Elly rubbed her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here. Want to come to Christmas Eve Service with us later?”
She gave Elly a subversive nod and trained her eyes on Kim. “KIM! Let me see Hadley!!” She made a beeline for the baby, her boyfriend trailing helplessly behind her. “This is Basir. He’s from…um, where are you from again? Like Uzbekistan or something?”
“Russia.”
“Right. Russia!”
Elly snickered and sat down by Anthony. “How long do you give them? They’ve been together about a month now…I’m amazed!”
He whispered, “I know. Maybe another month?”
She whispered back. “I say two more weeks.”
“You’re on.”
They shook hands under the table as Snarky Teenager cooed over the baby.
Anthony gestured to the table. “This looks amazing…and so does the studio!”
Elly grinned. She was particularly proud of her spread for today. The consultation table had been transformed into a Christmas fantasy. A deep red tablecloth accented a table-long spread of flowers mixed with Christmas pines and cedar. There were three towering bundles of Candy Cane Poinsettas on the table, the base of each one circled by Black Magic Roses, twisting gently around pinecone place holders. Elly’s white china, which had been her mother’s, reflected the glow of dozens of tiny votives. Elly sat back in her chair, admiring. The shop reflected the theme, centering around a huge white Christmas tree that danced and twinkled with tiny rice lights in the window. Branches frosted with snow hung from the ceiling and sugared pears covered every surface. Anthony looked up at the décor around him.
“I feel like there should be lamppost in here. Elly, you’ve created a winter wonderland.”
Elly snacked thoughtfully on a spiced nut. “It took a long time. I had help.” She grinned at him. “Like you.” Anthony sat back in his chair. “I just can’t get over how good it looks in here.”
Elly glanced around her studio proudly. It had only been about a month since the wedding, but there had been several changes. She had ordered a fancy sign for above the door and had the glass etched with their logo. A large blackboard had been hung behind the design table, fit with vintage picture frames, each holding the flower orders for the week. Elly had replenished her ribbon supply, and now a dowel near the ceiling held hundreds of gorgeous ribbons in green polka dots, red stars, pink stripes, and fuchsia paisley. The store exploded with freshness and color.
“Well, you know, Sunny gave me enough extra that I had a lot to put back into the shop.” She paused for dramatic effect. “And…I just bought the new delivery van.” Anthony and Snarky Teenager sighed happily in unison. They both hated the other van.
Anthony put his hands behind his head. “I love this place.”
Elly gave him a half-smile. “Me too.”
Kim cleared her throat. “Elly, is it okay if we eat? I want to make sure that I have enough to eat and feed Hadley afterwards.”
Elly jumped up. “Yes! I’ll bring down the food.”
Anthony stood shakily. “I’ll help!” he cried, before Kim pushed him back down.
“You aren’t allowed to do anything but eat. Sit down.”
Basir stood. “I would like to help…please.”
Elly nodded. Basir followed her up to the kitchen and she sent him down with garlic mashed potatoes, mushrooms stuffed with brie, steaming French bread, and green beans amandine. He came back up quickly and Elly marveled at the glory and energy of his youth.
“Looks delicious! Where is the turkey?” he asked.
Elly nodded toward the oven.
He knelt, glanced inside and stood up awkwardly.
“Um, ma’am? That turkey is not cooked.”
Elly waved her hand at him, annoyed. “You’re from Russia, I’m sure turkey is different over there.”
“Well, ma’am, I’m not meaning to insult, but,” he gestured to the oven. “It is not cooked.”
Elly yanked open the oven. Oh no. The turkey was definitely not cooked. It was still a pale, pasty beige, and Elly could see ice chunks on the inside.
“Oh no.” She screamed down the stairs. “KIM!!”
Kim poked her head around the corner. “WHAT?”
“Come up here.”
Kim sauntered up the stairs. “I have a baby downstairs, remember?”
Elly nodded. “The turkey isn’t coming.”
“What?”
“The turkey…” She opened the oven and Kim crouched down.
She straightened up quickly. “Elly, how long has it been in there?”
“Maybe 40 minutes?”
“Elly, how long do you think it takes to roast a turkey?”
“I figured it was like a chicken breast….you know, 45 minutes at 350 degrees.”
Kim smacked her forehead. “You know how to make everything else, and you’ve never made a turkey? Turkeys take hours.”
Elly’s mouth dropped open. “That can’t be right. They didn’t say that on the news.”
“You learned how to cook a turkey on the news? Who does that?”
Elly shushed her. “My mom hated turkey, so I never learned how to make one. What do I do? I’ve ruined Christmas…” She flopped onto the couch melodramatically.
Kim gave her an exasperated look. “What did you do last month?”
Elly looked up from her hands. “What?”
“What did you do last month?”
“I designed my ex-husband’s wedding.”
“That’s right, so if you can do that, this turkey thing should be no big deal.”
Elly pushed herself to her feet. “That’s right, thanks for the reality check.” She hollered down the stairs for help.
Ten minutes later, Elly, Keith and Kim came back from his deli, carrying a tray of elaborate sandwiches.
“So…” Elly started. “We had a problem with the turkey.”
Snarky Teenager let out a groan. “Did you eat it?” she asked.
Elly gave her a mean look. “Instead of turkey, we are having sandwiches with our other sides!”
Everyone around the table was silent until Anthony clapped his hands wildly. “Sandwiches! Sides! Yay!”
Elly chuckled “Thank you for your enthusiasm, Anthony.”
While Kim dished out the food, Elly filled everyone’s wine glasses for the toast. Afterwards, all eyes trained on her as she settled into her chair.
“So, um, I guess I’m supposed to speak.”
Snarky Teenager rolled her eyes. “You’re the HOST, remember? Of course you are supposed to speak.”
Elly gave a faint smile and stood nervously. “This has been, at times, the best and worst year of my life. There were times when I never dreamed I would get through it. And yet, here I am, on the other side, a bigger” – she gestured to her hips – “and better person.” Kim whooped with laughter and Hadley cried back at the noise. Elly felt a sob rising up in her throat as she gazed upon the faces she so dearly loved. Keep it together, she warned herself, nobody wants to see you cry on Christmas. “But in all honesty, I truly believe that the day that I stopped at this coffee shop, on this street, that I was being put in the place I belonged. Besides my Mother, who I’m sure is looking down on me now and wondering why she never taught me to cook a turkey, I’ve never had family.” She paused, her eyes filling with tears, and her voice shaking. “Until now. You are my family, and this place,” she looked around her bright shop, “is my home.” Her eyes lingered on the chair next to her. “You are the joy in my life.”
Everyone smiled, caught up in the moment as Elly slowly regained control of her emotions. “So tonight, I’m giving thanks to God for everyone here. You are my presents this Christmas.”
She raised her glass. “To you.”
The table raised their glasses. Kim wiped a tear from her eye, and Snarky Teenager, whose eyes were suspiciously bright, mouthed “LAME” to her boyfriend. There was a wild grab for food, and soon the whole table was laughing and eating a
s the first flakes of snow danced down onto St. Louis streets.
Elly sat, flushed with happiness, filled with grace and a little too much wine. Slowly, she reached her hand under the table to find Keith’s hand waiting for her - where it had always been. Waves of fire blossomed out from her heart as he closed his hand tightly around hers. This was the beginning of something real, she could feel it. “Pass me a sandwich?” he asked. Inside the tiny shop on Wydown Street, Elly Jordan smiled. To everyone watching, she seemed very much like the sun.
The End
See Elly continue to bloom in Elly in Love, coming soon.
My deepest thanks:
To those who have dared to both love and believe in me, even when there was very little reason behind it: My wonderful husband and unceasing supporter Ryan Oakes. The best gift I ever gave myself was marrying you. To my beloved and unreasonably logical sister Cynthia McCulley, my dear friend and favorite photographer Sarah Glover, the sister of my heart Kimberly Stein; friends Megan Hill, Cassandra Splittgerber, Elizabeth Wagner, Anthony Patton, Jordan Powers, and Katie Hall.
To Emily Testrake at Sister’s Flowers St. Louis, for teaching me the many joys and curses of being a wedding florist.
To those who have helped sculpt this book into what it is today: Michelle Rehme, Denise McCulley, Jennifer Hein, Heather Erickson.
To those teachers who have encouraged my writing through their vast springs of wisdom: Diane Hollenbeck for her instruction in life and literature, and for Dr. Mandana Nakhai, whose bravery, wit and knowledge continue to inspire.
Finally, this book would not exist without three very instrumental and incredible women: Emily “I’m for you!” Kiebel, whose vision and friendship is woven into every sentence of this book, the amazing Karen Groves for her sharp red pen and perpetually encouraging feedback, and for Erin Armknecht, who was simply the best editor a girl could hope for.
Thank you.
Hebrews 12:2
Table of Contents
Prologue
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Epilogue
Elly In Bloom Page 34