One Bright Christmas

by Katherine Spencer

  His quiet, steady tone rose with emotion. “‘“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”’”

  He paused and gazed at the congregation for a moment. “‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God,’” he reported, his voice filled with surprise. “‘And saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men!”’”

  Lucy found herself moved by the familiar words. The final message did sum up how she felt tonight—peaceful and filled with good intentions toward all. She knew that her talk with Craig wasn’t the only reason, but it was certainly part of it. Ever since their meeting at the inn, she felt a burden had been lifted—one she hadn’t even realized she’d been carrying.

  Reverend Ben’s gaze swept across the sanctuary. He smiled in his usual way, round cheeks hidden beneath his beard, which was mostly gray. “Well, it’s finally here. Christmas Eve. The night we wait for, plan for, strategize and fret over for weeks. Even months. We have so many expectations about the holidays, don’t we?

  “We feel that way even if we consciously set out to keep it simple and not drive ourselves crazy hunting down the perfect gifts or decorating the most dazzling tree. And we all have memories of some past Christmas, mellowed over time, that raise the bar even higher. I don’t know about you, but once that sense of expectation and wanting things to be just right gets a grip, it’s hard for me to shake it.

  “No matter how much I say, ‘I don’t need or want one thing this year,’ I’m bound to describe a possible gift, or two, that I’d really, really love to find under the tree.

  “Honestly, I not only describe it, I’m likely to email the precise information about where this particular item can be purchased. And a link to buy it online. Maybe even a coupon for the store as well?”

  Muffled laughter rose, with everyone recognizing their own tendency to do the same. “Some say Christmas is a time for surprises,” he continued. “But I don’t know many people who like to be surprised that way. Who say, ‘Oh, surprise me. Just get me anything.’ Even if they aren’t as fastidious and controlling as yours truly, I think they must be hoping that the gift giver knows what they want. Or has some idea?”

  He paused again, his expression thoughtful. “Of course, there are always those gift givers who completely ignore your request and bestow something out of the blue. A gift that you were never expecting or never asked for. One that might end up in the attic or basement or donation bag? Or possibly regifted, as people say?”

  He paused until more muffled laughter subsided. “God knows what we want and need. He knows the perfect gifts for us, better than we do. As the first and greatest Gift Giver of them all. You could say He’s also the Supreme Surpriser—surely in the way He answers our prayers.”

  He looked down at the Bible again for a moment. “In tonight’s Scripture passage, the angel told the shepherds—and I’m paraphrasing here—‘Don’t be afraid. I have good news. Your prayers have been answered. God has sent you a great gift. A savior. Your new king.’” He stopped a moment and looked out at them. “Can you imagine what the shepherds pictured at that moment? Who they pictured, I mean? A nobleman, for sure. Dressed in fancy robes, a big, jewel-studded crown on his head. A powerful man. Doubtlessly, one with an army at his command. But then the angel said, ‘Look for a baby, who was just born in a manger, surrounded by animals and wrapped in rags.’”

  He let out a long breath and smiled thoughtfully. “That is how the shepherds’ prayer had been answered, how the gift they had asked for was delivered. Herein lies a powerful lesson at the heart of the Christmas story.”

  He paused and leaned forward. “God loves to surprise us, to confound our expectations. Not by ignoring our requests but by sending the gift in a way that we never imagined or expected. But a perfect way, we soon discover. A far better version of our prayer fulfilled than what we asked for.

  “This child of lowly birth, who came into the world in such a humble way, marked a new day, a fresh start, for all of humanity. That’s what God gives us on Christmas, a fresh start.

  “A new heart to embrace the many blessings that arrive today, and every day. Often, in a way so unexpected, it’s difficult to recognize. Just as Jesus was, the night of His birth. Unfortunately, we don’t have angels hovering nearby to cue us in. Well, most of us don’t,” he added with a grin. “We must rely on our own hearts. A heart that is open and trusts the great Giver’s plan for our life—that is the best way to accept His blessings.

  “I pray that all the gifts you receive tonight and tomorrow, and all through the year to come, are perfect for you, in their way. May this Christmas mark a fresh start for all of humanity, leading us in a new and better direction. Merry Christmas.”

  Lucy knew the minister didn’t mean gifts wrapped in paper and bows. He meant the kind that life delivers, out of the blue, like Craig’s return to the village after all these years, and the chance she’d been offered to make amends.

  The congregation was very quiet as Reverend Ben left the pulpit. The choir rose and began one of her favorite hymns, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”

  Lucy leaned over and whispered to her husband, “That was a wonderful sermon, don’t you think?”

  Charlie nodded in reply and squeezed her hand. She could tell that he, too, had been moved by the minister’s words.

  When it came time to share blessings and concerns, Reverend Ben recognized a hand at the back of the sanctuary. Lucy turned to see Craig seated among his colleagues. She hadn’t even noticed him slip into the sanctuary.

  “Yes, Mr. Hamilton? Do you have a blessing to share with us tonight?”

  “I do,” he said, coming to his feet. “First, I’m thrilled to report that a very amazing Christmas gift for me and my wife arrived late last night. We were blessed with our first grandchild. A little girl, eight pounds, two ounces, named Nadia. She and her mother—our daughter, Kate—are doing very well and I can’t wait to get home and hold her.”

  The congregation responded with a round of applause. “Congratulations,” Reverend Ben said above the clapping. “That’s wonderful news.”

  “I must add that I’m so grateful for all the wonderful cards and messages I received at the hospital. I’m sure those kind attentions helped me bounce back so quickly. Our entire crew wants to thank everyone in this church and in this town for making us feel so very welcome. I can easily remember why I loved it here so much,” he added. “Maybe I’ll come back someday.”

  Craig caught Lucy’s gaze and held it. He smiled ever so slightly, but she knew his smile was for her alone. She felt as if he was trying to telegraph the message that he was also thankful for her letter and the way she had finally talked things out with him. She was thankful for that, too.

  It wasn’t the happy ending you might see in some romantic movie. But it was the perfect ending for them. Reverend Ben had been right about that.

  A short time later, Lucy and Charlie made their way through the busy parking lot behind the church. Charlie held her arm as she wobbled on her dressy black heels. She wasn’t used to wearing them, and the toe part pinched. It was amazing what women went through for a bit of glamour.

  She dropped into the passenger seat with a sigh and slipped off the shoes for a few minutes’ relief.

  The Bates family was spending Christmas Eve with the Tulleys. Fran and Tucker’s children, a daughter and son, were both married and had little ones of their own. And there were plenty of other Tulleys in town who might be there. Tucker had a large family, and few had left the area.

  Tomorrow would be a quieter day, in their own home, celebrating and opening gifts with their children and Lucy’s mother.

  She was looking forward to that even more.

  Charlie sli
d behind the wheel and shut his door. Lucy was so busy massaging her toes, she barely noticed that he hadn’t started up the car.

  “Why are you waiting? The kids are all going separately.”

  “I know. Good thing, too. No one else would fit in this car.”

  Which was true. The hatch and back seat were filled with gifts and containers of carefully wrapped food that they were bringing to the Tulleys’ celebration.

  “Since we’re unlikely to have another minute on our own for the rest of the night, I think I should give you this now.” Charlie opened the glove compartment and took out a large, square blue velvet box.

  He held it out to her, watching her reaction. All she could say was, “What is this, Charlie? A gift? For me?”

  “I was going to put it under the tree. But I want you to have it now, honey. Go ahead. Open it,” he urged her.

  Lucy took the box in her hand, feeling a little nervous. She never asked Charlie for jewelry, and he wasn’t the sort of husband who came home with extravagant surprises. She could see that the gift meant a lot to him, and she hoped she liked it.

  As she lifted the lid, her eyes grew wide at the sight of a beautiful necklace. The chain was made of woven threads of gold, with seed pearls set a few inches apart down the length of it. A dazzling, square-cut emerald in a simple gold setting hung from the center. It was one of the loveliest pieces of jewelry Lucy had ever seen. But this was not the first time she’d seen it. She’d met Zoey in Newburyport for lunch one day and they’d done some shopping together. Lucy had spotted the necklace in the window of a fancy jewelry shop and been mesmerized by the sight of it, which wasn’t like her at all.

  When Zoey had urged her to go inside and try it on, Lucy had laughed. “I wouldn’t waste a salesperson’s time like that, honey. I bet it costs a fortune. I’m never going to buy it.”

  But here it was, sitting right in her lap. It seemed like some sort of miracle.

  “You like it, right?” Charlie asked, confused now about her reaction.

  Lucy was so moved she could hardly speak. “I love it, Charlie. It’s so beautiful. You didn’t have to buy me such an expensive present, honestly. We can’t afford this.”

  “Don’t worry about that. The diner’s done some good business this month with all the visitors in town. But that’s not the point. I want you to have it. I really do.”

  When he’d asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she’d mentioned a bottle of her favorite perfume. Or a new winter parka. This gift was light-years beyond those modest requests.

  “Are you sure? It seems awfully extravagant.”

  Charlie smiled. “Absolutely. I was looking for something special, and a little bird told me that you’d seen this in a store window. I think it was a Zoey bird.”

  Lucy wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Drat—she almost never wore eye makeup, and now, when she finally put some on, it would be smeared to bits before she even got to the party.

  He took her hand and squeezed it. “I know I’m not the easiest person to live with. Not by a long shot. Especially lately. Sometimes I don’t know how you put up with me. And I know I don’t say it nearly as much as I ought to, but finding you was the luckiest day of my life, Lucy. And it always will be. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you. The wheels would fall off, honestly.”

  “Oh, Charlie. You know that’s not true.” Lucy was surprised by his words and warmed by the compliment. “Though I imagine Tucker would have his hands full.”

  They laughed again at the thought. “No one could ever replace you, Lucy.” He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. “When I saw you in that pretty green dress, I thought you should wear this tonight, and enjoy it.”

  “I will.” She opened the catch on the necklace and turned so that Charlie could fasten it. He squinted in the low light, but it was soon closed. She turned and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror.

  “It’s so lovely.” She turned to him. “I’ll cherish it always. And I’ll pass it on to Zoey someday. Maybe she’ll have a daughter who will wear it, too.”

  He grinned and snapped his fingers. “That little imp. That must have been her plan.” He didn’t mean it. He loved Zoey with all his heart and would do anything for her.

  Lucy leaned over and kissed his cheek. He turned and hugged her tight, holding on longer than she expected. “Merry Christmas, honey.”

  “Merry Christmas,” she said quietly.

  He sat back and started the car. “I think I like giving you surprises. I ought to do it more often.”

  “That might take some getting used to,” she admitted. “But you definitely hit this one out of the park.”

  He glanced at her and chuckled. She could tell that he was proud of her compliment. “I’m going to tell Tucker you said that.”

  Lucy smiled and glanced out her window. She looked forward to the party at Fran and Tucker’s house. What other surprises might the night bring? Who could say?

  * * *

  * * *

  “I don’t mind if you go without me, honestly, Lillian. I’m just going to have a little soup and get back in bed.”

  Ezra had made it to the Christmas Eve church service, but when they returned home to pick up their presents and regroup before Emily arrived to take them to the Hardings’ house, he’d settled in a heap in his favorite wingback chair.

  “You don’t want to go to the party?” Lillian couldn’t quite believe it. Ezra loved parties. Especially this one. She was the one who detested the annual cattle call with Christmas decorations.

  He shrugged and loosened his bow tie—a bad sign indeed. “I’d love to go. I just don’t feel up to it. I don’t want anyone to catch this cold. That would be very inconsiderate.”

  “It would be, if you were still contagious. You’ve been taking those pills that Dr. Harding gave you all week. I’m not sure it’s an issue any longer.”

  Far be it from her to challenge him on the question. He was the doctor. Still, as sick as Ezra had been the past week, she felt sure that a cold bug was not the source of his ailments and low spirits. Not entirely. That scruffy lost dog was to blame.

  “You go. Make my excuses. You need to give out our presents.”

  “I won’t go out without you. They can come and just take the loot if they want it that much.”

  Lillian sat down on the couch, staking out her territory. She was testing him. Did he want to stay home so much that he’d deprive her of the gathering, too?

  He leaned back and closed his eyes. “Suit yourself. But I don’t want to spoil your Christmas Eve, Lily. I don’t mean to,” he mumbled, his words already thick with sleep.

  She watched him for a moment; his breathing was deep but still raspy. She rose and covered him with an afghan; he didn’t even notice. Perhaps it wasn’t just a funk over the dog. This bug had knocked him off his feet.

  What was the difference if she missed the Christmas party? No difference to her. Except there was nothing prepared for their dinner. Estrella always left something to heat up, but of course, there’d been no need of that today. Their housekeeper had left early to cook for her own family’s Christmas party.

  In the kitchen, Lillian pulled out a carton of eggs, opened it, and sniffed. It had been a while since she’d even made scrambled eggs and toast. But she could manage it tonight, with her back to the wall. There was still some chicken soup that Estrella had made for Ezra. He could have that, if he felt up to eating. She would urge it on him. He had to get his strength back.

  The phone rang, and she found it on the counter. She could see from the screen that Emily was calling. “Mother? It’s me. We’re on our way. Are you two ready?”

  “I was just about to call. We’re not coming. Ezra doesn’t feel up to it. He’s already fallen asleep in his chair.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad.” Her daughter sounded sorry
at the news. “Everyone will miss you.”

  “They’ll miss Ezra, that’s true,” Lillian replied tartly. “Please relay our apologies to Molly and Matt. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

  Matthew Harding had examined Ezra on Monday. The doctor knew the poor man’s state. He wouldn’t be insulted.

  “I will. And I’ll send over dinner. Maybe Dan or Sara will come by with it.”

  Lillian considered the offer. She was no fan of Molly’s cooking, though the rest of the civilized world disagreed. Still, there had to be something among the many dishes set out tonight that would be better than scrambled eggs. Lillian found that if she carefully scraped off the gravy and sauces and avoided the spicy bits, she could usually sort out something edible. Like a scavenger hunt.

  “All right. If you wish. We’ll give out our gifts tomorrow, at Jessica’s house. If Ezra is up to that visit. We’ll see how it goes.”

  “Tell him we’re sorry he feels so sick. Maybe a good night’s sleep will do the trick.”

  “Perhaps,” Lillian agreed. She said goodbye to her daughter and ended the call. As uncomfortable as she always felt at the noisy party, it did feel odd and unsettling to be home alone tonight. She hoped that they didn’t miss Christmas Day dinner at Jessica’s house tomorrow, too.

  The infernal dog was to blame—for Ezra’s horrific cold, and now for spoiling their Christmas as well.

  * * *

  * * *

  Lauren had only been to Lillian Warwick’s house on Providence Street once or twice. She had to drive slowly and watch the numbers. The big mansard-roofed Victorian loomed up out of the dark, a grand, three-story house, painted bluish gray and trimmed with white, the old-fashioned wooden shutters and front door a glossy black.

  A pine wreath with a red bow hung from the door and a small tabletop Christmas tree was framed by a front window. The rest of the house was dark, and she wondered if Lillian and Ezra were asleep. Or perhaps they had both gone upstairs by now. Would they even hear her when she knocked?