Anna laughed. “I promise you, I most certainly will.”
Meri glanced at her watch. “Now I really do need to go pick up Jackson.”
They hugged and parted ways, but Anna blinked back tears as she hurried to her car. She wasn’t even sure what the source of the tears was this time. Was it Meredith’s unexpected generosity? Anna’s suppressed fear of cancer? Or was it the startling news that Michael had been seen hanging out with college kids on a night when he was supposedly working late? Anna could not think of one good reason why her husband would be at the Night Owl. But unfortunately she could think of some bad ones.
14
“Okay,” Meredith said on the phone. It had been just a couple hours since they’d parted ways downtown, but now Meri had a bee in her bonnet. “You managed to distract me from asking you the exact day and time of this mysterious doctor appointment, Anna. Now I demand to know.” Anna muttered the date, and Meredith immediately went ballistic. “No way! You cannot wait that long. That’s like a whole stinking month away. Do you know how fast cancer cells can grow in a month? Do you have any idea how much more can be done with early detection these days?”
“But we don’t have insurance.”
“I don’t give a rip about that! Your life is worth more than that, Anna. You cannot wait that long. Do you understand?”
“I can’t go in until we have insurance.” Anna tried to sound patient, but she wanted to tell her sister to mind her own business. “Then get insurance. Get it today.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Sure it is, you just pick up the phone and call. Lots of people do it. You just fill out the forms, let them take your blood pressure and some basic stuff like that. No big deal. Just do it, Anna.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want Michael to know what’s going on.”
“Then don’t tell him. Just get a policy for yourself.”
“He doesn’t live under a stone. He’ll figure it out.”
“Then just tell him. You’ll have to sooner or later anyway.”
“I don’t want to spoil Christmas.”
Now Meredith actually cussed. Anna hadn’t heard her younger sister use bad language since they were teens. “Meri,” she said in a shocked tone.
“I’m sorry. But you are making me mad. If you don’t tell Michael, maybe I will.”
“You will not!”
“Yes, I will.” Meredith swore again. “And for all we know, Michael has some things he’s not telling you, Anna. I mean, what if you’re doing this heroic thing, trying to protect Michael, trying to give him some stupid perfect Christmas, and trying to save him a few bucks on insurance – and the whole while he’s out there messing around.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, the writing is on the wall, Anna. You said yourself you were concerned that he might be having a midlife crisis. He works overtime all the time . . . and then he’s seen hanging out with college kids at the Night Owl. Use your head, sis.”
“Why are you doing this to me, Meri?” Anna felt tears coming again.
“Because I love you. And I refuse to lose you like we lost Mom. You have to see the doctor.”
“I will.”
“But January 16 is too far out.”
“What if I change the date?”
“What if you get insurance today?” Meri said. “And what if you make an appointment for Monday?”
Anna swallowed hard. She knew she couldn’t do that. She wouldn’t do that.
“Or what if I tell Michael?”
Anna was angry now. “I trusted you!”
“And I’m glad you did. Someone needs to watch out for you.”
“Listen, Meredith.” Anna’s voice was steely calm. “If you tell Michael, I swear to you, I will tell Todd.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Do you want to try me?” Anna cleared her throat. “Imagine what a lovely Christmas we can all have with everyone hurt and mad and – ”
“Fine! You win.”
“So you won’t tell Michael?”
“No. Christmas is less than a week away. But I swear to you, Anna, if you haven’t told him by December 26, I will.”
“Fine! And I’ll do the same with Todd for you.”
“You won’t need to,” Meredith said. “I’ll tell him myself.” And then she hung up.
Anna felt sick to her stomach again, but she knew it was probably as related to emotions as anything. And, to be fair, would she act any different toward Meredith if the tables were turned? What if Meri was sick and refusing to see a doctor? But Anna didn’t want to think about that. All she wanted was some lukewarm, watered-down ginger ale and a nice long nap.
She had just fallen asleep when the phone rang again. This time it was Michael. “Hi, sweetie,” he said.
“Hi.”
“Did I wake you?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry about that. And you’re probably going to guess what I’m about to tell you,” he said.
“Working late again?”
“Yeah. But this will be the last night for a while.”
She thought about the Night Owl but didn’t say anything.
“Really,” he said. “No more overtime until after Christmas.”
“Right . . .”
“I’m sorry, really.”
“That’s okay. I’m pretty tired anyway . . . it’s been a long day.”
“We’ll make up for it tomorrow night, okay? And don’t forget it’s Grant and Suzy’s annual Christmas party.”
“Yes . . . I remember.” Anna looked at the pretty red dress hanging on the door of her closet and sighed.
The next day, Michael acted perfectly normal. Not only did he rave about her new haircut, but he fixed blueberry pancakes for breakfast as well. But as Anna picked at hers, she wondered if this was some sort of guilt offering. Then he cleaned up the breakfast things and took Huntley for a walk, which only seemed to prove her theory. Why else would he be so nice? Then, shortly after Michael left, her dad called.
“Is everything okay with you?” she asked. They’d already covered the perfunctory hellos, but she was worried now. Her dad didn’t usually just call like this – straight out of the blue – without a reason.
“Yeah, sure, I’m fine,” he told her. “I just had to run to town this morning – doing a little Christmas shopping for Donna, you know how that goes – and I thought maybe my oldest child would like to meet me for coffee.”
“Meet you for coffee?” She tried not to sound too shocked, but this was so out of character for Dad. She hoped he was okay.
“Yeah. I thought we could meet at Hole in One, you know, get a donut and coffee . . . maybe you have some ideas for Donna’s Christmas present. You know how I usually don’t get it right.”
“Well, sure, Dad. That sounds great. When were you thinking?”
“How about ten thirty?”
“Sounds great.” She said good-bye and hung up, but as she got ready to go, she couldn’t help but think this was very strange. And the most obvious reason for this unexpected coffee date had to be Dad’s health. She wondered if he’d gotten some bad news . . . something he didn’t want to tell Donna about. As she drove downtown, she braced herself. And, as she parked her car and walked over to the little donut shop, she realized that her dreams for “the best Christmas ever” were not only unrealistic, they were becoming downright impossible.
“Hey there, Anna,” Dad said as she came into the donut shop. “Pretty cold out there, isn’t it?”
She nodded and unbuttoned her coat. “Do you think it’ll snow?”
“Maybe so.” He tipped his head toward the glass case filled with pastries. “What will you have?”
Anna picked a plain cake donut and a cup of herbal tea, then they went to sit in a booth. “So, Dad, how’s it going?”
He frowned slightly. “Well, I guess that’s what I want to ask you.”
“Yes, that’s why I wanted to meet you today.”
“But why? I mean, what do you want to ask me about?”
He shrugged as he wrapped his hands around the coffee mug. “How are you doing, Anna?”
She thought for a moment. “Okay.”
“Well, that’s not what I hear.”
“Huh?” She peered curiously at her dad. His hair, cut in his regular crew-cut style, was completely white now, but his blue eyes still had a youthful twinkle. Except that right now they looked worried.
“I hear that you might have something you need to talk about . . . you know, to your old man.”
“Who told you that?”
He pressed his lips together, lifting his brows slightly, as if to suggest he wasn’t about to reveal his source.
“Has Meredith been talking to you?”
Again the same look.
“What has she told you, Dad?”
“She just said that I should talk to you.”
“About?”
“She wasn’t specific, Anna. But she acted like it was serious. She told me that a good parent would step in and do something. I think those were her exact words.” But now he looked puzzled. “Problem is, I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to step in and do. You got any ideas?”
“Oh, Dad . . .” Anna sighed. “I think it’s really sweet that you wanted to help, but trust me, there’s nothing you can do for me. Okay?”
“If you say so.” He took a slow sip of coffee, then looked curious again. “If you’re sure you don’t want to talk about it.”
“Remember when Mom died?” she said suddenly.
“Well, yeah, of course.”
“There were times when I wanted to talk about things then, Dad. But most of the time you didn’t want to. Why was that?”
“I just didn’t see the point in dwelling on things.”
“Or showing emotion?”
“It’s probably just the way I was raised,” he said. “Back when I was growing up, men and boys were expected to keep their emotions in check.”
“Did you ever cry for Mom?”
He looked down at his coffee and frowned, but he didn’t answer. And for some reason that just really irritated her.
“Well, if something happened to me, I’d want Michael to cry,” she announced.
“And I’m sure that Michael would cry if something happened to you.”
She scowled. “Well, I’m not so sure.”
“Why not?” Now Dad looked really concerned.
“Just because . . .”
“But Michael loves you, Anna.”
“Did you love Mom?”
“Of course.”
“But you didn’t cry.”
“But Michael is different from me. If anything happened to you, I’m sure he’d feel it deeply. I’m sure he’d cry.”
She shook her head and broke off a piece of her donut, holding it in her fingers, trying to decide whether to take a bite or not.
“Just because I didn’t cry when your mother died does not mean I didn’t love her, Anna. I loved her more than anyone will ever know. And I still miss her today.”
Anna looked up in time to see his eyes getting misty. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she said quickly. “I’m sure you do.”
Now he smiled. “You look so much like her, Anna. You two are like two peas in a pod.”
“In more ways than you know.”
A shadow crossed his face and he cocked his head ever so slightly, but he didn’t question her words. He just sat there silently. And Anna wondered if he knew . . . if he suspected. Still, she was determined to keep her secret as long as possible. And she felt furious at Meredith for this lame attempt to spill the beans for her.
“Well, I think you’ve got Michael all wrong too,” Dad said. “If anything ever happened to you, that man would be brokenhearted and beside himself with grief.”
“You guys really stick together, don’t you?”
“I’m just saying what I know is true.”
Anna sighed. So many things that her father didn’t understand . . . would probably never understand. She wanted to ask him if he would cry when she died, but she knew that would only complicate things more. Instead she asked him what he planned to get for Donna this year.
“Well, I was thinking about one of those diamond necklaces they keep advertising on TV. You know, the ones with three stones. Every time that ad comes on, I hear her sigh.”
“It’s an emotional advertisement, Dad. It’s supposed to make you sigh.”
“I know. But, just the same, I think she’d like one of those necklaces.”
“You’re probably right. I’m sure she’d love one.”
“That settles it then.” He grinned and picked up his ball cap. “Thanks for helping me to figure it out.”
“Thanks for inviting me here for coffee.” She grinned back at him. “Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
“Maybe so.”
Well, at least Dad’s not dying, Anna thought as she returned to her car. Still, he could be a little dense about some things. But maybe that was good – probably some sort of protective device. Just the same, it was aggravating how easily he stood up for Michael. Like they were in some secret boys’ club together – a wink and a handshake and everything’s just fine. Her dad was a nice guy, but he really could qualify as the king of denial. Of course, Anna could probably win the crown for queen.
And since everyone seemed so deep into denial these days, maybe she’d just continue to play along. So she acted like everything was just fine all day. She and Michael went through their ordinary Saturday routines, and then, when it was time to get ready for the Christmas party, she took her time to apply the makeup just like the DVD showed her. She fixed her hair and then slipped into the garnet dress.
“Wow,” Michael said when he saw her. “You look fantastic, Anna.” He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Maybe we should scrap that party and just spend the evening alone?”
She smiled. “Well, that’d be nice. Grant’s own partner blowing off the Christmas party.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a little rude.” He bent down and kissed her, lingering in a way that suggested her suspicions about him were ludicrous. “But we could always come home early.”
She laughed as they headed out the door. “Sure . . . why not?”
–––––
Grant and Suzy’s parties were always the best. The tradition had started back when Grant and Michael were still at the marketing firm. It was probably due to Suzy’s gift for entertaining combined with their lovely hillside home that looked out over the city – they were always the first pick for parties. Not that Anna minded, since their bungalow was pretty small. Plus she knew she didn’t have the flare that Suzy did. And Grant and Suzy had a full bar, which always seemed to make a lot of people happy. Sometimes a little too happy, in Anna’s opinion.
“You look stunning,” Grant said as he handed Anna a glass of something red.
“What’s this?” Anna watched as Michael was swept away by an older gentleman, probably a client.
“It’s a sweet little cabernet that I thought would go nicely with your beautiful dress.” He chuckled. “I know you’re a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, but you can just carry it around and look pretty.”
She laughed. Grant had not only a sharp artist’s eye but a quirky sense of humor too. “Well, thank you. I’ll try to wear it well.”
“I’m still thinking about that lasagna you brought by the other night.” He smacked his lips again. “I told Suzy that we’ll have to weasel a dinner invite from you guys.”
“Of course,” she said. “Consider yourself invited. How about after Christmas though.”
“Perfect.”
“And you guys won’t be so busy then.”
“Busy?”
“Well, you’ve really been putting in a lot of hours these past few weeks.”
“Oh.
” He looked uneasy. “Yes . . .”
“You have to admit, you guys have pulled a lot of late nights.”
“It’s not easy starting up a new business.” Now he glanced across the room. “Speaking of which, here comes Thomas Sanders, one of our newest clients. I better go greet him and make him feel at home.”
Anna watched as Grant cut through the crowded room. She could tell by his answer that something was wrong. And she decided to get to the bottom of it. She went to the kitchen to find Suzy speaking to one of the caterers about the crab cakes. “That last bunch wasn’t even lukewarm,” she told the woman. “They really need to be hot when you put them on the tray.”
“Yes. We’ll take care of it,” the woman promised.
“Oh, Anna,” Suzy said. “I haven’t even had a chance to say hi to you tonight. You look so great. What have you done with your hair?”
Anna told her about La Bella and the holiday special.
“I think I’ll give them a call.”
“They’re miracle workers.”
“Well, you look gorgeous.”
“I thought I needed to spruce up for Michael’s sake,” Anna said in a quiet voice, then chuckled. “You know, the guys have been putting in so many late nights, I thought I might need to compete with this new business.”
Suzy’s eyebrows lifted, but she just nodded. “Yes, it’s been pretty demanding, but it sounds like things are really coming along well.”
“Yes, Michael has assured me that he won’t be putting in any more late nights after Christmas.”
Suzy looked truly concerned now. She leaned forward and spoke quietly. “So, has Michael been working late a lot?”
Anna nodded. “Yes, about three nights a week. And sometimes on weekends too.”
“Really?” Suzy’s brow creased.
“Do you mean that Grant hasn’t been?”
“Oh, he works late occasionally. But not three nights a week. I don’t think I could stand for that.”
“Especially with the demands of your job. I heard that you might be made partner at the law firm before next year.”
Suzy smiled. “Well, I don’t believe in counting my chickens too soon, but it is looking good.”
Anna patted her on the back. “Congratulations. I’m sure you deserve it.” Then Anna excused herself to the powder room, which she really did need to use. But once there, it took all of her self-control not to break into tears. Instead, she pulled out her cell phone and called her sister.
The Joy of Christmas Page 26