It's a Wonderful Date

by Sophia Summers

  David’s own personal office was almost finished also. She hadn’t done much. She could tell he was pretty happy with it just how it was before she started meddling. But she rehung the awards so they were more visually appealing, added some larger pieces up above his shelves, and a picture of him having fun. She’d snapped it yesterday and immediately had it framed. One of the Gempseys showed up on his front porch with a football. Sarah found the whole thing highly amusing, but David dropped his briefcase and keys on the front porch and ran out in the yard to toss the ball with the kid. Sarah had caught several images of him and framed one for his desk.

  As she finished up the last few touches, she moved into the back part of the office, collecting her things. She’d just put something down and turned out into the hallway to go check on David’s office when he hurried by, wrapped his hands around her waist and scurried her as quickly as possible into his office, closing the door behind him. “Sarah.” He pushed her back up against his desk laughing. “I’ve been thinking about all the ways we could use this desk.”

  “What?” She gasped, hoping his office was soundproof.

  “Well, sure.” He cradled her as he dipped her backwards. “But for now, this will have to do.” His lips were hovering above hers and while she craved their touch, she enjoyed the anticipation.

  “I’ve been thinking.”

  “Have you?”

  He grinned, brushing her lips with his, teasing. “Yes. I think I’m falling in love with my new neighbor.”

  She let the words sink inside, making their mark on her insides, as happy shivers danced through her. “I love you too.”

  He pulled her upper lip inside his mouth for a little nibble. “And I’m starting to think across the street is too far away.” Before she could answer, he covered her mouth with his, intently and thoroughly wiping away all thought except one. He loved her.

  A soft knock interrupted and Sarah wanted to hide her perfectly mussed and kissed face before he opened the door. But since there was nothing for it but to pretend she was busy in there, she leapt to the bookshelf and started to adjust the books.

  David laughed. “As if that’s gonna help.”

  “Oh, stop.”

  He slipped out and Sarah leaned back against the shelves. She was gonna need a minute.

  11

  A week later, David made his way over to Miss Lily’s home. He knew Sarah would also be there and he was grateful because he dreaded sharing his new news.

  Before he could raise his hand to knock, Sarah opened the door and she stepped into his arms. Tears already forming in her eyes. “Is it bad?”

  He nodded up against eh top of her head. Then he laced his fingers in hers and they made their way to find Miss Lily.

  “She’s in her favorite room.”

  The place had been transformed. Every time David came, something else had been added. Magic. What he’d said to Sarah in the beginning was the best way to describe what she did. Just walking through her home, David was filled with a sort of happy wonder and he was reminded of early Christmas mornings as a child. “You have a gift.”

  She squeezed his hand in her own. “This will be my finest offering.”

  He nodded, unable to speak.

  They found Lily wrapped in blankets. Her pale face, the weight loss, her lack of energy would all be clues to her failing health to anyone who didn’t know the truth. She was about to die.

  “Miss Lily, you’re looking as beautiful as ever.”

  She laughed, a low, airy chuckle. “Thank you dear. Come in. Sit with me.” She waved them both over.

  Sarah rushed to her side, grasping her hand in her own. “Everything’s just about finished. I’m expecting one more piece for the theme room and then you are finished.”

  “I’ve been walking late at night, through one room at a time. They’re beautiful. Every single room. But I love the nativities the best. I think I’d like to die in there.”

  Sarah couldn’t speak, her eyesight blurry, as tears wet her cheeks.

  “You may do whatever makes you the most comfortable.” David clung to his professional experience to help him say the right words. “Hospice care in a hospital or nursing home is not necessary or expected. We can have in-home nurse care for you, or you can be surrounded by family. These options can be discussed with Tricia if you like.”

  “I just want to be home. Send a nurse if you like, Amber would be lovely. And I’ll say goodbye to this world the way I came in it.”

  “Screaming and kicking?”

  She laughed. “Not at all, peacefully, in the arms of those I love.”

  David nodded. “I can vouch for that love. When does your family arrive?”

  “Any day. I think the first batch come tomorrow night.”

  “Perfect. The tests came back and your body has been unresponsive. I think it’s telling you something about being ready to close this chapter. The doctors have prescribed continued dosage. In some instances, the medicine begins to work later than expected. But those cases are rare.”

  She listened with a calmness about her David hoped to one day feel when he was faced with the last weeks of life. Then she nodded. “Thank you doctor. I couldn’t wish for better care. You’ve been my best doctor. Your father before you as well. I’ve been in good hands and count myself blessed.”

  His heart wrenched in worry. Had he? Was his care attentive enough, careful enough? He kicked himself for not noticing lymphoma sooner. But he said, “Thank you. You’re my favorite patient. My father spoke specifically of you before he passed. I’ve tried to been worthy of your trust.”

  “And of course you have. Now, let’s stop talking like we’re at my funeral. Show me the finishing touches on my kitchen.”

  David helped her shift over into a wheelchair they’d brought for her last time he’d come and then he pushed her through the back part of her house and into the kitchen.

  Tricia was there as well as a plate of cookies and some hot cocoa.

  “What is this?”

  Lily laughed to herself. “This is just a little thank you to you both for making my last few weeks some of the best they could be.”

  “I think you just made my whole week miss Lily. But I would have been just as pleased without the nice cookies.”

  “They’re my favorite. Especially those spice ones right there. Soft gingerbread. No one knows how to do such a thing anymore. They think gingerbread needs to be crunchy and no. That’s only if you want to build a house out of it. Cookies are made to be chewy. Mmm.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” David put a whole cookie in his mouth. “And these are just right. You remind me of Mama’s.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “And that’s because these are your Mama’s recipe.”

  David couldn’t speak so he put another cookie in his mouth.

  “I love those, but my favorites are the plain old chocolate chip. With milk chocolate.”

  The doorbell rang. Tricia looked at the video on her phone. “Looks like that package arrived.”

  Sarah’s face revealed her great relief. “This is perfect. Miss Lily. It’s time to place the last piece.”

  After they’d shared stories and eaten more cookies than a grown man ever should, they wheeled Miss Lily into the nativity room. Sarah cut open the box and pulled a small parcel, wrapped in tissue paper out of the paper. She pulled back every wrapping until a small figure of the baby Jesus was cradled in her two palms. “He’s perfect.”

  “Yes, He is.” Sarah led the way and then held open the double doors so they could enter. The room was lit by electric candles. Every surface held a drapery of some sort and a nativity. As they circled through the room, admiring a creche from Africa next to one from the Philippines, next to the flamenco dancers of Spain, Sarah was filled with hope, a fervent hope that she’d made Lily happy with her last Christmas. Once they’d seen every piece, Sarah directed Lily to the center where the largest display was waiting. Mary. Joseph, kneeling at an empty manger.
<
br />   “And now we just need to put this dear Christ child to rest.”

  Lily sighed and held the figurine to her chest. When she was ready, Sarah lifted the manger from the table and held it in front of Lily. Her old but steady hands placed the infant figurine in the manger and then watched as Sarah reverently placed it in the center of the table. She adjusted Mary and Joseph so that their gazes were set at the correct angles and then they stepped back, admiring the scene in silence.

  David reached for her hand. Grateful, she gripped his fingers and stepped closer, their shoulders touching. Tricia reached down and kissed her mother on the top of her head. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Yes.” Lily’s soft affirmative filled Sarah with comfort.

  Lily reached her hand out behind her and Sarah stepped close to embrace her. Lily’s voice shook. “It’s just right. Thank you.”

  Sarah nodded, her head resting on the top of Miss Lily’s.

  They lingered in the room another twenty minutes, talking of the individual pieces, where Miss Lily had acquired some and where Sarah had purchased others. The quiet softness in the room seemed to envelope them and Sarah didn’t really want to leave.

  But Tricia looked at her watch. “We need to take your medicine and it might be good for you to rest. I think Bob and the kids are coming tomorrow.”

  The dear woman nodded her head. “I think you’re right.”

  David and Sarah watched as she was wheeled away. They waved goodbye as she turned the corner. “I hope I go with as much dignity and love as that woman.”

  “And forgiveness.”

  “Forgiveness?”

  He nodded, his face pained. “How could I have missed the signs? All these years and I didn’t notice she was ill?” The crumpled lines, his eyes squeezed tight broke Sarah’s heart.

  “No.” She shook her head. “No, that’s no how this works. It came on quickly. As soon as she showed with symptoms you sent her for tests. What more could you have done?”

  He shook his head and then shrugged.

  Sarah held him, and they gently rocked for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

  They drove home together, neither saying very much. When David pulled in front of her house, he didn’t get out or lean over for a kiss. His smile was weak, and it was obvious he just needed some time.

  “I’ll call you later.” She waved as his car pulled away and into his driveway across the street.

  Her house seemed lonely. And cold. She moved to light the fire. And then she sat at her new kitchen table and imagined the dinner she was planning for David, but her heart wasn’t in it. That meeting with Lily weighed on her, not in a super sad way, but in a deep emotional way, and she felt exhausted of all creative power.

  Right before she went to sleep, she called David, but he never picked up. So she texted him goodnight, turned out the lights and fell immediately asleep.

  12

  A week went by, and David heard only small updates from Lily or her family. She seemed to be doing well. One group at a time, her entire extended family was arriving, and she was in good spirits. He had prescribed a stronger dose of pain medicine and Tricia said that seemed to be sufficient for now. There might come a time she required an IV of morphine.

  He hadn’t talked to Sarah much. She’d completed his office and had moved on to other clients. He noticed she pulled into her driveway at night late the last two nights. Their goodnight texts were quick.

  He went through the motions of his life, but nothing seemed to matter. If he were to stare in the mirror and point blank admit his problem, it would be that live or die, he saw no benefit to his existence in the world.

  The language of his thoughts scared him somewhat. Was he suicidal? Had he slipped into depression? The thought of leaving this earth was no where near his consciousness, but he was definitely feeling the tendrils of despair work some destructive powers inside him.

  His tree was up, but still undecorated. He’d promised Sarah she could help.

  Her table had arrived but still he’d not gone over to eat that dinner they’d talked about. Had they given up on each other? Had she seen through his original front and was now not excited about the real him, the failure of a man and a doctor?

  Where were these thoughts coming from? He tried to find the successes of his life, but honestly all he saw was one failure after another.

  He’d given up all his dreams for his father’s practice and he couldn’t even run it in a manner he might have been proud.

  The accountant had sent him an invoice with his quarterly report. The practice was losing money. He had savings to use, for now. But as he considered his patients, the practice, his insurance costs and the town, he didn’t know how else to squeeze one more penny out of the place.

  With one great effort at cheerfulness, he texted Sarah. My tree’s looking lonely.

  The three dots indicated she was answering. He waited, hoping really just to hold her for a second. Then she texted, everyone’s tree is lonely. Let me get through the client list and get back to yours. Soon?

  He knew she meant to be funny, but her flippant response just solidified his morose state.

  Tonight was the night of Lily’s great meeting with her family. Sarah was going to stop by later. He was invited but he resisted. She was kind to include him but really, this night was for family. He thought of her beautiful home of all her loved ones he’d heard stories about for years, and a sliver of happiness lodged itself inside, amid the sadness.

  So he sat by his undecorated tree with a half cup of eggnog and moped like he hadn’t in ten years or more.

  Sarah rushed through the decorations on the last house for today. This client’s work was simple. She wanted her front room decorated, her mantle and tree, and she had all the supplies in her attic from last year. Sarah stepped back and took pictures of her work. They would make a great promo on her Instagram.

  She was invited back to Lily’s for the family celebrations, but Sarah wasn’t certain she should go. What she wanted more than anything was a quiet evening with David. They hadn’t had anything like that…well, ever. If she’d had time, tonight would have been a good night to cook his dinner. But she’d been swamped. She had three more houses to decorate and she could be done for the season, unless she picked up a new client, which wouldn’t be such a bad thing. The more money she collected now the better for her business of course.

  She lifted her phone, accessing Siri. “Call David.”

  Siri pulled up his number and the phone rang. After four rings, she hung up. He was avoiding her calls. She shook her head. “I will not be ghosted.”

  She texted. I’m coming over.

  When her car pulled into their neighborhood, she stopped in front of his house first, got out and ran up to the door.

  After three times ringing the bell, he answered. With a frown.

  “David. Hey.”

  “Hey.” He opened the door wider and she stepped into his arms.

  “How are you?”

  He shook his head. “Not good.”

  “Can I come in?”

  He stiffened and she could tell he just wanted to be alone. But he said, “Ok.”

  She followed him into the house for about ten steps and then he turned. “You know, I can’t do this tonight. I know it’s been awhile. I just….” He looked away. “Tricia called. Lily died.”

  Sarah felt the air leave her. Her throat tightened and she wasn’t sure how to take a deep breath back in. As if everything had forgotten how to work, she stood there, the pain in her chest tightening. Her vision blurred and darkened around the edges as she swayed. She reached for the wall to steady herself and then felt arms around her and her head between her knees.

  “Breathe. One breathe.” His hand rubbed her back. “Breathe.”

  She let herself loosen up, enough, so that some air could enter, then she sucked in more and with a sharp pain filled her lungs.

  He carried her to the couch. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what
happened.”

  ‘No, it’s my fault. I should have been more gentle in the way I told you. That was selfish.”

  “It’s nobody’s fault. But thank you for helping me get through that.” Her breath was coming normally now. “wh-what happened?”

  “I’m sure Tricia left you a message. But from what I heard, the whole family was gathered. She was in her theme room and she drifted off into sleep. And never woke up.”

  “That’s just what she wanted.”

  “I know. It’s beautiful, really.”

  “And her whole family was there to see her.”

  He nodded.

  “I guess we can’t be too sad about that…”

  “I guess not...No, that’s garbage. I’m sad. We can be sad. We can be miserable if we want and I decided tonight that’s what I want.”

  “Okay.” She sat back in her chair. David dropped his head in his hands. “Sorry. I’m not taking this as well as I would like.”

  “I don’t think we get to choose how we take it. I’m gonna go home and cry on my pillow. I think we all deal with grief in our own ways.”

  He nodded. “I think I need to be alone. Maybe a long hot shower?”

  “I guess I’ll go.”

  ‘Yeah.” He stood.

  So she did too. And he walked her to the door.

  After the door was shut and she was alone on his porch, the shock of not being kissed or even hugged goodbye sunk in. Did people feel romantic in situations like this one? She could have used a good hug though…

  She turned to walk down his sidewalk and hopped in her car.

  Once she was parked in the garage and back sitting in her own room, she sat and thought about Lily. She’d spent the last week decorating her house, going over all their memories, talking and laughing with her. Sarah’d had closure every single day… and then to give her this gift of a place for her family, a beautifully decorated place, something so meaningful to her she wanted to pass away in that room. Sarah’s eyes teared up but not from sadness, from joy. She would miss Lily. Every year, she’d be sad she wasn’t decorating her house. But her passing was one of joy. And Sarah would remember it with a smile for many years to come, hopefully forever.