Christmas On Nutcracker Court

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Christmas On Nutcracker Court Page 27

by Duarte, Judy

“It was very serious, and we still have more tests to run, but she’s stabilized for the time being.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “For a few minutes.”

  As Carlos followed the doctor out of the room, the women took a seat. Lynette’s thoughts were on Rosa, but she couldn’t help being a little confused about what Maggie had told Carlos. So she turned in her seat to question the woman who seemed to have her spiritual ducks in a row, wondering if she actually did. “I’m a little confused. You’ve been telling Susan and me that we need to be doing more for others, yet you just told Carlos that he and Rosa needed to do less. It seems to be a contradiction, unless there’s a fine line between not enough and too much.”

  “It’s more complicated than that,” Maggie said. “A person can’t earn God’s favor. It’s impossible for anyone to be good enough. And it was for that very reason that God, in a loving act of grace, sent His Son to die for anyone willing to accept His gift.”

  “I get that part. Those who accept His Son are assured of their place in Heaven. And doing for others is a good thing for us to do. But . . . ?”

  “When a person becomes a child of God, he seeks to do the will of the Father—which is to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and provide for the poor. And he rejoices in doing those things because he’s experienced God’s love and grace himself.”

  Lynette still wasn’t sure she understood the point Maggie was trying to make. “You mean, when I learned that my hairdresser had fallen upon hard times, and I went out and bought her and her children Christmas presents, I was doing the will of the Father?”

  “How did you feel while you were shopping for the gifts? And when you gave them to your hairdresser?”

  “Pretty awesome, actually. It was as though I’d somehow done something special and made the world a better place.”

  “There you go. It’s all in the motivation.”

  Lynette thought about that for a while. “So you’re saying that Carlos wasn’t trying to make the world a better place?”

  “I’m sure he was, to an extent. But in his overzealous push to impress God with his good deeds, he failed to see how he was hurting Rosa in the process. And as a husband, he vowed before God and man to love, honor, and cherish his wife.”

  Lynette wasn’t sure how Maggie, who barely knew them, had come to that conclusion, yet it seemed to be a reasonable assumption.

  While she considered all she’d heard, Maggie got to her feet, walked across the small room to the open doorway, and peered into the hall. “Here she comes now.”

  “Who?” Lynette asked.

  “Susan.”

  For a moment, Lynette had completely forgotten about the fact that Susan would be coming to the hospital—and that she was still angry and hurt. Lynette wished she would have apologized sooner, but she hadn’t. And now it was long overdue.

  Still, in the scheme of things, the hurt her words had caused and making it right seemed pretty minor now.

  Would Susan feel the same way?

  Maggie stepped away from the doorway, and Susan walked in dressed in black pants, a white blouse, and a red silky Christmas vest.

  “What happened?” she asked. “How’s Rosa?”

  As Maggie filled her in on the details, Lynette struggled to come up with the words that needed to be said, hoping and praying that they’d come to her.

  And that when they did, she could handle Susan’s reaction—whatever that might be.

  Chapter 19

  As Susan stood in the center of the small waiting room, with its stark white walls and cold gray chairs, she couldn’t believe that Rosa had suffered a serious heart attack.

  Still caught up in the innocent, childlike faith she’d just witnessed in some of the residents of Lydia’s House earlier, she tried to find a ray of hope in the situation. “If the doctor said she was stable, that means she’s going to pull through, don’t you think?”

  “I’m not sure,” Maggie said. “They’re still running tests, so she’s probably not out of the woods yet.”

  As the hope Susan had tried to hang on to wavered, she released the breath she’d been holding.

  It was hard to believe that the woman who’d given so much of herself to her family, friends, and the community might die. Just the thought of never seeing Rosa’s smiling face or hearing her laugh again was too much to bear.

  “She’s going to be okay,” Susan said. “I’m going to hold on to that belief. She’s too good and too young to die.”

  Maggie placed her hand on Susan’s shoulder. “Life is a journey, and no one knows just how long each one will be.”

  “Then I’ll pray that Rosa’s journey isn’t finished yet.” It was all Susan could do, all she could hang on to.

  Feeling more helpless than her words had indicated, she slipped her hands into the pockets of her Christmas vest, only to finger something hard and round—the copper penny Joseph had given her at the party.

  It’s a lucky day, he’d said.

  At the time, she’d been touched that he’d shared his good fortune with her, but Susan wasn’t feeling very lucky anymore. She pulled the coin from her pocket and looked at it, remembering the disabled man’s words.

  It’s good to share, he’d said.

  That was true, but Susan had very little to offer anyone. Even her hope-filled thoughts hadn’t convinced Maggie that things would turn out all right.

  She glanced to the corner of the room, where Lynette sat in silence, her expression one of fear and grief.

  Was she letting go of hope before they had reason to?

  “I suppose it’s a good time for us to pray,” Susan said.

  “Prayer always helps,” Maggie said, “although it should never be considered a last resort. God likes to hear from His children on a regular basis.”

  “You’re probably right, but my prayers don’t seem to be very effective.” Susan thought about her nightly pleas, about begging God not to let her spend another holiday alone, without the one thing that would make her whole.

  “Maybe you’ve been praying for something you’ve had all along.” Maggie’s blue eyes flashed with something akin to understanding, although that wasn’t possible.

  Or had she been suggesting that Barbie, Stan, and Donna Ferris were her family? And maybe even Ronnie, too?

  Before her visit to Lydia’s House, Susan wouldn’t have even considered the possibility, let alone been encouraged by it. Yet even if she felt closer to her in-laws now than she had in ages, they weren’t the family she’d been praying for, the one in which she’d have a child of her own to hold and love.

  At that moment, Lynette, who’d been sitting in a corner of the room, got to her feet and approached Susan.

  “I know this is a bad time,” Lynette said, “but I want you to know how sorry I am that I hurt your feelings the other day. You’re one of the most honest, trustworthy, well-meaning women I know. And you were the perfect choice to hold on to our poker money. Anyone could have made a mistake in addition. And I shouldn’t have pointed it out in front of anyone.”

  Right now, none of that seemed to matter anymore. But Susan couldn’t quite bring herself to tell Lynette there’d been no harm done.

  “I’m also sorry about trying to set up Grant with Carly,” Lynette added. “I truly didn’t realize you were interested in him.”

  “Maybe not, but you knew I would’ve liked having a matchmaker of my own. You even teased me about being on a manhunt.”

  “Yes, that’s true. But you never mentioned the name of the man you were hunting.”

  If truth be told, his name hadn’t mattered all that much. She’d just wanted to have a special man in her life this Christmas, and hope for a family in the coming year.

  And right now, as Susan stood to lose one friend to death, she didn’t want to risk losing another to anger or stubbornness.

  “I’m sorry, too,” Susan said. “I suppose I’ve been a little jealous of you.”

  “Of me?” Surpr
ise splashed upon Lynette’s pretty young face. “Why?”

  “Because you’re rich and beautiful. And you have everything it takes to attract a husband. You’ve also got plenty of time to bear a houseful of children, if you want to.”

  Lynette seemed to ponder that for a moment, then slowly shook her head. “For what it’s worth, I don’t feel all that lucky. And I doubt that all the money in Fort Knox would make any difference in the way I’ve always seen myself.”

  Susan fingered Joseph’s penny, then reached for Lynette’s hand and pressed the coin into her palm. “This was freely given to me in love, and I’m giving it to you. If you lose every bit of that inheritance Peter left you, there’s enough love in that single penny to see you through anything life throws your way.”

  Lynette studied the copper coin as though she’d been given a diamond. And maybe, in a way, she had been given a priceless gem. When she looked up, she said, “Thank you, but I’m not sure I should take this from you.”

  “Why not?”

  Lynette took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “Because you’re not the only one feeling badly about Grant going out with Carly.”

  Susan wasn’t following her.

  “I . . .” Lynette looked at Maggie, as though needing a little moral support, then continued. “I’m attracted to Grant, and he asked me to go out with him, too. If I accept, which I’d really like to do, I could end up hurting Carly or you. And it seems as if I’d be breaking some kind of BFF code. Know what I mean?”

  “So you’d miss out on a chance at happiness just for me?”

  “You’re my friend, Susan. And the Lils are the sisters I never had.”

  Susan wrapped her arms around Lynette. “Right this moment, with Rosa in there fighting for her life, your love and friendship mean a lot more to me than having a man in my life.”

  Before Lynette could respond, Carlos entered the waiting room.

  “How’s Rosa doing?” Susan asked.

  “She’s still alive, but she doesn’t look good.” A tear slipped down the man’s cheek. “Why didn’t I realize how sick she was before? Why didn’t I insist that she take it easy? Or that she see a doctor?”

  Susan didn’t know what to say. As it was, she could only tell Carlos that she’d be there for him—and hopefully, for Rosa, if God allowed her journey to continue.

  Even though his mom had told him and Mikey that there wouldn’t be a tree or presents this year, Josh was still excited about it being Christmas Eve and was sure it would be a good one. Thanks to Lynette, he and his brother had a really cool gift to give their mother this year, and he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she opened the box and found that pretty scarf.

  They might not have a tree, but that didn’t matter, either. They’d be going to Mulberry Park for the Christmas program, and if it was anything like last year’s event, there’d be plenty of trees lit up and decorated. So who needed to have one in the house?

  “Hey, guys,” Mom said, as she entered the living room wearing a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved sweater. “Max will be here in a few minutes, and I need to talk to you guys before he comes.”

  She probably wanted to tell them the rules, like how to act and what to eat, and while that might have bothered Josh before, he didn’t care so much about it now.

  After talking to Mr. Tolliver the night he’d come over for dinner, Josh had done some thinking about the things he’d said. And he figured that mothers couldn’t help bossing their kids around. It was how they showed their love.

  “I thought it might be nice if we prayed together before we went,” Mom said.

  Josh wasn’t sure why she’d suggest something like that, but he guessed it was okay.

  As his mom reached out her hands for the boys to take hold, Josh stepped forward. And there, in the middle of the living room, they came together in a circle and bowed their heads.

  “Heavenly Father,” Mom said, “we just want to thank You for seeing us through a difficult year. We thank You for the blessings You’ve given us—even those we haven’t yet seen. Help us to be a blessing to others, not just tonight, but always.”

  She paused as if waiting for either Josh or Mikey to chime in with words of their own, but Josh didn’t have anything to say—at least, not out loud. He liked to keep his talks with God private.

  “Lord,” Mikey finally said, “I know You can do anything, so would You please let it snow tomorrow? Lots of kids have white Christmases, and I’ve never had one before. Besides, when I told Nick Hastings all about You, he said You weren’t real. And I told him that I would prove that You were by asking You to make it snow tomorrow. Please do it so that Nick can believe in You. Amen.”

  Josh couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Why would Mikey go out on a limb like that? It never snowed in Fairbrook.

  “Honey,” Mom said, “it’s not a good idea to put God to a test like that.”

  “But didn’t He turn water into wine?” Mikey asked. “And walk on water? And part the Red Sea? God does miracles all the time, Mom, so making it snow in Fairbrook ought to be easy for Him.”

  Josh couldn’t help but grin. How was their mom going to answer that one?

  Mikey crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg. “All we got to do is believe, Mom.”

  “I do believe. And while I don’t mean to place limits on what God can do, we live on the coast in San Diego County, and the last time it snowed at sea level was . . . Well, it was before I was even born, and it didn’t last very long.”

  “Are you forgetting that God can do anything?”

  “No,” Mom said, “but He also set natural laws into effect, which means there are certain climates that are prone to snow and others that aren’t. So I don’t want to see you disappointed tomorrow.”

  “Maybe I won’t be,” he said.

  At that moment, the doorbell rang, and his mom let the whole thing go.

  “It’s not going to snow,” Josh told his brother. “So you might as well think of something to tell that kid when you see him at school in January.”

  Mikey just scrunched his nose and made a face.

  “Hi, Max,” Mom said, as she let Mr. Tolliver and Hemingway into the house. “Come on in.”

  “Are you ready?” the man asked.

  “We just need to grab our jackets and the lawn chairs.”

  Minutes later, they all piled into Mr. Tolliver’s car and drove to Mulberry Park, which was already filling up with people and families spreading out blankets and setting up folding chairs.

  The trees at the far end of the park were covered in white blinking lights, and a stage had been set up for the band that would play Christmas carols.

  After getting out of the car, they crossed the lawn, making their way through the park. Josh and Mr. Tolliver carried the chairs, while his mom walked beside them and Mikey led Hemingway by his leash.

  It was weird, Josh thought. For the first time since his dad had walked out on them, it seemed as though he was part of a family again.

  He stole a glance at Mr. Tolliver, who’d said he could call him Max, but Josh didn’t know about that. As much as he’d like to have a man to look up to, he wasn’t sure Mr. Tolliver was that guy.

  It’d be cool to have a stepdad, though—at least, for his mom’s sake—but something like that would be too good to be true. After all, his own dad hadn’t wanted him or Mikey, so what made him think that a guy who didn’t even have a blood connection to them would want to step in and be there for them?

  And one divorce was enough for a family to go through.

  About the time Josh figured the evening was going to be a nice one anyway, he spotted Ross “the Boss” walking toward him, and his whole world exploded.

  Oh, crap. Why did that guy have to go and ruin everyone’s Christmas?

  Ross glared at Josh as though he would rush over and kick his butt right now—if there weren’t a couple of adults with him. And Josh didn’t doubt that he would.

&n
bsp; So there went any possibility of drinking hot cocoa or anything else tonight. No way did Josh want to risk a trip to the bathroom, where Ross might find him without anyone to protect him.

  But then again, he realized Ross was with an adult, too, this evening—a man who must be his dad.

  It seemed unfair that a jerk like Ross would have a father, when guys like Josh didn’t.

  As he gave the man a once-over, Josh saw that he was looking at Mr. Tolliver with a funny expression—kind of like he recognized him and wasn’t all that happy about it. Or maybe he just wasn’t happy to be walking in the park with his son. Josh sure wouldn’t be if he felt responsible for raising a mean kid like that.

  Uh-oh. Mr. Tolliver turned in the Shurlocks’ direction, which meant the men really did know each other. As he reached out a hand to Ross’s dad, Josh wanted to melt into the damp grass.

  “Hey, Frank,” Mr. Tolliver said. “How’s it going?”

  Aw, man. He wasn’t going to invite them to all sit together, was he?

  “All right,” the man said.

  “You got a minute?” Mr. Tolliver asked.

  “Sure.”

  Mr. Tolliver nodded his head to the left, and the men stepped away, out of earshot, leaving Ross to glare at Josh with beady little eyes that seemed to say, “I think you’re pond scum.”

  So much for God working miracles in this day and age—or answering prayers at all for that matter.

  Max hadn’t expected to run into one of his former defendants at the park, and under normal circumstances, they would have silently acknowledged each other and gone about their own ways. But that was before he’d realized that Frank Shurlock’s son—and who else could it be when they looked enough alike to be brothers?—was the kid who’d been bullying Josh.

  So he’d asked Frank to speak in private.

  “What’s up?” the man asked. “You’re not my PO anymore.”

  “I know. I’d heard you were doing well, and that your probation would be up at the end of the year.”

  “Yeah. I’ve been going to AA and following the program. I’m also trying to right a few wrongs, which hasn’t been easy. My wife and I split up after the trial, so I’ve been trying to convince her to let me see my son.”

 

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