Season of Joy

by Virginia Carmichael

  Calista felt a tiny bit of irritation at the word “strange,” but shoved it down inside. Of course she didn’t have a chance with Grant. “I know, right? We were just talking about, I don’t know, everything.” She struggled to remember the entire conversation. “She told me how she got to Denver, about Gabriel, about how you and the former director tried to help her.”

  “She told you all of that?” His tone was a little sharp. For the first time Calista noticed a dimple in his chin that must only show up when he was frowning.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad feelings for her. But she said that you’d saved her life and I asked her to tell me her story. If I shouldn’t have done that, I apologize.” She felt as if the sun had cooled a little and she rubbed her arms through her jacket.

  “No, not at all. It’s just that she doesn’t usually share her story. It’s very painful for her, even after all these years.”

  Calista nodded, remembering Marisol’s tear-filled eyes. “She seems resigned to never seeing her son again. And then we were talking about whether it was better to be an orphan or to lose a child.”

  Grant made a sound of surprise, somewhere between a cough and an exclamation.

  She felt heat creep up her neck and squinted out toward the snowy square. “I didn’t ask her that. It just sort of came up.” She darted a glance at him and was surprised to see his lips quirked up in a half smile.

  “It’s nice to hear. That she was talking, I mean. Marisol is a good supervisor, friend and grandmother type. But she doesn’t open up to a lot of people.”

  Calista mulled that over. She decided to take it as a compliment. “I’m glad she felt safe with me. Anyway, we were talking about losing parents and—”

  “Are your parents living?”

  The question startled her, although it was a natural one. “My mother died when I was in high school, and my father and I don’t really get along. Too much bitter history.” She watched his eyebrows rise but didn’t care. Better to have the truth out as soon as possible.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. And does he have anything to do with the faith you mentioned, the one that puts the show before the truth?”

  She was surprised he remembered her exact words. “Right. So, Marisol was saying you were like an orphan but your faith would see you through and I was feeling a little sad that I had spent so much time building a life that didn’t have anything worthwhile in it, and she completely misunderstood my expression and thought I was upset that you were too busy for a girlfriend. And then you came in.”

  Calista hauled in a breath. She desperately wanted the conversation to veer back into something safe, like planning for the new roofing fund. But his blue eyes were locked on hers. The emotions that flickered over his face were unreadable.

  The sudden sound of the door slamming open behind them interrupted whatever thought he had been forming.

  A young couple with a small child waved as soon as they caught sight of Grant. They changed their trajectory across the snowy courtyard to meet Calista and the director. The girl had shoulder-length hair with a strip of bright pink on one side and her dark brown eyes were heavily rimmed with liner. She had dark circles under her eyes but walked quickly, holding the baby on one slim hip like a bag of flour. The little girl’s curly brown hair bounced with every step her mother took. The young man’s shoulders were hunched under his thick, oversize sweatshirt and the hood was pulled over his head. As they got closer, Calista noticed a large tattoo covered the area from his collarbone to his jaw.

  “Hey, Aliya, Josh.” Grant put out a hand to Josh but was pulled into a bear hug. Aliya grinned and stepped forward to give Grant a squeeze. The little girl reached out for Grant and he took her in his arms. Calista felt a tug around her heart at the ease of his gesture. She couldn’t remember the last time she had held a child, let alone had a child reach for her like that.

  “Miss McKenzie, you look happy today.” The little girl beamed in response and said something that might or might not have been English. Grant looked to Aliya for help and the young mom shrugged, laughing.

  “She talks like that all the time. We have no idea what she means, either.”

  “Calista, this is Aliya and Josh, and their daughter McKenzie.” Grant made the introductions and Calista felt the couple’s curious gazes. She smiled and held out a hand, which they both shook without comment.

  “You guys come for breakfast? Or are you heading for the recreation rooms?”

  “Naw. We’re gonna go to a class. McKenzie will be in the day care for a few hours.” Josh looked dangerous, but his voice was quiet, almost childlike.

  “Which class? We’ve got a great list this month.”

  “The job-prep class. I think Miss Borne is teaching it. I like the way she gives lots of examples and we read articles from Newsweek.” Aliya brushed back the pink shock of hair and said, “I don’t want to work in fast food forever.”

  “Glad to hear you like her teaching style. Some people think she’s mean.” Just yesterday there was a middle-aged woman who had come directly to him to complain about the homework load. But if they were going to give credits for the classes, they had to keep track of the homework, he’d told her.

  “Well, if you’re dumb enough to give a presentation without doing your work, yeah, she can be pretty mean.” Josh ducked his head, as if he knew exactly how that felt.

  McKenzie let out a stream of syllables and poked her finger into Grant’s ear. He winced, laughing. “All right, missy. Back to your mom before you stick that finger in my eye.” He passed the chattering toddler back to Aliya and waved as the couple headed across the courtyard and to the door that led to the classrooms.

  Calista watched them walk away, her mind turning on the young couple. “That’s really encouraging.”

  “That they’re taking classes?”

  “I mean, they could just get on welfare, right?”

  Grant was silent for a moment. He seemed to be considering his words carefully. “After a while, if you stick around, you’ll realize that many of these people are very proud in their own way. Those two were street kids and are trying to work their way back from some serious mistakes. Josh doesn’t look like much, but he’s gentle and wants to provide for his kid.”

  Calista felt shame slice through her. She turned to face him, noting how the bright winter light brought out tiny gold flecks in his blue eyes. “I didn’t mean... I wasn’t trying to say...” Her voice trailed off, wanting to defend herself but knowing he was right.

  “I know. There are the ones like Duane who will take everything you offer without any gratitude, but he’s not the norm.” His eyes were troubled, almost sad. “Anyway, let’s get started on this tour. I want to make sure you’ve got a good idea of where everything is in case we need you to volunteer in different sections.”

  Calista nodded and tried to cover her shame. “I’m ready.” As he headed for the dormitories, she sneaked a glance in his direction. The strong shoulders, the slightly wavy black hair, even those startlingly blue eyes were nothing compared to what was inside. His dedication to the mission and his faith in the people shone like a beacon.

  As they passed from room to room and into other buildings there were more introductions and more warm greetings for Grant. Calista had an eerie knack for remembering names and faces, and she absorbed the small details of the tour. But half an hour later, her heart was fuller than her mind. Every time she saw him shake a homeless man’s hand, touch the shoulder of a teenage boy, kneel down to talk to a little child, the scene dropped into her heart like something warm and substantial. She could feel the weight of it pressing against her ribs, like a hug from the inside.

  * * *

  Calista exited the elevator at full speed and narrowly missed the building’s snack cart. Mrs. Benjamin let out a yelp of warning but they were
both saved only by Calista’s last-second dodge to the left.

  “I’m so sorry, Miss Sheffield,” the older woman said while picking up the snack-size potato-chip bags that had been jolted off their hooks when the cart stopped on a dime.

  A surge of irritation flared in her chest. She didn’t have time to be dodging old ladies pushing food carts today. Love is patient, love is kind. The verse came out of nowhere and all the words she wanted to say, about not standing in front of the elevator, of moving more quickly, died in her throat.

  “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been running out of the door like that.” Calista bent down and retrieved one small bag from under the cart’s front wheels. “This one looks a little squashed. Let me buy it.” She dug in her shoulder bag for a dollar and deposited it on the tray. “Have a good day.”

  Now the proud owner of a seriously smashed pile of chips in a cellophane bag, Calista continued toward the glossy black desk that designated the waiting area for the top floor of VitaWow. Renee sat motionless, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on Calista. Her shiny, flame-colored bob was lacquered in place and accentuated her sharp cheekbones. Calista had hired Renee for her speed and professionalism, but the woman would have looked at home in the biggest corporations in the country. She was beautiful, educated and had just the right mix of charm and aloofness.

  “Morning, Renee.” She didn’t usually interact much with Renee, since Jackie was her go-to girl, the ultimate personal assistant. But maybe it was time to start reaching out. She stopped in front of the desk and admired an arrangement of exotic flowers. The deep red blooms were striking against the shiny black desk and the scent was strong and sweet. “These are pretty. Did you order them?”

  Renee slowly nodded, her eyes still fixed on Calista. “Yes, I order the flowers for the main desk downstairs, the departmental secretaries and your reception area every week.”

  “Oh.” Calista felt her cheeks grow warm. It was not as if that was something she should have known. Deciding who ordered the flowers was not her job. But still she felt a niggle of embarrassment. She’d never even noticed any flowers before. She usually flew right past the desk while yelling instructions. Well, she might slow down just a mite to snag her phone messages out of Renee’s outstretched hand. She cleared her throat. “Any messages?”

  Renee held several small pink slips of paper and Calista took them, grateful to have something to distract herself. “Thank you,” she called on her way into her office.

  The reception area of the top floor was empty but the hallways were bustling with employees. Calista stood for a moment, watching the movement of the staff. She felt her brows draw down. Long aisles were bound on each side with half-walled cubicles, but most of the staff seemed to be walking around. Walking wasn’t really the word. They seemed almost frantic. In fact, she was sure that one man had just entered and left the same cube twice in one minute.

  “What’s wrong?” Jackie’s voice cut into her thoughts and she turned to see her personal assistant wandering toward her, a stack of collated brochures in her arms. Her hair was brushed back from her face but fell in small ringlets to her shoulders. As she came nearer, Calista saw dark circles under her deep brown eyes. Competent, capable Jackie. Of course, she had her own life, probably filled to the brim with friends and family but Calista couldn’t name a single one.

  “Nothing.” She turned back to the hustling crowd. “It just seems like everyone’s on red alert. What’s with the running around? See, that guy there with the green striped tie, I swear he just went to check the fax machine for the third time.”

  A snort of laughter came from behind her and Jackie shook her head, curls bouncing every which way. “Are you serious? Of course they’re all on red alert. The boss is standing there with a face like thunder and they want to look busy.”

  Calista whirled to face her. “I’m not some whip-cracking taskmaster. Plus, I come through here all the time.”

  A single, well-groomed eyebrow lifted in response. “All the time?”

  She felt her face grow warm. “At least once a day. Just to hang out.”

  Now both eyebrows had gone up. “Just...to hang out.” Jackie could really pack a lot of meaning into four little words.

  Calista frowned furiously and went back to studying the wide-open office space. Could the twenty-five employees who worked on the top floor of VitaWow really have that much dislike for their boss? She tried to think of the other departments. She’d always been warmly welcomed when she visited the lower six levels. Of course, there was usually a reason she was there. A meeting or an announcement. Or to find out who had dropped the ball on some project. Now that she thought of it, those warm welcomes were just a bit tense.

  “Okay, not to hang out. To survey my domain. Happy?” Bitterness crept into her voice. “But that’s my job, isn’t it? Not to make friends with everybody.”

  “Right.” She could see Jackie nodding out of the corner of her eye. “But it wouldn’t hurt to make friends with, say...one or two.”

  And there it was, out for all to hear. She had no friends. She felt her heart sink in her chest.

  “Are you going out for dinner after work?” Jackie sounded contrite and rushed to change the subject. “You sure look nice.”

  Calista crossed her arms over her light blue linen dress. After the mission she’d made a special effort to choose something that wasn’t a slacks-and-jacket set. Now she felt plain silly.

  “No, not going to dinner. I just felt like wearing something pretty.” She’d had enough of surveying. Time to let the employees relax. She turned back toward her office and Jackie followed beside her.

  “So, how was the dentist?” Again that sly note in her voice spoke volumes.

  “It wasn’t the dentist, as you know. Come in and I’ll tell you all about it.” Calista led the way into her office and closed the door behind them. She crossed to the small coffeepot in the corner and dumped in some French vanilla. But decaf, since she’d had enough excitement this morning, thank you.

  The bright light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and she began to pull the shades on the four windows that flanked her desk. Calista liked her corner office for the stunning 180-degree views of the Colorado Rockies, but directly below the mountain range and too close to ignore there was the mass of air-conditioning units on the building next door. Plus, afternoon sun could really heat up the room and when she used the pull-down shades, the whole room took on a sepia tinge. But all of that would change when they built the new VitaWow headquarters. State-of-the-art glass would adjust to the direct light. The plans had been revised about ten times, but her top-floor corner office was set in stone. Or so the architects had said.

  She pulled the last long acrylic shade down over the view, blocking out the sun and the ugly sight of the AC units. By this time next year, her view would be about twenty floors higher up and duct-free. They hadn’t picked a location, but the board was fielding offers and counteroffers. Within months, she would be helping break ground on a brand-new building. The thought filled her with satisfaction. She’d grown this company from the very beginning so it was sort of like expecting a baby. A twenty-story, smoked-glass-and-steel baby.

  “So, spill it.” Jackie perched on the edge of a leather plum-colored armchair and gave her best “I’m listening” look.

  Calista plopped into her chair and planted her hands on the top of her mahogany desk. “I’m volunteering at the Downtown Denver Mission. Probably once a week, maybe more if they decide they need me to help them with fundraising.”

  There was a beat of silence that became two, then three. Jackie blinked and cleared her throat. “And why would the CEO of this fine company be volunteering at a homeless shelter?”

  “Because I woke up one morning and realized I was a terrible human being.”

  “Just like that?”

 
Calista sighed. “No, not quite. And it would have been nice if you’d argued just a little with that statement.”

  Jackie had the heart to look sheepish. “You’re not a terrible human being. You’re just not very approachable. Or sympathetic. Or caring about anybody’s personal life. Or—”

  “All right! I got it.” Calista stood up and paced back and forth in front of the shaded windows. The watery, muted sunlight made the room look especially monochromatic.

  “But I think you could be helpful there.”

  She turned, hope making her voice rise. “You think so?”

  “Definitely. Especially the fundraising. They can give you the figures and you can whip up some marketing scheme. You probably won’t even have to go into the shelter after the first day.”

  Calista felt her insides tighten with anxiety. Jackie didn’t think she could do anything other than make some money. “See, I don’t want to just fax over papers or visit with the board. I want to do something real.” That sounded ridiculous. They both understood that money was as real as it got.

  Jackie looked at her hard for a moment. “You mean, you want to make a difference in someone’s life.” Her voice had a cautious tone.

  “Exactly.”

  “Don’t you think spending time at a homeless shelter is a bit...ambitious? You could always mentor some business majors or even build some relationships here at the company. I’m sure they would appreciate your mentoring a few pegs down on the totem pole.”

  “You know, that’s a great idea.” Calista stopped pacing for a moment and put a finger on her lips. “I’ll bring that up to Human Resources and see what they say. But I’m still going to volunteer. This morning I took a tour and met most of the staff.”

  Jackie seemed like she was still struggling to grasp the concept of her boss spending time out of the office, with people who weren’t rich or powerful.

  “The director is very inspiring, too.” Calista left this last comment hanging in the air as she fiddled with the large leaves of the potted banana tree near the window. She tried to make her voice light, but every time she thought of Grant, her stomach did a little jump.