Julie also talked to their next door neighbor Suzy, an avid knitter, in the hopes she would have something to donate. She’d just completed a cute hat-and-glove set she was planning to donate to the mitten tree at church. The tree would be covered with cold-weather accessories and made available to those in need. Suzie loved Julie’s enthusiasm and was happy to add the set to the growing bundle of treasures for Anna. She would knit something else for the mitten tree.
Within two days, Julie gathered an impressive box of items for her friend. She could hardly wait to get it delivered. Renee carefully bubble wrapped cookies and a box of homemade peanut brittle to include, too. Robbie called his old scout leader and was able to borrow a Santa suit they used for holiday parties. He would wear it when he delivered the box to Anna.
Once Anna’s package was ready, Julie carefully put it all in a large cardboard box, sealed it up, and stored it in a corner of the garage. They would drive up to Anna’s small hometown on the 23rd to make their stealthy delivery. Julie knew Anna was working as a waitress to earn enough money to get her through the spring semester. Anna’s old boss let her stay in an efficiency apartment above the restaurant. She didn’t have family there anymore, but to her, it was still home.
Together, they also thought it would be fun to help at a local toy drive Robbie heard about through school. The junior and senior classes were looking for volunteers to pick up donated toys from local businesses, wrap and code the gifts, then deliver them to kids registered through Social Services. It could be a three-day process. Robbie paired up with buddies to help bring in donated toys.
On Friday, Renee, Julie, and Robbie piled into the SUV and headed to the Civic Center to work on the toy drive. They stepped into the gymnasium and a frazzled teenager met them at the door with a clipboard in hand, pointing them toward long tables containing rolls of wrapping paper, tape, and scissors. He gave them a three-minute overview of the process and then hustled off to educate the next group filing through the door behind them.
“How about if I pick out presents for some little boys first? I’ll go grab a wish list from over there,” Robbie suggested, motioning to the table the teenager had pointed out to them. “Once I get the toys picked out for each one, I’ll bring them to you, Mom. Since you’re the world’s best wrapper, you can get the toys wrapped and labeled. Then Julie can take it all over to the clothes section over there and finish up for each little boy.”
Since the toy drive was Robbie’s idea, Renee and Julie let him take charge. When Robbie couldn’t find any more toys he thought little boys would like, he switched places with Julie so she could work on lists for girls. They worked until the organizers called it a day. In a span of five hours, the three of them managed to put together gift bags for thirteen boys and seven girls. Because so many people and local businesses donated time and products, over a thousand kids would receive gifts from the toy drive.
Julie and Robbie seemed subdued on the drive home. Carols softly streamed from the radio.
“You two are awfully quiet. Did you have fun today?” Renee asked as she turned onto their street.
No one answered right away.
“Kind of sucks that a stranger has to pick out gifts for those little guys,” Robbie grumbled from the back seat. “I tried to pick out toys they will like, but there weren’t any video games or stuff like that to choose from on the tables. Just a bunch of board games, toy cars, and books. Not exactly super fun stuff for Christmas morning.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t make sense to give them anything that needs to be played on a system the kids might not have or that would need batteries their parents wouldn’t be able to replace,” Julie said. “Most of these toys are ones they can play with for a long time, using their imagination. Robbie, you used to love playing with all your little cars.”
“True,” Robbie agreed quietly. “Just a lot different than what other kids will be finding under the tree this year.”
Quiet descended again as Renee pulled into their drive, each feeling a mixture of gratitude and guilt for having so much when others had so little. The day served as a not-so-subtle reminder that Christmas was about so much more than receiving everything on your own wish list.
Chapter 10
Gift of Generosity
December 23 dawned crisp and cold. Julie rose early, wanting to finish her Christmas shopping before leaving to deliver Anna’s package. She was giving Mom and Robbie one gift each, so she wanted each of the presents to be extra meaningful. She was excited about Robbie’s, but was still searching for an idea for her mom. Her mom put on a good front, but Julie caught her sitting at the kitchen table the night before, staring at a cold cup of tea, tears trickling down. She’d quickly brushed the tears away, probably hoping Julie hadn’t noticed. But Julie did notice, and she worried. She knew her mom had a lot on her mind. But, in classic Mom style, Renee refused to let any of them dwell on her job loss, and she was keeping them all hopping with volunteer work and packing to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.
Julie enjoyed working alongside her family at the toy drive, and she knew she was doing something worthwhile for Anna, too. Plus, all of it kept her busy enough so she didn’t constantly worry about Lincoln. She avoided talking to him on the phone. When break first started, he called or sent texts a few times a day. Now he was calling every hour, leaving messages. His tone was getting harsher. He couldn’t understand why Julie wasn’t responding to him.
“Probably because you’re starting to creep me out,” Julie mumbled to herself, turning her cell off again so she wouldn’t hear it vibrate. She knew she should talk to him, tell him she didn’t want to be a couple anymore, but she kept putting it off.
Julie grabbed her purse off the back of her chair, tossed her phone in, and headed downstairs. She let Molly out the back. A pot of hot coffee sat on the counter—her mom must be up, but Renee wasn’t in the kitchen. Robbie would sleep for a few hours yet, tired from late night hours on his Xbox most likely. Julie poured coffee and watched Molly bounce in the snow in the backyard. The dog stopped playing and started sniffing a line of footprints from the back alley up to the garage. Julie could see the small door leading from the backyard into the garage was open.
She remembered Anna’s package, propped in the corner. Alarmed, she jammed on her mom’s snow boots, yanked open the sliding patio door, and ran across the icy deck. She slipped going down the back stairs, catching herself before she fell on her butt. She scraped her palm on the wooden railing, but it was so cold she only felt a quick twinge. Molly ran over, barking at her heels, and followed her to the garage door.
Still in a panic, Julie reached her hand inside and groped along the wall for the switch. Snapping on the light, she shoved the door open the rest of the way. With a sigh of relief, Julie spied Anna’s box, still in the corner, right where she left it. Sitting next to it was a second box—probably the Santa suit Robbie borrowed.
Snapping off the light and turning the little lock button in the door handle, she gave the door a hard pull and hurried back to the house. A blur of movement near the neighbor’s shed caught her eye. She glimpsed a bright red parka. Someone rounded the corner, but he or she moved quickly out of sight before she could see a face. Julie didn’t give it much thought and scurried into the house, Molly still tight on her heels.
She kicked the boots off and picked up her coffee cup, warming her icy fingers. The heat made the scrape on her palm sting. She noticed her coffee was now a pale caramel color. Her mother must have doctored it up for her while Julie was outside, with a shot of creamer—just like she liked it.
Good old Mom, Julie thought as she rummaged around in the junk drawer for paper and pen. She sat down to make her shopping list, enjoying her coffee.
An hour later, Julie headed to the mall. She had a few names on her list, but not many gift ideas. She still felt bad about all the needy kids. She wasn’t in the mood to buy people the usual gifts this year. She didn’t want to buy her friends a useless
little trinket or her mom yet another sweater.
As Julie approached the mall doors, tinkling bells caught her attention. To the right of the entrance stood an elderly woman, bright white curly hair poking out from under a cheap Santa hat. She gave the little bell in her hand a hearty shake every few seconds. A red kettle stood in front of her. Julie felt around for change in her coat pocket. Pulling out a few quarters and what she thought was a dollar, she went to throw the money in the kettle. She noticed it wasn’t a dollar but a slip of paper in her hand, so she only pushed the coins through the slot. The woman handed her a candy cane in return with a wink.
“May God bless you and keep you safe this Christmas, sweet girl,” she said as she handed Julie the candy cane.
“Thank you,” Julie automatically replied. She thrust the paper and candy into her pocket, continuing into the mall. She thought the woman’s comment was weird, but she forgot about the encounter until she took a lunch break. She picked up a soda and piece of pizza and found an open seat in the food court. She arranged her packages around her feet so she wouldn’t lose or forget any of them. When she finished her slice, she remembered the candy cane and figured it would be as good a dessert as any.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the candy—along with the piece of paper. She unfolded it and, with a start, saw it was a note from Lincoln.
Dear Julie,
You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am so happy you are a part of my life. I already miss you and can’t wait until we get back from holiday break. I wish we could spend the holidays together. Maybe in some small way, we can.
Love, Lincoln
Julie dropped the paper onto her tray, shuddering despite the crowds around her. When had Lincoln put that in her pocket? She glanced around as if expecting to see him at the table next to her, but all she saw were busy, frazzled holiday shoppers. No one noticed her jitters. She wasn’t sure why the note bothered her so much. She considered calling Zoey to talk about it, but remembered her friend already left town to visit relatives in Nebraska. She would call her later.
Trying to put the disturbing note out of her mind, she decided she was tired of the crowded mall. She was glad it was still early when she walked out to her mom’s SUV. She threw her packages in the back and drove over to Barnes & Noble. While walking through the bookstore, she finally came up with some good gift ideas. She finished her shopping and headed home.
Robbie was home when Julie got back, excited to play Santa. She laughed. “There’s still plenty of time before we have to go,” she told him. “I don’t want to get there until we’re sure Anna is at work.”
Julie wrapped the presents she bought while they waited. Finally, they ate supper and got on the road. It was a bitter cold evening with a brilliant moon. Stars twinkled against the black sky. Renee opted to stay home and let the kids make the delivery together, telling them she had holiday tasks she needed to work on alone.
Julie and Robbie pulled into Anna’s hometown around seven o’clock. They found the Golden Spoke restaurant on Main Street. All the parking spots in front were full and it looked crowded through the frosty plate-glass windows.
“What’s our plan?” Robbie asked.
“I guess I didn’t think that far ahead,” Julie replied with a sigh. “I suppose you could put on the Santa suit, walk in, and hand the package to Anna. But that might embarrass her. Maybe we could see if there’s a back door?”
They decided to call the restaurant and tell whomever answered there was a delivery at the back door for Anna. Robbie put on the Santa suit, grabbed the package, and walked toward the back. It was dark and quiet in the alley.
Julie drove to a gas station on the edge of town, hoping they would have a pay phone. She didn’t want to take a chance on the restaurant having caller ID and Anna recognizing her cell number.
Julie hadn’t used a pay phone in years and was surprised, but relieved, to find one. A phonebook hung from a stiff cord, pages yellow and curled. She found the number for the diner, again relieved when a man answered instead of her friend. He chuckled when Julie told him about the delivery and muttered something like “Good for you, Anna.” He promised to send her back for the delivery and hung up with a “Merry Christmas!”
In the shadows behind the diner, Robbie stomped his feet to stay warm, anxious as he stood in the cold and waited for the back door to open. He felt the strangest sensation that someone was watching him.
Ridiculous! he thought. While it was busy out front, it was dark and deserted back in the alley. No one would hang out back here at night, not in this cold.
Finally, the back door opened and a light above the door snapped on, illuminating the surrounding area. Warm air rushed out at Robbie. Anna stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Santa standing on the back stoop.
Robbie knew it was Anna based on Julie’s description. She wore short, spiky black hair and a tiny stud in her nose. Earrings lined both ears and makeup was a little on the heavy side, in Robbie’s opinion, though he did think she was cute. She looked like a punked-out elf. Instead of being frightened by a strange man in a Santa suit, Anna burst out laughing.
“Well, Santa, I don’t see any flowers,” she said, eyeing the white wrapped box with the huge red bow at Robbie’s feet. “If there is a bouquet in that box, it’s freeze-dried by now!”
“No, Anna,” Robbie said with a deep chuckle, doing his best Santa impression. “We heard you were an extra special girl this year and wanted you to have an extra special gift this Christmas. Please enjoy. May you have a blessed Christmas and continue to spread holiday joy.”
With that, Robbie gave another deep, Santa-like chuckle—at least he hoped it was Santa-like—and turned on his heel. Anna stood there in shock for a minute, staring after him, unsure what was happening. She hadn’t received an unexpected gift from anyone in years.
“Wait!” she yelled after Robbie. “Who are you? I can’t accept this!”
But after standing there another minute or two in the cold and getting no response from the retreating Santa figure, she carried her box inside and shut the door.
Robbie hugged up against the building after he walked out of reach of the overhead light, to make sure she took the box with her. Once he saw her go back in and the outside light flicked off, he pushed away from the building. Suddenly, a heavy weight smacked him on the side of his face, shoving him hard into gravel and gritty snow.
Because it was so dark, he could hear and feel but not see a figure towering over him.
“Stay away from her if you know what’s good for you,” a voice rasped. “This is your only warning!”
There was a slight rustling noise, and then all was quiet. Robbie lay there, trying to get his bearings. His gut told him whoever pushed him down was gone. Then he remembered Julie. He didn’t want the psycho that decked him to come across her sitting alone in the car.
He eased himself up, brushed off the snow and dirt as best he could, and jogged out to the street. He wasn’t hurt, but he was pissed. Here he was, dressed up in a dorky Santa suit, doing a good deed for some girl he didn’t even know, and some guy smacks him in the head!
Robbie knew Julie would go crazy if he told her what happened. He needed time to think. Was the guy warning him to stay away from Anna? Or was he some lunatic and Robbie was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe he was a scrooge with a grudge against Santa. No matter what, Robbie didn’t want Julie to know what happened. It’d ruin the whole thing for her.
Plus, if Julie knew, Mom would find out—and Robbie didn’t want to give his mother anything else to worry about. So he pulled off the smudged suit and tossed it in the trunk before jumping up front with Julie. He forced a big smile and announced to her expectant expression, “Operation: Christmas Miracle, a success!”
Chapter 11
Gift of Family
Renee woke early on Christmas Eve. She allowed herself the luxury of hitting snooze. Merry Christmas, me.
She co
uldn’t believe all of this was happening. If you would have asked her at Thanksgiving what they would be doing for Christmas, she wouldn’t have had anything exciting to report. She expected “low key” would have been her answer. Now her surprise status as unemployed meant there was time for so much more. There was time for excitement.
Renee knew, without a doubt, she wouldn’t have made the effort to go home for Christmas. She certainly wouldn’t have reached out to Jim’s family. The call she received back from Jim’s mom two days ago, while somewhat stilted, did result in them making plans for Renee and the kids to go to her in-laws’ home for dinner on the 26th. She hoped this time to reconnect with their families would turn out to be a blessing and not a curse.
The biggest excitement was taking the kids on their tropical getaway over New Year’s. She was insane to spend the money, given their uncertain future, but she was living the motto “Carpe Diem!” She better “seize the day,” because, if she was lucky, she would be working at a new job by this time next year and it would be a while before she could take time off to seize anything again, least of all a tropical getaway. “Lucky” wasn’t quite the right term; it was more like she despised the thought of less vacation time.
Hating to let melancholy sneak in, Renee got moving. Suitcases for this leg of the trip were down by the door. Suitcases for the New Year’s trip were supposed to be packed, too, and stashed in everybody’s room. The plan was to drive back on the 27th, finish getting ready, and fly out early on the 29th. She highly doubted the kids were packed for the second trip, but she would deal with that later.
As planned, they were on the road by noon. Traffic was heavy, but Renee was happy to be part of the wave heading toward family and friends. She wasn’t sure what their schedule was and she didn’t care. She just wanted time to catch up with everyone and not think about her worries.
Whispering Pines (Celia's Gifts Book 1) Page 5