A Mom for Christmas

by Lorraine Beatty

  Quickly, Beth hurried her upstairs to the apartment and settled her at the table. “I’m going to make you some hot chocolate, and then you can tell me what happened.”

  “She had to go back.”

  Beth slid into the chair, taking Chloe’s hand in hers. “Your mom?”

  Chloe nodded, wiping fresh tears from her cheeks. “She got a call when we were at the mall, and she was mad that she had to bring me all the way back here.”

  Beth clenched her teeth to prevent herself from voicing her anger. “Why here? Why didn’t she take you home?”

  Chloe’s blue eyes glanced downward. “I told her Dad and Gram were at a meeting and weren’t home. I told her you were.”

  “And she just dropped you off without making sure I was home?” Beth struggled to understand that level of irresponsibility.

  “I told her I had a key ’cause you were my teacher.”

  “Oh, Chloe. Why didn’t you want to go home?”

  “’Cause my dad would be all mad and stuff. He never wants me to go with Mom. She was going to film the Christmas Dreams musical, and interview me for her TV show, and then we were supposed to go to New Orleans.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her mouth puckered into a pitiful frown.

  “I’m so sorry.” She held her close a moment before retrieving the hot chocolate from the microwave and urging Chloe toward the sofa. After settling her in under the fleece throw, she gave her the mug. “I need to call your dad.”

  “No. Please don’t. I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here with you.”

  “Chloe, he’ll be worried. Won’t your mom call him and tell him she had to leave?”

  The guilty look appeared again.

  “I told her he had his phone off, and it wouldn’t be on until late because of his meeting.”

  “Oh, Chloe, I know this is hard for you, but I have to call him. He loves you, and he’ll be frantic.”

  “Okay, but please can I stay here with you? I can’t talk to him about Mom, and I can talk to you. Please don’t make me leave.”

  Beth paused with her cell in her hand, torn between the pitiful pleas coming from the little girl and her responsibility as an adult. “Chloe, I have to call him, but I’ll see if he will let you spend the night with me. We can talk all night if you want, but tomorrow is the big show. You need to get some sleep so you’ll be ready for the Nutcracker number.”

  “I promise I’ll sleep and then go home in the morning.”

  Beth stepped into the bedroom to make her call, bracing herself for Noah’s shock and anger. She wasn’t disappointed. He was furious.

  “I knew agreeing to this weekend was a mistake. I try not to get too involved because Chloe loves her mother. But this is the last straw. I’ll be right over to get her.”

  “No. I think you should let her stay here with me tonight. She wants to talk, and since I’m a neutral party it’ll be easier for her to open up to me. We’ve become close, and the fact that she asked her mom to bring her to me tells me she trusts me.” The silence bothered her. Would he refuse?

  “Yeah. You may be right. Let me know what happens, okay? And, Beth, tell her I love her.”

  Her heart warmed at the tenderness in his voice. “Of course. I told her you’d come get her first thing. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day so we both need our sleep, and we need to get to the theater early.”

  “Beth, thank you. I’m sorry she was dumped on your doorstep, but I’m grateful you were there to take care of her. I appreciate what you’re doing. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

  “I adore Chloe, Noah. And all I need is for you to be my friend again, and trust me when I say that I won’t hurt Chloe.”

  “I know. Beth, when the show is over we need to talk. I found the key chain, and I read what it said.”

  “Oh.”

  “I think there are things we should have said to each other a long time ago.”

  What did he mean? Was he going to remind her that he hadn’t cared then, and he still didn’t? That was something she’d think about later. Right now Chloe was her first concern.

  Her little roommate was standing at the French doors leading to the balcony when she returned to the living room. She went to her, draped her arms over the slender shoulders and held her close. “The lights are beautiful, aren’t they?”

  Chloe nodded. “I wanted my mom to see them.”

  The wistful tone in her voice dragged Beth’s heart down to her stomach. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I know you’re disappointed.”

  “Why does my mom like her job better than me?”

  Beth turned the little girl around and hugged her. “Oh, sweetie, I don’t think she does. But I think she’s so happy in her job that she forgets what’s important.”

  “How can she forget me? I never forget her.”

  Beth steered the child to the sofa and pulled her down beside her, covering them both with the soft throw. She picked up the remote that controlled the lights and switched them off, leaving only the glow of the Christmas lights outside to illuminate the room. Sometimes it was easier to talk in the dark.

  She hugged Chloe to her side while she gathered her thoughts. “I don’t know your mother, so I don’t know what her reasons are or what she dreams about. But I do know that some people are good at loving and some aren’t. And some people have big dreams they work very hard to achieve. It becomes the most important thing in their life, and they’ll do whatever it takes to make that dream come true.”

  “Like your dream to be a ballerina?”

  The simple question pricked her conscience. “Yes. I worked hard and my dream came true, but I had to give up a lot of things along the way. Like friends and vacations and a lot of other things that at the time didn’t seem as important as learning to be a better dancer and practicing to stay in shape. I even forgot about my family along the way.”

  “You forgot Miss Francie?”

  “I didn’t forget who she was, but I forgot to call her. I forgot her birthday. I forgot to come home to visit, and that made her sad.”

  “Do you think my mom’s dream is to be on TV?”

  “Maybe right now. Your mom is trying to be a success, and along the way she’s forgetting what’s important. The sad part is one day she’ll realize she missed all these adventures with you, but it’ll be too late. You’ll be all grown up and maybe even have a little girl of your own. But I’m sure she loves you. I loved my mom even though I didn’t think about her much. I just lost track of the priorities.”

  “Maybe I should call her and tell her how much fun we could have.”

  “You could.”

  Chloe snuggled closer. “But it wouldn’t matter, would it? She always breaks her promises. Daddy tells me not to count on her when she promises things, but I want them to come true so much.”

  “Of course you do.”

  “Miss Beth, do you think God would be mad if I stopped loving my mom?”

  Beth rested her head on Chloe’s, feeling her pain as if it was her own. “I think He might. He doesn’t stop loving you just because you make a mistake. But maybe you could look at this in a more grown-up way. Sooner or later, everyone lets us down. A mom, a job, a friend. God is the only one who never fails us. The next time your mom sets up a visit, be excited, be happy, but hold a little caution in your mind, too. Maybe you won’t be so disappointed then.”

  “I guess my mom won’t ever be the way I wish she was.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe someday. But for now, you concentrate on the oodles of good things in your life. Your gram, your dad who adores you and your friends. You can have plenty of adventures with them.”

  “And you, too?”

  “Of course. We’re having a huge adventure with the Christmas show.”

  “I wish you were my mom, Miss
Beth. We’d have way cool adventures together.”

  She blinked away sudden tears. “Thank you, Chloe. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I’m glad we’re friends. And I’m glad you came here tonight. I want you to make me a promise, though. You need to talk to your dad about tonight and what happened with your mother.”

  “Okay, but he’ll say the same old thing. ‘Don’t get your hopes up when your mother calls.’”

  “Will you the next time?”

  Chloe sighed. “No. She might be good on TV, but she’s not very good at being a mom.”

  “But your dad is very good at being your father, don’t you agree?”

  “He’s the most phantasmagorical dad ever.” She grinned. “And he’s handsome, too, don’t you think?”

  “I wouldn’t know about that. We’d better get to bed, or you’ll be the Clara that falls asleep and never wakes up for her dance.”

  Tucked in bed with Chloe sound asleep beside her, Beth’s thoughts went to Noah. He was a fantastic father and a disturbingly handsome man. But it was his heart she’d fallen in love with all those years ago, and his heart had captured hers again.

  It’s why she’d engraved her feelings on the back of the key chain. She’d been too shy and insecure to say the words back then. But now he’d read them, and he wanted to talk. Why?

  She wanted to believe what her eyes and her senses were telling her whenever she and Noah were together. She wanted to believe the light in his eyes was for her, the tender smile for her and the gentle touches for her.

  In that moment she realized that Noah was her new dream. Noah and Chloe and a future together.

  But what if she was wrong?

  * * *

  Nothing, not even her most triumphant role with the Forsythe Company, came close to the elation coursing through her tonight. The cast was taking its third curtain call. The audience was on their feet. The little theater’s production of Christmas Dreams had gone on without a hitch. Her dancers hadn’t missed a step. Her heart was so full, she wasn’t sure she could contain her joy.

  Jen came to her side and gave her a quick hug. “We did it. I can’t believe how well it all went.”

  Beth glanced at the crowd, only now starting to leave as the cast made their way off the stage. The shouts of joy and laughter filled the old building. Cast members hugged one another and shared high fives. The children ran to greet proud parents, who were waiting to congratulate them.

  “Miss Beth.”

  She saw her three students hurrying toward her, their flouncing costumes rustling as they came.

  Hannah grinned up at her as she tugged the bow from her hair. “We didn’t forget a step.”

  Abby laughed. “You almost messed up on that turn.”

  “Almost.”

  Chloe slipped her hand into Beth’s. “We got lots of applause.”

  “That’s because you were so adorable. I’m so proud of you girls. Of everyone.”

  Chloe hugged her, which drew the other two into a group hug. “We love you, Miss Beth.”

  Abby nodded. “I’m glad you’re my aunt. This was so cool.”

  Hannah nodded. “Can we do this again?”

  Noah came to her side. “You might have to. Judging by the response, once word spreads about how awesome the show was, you might have to give another performance.”

  He opened his arms and gave Chloe a big hug.

  “Did you like me, Daddy?”

  “You danced liked a professional. You were beautiful. I was very proud.” He handed her a small bouquet of white miniature roses. “These are for you.”

  Gram joined the group. “My little princess. You were amazing.” She smiled at the others. “Y’all stole the show.”

  Hannah spotted her mom and darted off with a wave. Abby spun around when her dad called her name and hurried to join him and her mom.

  Beth looked at Noah. He was looking at her with such warmth and tenderness she couldn’t breathe.

  “Thank you. I know I’ve had my concerns about Chloe getting caught up in this dance thing, but I’ve never seen her so happy. She really loves to dance. You are a very good teacher.”

  “It’s easy when the students are so eager.”

  Gram took Chloe’s hand. “Let’s get you out of that costume, and then we’ll go celebrate.”

  Gram had arranged a wrap party at the senior center for all the cast and crew.

  Noah turned to Beth. “You’re coming to the party, aren’t you?”

  She wanted nothing more than to extend this night as long as possible. She did want to celebrate. With him. “Of course.”

  “You two go on. We’ll meet you there.”

  “Guess that’s our cue to leave.” Noah touched her arm lightly. “Would you rather walk or drive?”

  “Let’s walk. I want to savor this feeling and stroll through the lights of town.”

  Outside they took their time along the sidewalk, crossing to the park. The town was filled with visitors, making it hard to stay close. Noah took her hand. The lights were on in Dover, creating the sensation of walking inside a lovely snow globe. Without the snow, of course. “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” filled the air, elevating her good mood up another level.

  The atmosphere was electric with lingering excitement. Everywhere they turned, people were talking about the show. Three times on their walk across the park, Beth was stopped and congratulated on the event. By the time they entered the senior center, Beth’s heart was soaring.

  Evelyn and Chloe were already there. Gram hushed the crowd and came forward, motioning her and Jen to her side. “We contemplated several ways to thank you for your hard work and dedication. We had a long list of gifts we could purchase to express our appreciation. In the end we realized nothing we could buy could truly demonstrate the depth of gratitude we feel. So we’re giving you our hearts instead. Thank you. Both.”

  The three Claras stepped forward and handed each woman—Evelyn, Jen and herself—a large bouquet of roses. Beth’s vision was blurred with tears, but she could see hers were pink. Her favorite and exactly like the ones her father always had given her after a performance. That had to be Noah’s doing.

  The applause was peppered with shouts for a speech. Jen said a few words. Beth tried to remember all the people who’d helped, but her emotions were so close to the surface she gave up, muttering a soft thank-you before hugging the flowers close and thanking the Lord for this blessing she’d never expected.

  * * *

  Noah watched from the sidelines as Jen and Beth each gave a short speech of appreciation. Beth glanced over her shoulder in his direction when she spoke of the talented painters and carpenters who had added so much to the production.

  Noah leaned against a post, watching his girls enjoy the wrap party. Gram was in her element, accepting the adoration and gratitude of the cast and crew. Chloe was laughing, huddled with her friends, giggling and screeching in happiness.

  His Beth was glowing from the triumph of the production. Her smile lit up the room, making her eyes sparkle. She glided around the room, speaking to everyone with gracious sincerity. Many times he saw her tug Chloe to her side and speak to her. His chest expanded with happiness, threatening to crack his ribs from the pressure.

  When the party began to wind down, Gram came over to collect Chloe. “Are you coming?”

  “Shortly. My truck is still at the theater, and I want to make sure Beth gets home safely. It’s late.”

  Gram patted his arm in approval, a knowing smile brightening her eyes.

  Beth gave his daughter and Gram a hug, then looked in his direction. His heart warmed ten degrees at the affection in her hazel eyes. As she came toward him, he couldn’t help but admire her grace and the way her red dress swished around he
r knees. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. There was a sweetness about her that drew him to her, made him want to keep her close to his side and never let her go.

  He looked into her eyes and saw that her exhilaration had given way to fatigue. She’d worked hard on the Christmas Dreams show. She needed a few days to rest and recharge.

  “You ready to go?”

  “Yes. I’ve suddenly lost all my energy.”

  “Then I’d better walk you home to make sure you don’t fall asleep on your feet.” He draped her fringed shawl over her shoulders, noticing that the little sparkles woven in the threads matched the sparkle in her eyes. Outside, the glory lights were still on downtown, flooding every nook and cranny of the square in a soft, dreamy glow. The crowds had thinned, and they took their time walking home.

  “I want to add my congratulations to all the others. The show was amazing. You and Jen deserve all the praise.”

  “I don’t know about that. We didn’t do it alone, you know. Besides, like I stressed to my dancers, this was for Him. He’s the one who came to earth.”

  “Point taken. Nevertheless, I’m proud of you and I’m glad you asked Chloe to be in the show. She’s beyond happy.”

  “I’m so glad. She appears to have bounced back from last night.”

  “I think so.” He took her hand. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of her. I’m just sorry she didn’t feel she could come to me when her mom had to leave.”

  “She was angry and confused, and I think all she wanted was to talk to someone.”

  “She could have talked to me.”

  “Normally, but you would have been so furious at her mother, you might not have listened to Chloe.”

  He had to admit she had a point. He would have exploded. “I called her mother, and there’s going to be some changes made. I can’t put Chloe through this again. I just hope she understands.”

  “I believe she will. I think she finally realized that she can’t make her mother change to fit her wishes. I tried to explain about dreams, and how easy it is to lose track of the important things in life. I think she understood some of it, and hopefully she’ll be more cautious the next time her mother calls.”