Wrapped Up for Christmas

  When she entered the kitchen, Mom put a hand on her chest in mock surprise. ‘Angie, you’re up. Now you can help with food prep.’

  Angie let out a yawn. ‘Let me make some coffee first.’

  ‘Coffee is for the morning and after dinner,’ Emilia said. ‘We cook now.’

  Angie curled her lip but didn’t give her any backtalk. They had used their passive aggressive techniques to wake her and now she was going to work.

  ‘Good to see you’ve joined the living,’ Donato said, looking up from his crossword puzzle.

  For the next hour, Angie busied herself with making food. Her hands moved on autopilot from years past, as if she jumped back onto a bicycle for cooking. As she rolled the meatballs, Nick’s face didn’t leave her mind. Somehow, the good times they had together were overshadowed by Ivy walking out of his office. Even if Nick had told the truth about Ivy, it was clear he moved on quickly.

  Angie was about to do the same with her new position. So why didn’t it give her the excitement she needed?

  ‘Are you going to work today?’ Donato asked as Angie stuffed the last meatball on the tray. She bent over to slide it into the oven.

  ‘She quit!’ Emilia said. ‘I told you this.’

  ‘It was a temporary job,’ Angie said, unsure why her cheeks heated at the word ‘quit’. She wasn’t a quitter. Dad had taught her to carry through with anything she had signed up for. This was different. The possibility of seeing Nick at work couldn’t happen. She wouldn’t be able to get through the last few days of the season looking over her shoulder. It was bad enough to see him at the food court when she was eating with Hazel, especially after she told him what he had done for her.

  ‘Nick is there too,’ Maria said.

  ‘Ma!’ Angie shrieked.

  Maria shrugged. ‘You two aren’t together anymore. Such a shame. But I understand why you wouldn’t want to be at work.’

  ‘He’s not the reason.’ Even though that wasn’t the truth. If Dad were there, he would have shaken his head, disappointed with her for quitting because of a guy. It was all too much, though. Two breakups in one month devastated her. She had to take control of her life, and this was how it would happen.

  ‘Okay,’ her mom said, giving Emilia a knowing look.

  Angie groaned with frustration, stalking over to the sink to wash her hands. She needed a minute to process without her family interfering.

  The landline rang from the wall behind her. Her mom apparently hadn’t come out of the Eighties. The phone still had the long, coiled cord that Angie had stretched throughout the years of wanting a private conversation pre-cell phone.

  ‘Can you get that?’ her mom asked, holding up her flour-filled hands.

  Angie wiped her hands on a towel and lifted the phone from the cradle. ‘Martinelli residence.’ It was Dad’s go-to greeting for the house phone, and it was as much of a habit as rolling meatballs.

  ‘Angie?’ The panic in Jeremy’s voice sliced through her.

  ‘Yeah. Is Reese okay?’

  ‘We’re on our way to the hospital.’

  A loud cry came through the other end of the phone. Reese’s panting was louder than Jeremy’s words.

  ‘What was that?’ Angie asked, plugging her other ear with her finger.

  ‘The baby is coming,’ Jeremy said.

  ‘All right, I’m on my way.’

  ‘It might take a while,’ Jeremy said.

  ‘You’re going to be there,’ Reese said.

  Angie nodded as if either of them could see her. ‘I will be there. Give me a few minutes.’

  ‘Take your time,’ Jeremy said.

  ‘That’s easy for you to say,’ Reese groaned again as Angie hung up.

  Maria and Emilia stared at Angie as a wide grin spread across her face. ‘Reese is having the baby.’

  Emilia clapped her hands together in a praying gesture. ‘What a blessing.’

  ‘Looks like you found your excuse to get out of cooking.’ Maria pointed a wooden stirring spoon at Angie.

  ‘Mama.’ Angie wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist and kissed her cheek.

  ‘I know,’ she said with a smile. ‘Go. I want updates and pictures. It’s your penance.’

  Angie sprinted from the kitchen to change her clothes. She wasn’t sure how long she would be at the hospital, but it didn’t matter. Today was about Reese and her baby.

  ***

  As Angie walked through the front doors of the hospital, her phone blew up with texts.

  Are you here?

  The baby is in distress. They’re moving us to the operating room.

  Angie shook her head. Distress? Operating room?

  I’m here, Jer. Where do you want me to go?

  She stood in the lobby for several minutes before texting him again. Angie waited. And waited. Her blood pressure spiked, and she sat on the nearest chair, staring at her phone.

  ‘Come on,’ she muttered to herself. She texted Jeremy again, reminding him that she was there. Though, if Reese were in distress, he would be by her side. The most important thing was keeping Reese and the baby safe.

  Angie waited another ten minutes before approaching the front desk. An older woman in scrubs sat behind it, working at a computer.

  ‘Hi,’ Angie said.

  ‘How can I help you?’ the woman asked.

  ‘My friend is having a baby. I guess there’s a problem? I have no idea where to go.’

  ‘There’s a waiting room outside Labor and Delivery,’ the woman said. ‘Go through these double doors and follow the signs. It’s on the other end of the building.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Angie said, clutching her phone against her chest.

  Angie hustled down the hallways, keeping a sharp eye on the signs, so she didn’t get lost. The cell reception disappeared a few times as she walked, passing holiday decorations hanging from the walls. Like at home, Angie couldn’t feel festive when her life was so unpredictable.

  She tried not to think about Reese and the baby in danger but could only manage short bursts before her breath caught in her throat again.

  Angie pushed through the double doors into another waiting area. Most of the chairs were empty, but two families sat on either side of the room. One older couple, and a man with two kids on either side of him playing on tablets. She locked eyes with another nurse at the front desk. ‘I’m here for Reese Tan.’

  ‘Are you family?’

  Angie almost said no, but she wasn’t just a friend to Reese and Jeremy. To anyone who knew them, she was family.

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Jeremy Tan texted me, but I haven’t heard from him. Do you have reception in there?’

  The woman gave Angie a raised eyebrow before her gaze slid over her shoulder. ‘You can take a seat. I’ll inform them you’re here.’

  Angie gripped the edge of the desk, her knuckles turning white. The woman typed on her computer, signaling the conversation was over. She turned, trudging to the row of chairs in the middle of the room. The televisions in the corner of the room played the local news. She tried to distract herself with puff pieces about local holiday events but couldn’t concentrate on anything but her phone.

  I’m in the labor and delivery waiting room.

  It was the only thing she could think of saying, without bothering Jeremy too much.

  Angie texted her mom to let her know she was in the waiting room. With her preparations for the meals for the next two days, she wouldn’t get to her phone right away. She couldn’t even dig it out of her purse on a normal day.

  The longer Angie sat there, the more anxious she became. She emptied her inbox filled with junk mail of holiday pricing and last-minute reminders for Christmas gifts. Angie had sent a box of gifts her apartment in California to her home before she left, including a pile of onesies for the baby’s entire first year. She went a little crazy, but she was Aunt Angie.

  The excitement within her never really went away though she’d suppressed it since coming ho
me. When she was happy with Brett, she was bubbly and carefree. With the wintry weather and both Brett and Nick’s betrayal fresh on her heart, she was a different person. She hoped she’d find happiness in her new job. It wasn’t what she ever imagined for herself, but it was the start of something new. She would be able to see her family more often, and Reese too.

  In a way, she was coming home, but still had the freedom she needed.

  She sifted through her messages, and Nick’s name lit up like a beacon several people from the top. His last message sat there, staring at her.

  Angie, I’m sorry.

  Her heart ached to talk to him even just for closure.

  Angie glanced at the doors leading to the delivery unit. Snowflakes made from white paper were taped to the door. The other people waiting around her might spend Christmas in the hospital. Worse scenarios existed in the world, and she couldn’t even accept Nick’s apology. She slumped in her chair and clicked on his name. Maybe they could meet up for coffee before she started her new job. Not Kevin’s Café. There were too many memories there. Somewhere else, perhaps.

  As she began typing, her screen flashed with an unknown number on her phone. She had turned the volume of the ringer to the maximum, in case Jeremy called.

  Everyone in the room turned to her, including the nurse at the desk.

  Angie silenced the phone and skittered out of the room.

  ‘Hello?’ she said into the phone after she was in the hallway again.

  ‘Angie, it’s Maya.’

  ‘Hey, Maya,’ Angie dragged the words out, hoping she hadn’t forgotten anything at the mall in her hasty exit.

  ‘I wanted to give you the time to arrive at the press conference tomorrow to present the check,’ she said.

  ‘Oh, I thought Ginger was doing that.’

  ‘Well, you ran the event. We’re expecting you there around ten tomorrow. You might not work for us anymore, but you should finish what you started.’

  Angie’s hand gripped the phone harder than necessary. Even after knowing the issues between Angie and Nick, Maya still only cared about her job. But her original goal was to help the shelter, so she supposed she could be there to see it to the end. ‘Yeah, I can make it.’

  ‘Good, you can report to Mr Bower when you get there,’ Maya said. ‘I’m sure he will have you meet with the coordinator of the shelter.’

  Angie wrinkled her nose. She didn’t want to see Nick’s rude father, but she supposed with her out of the way of his plans for his son’s life, she could be civil. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Good luck with the new job,’ Maya said and then hung up.

  Angie shuffled back into the waiting room and turned the volume on her phone to a reasonable level, placing it inside her purse. Jeremy and Reese were the only people she wanted to hear from, no matter how long it took.

  It took another hour before Jeremy managed to send a message.

  Mom and baby are good. Heading up to the maternity ward. Reese is out of it, so don’t come in here taking videos. I know how you two are.

  Angie smirked at her phone. Jeremy knew her so well. All she wanted was to see the baby, though. She stood up from her chair and headed toward the desk. Angie moved as if she were floating instead of walking. Reese and the baby were okay. All was right in her world.

  ‘My fr – sister had a girl,’ Angie said, unsure if the unit was for family only. ‘Reese Tan?’

  ‘Take the elevator to the second floor. You will have to check in with the desk to see if your sister allows visitors.’

  Angie knew she was busted but smiled at the woman with the least amount of guilt possible. Nothing could shake her good mood as she strode to the elevator and pressed the button to go up. Angie lifted her phone from her purse and texted Mom the good news. She wasn’t sure how long she could stay, but she wanted to be there for Reese for as long as she could.

  ***

  There wasn’t any trouble getting into Reese’s room, but she had never seen her friend so pale in her entire life. Several pillows were propped behind her back to keep her upright. Angie hovered in the doorway. Sunlight streamed into the room. If she didn’t know the temperatures had dropped, she would think it was a spring day.

  Jeremy patted a cloth over Reese’s forehead. Something stirred in Angie’s chest as she saw the intimate moment between two brand new parents.

  Angie tried to back out of the room, but Jeremy looked at her. ‘Come in.’

  Reese’s eyes fluttered open. Her ashen face contorted into a crooked smile. ‘You’re here.’

  ‘I’ve been here for some time,’ Angie said, walking into the room as if there were mouse traps on the floor.

  ‘Meet Grace,’ she said.

  Inside the bassinet, the baby was a wrapped-up little bundle of chubby cheeks and bow-like lips. Grace’s eyes were closed, but she made tiny grunting sounds from her throat.

  ‘I think I just died a little,’ Angie said.

  ‘Tell me about it,’ Reese said, looking at her baby girl with wide-eyed amazement. ‘I feel like I would jump in front of a bus for her. I’ve never felt that before.’

  Jeremy raised his eyebrows.

  ‘You’re a close second, honey.’

  ‘Gee, thanks,’ he said.

  ‘Tell me all about what happened,’ Angie said, sitting in a nearby chair. She wanted to be near Grace, but not startle her awake.

  Reese waved her hand at Angie. ‘It wasn’t a big deal.’

  ‘You could barely breathe,’ Jeremy said to her.

  ‘She was worth it,’ Reese said.

  Jeremy pressed his lips together, shaking his head.

  ‘You love me,’ Reese said, color flooding her cheeks.

  ‘I do.’ Jeremy kissed her.

  Angie peered into the bassinet again to look at Grace, partly to not stare at her friends but mostly because she wanted to see the miracle in front of her. She couldn’t believe it. All the drama in her life meant nothing in front of that little girl. Grace would rule the world, and Angie wanted to watch it happen. It was a good thing her new job wouldn’t take her too far away.

  ‘Are you staying?’ Reese asked.

  ‘For as long as you want.’

  Reese reached her hand to Angie, and they sat there for a while. Angie watched the most beautiful girl in the world dream about her future, and she planned to be there for every special moment.

  Chapter 24

  For most of his waking hours, Angie consumed Nick’s thoughts. She even stepped into his dreams as a beautiful figure who stood before him with a blinding white light behind her. She was untouchable. No matter how hard he tried to tell how he felt about her, his mouth would never open. Eventually, she walked away from him into the darkness of his dream space.

  The days leading up to Christmas should have been as happy and bright as they were when he and Angie were in each other’s good graces. But that wasn’t the case anymore, at least from her perspective.

  Each time a sliver of a memory of her crept into his mind, Nick opened his drawer at work concealing the gift she had wrapped for him. It was the only physical memory of Angie’s existence in his life. Without returning any of his texts, it was as if she were one of the ghosts of Christmas past. Eventually, he stopped trying to contact her.

  Nick lifted the small gift in his hands. Angie had tied a bow around the box, and the ends were no longer springy and curled but limp and sad. He turned it over in his hands as he went over all the things that went wrong between them. Soon enough, it wouldn’t matter. After Christmas, the meaning he wanted to convey from the gift would be lost.

  Quinn appeared in the doorway. ‘I need to speak with you.’

  Without waiting for a response, he walked in the direction of his office.

  Nick swiveled his chair to face the window. He needed a minute before talking to his father. Outside, thick white clouds filled the sky. If only it would snow, maybe then Nick could feel something other than sadness during this time of year. He inhaled a
few deep breaths before peeling himself off his chair. He supposed dragging out the meeting wasn’t going to make his father any less irritable to deal with.

  When Nick reached the hallway, Maya waved him over.

  ‘I’m about to go in with him,’ Nick said.

  ‘This will only take a second,’ Maya said.

  Nick shrugged and waved a hand for her to continue. Anything to delay the inevitable.

  ‘I’ve asked Angie to attend the press conference.’

  A sinking feeling of dread pooled in his gut. He and his father were going to the press conference. Angie would think it was a set-up. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to see her so upset with him again. ‘She doesn’t need to be there.’

  A sly grin crossed her lips. ‘This entire event was her idea. She should be a part of it.’

  Maya was right, but Nick never intended on forcing Angie to come. He had hoped she would come with him on her own, but that was before their relationship suffered from his father’s lies.

  ‘I thought it would be a nice way for you two to make up,’ Maya said.

  ‘I don’t think that’s what she wants.’

  ‘It’s Christmas. Everyone wants to feel good about their relationships this time of year. This could be your opportunity to tell her everything.’

  ‘I already did that.’

  ‘You haven’t really,’ she said. ‘You’ve tried to tell her the same things. Then she saw Ivy here. At least with this, you can plan what you’re going to say. Show her how you feel.’

  ‘At a press conference?’

  ‘Why not? I can’t force you two together outside of this event if she no longer works here. This is your last chance.’

  ‘Angie made it clear she didn’t want to speak with me again. I’m not going to force her into an uncomfortable situation.’

  ‘Nick, you’re not the type to give up on someone so easily. Especially someone this important.’

  ‘This important?’

  ‘Do you need me to say it aloud? You love her. Keep up, Nick.’

  Love. Nick had thought he’d loved Molly, but he never felt this strongly about someone else before. In his past, he let go of his other girlfriends when he wasn’t around for them. But with Angie, Nick had been available for her. Without her around, he was a mess.