of those parents who passed their kids off on other people.

  “I put his booster seat in your car when I came out to get the tree,” he told her, changing the subject. “And the sign is in there, too. I got you all set up with the school to pick him up.”

  “Great,” Melody said. “I’m excited to go get him on Monday afternoon.”

  “Yes, it’s very exciting,” he said, sarcastically. “Be sure to bring a book or something else to do because you may be sitting there a while.”

  Melody laughed. “I meant to see him, not to sit in the carpool line. But I’m sure I’ll be just fine.”

  “Thanks again for your help,” he said, and Melody could see he sincerely meant it.

  “Thanks for all of your help with the tree and my mom….”

  “Your mom is great,” Reid said with a shrug. “She’s a very sweet lady.”

  Rather than launch into all of the reasons her mother often drove her crazy, Melody decided to stay positive. “I can’t complain,” she said with a smile. Then, she asked, “When do you think I might see you again?” her eyes still focused on the snow beneath her boot.

  “I don’t know,” he replied, glancing back at Michael. “But if he has anything to say about it, it won’t be long.”

  Melody laughed, not sure what else she could do. Silently, she kicked herself for being so bold. “Have fun putting up your tree,” she said, taking a step back.

  “Have fun decorating yours.” He smiled at her, and Melody felt her knees begin to buckle. “See you later, Mel,” he called as he went down the last two steps. “Michael, tell Miss Melody goodbye!”

  Michael looked up at his dad questioningly and then dashed off across the snow, headed in her direction. He slammed into her hard enough to almost knock her backwards. “Bye Miss Melody. I’ll see you tomorrow at church.”

  “Bye, sweet boy,” she said patting him on the head. “Have fun putting up your tree.”

  “Have fun eating those cookies!” he said, smiling up at her and then dashed off toward his dad’s truck where Reid stood with the door open waiting for him to climb in.

  Melody decided she’d said enough for one day, and after giving them one last wave, she went back inside, thinking asking personal questions and staring at someone as they drive away might be a bit too much for one afternoon. With a sigh, she closed the door, thinking Michael’s idea about stuffing her face full of chocolate chip cookies was a good one.

  Chapter 8

  The message at church was another one about the significance of Christmas, and while Melody knew there were lots of people in the congregation who wanted and needed to hear about how important Jesus’ birth was to the fate of the world, Melody was ready for the Christmas season to be over. Had she been sitting in this very pew listening to a similar sermon two years ago, not realizing her life was about to change forever? Likely so. Once Christmas was over, things would begin to get back to normal, and she wouldn’t spend so much of her time trying to remember what life must have been like before her dad passed away.

  She’d seen Michael briefly before Sunday school and for a few moments before the service began. He had gotten up and left with the other children to attend children’s church when Pastor Kyle began his sermon. Now that the final invocation was over, most of the members would head over to another part of the building where they would have a luncheon and fellowship before practice for the festival began. She had brought a salad and dropped it off earlier, but she would not be staying. It seemed odd to leave; she’d attended the luncheon and practice for several Sundays leading up to the festival every year that she could remember except for last year. Now, with Michael there, with her mom staying behind, it seemed strange to just walk out the door, but there was really no reason for her to linger. She definitely wouldn’t be singing in the festival this year, or ever again for that matter.

  Melody gathered up her coat and glanced around one more time. Her mother had already told her she’d see her later, and she saw her visiting with some friends as they made their way to the other part of the building. While it would be easy to just slip out the door, she knew Michael would keep looking for her if she didn’t go and tell him goodbye, so with a determination to only stay a few moments, she followed the crowd into the large open space near the kitchen where lots of tables had been set up and some of the older ladies were bustling about transferring the food from the kitchen to the serving tables

  Michael was sitting between the little girl with the pigtails and Mrs. Gregory. Mr. Gregory was also there, as were the little girl’s parents, and whatever Michael was talking about, everyone was listening intently. As soon as he saw her, he paused, and a large smile transformed his face. “Hi, Miss Melody!”

  “Hi, Michael.” She said hello to everyone else quickly before she returned her attention back to the little boy. “I just came to say I hope you have fun at rehearsal, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You’re not staying?” he asked, and the smile crumbled into a frown. “I thought you’d want to watch me sing.”

  Melody felt her heart melt. “I’m sorry, sweetie. It’s just… I have lots of work to do.”

  “Oh,” he said, and Melody thought she saw a tear forming in his eye. “I guess that’s more important.”

  “Michael, it’ll be fine,” Mrs. Gregory attempted to console him. “I’m sure Miss Melody would stay if she could.”

  Melody thought that last comment was likely an intentional push from Mrs. Gregory, trying to persuade her to attend the rehearsal—though she was pretty sure that Mrs. Gregory’s reasoning to keep her there had more to do with the singing than the child.

  “Could you at least have lunch with us?” Michael asked. “Everybody has to eat, you know.”

  Looking from Michael’s face to Mrs. Gregory’s, and then to the others, Melody saw nothing but welcoming smiles. He was right—she would need to eat anyway, and she really didn’t have so much work to do that she couldn’t put it off until later in the afternoon. Managing a meager smile, Melody said, “You’re right, Michael. I would have to eat lunch before I began working anyway
.” There was one empty chair at the table, and Melody dropped her coat on the back of it, causing the little boy to break into a cheer.

  Lunch was full of polite conversation. Mrs. Gregory asked if she had enjoyed her time at the Christmas tree farm, and Michael had told them all about the snowball fight, the caramel apples, and how Miss Melody had picked out a tiny tree for her big house, which kept everyone laughing, especially his friend, Hailey. Melody tried to focus on her lunch and stay attentive to what Michael was saying since he was the only reason she was still there. It was difficult to keep her mind from wandering. She should be sitting with her parents, not these people. Most of them were hardly even acquaintances, though she had known Mrs. Gregory her entire life.

  Sarah was sitting at a table on the other side of the room with some friends from her Bible study group. Melody knew most of the women’s names, but she didn’t know the two gentlemen, though she thought one of them was the husband of Sarah’s friend, Ann. The man sitting right next to her mother had a kind smile, and Melody thought she’d seen him at church several times before, but his name escaped her. When her mother saw that she had decided to stay, she smiled and waved, but she didn’t come over. It was almost as if her mother was now the independent teenager who just wanted to hang out with her friends and not have to be forced to spend time with her family.

  Once dessert was over, Mrs. Gregory glanced at her watch and said, “I suppose I should head on in and make sure the stage is all set.” She looked over her shoulder and added, “It looks like Mrs. Watson is just about finished as well.”

  Next to her, Mr. Allen Gregory let out a terrible sounding cough, and Melody slid back in her chair a bit, hoping not to catch any of his germs. He’d been coughing off and on throughout lunch, but this was the worst by far. “Pardon me,” he said. “I guess I should go on to choir practice.”

  “Are you going to be able to sing today?” his concerned wife asked. “They might hear that cough of yours and send you right home.”