Truly Yours Contemporary Collection December 2014
Page 63
“Did you pick this out?” Neil’s mother had asked him after unwrapping her gift.
Sandy laughed outright. “Oh, Mom, really. Can you imagine a guy buying bath products? Obviously he conned Debbie into doing it for him. You can see the woman’s touch. You did it, didn’t you, Debbie?”
Debbie remembered the loving glance Neil had given her, even as her fingers traveled over the pure black sweater he had wrapped up for her in bright Christmas paper. He laughed at the new black hat she had given him to match his black overcoat and black gloves. “Now I am definitely the man who wears black,” he said with a chuckle.
“And it looks like you’re getting Debbie to follow suit,” Sandy added, pointing to the black sweater.
It didn’t matter to Debbie. She loved the sweater, and yes, she had fallen in love with the man, too. They were made for each other, as he once said. Now she was getting edgy for his return. Without him here, she felt like an intruder among his family, even though she was hired to care for Elvina.
“Where could Neil be?” his mother asked.
“You know him,” Sandy said. “He has something up his sleeve. Remember when he once came for Christmas with that puppy, Mom? I thought you would die when he said it was for you.”
“Yes, and I gave the dog to a lonely member in my church who needed the companionship much more than I did. I only hope Neil gets back in time to help carve the roast. He’s the only one who knows how to work my electric knife.”
At last, Debbie heard the rumble of an engine and a car door slam.
“Debbie, can you give me a hand with this gift?” Neil called out. “It’s very fragile.”
Debbie offered a meek smile to the inquisitive looks displayed by the family before darting out the door. To her surprise, Harold sat in the front seat of Neil’s car, grinning from ear to ear. “This is the best day of my life,” he told them as they helped him into a portable wheelchair. “The best day. Look at that sun. Look at the blue sky.”
“So this is your secret errand,” Debbie murmured to Neil with a smile. “What will your family think?”
“He’s just here for the afternoon. And besides, I’m not doing it for them. I’m doing it for Gram. This is her Christmas wish come true, in a way.”
Debbie looked at him in confusion until it dawned on her—Elvina’s wish that she learn what happened to her beloved Samuel. Harold was the link to it all. When they brought Harold into the house, Neil’s family was on their feet in an instant.
“Why, Neil!” his mother exclaimed.
“What on earth are you doing?” Sandy added.
“I’m bringing Gram her special Christmas present, so don’t say anything else,” he announced, slowly wheeling Harold over to Elvina, who stared expectantly. “It’s a present she specifically asked for.” Then to his grandmother, he said, “Hold out your hand, Gram.”
“Oh, dear. I hope you didn’t get me anything too expensive or large, Nathaniel,” she said. Neil took Harold’s hand and placed it in his grandmother’s. She grew rigid. “I—I don’t understand.” Her fingers traced the pathway of Harold’s jagged veins and long, bony fingers.
“Merry Christmas, Liv.”
Her hand fell away. “It can’t be. Whatever are you doing here, Harold?”
He looked to Neil for help.
“Merry Christmas, Gram,” Neil said with a laugh.
She turned white. “I don’t understand. How is Harold my Christmas gift?”
Neil knelt beside her and took her other hand in his. “Gram, remember how you said you had one big Christmas wish, to know what happened to the man who means a great deal to you and to our family? The one who gave me a great dad, even if I never knew him? That’s why Harold is here. He knew our real grandfather. He knew our dad. And he was the last one to speak to Sam before he left this world. He’s the answer to your Christmas wish—in an indirect way, that is.”
No one said anything for several agonizing moments. Debbie looked at each family member. Some wore expressions of disbelief. Neil’s mother’s eyes harbored tears. Debbie could barely draw a breath, wondering what would happen next. Would this special gift be accepted? Would the wounds from long ago find healing? Would the family open their hearts and accept Harold?
Finally Elvina turned to Neil. “Well, Nathaniel, are you going to put on a Christmas carol or two? I brought my record player and albums with me, you know.”
Neil grinned. In no time, the bars of a favorite Christmas carol, “Joy to the World,” filled the room. When they finished, the family pressed in around them, asking Harold about his friendship with their Sam and how he and Elvina had come to meet. Debbie never saw Harold so filled with warmth and love. What a far cry from just a few weeks ago, when he was but a sad and lonely man.
What a beautiful day, too. Now Debbie was witnessing a freedom in Harold’s spirit, and in Elvina’s, as well. They no longer held expressions of confusion, weariness, or dismay, but life and even love. When Harold’s hand reached for Elvina’s, taking it up in his own, Debbie’s heart flip-flopped at the sight.
“I do have one other request to play,” Neil announced. He took up another record, one of the older versions Debbie had purchased at the antique store a few weeks back. “This is Harold’s gift to Gram.” All at once, Harold’s rich bass voice filled the room as he sang a love song from days gone by. Everyone chuckled in glee. Elvina sat there, mesmerized by the man who sang to her so lovingly.
Suddenly Harold brought forth a small box out of his shirt pocket. Before Elvina could say anything, he took out a ring and slipped it carefully on her ring finger. “Liv, will you marry me?”
“Harold. . . ,” she began, her fingers touching the ring. “Oh, Harold!”
Debbie sucked in her breath in astonishment. Shock resounded throughout the family circle. Sandy sat unmoving, her eyes glued to the scene. Neil’s mother stared with the same confused expression. “Don’t you think you’re moving a little fast with all this?” she wondered. “I mean, didn’t you both just meet at White Pines a short time ago?”
Harold squirmed in his chair. Debbie sucked in her breath, wondering if she should say anything. She saw Neil slowly shake his head at her. This was Elvina and Harold’s to handle. She could only watch and pray for God’s will to come forth.
“I know it seems very fast,” Harold began.
“Oh really, Terrie,” Elvina remarked. “Look at us.” A tear began sliding down her cheek. Her finger gently stroked the ring she held. She then lifted her face. A smile broke out. “I think two lonely people like us still have a few years left for happiness. Don’t you?”
No one could say anything after that. When Debbie’s gaze fell on Neil, he wasn’t looking at the elderly gentleman proposing to his stately grandmother or responding to the questioning glances of his mother. He was staring straight at her.
While the family marveled at the Christmas Day engagement in their midst, Debbie went to fetch Elvina’s medication for the afternoon. Her hand shook as she fumbled with the pills. She could hardly believe what had happened. One gift on top of the other. And she was here to see it all, thanks to Trish. It’s a fact. The Lord does work in mysterious ways.
All at once, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to find him leaning against the door frame, his arms folded. Neil. Dear, sweet, thoughtful Neil. She really did love him. What would be their future? More mysteries to solve? More places to explore? More hot chocolate to drink? Or maybe each other to have and to hold one day when the time was right?
“Great moment, huh?” he said.
“Wow, I should say. One for every history book and fairy tale there is. Weren’t they cute? Who would have thought?”
“No one. At least not me—until Harold told me what he had in mind.”
“So you knew Harold would propose?”
&nbs
p; “He talked to me about it a few days ago. He said that Liv had done something miraculous in him. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He asked me what it was that made him feel that way. I said, ‘Love, my man!’ He wondered if they dared marry, if that could happen with their residence in White Pines. I said, ‘Why not?’ So he asked me to find an antique ring, something old but meaningful. We set this all up for today.”
“Neil, you’re something else. You really do like making wishes come true, don’t you?”
“Only God can make it a reality. Sometimes what we wish for isn’t always the best thing for us. But He can make it all come out right in the end. He is faithful.”
She listened, deep in thought, wondering about her secret desire, if it was a part of God’s great plan or simply wishful thinking. But she knew better than to second-guess at this point. She had witnessed a wonderful miracle—and on Christmas morn, when the greatest miracle of all had come forth. On top of it all, she could delight in the love of a man God had brought into her life when she needed him most. “Yes,” she agreed, allowing his arms to impart an embrace of warmth and of love. Their lips met. “He is very faithful, to the end.”
Epilogue
The tiny White Pines chapel never looked more beautiful to Debbie. Red roses stood in a vase on the altar. Bows decorated the pews. And the time was perfect, too, for celebrating love, as Elvina and Harold exchanged their wedding vows that afternoon. Valentine’s Day. The day of love. She exhaled a sigh, even as her gaze drifted over to Neil, standing beside Harold as his best man. How handsome he appeared in a dark suit and tie with a red-rose corsage pinned to the lapel. She steadied the bouquet of roses she held in her hands. The heavenly scent filled her. It was a blessed event come true, and one she hoped to experience in her own life. But for now she and Neil had made an agreement to take it slow. Take the time to know each other more. To seek God in everything. And allow their relationship to grow. Yet she couldn’t help but think of her own wedding in the process. I will definitely have roses, she decided. The red roses of love. And a dove white wedding dress with a long veil that reaches to the floor.
When Harold and Elvina’s wedding kiss came, followed by applause, tears filled Debbie’s eyes. The newlyweds looked radiant as they moved up the aisle in their respective wheelchairs to the rear of the chapel where they would receive congratulations from family and friends. Debbie followed to take her place in the receiving line, when she felt the warmth of Neil’s hand sliding into the crook of her elbow.
“You made it through the ceremony and didn’t faint,” he whispered. “See? I knew you would do fine.”
Debbie smiled, recalling her nervous jitters just before the ceremony was about to commence. But peace ruled the day and her heart, and for this, she could only thank God. They came to stand with Elvina and Harold, greeting Elvina’s children and grandchildren, along with a few staff members from White Pines. When Debbie caught sight of Trish and her intended, Stu, among the guests, she felt her legs tremble.
Trish showed Debbie her hand and the sparkling diamond. “It’s official. See?”
“Congratulations. You both didn’t waste much time.”
Trish laughed. “Hey, we plan to open our own computer store in the next few months. So I told him if he wants me to be a partner, then he’d better make it official with a proposal. And I didn’t mean a business contract either.”
Debbie laughed along with Trish until a lump of emotion filled her throat. She cast a sideways glance at Neil. What about us, God? What is Your will for us? Will I have a diamond ring, too, one day? I don’t mean to be impatient. I guess I just need to be content, grateful for Neil and for what You have done in our lives.
When the receiving line had come to an end and the gathering wandered toward the solarium for a small reception, Debbie stepped away for a breath of fresh air. She pushed back her damp hair and sighed, only to find Neil coming toward her.
“Well, you did it,” she said, loosening his tie.
“Thanks, I was getting hot. So what did I do?”
“Made a wish come true. Or you were instrumental in bringing about a wish, I guess I should say. Maybe even more than a wish.”
“Debbie, it took two. In more ways than one.”
“I didn’t do that much.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well, I could stand here and make a list of your many accomplishments, as well. But that would both make us pretty late for the reception and Gram a bit miffed. But before we go, I do want to let you in on a little secret.”
“Yes?”
“I had a wish, too, like Gram. I could sing the Jiminy Cricket song of wishing on a star, but I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Besides, I took my wish to the One who knows what’s best for me.”
Debbie thought she might melt like a snowflake on the warm ground when she heard these words. If only she could tell him her desire, too—that she would love to spend a lifetime with him. If only. “So what might your wish be?”
When she saw the velvet box in his hand, she gasped. Their wishes were one and the same! “Me?”
“You. My one and only. Marry me?”
“Yes!” she cried with tears in her eyes. There was a special guy just for her in this whole wide world, and God knew it most of all.
Thank You, God. Wishes do come true.
About the Author
Lauralee Bliss, a former nurse, is a prolific writer of inspirational fiction as well as a home educator. She resides with her family near Charlottesville, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains—a place of inspiration for many of her contemporary and historical novels. Lauralee Bliss writes inspirational fiction to provide readers with entertaining stories, intertwined with Christian principles to assist them in their day-to-day walk with the Lord. Aside from writing, she enjoys gardening, cross-stitching, reading, roaming yard sales, and traveling. Lauralee invites you to visit her Web site at www.lauraleebliss.com.
Dedication
To Kathy Icenhour, an encourager and prayer partner in times of need. This smile’s for you!
This book is written in fond memory of the beautiful residents I cared for as a nurse’s aide at the Ulster County Infirmary, Kingston, New York, in the 1980s. They taught me a great deal—how to laugh, to love, and what it means to care for one another.
A note from the Author:
I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:
Lauralee Bliss
Author Relations
PO Box 721
Uhrichsville, OH 44683