Christmas Cocoa

by ID Johnson

  “Wonderful,” Lydia replied. “Oh, Delaney, we are so thankful to have gotten the chance to get to know you. I know it won’t be easy when Josh goes back to Washington, but he cares so much for you, as I’m sure you know. And you are just… delightful. Just like your bakery says!”

  She chuckled at her joke, one Delaney had heard more than once, but she sounded so sincere, the comment actually brought a tear to her eye. “It was lovely to meet all of you as well,” she said, and she really meant it. She’d almost imagined she could be part of the Taylor family someday… almost.

  “Well, I better get off of here. Thanks again for the cocoa, dear,” Lydia said. “It was nice chatting with you. Take care.’

  “Goodbye,” Delaney said, trying to keep her voice cheerful, but once she’d hung up, she let the tears roll down her face again. She had no way of knowing if Lydia had let Josh know she was going to call, though she imagined she hadn’t mentioned it to him. She assumed she really did know about the conversation they’d had the night before and she was just trying to patch things up, like any good mother might do. But Delaney knew in her heart she wouldn’t be able to see Josh again before he left. She hoped eventually, once the holidays were over, maybe, she’d find the strength to give him another chance, but for now, she’d have to find a way to get through the holidays on her own.

  Josh sat on the back porch with Critter at his feet, trying to memorize this scene so he could envision it once he returned to Washington. He had tried not to be too upset with his mother when she explained what she’d done. Of course, he’d mentioned to both of his parents that Delaney was more than a little upset that he would be leaving before Christmas, and yet Lydia had snuck her number from his phone and called her anyway. His mother thought there was a chance Delaney might be willing to come over for dinner before he left, but Lydia hadn’t been there to see her face when he’d told her he had to go. There was no way Delaney would ever agree to dinner, and he’d be very lucky if she ever stepped foot in his house again.

  With a deep sigh, Josh took a sip of his coffee. He figured he’d never be able to drink hot cocoa again; it would always remind him of Delaney. He knew what he had to do. He’d worked for the same company for years, and he couldn’t just walk away now, not when they needed him for this update. Surely, Delaney would come around to understand that eventually, wouldn’t she?

  His father quietly made his way out the back door and into the seat next to him, making Critter get up and scoot over just a tad so that he was now resting on one toe of Josh’s boot. Kent said nothing for the longest time, and Josh was hopeful that there would be no more discussion of taking over the farm, moving closer, or of Delaney. He had made up his mind, and everything else could wait until after the holidays. It was easier not to think about it at all.

  After several minutes, his dad said, “Did I ever tell you about how I first got to try your mother’s pecan pie?”

  Josh felt like he must have heard a hundred different stories about his mom’s pie over the years, but he wasn’t sure he’d heard this one. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “It was Thanksgiving, 1984, and I was supposed to be at my uncle’s house taking care of the livestock. He ran a dairy farm, you’ll recall.”

  Josh nodded, wondering where this story was headed.

  “I had been dating your mom about a month, and I was as smitten with that woman as a fellow could be. Earlier that week, she’d called me up and invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner. Well, of course I said yes. How could I say anything but yes? But then, your uncle reminded me that I was supposed to work that day. ‘The cows still have to eat, even on Thanksgiving Day,’ he’d said. Of course, he was right. They did have to eat. And I swore to him I’d be there. I was a responsible young man, now, mind you. If I said I was going to do something, by golly, I was going to do it.”

  Glancing over at him, Josh could see in his eyes how sincere he was, and he fought back a chuckle. His dad had always been responsible. “And?” he asked.

  “And… I didn’t show up,” he replied. “I went to your mother’s parents’ house instead. We had pecan pie for dessert, and I knew that day I’d marry that woman. Oh, it wasn’t just because of the pie, of course. But it sure didn’t hurt.”

  His eyes wide, Josh asked, “What about the livestock?”

  “They lived,” Kent assured him. “My uncle was hot for a while. He’d had to go out and do it himself, but he made it happen. Course it would’ve been easier for me to do it. Would’ve saved him some trouble. But I was always bending over backward to make sure I put in extra work to make that farm functional, and I never got a thank you or a pat on the back for any of it. It wasn’t until that day that my uncle really realized just how hard of a worker I was.”

  Josh swallowed hard. “What are you saying, Dad?”

  “I’m saying, being responsible is all fine and good, Son, but sometimes there are things that are more important. Sometimes being responsible will make you miss out on the pie. And sometimes taking a different route will show your worth, but chances are, none of the cows will die.”

  Before Josh could say anything else, Kent stood and patted him on the shoulder and made his way back into the house, leaving Josh alone to ponder cows, pie, love, and the universe beneath a field of twinkling stars.

  Chapter 19

  The week was a long one. Delaney had been excited to see Cameron and Joanna’s pictures. They’d had a lovely time at the Winter Formal, and Courtney had, too, with her date, Kyler. Hundreds of customers stopped by throughout the holiday week to share a special treat with a family member or warm up from the cold with a mug of hot cocoa. Delaney had gone about her days trying not to think about Josh, wishing Christmas could just be over already.

  Christmas Eve was Thursday night, so lots of people stopped by Wednesday on their way to and from picking up last minute Christmas gifts. That morning, Delaney was in the kitchen, trying not to think about Josh leaving when her phone began to vibrate. She glanced down to see his number but decided not to answer. She didn’t need to talk to him again, not right now. After the holidays, she’d give him a call or send him a text. For the time being, she thought it was best to push thoughts of him aside until she could think clearly and make a rational decision about whether or not she still felt important enough to him to continue to date.

  A little while later, she glanced at her phone to see he’d sent her a text. “I’m heading back to Washington today. I hope we can talk soon. I miss you, Delaney.” She slipped her phone inside her pocket without bothering to answer.

  Finally, a few hours later, she realized she was acting both selfish and immature. Even though she refused to speak to him, she could at least let him know she was thinking about him. She messaged him back, “Have a safe trip,” and left it at that. She understood his job was important, but it broke her heart to think it was more important than spending the holidays with the people that should mean the most to him--including her.

  Thursday morning, Josh arrived at work bright and early. His other two team members, Janet and Carlos, would be in shortly, and his boss, Mr. Cooper, said he’d come in that morning just to make sure he didn’t have any questions. The update was something they’d been talking about for a long time, and Josh was fairly certain he knew exactly what needed to be done, but he appreciated the fact that Mr. Cooper was willing to spend part of his vacation in the office to make sure he was comfortable with the install before he and his wife were off to Aspen for the holidays.

  Being back in his cubicle felt stifling. It did every year when Josh came back from the farm, but this time, it was even worse. Josh had felt more alive than ever out in the mountain air with Delaney by his side. Making snow angels, tossing snowballs at each other, walking hand-in-hand in the falling snow. Now, with no windows and only a picture of his folks in front of a Christmas tree to remind him of what it was like at home, he felt isolated and depressed.

  “Hey, Josh!” Carlos said as he came in.
“Welcome back.”

  “Thank you,” Josh replied, trying to force a smile. “How have things been?”

  “Same old same old,” Carlos replied. He was older than Josh, and his career in technology was one he’d started after a lengthy stint in the military. He was about as hard a worker as they came, and Josh was glad to have Carlos on his team.

  As they were chatting, Janet came up behind Carlos. She was fresh out of college, but computers were her passion, and she was also very good at her job. “Nice to see you,” she said, grinning and adjusting her glasses. “I’m surprised Cooper managed to talk you into coming back early.”

  Josh pushed aside his personal feelings. “Well, this update is really important,” Josh reminded them, “and it will take quite a while to run.”

  “True,” Janet nodded. “But we both told Cooper we could handle it without you.”

  “Yeah,” Carlos agreed. “It’s like he thinks we can’t do anything on our own.” Clearly realizing what he said might be taken the wrong way, he quickly said, “No offense. I mean, it’s definitely easier when you’re here. But we can do this.”

  “For sure,” Janet agreed. “I mean, I can stay here and work or go to my parents’ house and listen to my nieces and nephews complain about not getting enough presents, you know?”

  Josh grew frustrated at what he was hearing. If they’d both told Mr. Cooper they could handle this without him, why was he here? Josh shook his head as if that would clear his thoughts. “I’ll talk to Mr. Cooper when he gets here to see what his rationale was,” he replied, “but for now, we should probably get started. I have some ideas that might speed it up a bit.”

  “Mr. Cooper left already,” Carlos stated, glancing at Janet for confirmation, and she nodded. “He left early yesterday afternoon. Told us all to have a Merry Christmas.”

  Josh could hardly believe what they were telling him. “He told me he’d come in and meet with me before we got started. This morning.”

  “Must’ve changed his mind,” Janet shrugged.

  While Josh was beginning to feel downright angry at Mr. Cooper’s audacity, he did his best to keep his emotions in check. “Okay,” he said, exhaling deeply. “I guess we may as well go ahead and get on it then.”

  Once Josh had Carlos and Janet working on installing the update, he placed a call to Mr. Cooper. It went straight to voicemail, and Josh thought it might be too early for him to answer if he was already in Aspen. He left a message asking his boss to call him back, hoping his voice sounded even and the rage he was beginning to feel was tempered.

  It wasn’t until after lunch that Mr. Cooper finally managed to return the call. By then, Josh’s fixes for speeding up the installation were already proving their value, and he realized that Janet and Carlos would be able to install the program in its entirety, without him, in only a couple of days, even if they didn’t work at all Christmas Day. He’d already sent them home to spend Christmas Eve with their families and was sitting behind his desk staring at the picture of his parents on his cubicle wall when his cell phone rang, and he took a deep breath before answering.

  “Josh, my man,” Mr. Cooper said, “How is it going? You and your busy bees getting that update installed?”

  “Hello, Mr. Cooper,” Josh replied, thinking his tone sounded fairly even. “The install is running. Everything is on schedule.”

  “Great.” The word seemed to have several extra vowels in it the way Mr. Cooper said it. “I knew I could count on you.’

  “About that,” Josh began, “as you know, Carlos and Janet are both very good at their jobs. I’m pretty sure they can handle this. In fact, I know they can and that they will be done by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. They’re good, but when you’re not around, they tend to get a little…lazy.”

  Josh was offended on behalf of his team. “They’re actually quite good at their jobs whether I’m here or not, sir. In fact, they handled everything that came their way these last few weeks while I was gone without even needing to call or text me once.”

  “Right,” Mr. Cooper said. “Well, we haven’t had too much going on with the holidays and all.”

  “I know, sir. I’m just saying, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to go back home and finish the holidays with my family, now that I’m certain Carlos and Janet have everything under control here.”

  “Oooh, I’m sorry, Josh, but I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I’m going to need you to go ahead and stay there and make sure it gets done. It’s not just me, mind you. The higher ups are counting on this install doing exactly what we want it to. You understand.”

  Try as he might, Josh couldn’t hold back anymore. It was quite clear to him now that he was being taken advantage of, and that Mr. Cooper had been treating him this way for several years. His father’s words came flooding back to him. How many times had he gotten a thank you or a pat on the back? None. In all the years he’d worked there, he’d never once been told how much he was appreciated. “Mr. Cooper,” Josh said, still fighting to keep his voice even despite his anger and disappointment, “I will be going back to my family to finish the vacation I asked off for eleven months ago. And when I return in January, it will be for two weeks so that you can find someone else to take my position full-time.”

  “What?” Mr. Cooper nearly shrieked. “Josh, you can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, I’m quite serious,” Josh assured him. “But don’t worry. I assure you no cows will die. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a baker. Merry Christmas, Mr. Cooper.”

  He didn’t wait for Mr. Cooper to reply. Instead, he hung up his phone and hastily typed up a letter of resignation, printed it out, signed it, and tossed it on Mr. Cooper’s desk before he gathered up his items and left. He’d call Janet and Carlos later to make sure they knew he wouldn’t be back before the install was done, but he was certain they would both be happy for him. Then, he set off for home, hoping he’d make it back in time to salvage what he had with Delaney.

  Delaney wasn’t going to attend the Christmas Festival at all. In fact, when her parents had stopped by to pick up Nana, she’d declined, despite their insistence that she come along. But she didn’t feel like celebrating or seeing friends. All she wanted to do was stay in her PJs and watch old Christmas movies until she fell asleep curled up on the couch, the lights on the Christmas tree she’d picked out with Josh extinguished.

  Somewhere about midway through It’s a Wonderful Life, she changed her mind. She wasn’t sure if it was the promise that, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings,” or the thought that the world couldn’t go on without George Bailey, but she knew she had to get up off that couch and head to town.

  Wiping the tears from her eyes, she hurried to her room to throw on the Christmas dress she’d been planning to wear for weeks. She rushed through her make-up and ran a brush through her hair before shoving her feet into a pair of ballet flats and grabbing her coat on her way out the door, shouting, “See you later, Bill.”

  It was snowing again, and the town was lit up with thousands of twinkling Christmas lights. She knew she’d have to hurry if she was going to get to the church before the end of the children’s choir performance. She was lucky enough to find an empty parking spot behind the bakery, then she took off at a jog to try and reach the church on time, careful not to slip on the iced-over snow.

  The sanctuary was packed, every eye on the chorus of cute cherubs as they sang “Silent Night.” Delaney was shocked to see her friend Melody at the piano. The thought that she had finally found her song again brought a fresh wave of tears to Delaney’s eyes, though she managed to hold them back. She stood in the entryway for a moment before finally spying a row with an empty spot or two at the back and sliding in next to an older couple who smiled at her in welcome.

  As the children were finishing up, Delaney realized someone was standing next to her. She looked up in surprise as her brown eyes met famili
ar hazel ones. Covering her mouth with her hands, she stared in awe.

  “Is this seat taken?” Josh asked, a hopeful smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

  Without a word, Delaney shook her head and then scooted over so that he could fit in beside her. Once the song was over, the congregation burst into applause, and the house lights went up a bit as the children began to make their way back to their parents.

  Delaney finally found her voice. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I realized you meant more to me than anything else,” he replied as if it was the easiest statement in the world. “How could I stay in Washington at a job where I’m not appreciated when everything I’ve ever wanted in the whole world is right here in Charles Town?”

  Delaney felt her face light up. “Do you really mean that?” she asked.

  “More than anything in the world,” Josh assured her. “Delaney, I hope it doesn’t sound too crazy to you to hear me say this when we’ve only know each other a few weeks, but I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

  Feeling her heart begin to flutter, Delaney nodded. “Me neither. I couldn’t imagine Christmas without you, Josh.”

  He smiled and took both of her hands in his. “You’ll never have to again, Delaney, I promise. From now on, your Christmas traditions are my Christmas traditions. I love you, Delaney Young.”

  “I love you, too, Josh Taylor,” Delaney beamed.

  Josh wrapped his arm around her, pulling her head against his shoulder as the lights went down, and Delaney realized that Melody was singing the most beautiful Christmas song she’d ever heard. She listened in silence at the breathtaking beauty of her sweet friend’s angelic voice filling the room around them. Delaney’s heart was so full of love, she thought it might overflow. God really did answer prayers, and tonight He’d sent more than one Christmas miracle to the little city of Charles Town.