by Julie Allan
Lizzie flushed scarlet and winced, not so much in pain to her body as to the embarrassment she felt. Where did all the people come from? She would never have started her trial run on the treadmill if she had known so many were lurking around.
“I'm, fine. Thank you . . . Thank you for your help,” Lizzie mumbled as she struggled to gather her belongings. She quickly made her exit from the store and headed for home.
When Sawyer came in, she was waiting for him at the kitchen table with an after school snack, toast with chocolate hazelnut spread and a cold glass of milk. He slung the backpack down and eagerly sat down to enjoy his snack.
“What did you do today? Do you have any homework?” Lizzie asked as he ate. This was their routine on days they did not have to rush out the door for sports or music lessons.
“It was good. Mike threw up in the middle of the math test today!” Lizzie made a face as he chewed on his toast, oblivious to the fact that throw up was not table conversation.
“Did he go home?” Lizzie asked.
“Yes, ma'am. So did a girl named Lily who threw up after lunch,” he answered.
Oh dear God, please let's not have a stomach bug sweeping through the school, Lizzie thought. She got up and took Sawyer's backpack over to the sink and began spraying it with disinfectant spray.
“So what did you do at school today?” Lizzie asked again.
“Oh, nothing special. We did do a really cool experiment in science; I made a pencil stand up on its point!” he shared.
“How did you do that?”
“I used a wire and some clothespins, you know, for counterweights. It was hard to get the wire wrapped right, but I was the first in the class to figure it out!” Sawyer took a gulp of the milk.
“And homework?” Lizzie pressed.
“I have to study for my spelling test, and I have to read, but no math tonight.”
“Okay, why don't you, play outside for a bit and we can study your words after supper and then you can read to Aunt Dorothy before bed.” Lizzie walked to the fridge to get out the veggies to prep for supper.
“Okay, um . . . Mama . . . Why were you sitting on an ice pack?”
“Oh,” Lizzie looked at the melting ice pack she had left in the chair. “I have a little bruise on my backside,” not offering any explanation.
“Okay, I am going to see if Brian can come over and play.” Sawyer stood up from the table and carried his plate and glass to the sink, as trained.
Lizzie was grateful that it was her self-absorbed eight-year-old son, who had spied the ice pack. Hopefully, no one in the family would need to know about the treadmill incident.
Dot came in and slammed her backpack down on the table, “Why me? Why do these things happen to me?”
“Dot, please take your backpack off the table. Do you want a snack?” Lizzie asked as she began to peel and chop the onions.
Dot grabbed her backpack and heaved it on the floor. “No, I just want some juice.” Dot moved to the cupboard and grabbed a glass. She fetched the orange juice from the fridge and poured. She slumped down in a chair at the table.
“Are you going to tell me what happened to you today?” Lizzie kept chopping, hoping Dot would not shut her out.
“We pulled names for our secret Santa person, and I got Richie Myers.” Dot drained her glass. “Don’t you remember him? He was the kid who put a frog in my bag at the pool last summer.”
“Yes, I remember him well. I think this will be a good chance for you to show him you got over that.” Lizzie washed the onion residue off her hands and came and joined Dot at the table. She carefully sat down, but could not help but wince.
“Are you okay, Mama?” asked Dot.
“Oh, I am fine, just a little stiff. So tell me more about what you have to do as Richie’s secret Santa.”
Dot pulled her binder out of her backpack and handed her mom the letter from the teacher explaining the parameters for secret Santa. “I can’t stand the idea that I have to do nice things for that boy!”
“Dot! That is a horrible thing to say! Someone has pulled your name. Besides, as your teacher’s letter says, it is not about the receiving but the spirit of giving.” Lizzie could abide some sassiness and the occasional challenge to the rules, but she would not tolerate her children being mean.
“Yes, ma’am.” Lizzie’s tone of voice had given Dot pause. “I don’t know what to do for him. Can you help me with some ideas?” she asked.
“I can certainly do that. It doesn’t start ‘til Monday, so let’s plan on Saturday after pageant rehearsal at the church.”
“Thanks, Mama. I guess I better get started on my homework.” Dot took her glass to the sink and then hauling her backpack up to her shoulder, she headed up the stairs.
One more thing to add to the to-do list. It always seemed the holidays were jammed with so many obligations; there was little time left to just savor the season.
At the dinner table, Bennett announced he had been offered the picking of any tree off a distant cousin’s tree lot. Bennett’s construction company had done some repairs to cousin David’s house at cost, so David wanted to say thank you. After the dishes had been taken care of, they all bundled up in Bennett’s truck and headed out to pick out the Christmas tree. Aunt Dorothy was like one of the kids, eyes shining with excitement.
It was still unseasonably warm, but the lot had holiday music playing, and they soon found themselves in the spirit. It took them about forty-five minutes to select a tree they could all agree on. Bennett began to haul it over, but he had to set it down when a coughing fit struck him.
Lizzie frowned, and David stepped in to carry the tree over to the shake and wrap station.
“Do you need to sit down?’ Lizzie asked Bennett.
“Absolutely not, I’m fine.” Bennett followed behind David, and Lizzie followed after him. Aunt Dorothy had distracted Dot and Sawyer with inspecting the animated snowman display that was next to the hot cocoa stand.
Lizzie stood quietly, listening to Bennett and his cousin talk about fishing, while one of the employees took care of the tree. The spirit of the holiday ebbed from her; the coughing fit had interloped on the happy family scene, and she could not recapture the feeling.
“Hey, aren’t you the lady who fell off the treadmill at the Town Centre today?” asked the young man who had just wrapped up their tree.
Bennett and David turned to look at Lizzie. Aunt Dorothy and the kids had come up behind, just in time to hear.
“That’s why you were sitting on that ice pack!” Sawyer said.
“Oh, there is a story in this,” Bennett said. He smiled at Lizzie, “You are definitely going to have to fill us in.”
Lizzie sighed, “I don’t know why I thought I could keep y’all from finding out.” So Lizzie told the tale of her encounter with the treadmill and endured the laughter and good-natured teasing with grace. As the tree was loaded and they piled back in the truck, a speaker blared out the tune, "It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas," and Lizzie felt some of the spirit of the season flow back into her heart.
The tree was safely in a bucket of water on the back porch. Lizzie had spent the morning at The Biscuit Box and was spending her afternoon digging out the decorations. This was the first year they were going to combine her collection of ornaments with Aunt Dorothy’s. They had put up three artificial trees, two table top, and one small floor model that were still bare. One table top was for Aunt Dorothy’s retreat, and they planned to decorate it with her antique glass and angel ornaments. One table top was on the sideboard in the dining room. Lizzie had suggested they combine their collections of Lenox ornaments for that one. The floor model was in the front hall, and Lizzie was currently corralling all the lowcountry and beach themed ornaments into a box for it. The rest were for the family tree. Handprint ornaments made by Dot and Sawyer in their preschool years would hang beside the handmade ornaments she had made for Aunt Dorothy when she was young.
The sorted ornam
ents were re-boxed in their new order and positioned in the rooms where they would hang. Lizzie headed for the kitchen and tied on an apron. Her next task was to get a big pot of chili going for the decorating tonight and lots of leftovers to eat off this weekend and freeze for later.
Aunt Dorothy emerged from her post-lunch nap wearing a light jacket and her purse on her shoulder, and a tote bag gripped in her hand.
“You look like a woman on a mission,” Lizzie said as she browned the ground beef and seasonings.
“I am. Amy is picking me up. We have a secret Christmas mission to attend to.”
Lizzie smiled, “Well, I might have a few secrets of my own.”
“Child, I am sure you do. Did you find all the ornaments?”
“Yes, they have been brought down, and I even sorted and organized them by each tree.”
“That’s wonderful! I am so glad we did the wreaths and lights after Thanksgiving. I am really looking forward to the tree trimming tonight. With all of us under one roof, it is really special.” Aunt Dorothy sparkled with anticipation. Lizzie loved how the holidays brought out the child in everyone.
“Yes, it will be very special. I’m making chili and cornbread for supper, and I am going to make Old South Nut Cake for dessert.”
The back door opened, and Amy popped into the kitchen. “My, it smells good in here!” she walked over and gave Lizzie a quick hug. “Are you ready to go Aunt Dorothy?”
“Indeed I am. See you in a couple of hours, Lizzie.”
Aunt Dorothy and Amy left, and Lizzie tuned the stereo to a twenty-four-hour holiday music station. By the time Sawyer was home from school, the chili was simmering, the toppings were prepared, stored in small containers and chilling in the fridge. She had also gotten the nut cake in the oven. It required one and a half hours in the oven and then an hour cooling in the pan.
Sawyer got his weekly folder out of his backpack and put it in the basket on the counter. He put his lunch box by the sink and hung his backpack up in the mudroom. He sat down at the kitchen table to the glass of milk and peanut butter and banana toast Lizzie has prepared for him.
“I’m so glad it is Friday! Finally, we get to decorate the trees,” Sawyer managed to say as he wolfed down his snack.
“Slow down there, bud, I don’t want you to choke.” Lizzie ruffled his hair and sat down to join him with a mug of tea. “I need you to get your laundry in the basket this afternoon, we have pageant practice in the morning, and I have to help Dot with a project, so I want to get laundry going tonight.”
“Yes, ma’am. Do I really have to be a shepherd again this year?”
“That’s not up to me. If you want to do something else, you need to talk with Mrs. Elliot.”
Sawyer paused and shrugged, “I already know how to do the shepherd thing. I guess I will stick with it.”
“Okay, it’s up to you. Now go get that laundry together please.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Dot bounced in the house. “Hey, Mama, I’m going down to Ashley’s okay? She might want me to spend the night.” Dot headed for the stairs to change.
“Hold on; we have family night tonight. Remember, we are decorating the trees so sleeping over is out of the question. I also need your laundry basket this afternoon.”
“But, Mama!” Dot began to protest, but seeing the look on Lizzie’s face stopped. She stood in the doorway to the hall looking at her mother. “Is something wrong with Daddy?”
Dot moved back into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
“No, what made you asked that?”
“I . . . I just . . . I don’t know.”
“Your Daddy has recovered nicely from the surgery, but he is not cured yet. He still has to start chemo after the holidays.” Lizzie tried to read Dot’s face. “The doctors are very positive that all will be fine.” Lizzie laid her hand on Dot’s arm. “Dot, I know we haven’t talked about it in a while, but anytime you are worried about what is happening with Dad, I’m here to talk about it.”
“I know; I just don’t really know what to talk about. He seems fine most days, except for that cough. I sometimes forget he is sick, and then I feel guilty.”
“Guilty about what?”
“That I haven’t spent extra time with him.”
Dot’s sincerity was all over her face, and Lizzie felt her heart crack. She got up from her chair and enveloped Dot in her arms, kissing her on the top of her head.
“Oh, Dot, your Daddy wants us to live life normally, and that means he wants you to go and be with your friends and be involved in your activities, having said that, tonight is special, and I really do think it is important that you are here.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dot hugged her mother back.
“I have a thought. Why don’t you bring down your laundry and put it in the washer? You can go down to Ashley’s until suppertime, and I will put your things in the dryer for you.”
“Thanks, Mama!” A perked up Dot scrambled down the hall and up the stairs to comply.
That night as they were gathered together hanging the ornaments on the tree in the living room; Lizzie snapped lots of pictures. She wanted to preserve these moments afraid that next year could have one or two of them missing. She joined in the fun with all the spirit she had. She had promised she would make an effort to live in the moment, and she delivered.
After the kids and Aunt Dorothy had gone to bed, Lizzie sat with Bennett watching the fading embers in the fireplace. The tree lights sparkled and the magic of the season enclosed them in a bubble, insulated for the moment from what lurked out there in the world.
Chapter 11
The warm scent of yeast and cinnamon wafted through the house. Multi-colored scraps of wrapping paper littered the floor of the living room. Maddie and Monroe happily laid in the middle of the floor chewing on their Christmas bones. Bennett and Sawyer had set up a Lego kit on the game table, and the ladies of the family were looking over the books they had unwrapped.
Lizzie closed the cookbook she had been pouring over, her mind already planning which recipes she wanted to try first. “So is everyone content with their haul?”
Sawyer set down the diagram he was studying, “Santa gave me everything on my list!”
“I certainly can’t complain. I can’t believe you got me tickets to spring training!” Bennett said with the same enthusiasm as Sawyer.
“I got off easy; I only had to buy for two. Amy got tickets for Scott and all three boys,” Lizzie said.
Aunt Dorothy closed the biography she was examining, “Watch out Florida! Dot, I think we best get the Christmas rolls out of the oven, they smell about done.”
Dot reluctantly put down the mystery book she had been reading. “Yes, ma’am.”
Twenty minutes later, the family gathered around the kitchen table and indulged in the gooey cinnamon rolls they had eaten every Christmas morning for as long as Lizzie could remember. Aunt Dorothy had always taken on the task of preparing them, but this year she passed the torch to Dot, instructing her step by step in this time-honored recipe. Lizzie loved that Dot got to experience firsthand what a marvelous teacher Aunt Dorothy could be.
“Dot, these are wonderful! When you get a bit older, I might get you to work at The Biscuit Box,” Lizzie said.
Sawyer licked his fingers, “I vote we have these every weekend.”
“Then they wouldn’t be so special. We call them Christmas rolls for a reason,” Dot answered. She was clearly enjoying the family’s praise for her culinary accomplishment. Lizzie was pleased Dot felt so comfortable in the kitchen. It was a natural place for them to work side by side and strengthen their bond.
Lizzie put down her napkin and sat back in her chair, “I suppose we ought to start cleaning up; we will have the rest of the family over here in a few hours, and I need to get moving on the feast.”
Aunt Dorothy raised her hand, “We have one more present to open. Bennett if you would be so kind as to fetch the package that is on my chaise.�
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“Yes, ma’am.” Bennett complied immediately, returning with a package wrapped in simple brown paper and a twine ribbon that held a silk magnolia blossom to the package. “Whom do I present this to?”
“It is really for all of you, but I think Lizzie should open it.”
Bennett sat the package in front of Lizzie, and all eyes looked expectantly as she carefully untied the ribbon and set the flower aside. She carefully pulled off the paper.
“Oh! It’s beautiful!” Inside was an album with a hand stitched cover. The border was a mix of lowcountry scenes and in the middle were the words The Wilson Family with Bennett and Lizzie’s wedding date. Lizzie ran her fingers across the stitches. She knew how much effort and time Aunt Dorothy had put into this.
Inside the pages began with Lizzie’s and Bennett’s baby pictures up to the time they were married. Lizzie’s pictures were on the left and Bennett’s on the right. After that, their wedding, the milestones of their children and events from the past fifteen years were featured together. The last page was a photo taken just weeks ago of the family gathered in front of the house. “I love it!” Lizzie’s eyes were moist with tears. She did not try to contain them. Tears of joy were always welcome. It was refreshing to cry from overwhelming happiness instead of the fear and sadness that had brought tears in the recent months.
Aunt Dorothy smiled, “I am so pleased. Amy helped me with the childhood pictures of Bennett and with the layout of the pages.”
Lizzie nodded. “Now I know what you and Amy were up to that afternoon.”
“Mama, I got to help with some of it too,” Dot said.
Aunt Dorothy winked at Dot, “Yes my namesake is excellent at keeping a secret. There is more, turn to the back cover,” Aunt Dorothy gestured.