by Anthology
"I shop online, asshole. I guess I just don’t go searching for novelty underwear. My shopping these days consists of burping clothes and toy trains."
"Oh dear lord, we’re finding you some novelty panties for New Year’s then."
"I can hardly wait," I answered, sarcastically.
"Yeah, you can’t," she teased. "By the way, where did my daughter run off to?" she questioned.
"Kaitlyn?" Cassidy shouted, as she began picking up the now sopping wet presents.
"Over here, Mommy."
We turned in the direction of the little voice and I gasped at the sight before me. It was who had snuck out behind wearing only his socks, sweatpants and T-shirt.
"Brendan Richard Davis! Where are your coat and shoes?" I yelled across the yard.
"In my bedwoom," Brendan shouted back, without a care in the world.
"You get back in the house and change your clothes, young man. You’re all wet," I scolded.
Brendan came running in my direction with Kaitlyn following close behind.
"Aunt Brookie, are you mad?" she asked.
"Yes, Brendan knows better than to come outside without permission and especially without his winter clothes on. He could get hurt."
"Sowey, Mommy."
"You’re forgiven, now scoot and do what I asked, please."
The kids scurried back into the house and I quickly scooped up the last of Cassidy’s presents.
"Shit! I completely forgot about the turkey in the oven. Not only will my husband be MIA on Christmas, my son will have pneumonia and now I’ve ruined the effing bird," I said with defeat in my voice.
"Bren’s a tough kid, Rich will be home and no worries about the meal because I brought an extra ham. You’ve been my best friend for more years than I care to admit and I know all about your culinary skills," Cass said with a wink. "Now let’s get this Christmas Eve feast finished before everyone else arrives and you lose your mind."
We made our way into the house, dropping off the gifts by the door.
"Whoa, your decorations are gorgeous, Brookie. How on earth did you find time to get all of this done with Rich gone?"
"Pfft. I didn’t. I was stressing so bad trying to get everything done while trying to take care of the kids and writing a few freelance articles that I cheated and called in the same decorator as last year."
I took a minute to really take in the gorgeous décor. A strand of pine garland and white twinkle lights adorned the staircase banister and a large balsam wreath hung above the door. Even the chandelier, hanging from the cathedral ceiling, was decorated with golden ribbons and metallic balls. My house screamed "tis the season," but not in an overdone, tacky sense. Everything was tastefully done and not over the top in any way.
Even each fireplace mantel was decorated with a different holiday theme. My favorite, aside from the one with our family stockings, was the one with an advent calendar made with paper envelopes that hung in front of the logs. Each day Brendan was surprised with a tiny trinket, peppermint candy cane, or small train.
The decorating was just as if I’d been able to do it myself. I allowed the decorators to put up the tree in our front room – the one I had envisioned the year before – decorated with purple and silver balls, bows and shimmery tinsel. But, I wanted to decorate the tree in our family room with my husband and children; this tree was special.
Before Rich left on his business trip, we’d bundled the trio up and spent an afternoon hiking through the local Christmas tree farm, pulling the kids behind on an enclosed sled. Rich assumed I wanted the gigantic Fraser fir when I really had my sights set on a tiny Scotch pine that Brendan had picked out the previous year.
"There it is. There’s the tree I want to take home," I said, pointing at the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
"Seriously? That looks just like the tree you grumbled about last year," Rich responded, shaking his head at me.
"I know, but that tree was special. It was Brendan’s first Christmas and although we didn’t know it, it was the girls’ first Christmas, too," I said with a smile.
"Well you make a valid argument, Mrs. Davis," he said, placing a soft kiss on my lips.
"Mmmmm … I could kiss you out here all day, but I’m afraid our lips would freeze together," I teased.
"I don’t have a problem with that," Rich countered.
"Although I love the idea of being fused to you, I think I would rather do it under our cozy down comforter. Could you please cut this thing down so we could head home? As I’ve heard Cass say a time or two, ‘it’s colder than a witch’s tit out here,’" I giggled.
"I think you two need to be separated," he said, rolling his eyes as he turned to grab the saw we’d been given at the front gate.
The kids and I watched as Rich made quick work of cutting down the small tree. Once we got the tree home, Rich carried it in and set it up in the family room. Alyssa and Mikayla were both getting fussy and even the tireless Brendan had begun rubbing his eyes, so we decided to call it a night and decorate the tree the following day. Even before sunrise, Rich received a call from Paul, his publisher, about a mandatory meeting in D.C. on Monday morning.
After Rich left, Brendan and I found a few lingering moments to decorate the tiny tree after the twins fell asleep each night. Making some popcorn, we would string it on the tree and eat popcorn balls. I even let my boy watch his Thomas the Train Christmas special for what seemed like the five-hundredth time.
A lone tear escaped my eye as I thought about spending Christmas without Rich. I heard Cass come back into the kitchen, interrupting my thoughts.
"What did I tell you about those tears? You need to wrap this shit up," she insisted.
"You’re right, you’re right. Let’s change the subject," I consented.
"There’s my girl," she said, pulling me in for a hug.
"So, I don’t see any extra packages for you-know-who. Will your NEW boyfriend be joining us?" I asked, making sure to put extra emphasis on "new." Cass had been keeping her most recent beau a secret for quite a few months, just recently breaking the news to Rich and me. I couldn’t be any happier for both of them, but I was still a little disappointed that it had taken her so long to tell me.
"Seriously? That’s your idea of changing the subject, hooker? Are you ever going to get over it? You know everything now. I thought you told me I was forgiven. And, I’m not sure if he can make it, or not. We weren’t sure if it was the best – you know for everyone. I’ll probably just spend a few hours over at his place tomorrow."
"I’m over it. I just like giving you a hard time," I said with a smile. "I hope he decides to come, but I understand his reasoning if he decides to stay home tonight."
Chapter Two
Rich
I’d spent the last three days trying to learn the details of a large company acquisition that was scheduled to happen the first week of January. I’d met with the CEOs and CFOs of each company and finally had my article ready to go as soon as I was given the green light on the merger.
It was Christmas Eve and my meeting earlier that morning had gone slightly longer than expected. I’d brought my bags with me and intended to catch a taxi to Dulles with time to spare before my eleven o’clock flight. Instead, every cab I tried to hail was filled with last minute Christmas shoppers. By the time I flagged down an empty car it was already after ten o’clock. Even with my boarding pass already in hand, it was unlikely I’d be able to make it through security and to the gate before eleven. I just prayed there was a second flight leaving in the early afternoon.
I’d been monitoring the winter storm tracking eastward toward Virginia and Maryland and things were looking bleak. I knew that if I didn’t make it out before three o’clock, I wouldn’t make it out at all before the holiday.
Sure enough, I arrived at the airport with only fifteen minutes to spare. The one time I wanted to see the flight information read: DELAYED; it instead read: BOARDING. I looked over toward the security checkpoint and l
aughed at the dozens of people waiting to go through the full-body scanners.
"This is a lost cause," I mumbled to myself, walking toward the check-in desk hoping to get a later flight. I would probably miss the Christmas Eve feast, but at least I’d be home in time to help Brooke wrap gifts and play Santa. I was determined to spend Christmas morning with my family. While standing in line, I heard a voice over the loudspeaker call for a final boarding of my flight.
"Next in line, please," the airline clerk yelled through the crowded terminal.
"Hi Brittney," I said, squinting to read the name on her I.D. badge. "I was supposed to be on the direct flight to Detroit, but it seems I’ve missed that flight. Will there be any other flights to Michigan today?"
She typed a few things into the computer before responding, "I have a direct flight, but it doesn’t leave here until seven o’clock. I can’t guarantee that it won’t be grounded due to the winter storm, though. I can get you an earlier flight into Chicago, but then you’d have to find another flight out once you landed at O’Hare," she said, still feverishly typing away at the keyboard.
"What time does the flight leave for Chicago," I asked.
"Noon."
"OK, I’ll take that one. Thank you, Brittney."
"You’re welcome, Mr. Davis. Here’s your itinerary and boarding pass. You’ll be boarding shortly at gate twelve. I suggest you immediately step into the security line in order to board on time."
I made it through security much faster than anticipated and had a few minutes to call Brooke while I wanted for my call to board.
I dialed her number and was surprised when Brendan answered the phone.
"Hi Daddy," Brendan said from the other end.
"Hi Buddy. How are you?" I asked.
"I’m good, Daddy. Mommy took me to see Santa Claus yesterday. I got to pet the reindeer. Did you know reindeer eat apples? Are you coming home soon, Daddy? Mommy bought us all matching Christmas sweaters. I miss you," he said, not stopping to take a breath.
Just as I was attempting to answer his questions, I heard Brooke come on the line. "Sorry about that, Babe. I was loading the dishwasher and didn’t even hear the phone ring. He must have seen your picture flash across the screen."
"He sure has a lot to say," I laughed. "He said he got to feed reindeer apples. I take it you saw some deer that had fake antlers attached to their heads, right?"
"No, they had reindeer with Santa at the Christmas in the City celebration yesterday. Cass and I took the kids."
"You know reindeer are like Santa’s elves, right? They aren’t real, Brooke." I insisted.
"Uhhh, Babe, I don’t like disagreeing with you, but I saw them with my own two eyes. Reindeer are very much the real deal. You’ve heard of caribou, right? Reindeer and caribou are one in the same, dear."
"OK, whatever you say, dear."
"Seriously, google that shit," she encouraged. "And, stop mocking me."
"You started it! And, I believe you. I’m glad you all had a good time. I wish I could’ve been there," I retorted.
"Me too. And, why are you calling now. Aren’t you supposed to be in the air? Oh god, please tell me you’ll be home for dinner."
"My meeting ran longer than I thought and the city is crazy busy right now. I missed my flight, but they have me booked on one to Chicago that is supposed to leave in a few minutes," I told her.
Just as I was explaining my new itinerary, I heard an announcement come through the loudspeaker.
"May I have your attention please? Flight twenty-three to Chicago has been delayed due to poor weather conditions. We will keep all passengers advised when more information becomes available to us."
"Fuck!" I screamed into the phone.
"What’s wrong," Brooke asked.
"My flight to Chicago has just been delayed. I’m so sorry, sweets, but I probably won’t make it home in time for dinner. I will do everything I can to make it home tonight though." "What if you can’t even make it home for Christmas, Rich?"
"I’ll be there, baby. I promise."
I sensed disappointment on the other end. Fuck, I needed to figure out something and quick. "Brooke, I’m going to let you go so I can see about getting another flight out of here before the storm hits. I’ll be home, baby. Kiss the kids for me. I love you."
"OK, be careful. I love you, too," she said before ending the call.
I sat with my head in my hands for a few moments before deciding on my next step. Noticing a block of car rental companies near the terminal entrance, I thought that surely one of them would have something available. I would just drive back to Michigan. It wasn’t the ideal situation as it would take me approximately eleven hours to get home, but at least I would arrive shortly after midnight and be able to help Brooke put the last of the gifts under the tree and be home when my kids woke up on Christmas morning.
Standing up, I made my way back to the front of the airport and stopped at the first rental car counter without a line.
"How may I help you today?" the clerk greeted, as I walked toward her.
Skipping the small talk, I said, "I need a car. Any type will do. I don’t care about the price. I just need something today. I could even return it to any location in Michigan tomorrow."
"I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have any cars available today," she replied.
"Nothing?" I questioned again. "I really don’t have a preference. I would take an Astro Van if that’s all you have."
"I’m sorry, sir. I really wish I could help you. You can check with the other counters, but I overheard someone say just a bit ago that everyone else was sold out as well."
"OK, can I leave you with my cell phone number in case anything becomes available?"
I quickly jotted down my name and number and slid it across the cool, laminate countertop before stepping away.
"If anything becomes available, I’ll be sure to give you a call, Mr. Davis. And, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Vanessa" I grumbled, finally taking a moment to look up at her nametag. I felt bad for being such a scrooge, but in that moment all I was concerned about was making it home to my wife and children on Christmas.
After checking with five companies, I quickly learned that Vanessa was unfortunately correct. Each rental car company was booked solid for the next week. Not only were my chances of getting a flight out of this place slim, but driving wouldn’t be an option either. As I began to walk back to the ticket counter, I heard a male voice approach me from behind.
"Excuse me, sir. I couldn’t help but overhear your predicament," he said.
"I’m actually on my way to southern Pennsylvania and have a car reserved. I’d be happy to take you as far as I can where you might be able to catch a bus or train."
I chuckled to myself as the man spoke. He shared an uncanny resemblance to the late actor John Candy. I couldn’t help but see the irony in this situation. This man was offering me a ride similar to the circumstance in that damn movie Home Alone that Brooke had made me watch several times.
"Does that sound like a plan?" he asked again, interrupting me from my thoughts.
"Um, sure, that would be very helpful," I replied. "Has anyone ever told you …"
"That I look like John Candy?" he said with a deep belly laugh. "Yes, I’ve heard it a time or two. I’m sure you’re thinking I’m either the weirdo from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, or the jazz band player from Home Alone, right? Come to think of it they were both pretty quirky."
"It’s funny you mention Home Alone," I responded. "My wife will never believe me when I tell her."
Chapter Three
Brooke
Dinner went off without a hitch, thanks in large part to Cassidy’s honey glazed ham, au gratin potatoes and green bean casserole. By the time we’d taken my turkey out of the oven, it looked similar to the overcooked bird from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and let’s not even discuss the burnt stuffing and runny mashed potatoes. I was starting to think I s
hould sign up for Worst Cooks in America and take pointers from Rachael Ray.
Rich’s family left shortly after dinner, even passing on Cassidy’s dessert, in order to make it to Connor’s parent’s house to exchange gifts. I’d taken the girls upstairs for their baths as Cass put the finishing touches on the figgy pudding and Dad had been suckered into playing trains with Brendan in his bedroom.
"Can you grab another bib from the laundry room and bring it up here," I yelled to Cass from the top of the stairs, as I tried to console a very gassy Alyssa. "I don’t know what her deal is lately. She just keeps spitting everything up."
"Oooooh, I have an even better idea. Let’s put her in the bib I just brought her with the blinking Rudolph nose. How fucking adorable is this shit?" Cass said, as she walked into the twin’s nursery.
"Seriously? You know once these two can start repeating you then you’ll need to knock that off, or Rich is gonna have your head on a platter. He thinks we’re raising two proper princesses."
"Of course he does," she said, rolling her eyes.
"We still can’t get Brendan to stop saying ‘shit.’ Everywhere we go it’s shit this and shit that. Last week, Rich asked him what he wanted for Christmas and his answer – shit," I responded, shrugging my shoulders in defeat.
Cass burst into laughter. "How did it take you an entire week to tell me that story? That fucking shit is priceless," she said, tears running down her cheeks. "Seriously, I die. I. Can’t. Even. Breathe. You quite possibly have the coolest kid on the planet."
"What was that, Mommy?" Kaitlyn said, walking into the nursery at just the right time.
"Nothing, princess. Just talking to Aunt Brookie. Why don’t you go play with Brendan and Grandpa David," Cass suggested.
"They are still playing with those silly trains. I want to play with my new Barbie. Can we invite Maddy to come over and play with me?" Kaitlyn asked.