The Christmas Phoenix

by Patricia Kiyono

  Would that life include Jess and Rory?

  He shook his head to clear it. Daydreaming and wishful thinking wouldn't get this work done. He picked up his chisel and got back to work.

  ****

  Jess put the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. The leftovers were packed into containers and refrigerated. The candles on the table were put out, and Rory was in his room, talking to a friend on his cell phone.

  Jake hadn't come for dinner. She really shouldn't feel so disappointed. He had told her he had an important project to finish. That had to come first.

  But he had to eat sometime. He'd probably appreciate some hot food whenever he finished, or was ready for a break. She packed a generous portion into plastic containers and put them in a grocery bag. After letting Rory know where she was going, she let herself out.

  A snowstorm was forecast later tonight. Maybe it was a good thing Jake hadn’t come. She’d leave the food with him and come right back home.

  She tried the front door without ringing the bell. If Jake was working in the garage, it would be better not to interrupt him. As usual, the door was unlocked, and she let herself in. Removing her boots in the foyer, she winced as her stockinged feet touched the cold tile. She quickly padded through the carpeted living room to the kitchen. There was no sign of Jake. Nothing was out of place. No dishes or glasses on the counter or in the sink. Had he eaten at all today? She walked over to the door leading to the garage, turned the knob slowly, and pulled the door open.

  Jake sat on his stool with his back to her. He bent, chiseling the skirt of a stunning ice figure. The angel stood, her wings outstretched, poised as if about to take flight. Her expression was serene, and she was so life-like Jess felt the angel would suddenly come to life. Jake's work had shown he was talented, but this was truly a masterpiece.

  She closed the garage door, careful not to make a sound. She put the dinner leftovers in his refrigerator and left him a note. If and when he got hungry, he could heat them up for himself. But the way he was concentrating, it wouldn't be for a long time.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jess put the truck in gear and backed out of the garage. She turned around and put the blade down and followed the markers down to the road. The snowfall the previous night had been heavy, and in spots the drifts came almost to the top of the four-foot poles she had placed to mark the driveways. It would take several hours to get all them all cleared this morning, and she might have to do a second pass this afternoon.

  Thank goodness she wouldn't have to worry about Rory being out in this weather. He probably wouldn’t have school today with all this snow, but he’d be okay on his own. She’d check in with him later. She wasn't sure what had happened, but lately he’d been more conscientious about getting his work done. She'd checked his work last night, and he was taking the time to do a better job. Was it the influence of their neighbor? Rory seemed to look up to Jake. He spent more and more time over at Jake's house, taking care of Charlie and helping out in the studio. She was glad he'd found a mentor, a good male role model.

  The early morning quietness was comforting. The only sound came from the motor and the tires crunching the snow, and on these side streets her headlights provided the only illumination. She felt insulated in her cab, knowing that outside the frigid winds blew.

  This would be her first week without her job at the hotel. All her bills were paid, and her Christmas presents were bought and wrapped. She had two new clients, both of whom had expressed an interest in continuing with her lawn service in the summer months.

  And she had another reason not to worry about bills. Last week, the insurance company had finally come through and paid damages from Doug’s accident. Even after paying the attorney, she had been able to pay off all their business loans. She had even made a substantial payment on the house. Now, she could sell the business and get by on a part time job. Her friend had told her there was an opening for a teacher’s aide at Rory’s school.

  But she had discovered she enjoyed this work. She’d found she was actually good at it. She loved the business side of it, where she dealt with people. She loved the challenge of keeping people’s homes beautiful in the summer and safe in the winter. And she loved being her own boss.

  Having the loans paid off allowed her the freedom to choose. For now, she would keep going with the snowplow/lawn care business. And later on, if she chose to do so, she could sell the business and move on. The choice was hers to make.

  She turned onto Fairview Lane, toward Ben Hanks’ house. As always, she did his driveway last, since his home was closest to hers and the elderly gentleman never left his home before daylight. With the mess on the roads, she hoped he wouldn’t go anywhere today.

  She passed Jake’s drive and automatically looked up toward his house. Only a month ago, he had been a stranger. And now, he was a part of her life. She wasn’t sure how he fit in, but he was an important part.

  She had just finished clearing out Mr. Hanks’ drive when her cell phone rang.

  "Jess, I hate to ask you, but could I borrow your truck? I've got to get these sculptures to the Pine Ridge Hotel by eleven o'clock for the banquet, and I don't think my van will get there."

  "They're having a banquet in this weather? I can't imagine they'll get a good turnout."

  "It's some big political fund raiser. If I don't get them there, I won't get paid. And if I don't get paid, I can't make the next payment on my bills. Please, Jess. I'll be very careful. I know you use your truck for the route."

  "I'm not going to send you out in my truck."

  Silence. Then, "I understand. I'll see if I can find someone to rent me one."

  "No, I mean I'm not going to expect you to drive this thing. I'll take you there."

  "Are you headed there for work?"

  "No, I don't work there any more."

  "You don't? What happened?"

  "A disagreement with my boss. It's a long story. I'm on your street right now, so I'll be there soon."

  She sent a quick message to Rory then turned the truck around and drove back to Jake's house.

  The drifts at the bottom of his drive were so high she knew he would never have been able to get out in his van. She lowered her blade and began her slow ascent up the hill.

  The wind still blew, and large clumps of snow hit her windshield as she fought her way up. Even with her wipers going at full speed, visibility was a problem. And the dense woods on either side made navigating the winding drive even more difficult. Finally, she reached the house. Jake must have been watching for her, because the garage door rose before she reached it.

  Jake had his ice figures wrapped in plastic, ready to be loaded behind the seats of the truck's extended cab.

  "Are you sure you have time to do this with me?" he asked.

  "Yes. Just get in. I'll get us there."

  Jess inched her way down the hill and out to the street. She gripped the steering wheel and drove through the storm, thankful her companion wasn't prone to idle chatter. This trip was going to take all her concentration.

  Chapter Twelve

  The drive home was less silent. The sun smiled down from a bright blue sky. Snowplows had cleared most of the roads. People were venturing out with their snow blowers and clearing out their walkways. Children laughed as they pelted each other with snowballs and built forts and snowmen.

  Jess relaxed as she pointed the truck north out of town. Her fingers held the steering wheel with less force now that visibility was better and the task was done. They had delivered the sculptures to the Pine Ridge Hotel intact, and the hotel staff had been happy to see them.

  "Did you see the mayor's face when we wheeled the sculptures in?" Jake shook the snow off his hat and settled it back on his head.

  "Yeah. I think he had a bet with the chef as to whether or not you'd make it there," Jess joked.

  "That's because he was the one paying me. If I hadn't shown up, he would have saved a bunch of money. From the looks of that s
pread, he was shelling out plenty. And with this weather, he'll probably have a dismal turnout, so he won't get much of it back."

  They laughed, and Jake settled back in his seat. Jess noticed he angled his body in the seat and massaged his leg. It must be hurting him.

  Finally, the truck turned into Jake's drive. Jess waited for Jake to get out, declining an offer of coffee.

  "I'd love to, but I really want to check on Rory. I texted him from the hotel to ask how he was doing, but he hasn't answered."

  Jake nodded. "I'm sure he's fine, but he should answer if you've tried to reach him."

  Jess sighed. At least he didn't think she was babying him.

  She turned the truck around and drove back to the road, checking for snowmobiles. Seeing no traffic, she pulled out and drove the rest of the way home.

  The house was quiet. Was Rory closeted in his room, playing video games, or chatting on his computer? Parking the truck in the garage, she jumped out. Every muscle in her body ached from the exertion she'd put it through that day. As soon as she knew Rory was okay, she'd soak in a nice hot tub. There should be some bubble bath hidden away somewhere.

  She entered her house, walking through the kitchen, flicking on the light switches as she went.

  "Rory?"

  There was no answer. She groaned, took a deep breath, and mounted the stairs to his room.

  "Rory, what are you doing?" She pushed his bedroom door open, preparing herself for the mess she expected to see.

  The room was empty.

  His bed was made, but he wasn't on it.

  His desk was clear, his books neatly stacked on it, but he wasn't there.

  His clothes were put away, the closet door and all his dresser drawers closed.

  Jess' heart went into overdrive. Where would he have gone in such awful weather?

  Think. Who would he have talked to? If he was in the house, his coat should be hanging by the back door. She retraced her steps through the kitchen.

  The hook was empty. Looking down at the mat, she realized his boots were also missing.

  Good grief, where had he gone? Surely he wouldn't have tried to drive? He hadn’t even had driver’s training yet. If he had gone out, someone would have picked him up. But she didn't remember an extra set of tracks on the drive when she came home.

  She paced back and forth in her kitchen, thinking of the friends he'd made since they moved here. What were their names? Would she have their phone numbers? What kind of mother was she if she didn't know how to contact her son's friends?

  The phone rang, startling her. She grabbed it off the hook.

  "Hello?"

  "Hey, Jess. I left my cart in your truck. I don't need it right now, but..."

  "Jake! Rory's gone!"

  "He's gone? Where could he have gone?"

  "I don't know! His coat's not here."

  "Did he leave you a note?"

  She'd forgotten to look. "I don't know." She scanned the countertop.

  "No, nothing on the counter." She looked down, checking for a stray note that might have fallen to the floor. "Nothing on the floor, either."

  Jake groaned. "Why would he—never mind. I'll go out on the snowmobile"

  "But Jake, your leg. It was bothering you all the way home."

  "I'll live. Do you see any footsteps heading out of the house?"

  "I haven't looked. I'll do that now."

  "I'll have my phone with me. Call me if you find anything. In the meantime, I have an idea where he might be."

  "Not the creek!"

  "We'll find out." He disconnected, and Jess wanted to scream at the phone. She raced to the front door, opening it and scanning the snow for signs of footprints. Nothing. Then she ran to the back. And felt her heart clench with fear.

  A set of footprints led from the garage, around the house, and down the ravine. She quickly re-donned her snowmobile suit, and wrapped a scarf around her neck. She wrapped an extra one for Rory. Knowing him, he wouldn't have one. And then she started walking. She doubled back and grabbed a blanket from her truck.

  She remembered she was supposed to call Jake. Her hands stung from the cold as she removed her mitten to call. She told him about the footprints and that she was on her way down. Then she disconnected and stuck the phone back in her pocket.

  She wanted to run, but knew it would be safer to take the descent slowly. She slipped several times, but she kept her eyes on the footprints. They took her down, down, toward the bank of the stream flowing between her home and Jake's.

  The stream was frozen over, but she was thankful the footprints didn't end. The water was deeper here, and there was no way of knowing exactly how deep the ice was. At least Rory had the sense to walk to a narrower, shallower part of the creek. Her son and his friends had built a little bridge last summer so they could visit each other more easily. She trudged along, half hoping she'd see him, half hoping she wouldn't.

  She spotted the snowmobile, just past a thick bush. Jake had made it down to the creek, with a sled attached to his snowmobile. Jake was bent over the sled, tying something to it.

  She ran, her heart in her throat. "Rory!"

  Jake looked up then. Using the snowmobile for leverage, he pushed himself up into a standing position. His face was grim. Not a good sign. When she got closer, he nodded to her.

  "It looks like he slipped on the ice crossing the creek and hit his head. He was awake, but he's slipping in and out of consciousness. I'm glad you thought to bring a blanket. Here, why don't you wrap it around him?"

  She gazed down at the inert form of her son. Rory lay on the sled, his eyes closed, his face a deathly white. Quickly, she kneeled and wrapped the blanket around him, crooning to him, begging him to wake up. Realizing she wasn't going to get a response, she stood.

  "We've got to bring him home so I can get him to the hospital."

  Jake nodded. "Hop on."

  She waited for him to straddle the seat and then climbed on behind him.

  They took off for Jess' house. Though she knew Jake had to take the hill carefully, the ride seemed to last forever. Once at the house, they transferred Rory into her truck.

  ****

  Jess paced the floor of the Emergency Room until a doctor came to speak with her. Jake sat in the waiting room the entire time, rubbing his leg.

  "You should have your leg elevated."

  "Never mind my leg. How's Rory?"

  "The doctor says they're keeping him overnight for observation, but he should be okay."

  He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "That's great. I'd never forgive myself if he didn't make it."

  "Why would it be your fault?"

  "I've been on his case about being responsible. He knew Charlie needed to be fed, so he was heading to my house to feed him. It's because of me he got hurt."

  "No, it's because he slipped and hit his head."

  "He wouldn't have been outside if I hadn't put him in charge of the dog. I should have just taken care of it myself."

  "How could you? You were gone!"

  "But I asked him to help. Just like—with Dan." His voice broke, and he rested his head in his hands.

  "Dan?"

  "My buddy back in Iraq. We were there for each other. And when I got hit, I called out to him. He turned around to help me, and—then he got mowed down. If I hadn't called out to him, he wouldn't have been standing there. He wouldn't have been hit."

  Jess' heart felt heavy at Jake’s pain.

  She took his hand and laid her head on his shoulder. "Jake, you were under heavy gunfire. If he hadn't been hit then, he could easily have been hit farther down the road. It wasn't your fault, it was his time."

  "That's what the chaplain said, but I can't help feeling it was my fault. Whenever I ask for help, it hurts the person who's helping me."

  "No! Jake, that's not true."

  “Yes, it is. You helped me with my Christmas shopping and ended up getting fired from your job at the hotel."

  "Jake, I
quit the job."

  He turned to look at her. "You did? When? Why?”

  "Two weeks ago. The boss wanted me to work nights. I told him I needed to be home with Rory, but he wouldn’t listen. The last straw came when he said I was working Christmas Eve. I wasn't willing to do that, so I quit. The snowplowing business is starting to make money, so I can afford to. And Doug’s insurance finally paid out, so I'm not so deep in debt. It wasn't your fault at all. Rory will be fine, because you helped me find him quickly. You had the sense to bring a sled so we could get him to the house. And I'm fine. None of this is your fault."

  Jake shook his head and stood. “I wish I could believe you, Jess, but the fact is, whenever I start to lean on someone, whenever I ask for help, someone always gets hurt. I could handle it if that someone was me, but when it’s someone else, I know I need to back off. Now that I know Rory’s okay, I’m going home. I’ll catch a cab outside.”

  The man’s stubbornness lit a fire in her. “Wait just a minute, Buster. Who do you think you are to claim responsibility for every bad thing that happens?”

  Jake froze, his blinking eyelids the only things moving on his body. "Jess, keep your voice down," he muttered.

  Realizing other people were staring, she grabbed his arm and marched them into a corner of the hallway for more privacy. Mindful of the hospital staff and visitors walking by, she leaned close to him and spoke through gritted teeth.

  "I thought you were special, Jake. You were always there for us when we needed you. But you can't hold a monopoly on helpfulness. Rory says he and I are like the phoenix, starting over again from the ashes. You were part of the reason we've been able to do that. But it's a two-way street. People help each other. It's not wrong to ask for help once in a while."

  Jake took a breath and raised his arms as if to protest, but before he could utter a word, she surged on, careful to keep her voice low. "If you think you're going to make our lives better by walking out of it, I can't stop you. But you're being silly and selfish and egotistical, thinking you're personally responsible for the events that happen to us. I'll just let you slink back into your hole so you can feel sorry for yourself. Alone."