And tell them, he did. Callum took the reigns and it wasn’t long before Jeb found himself unpacking boxes and putting items back where they belonged. He’d gotten lucky and tapped into Justin’s boxes first so it was easy to put toys, posters, games, and movies back in their place. His room was covered with pale blue wallpaper and there were random drawings beneath the window. They consisted of a little boy and a man—and damn his manliness for not being able to resist—Jeb wiped a tear from his eyes when he read the scribbling of a child above the figures.
DADDY AND JUSTIN.
“Damn.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt so bad for Kelly and her kids. There had been many scares for his own family since his dad started getting sick, but he couldn’t even begin to fathom what life would be like if anything ever happened to him.
“Knock, knock!” Agatha cooed as she entered the room with another box in tow. “Jesus, it’s dark in here. How can you see anything?”
“Phone.” He replied, holding the device up in the air for her to see. “Just trying to get everything situated for little J-dog. What’s Callum doing down there?”
“He’s been making phone calls for the last half-hour.” She laughed, easing down on the floor beside him and peering at the drawings. “Did your heart break a little when we got here?”
“Well, I’m not made of stone, Agatha. Of course I felt bad about it. No one should spend Christmas in the dark.”
“And they won’t if Callum has his way about it.” She smiled. “He’s a good guy, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he is. The best.”
“He wouldn’t hurt Lydia, right?”
“Not if he knows what’s good for him.” He was only partially joking. Lydia and dating had never been a concept that crossed his mind before. Of course he knew his sister would eventually find the courage to start dating—he just never thought her first boyfriend would be his best friend. “Nah, he wouldn’t. Callum isn’t like that.”
“Good.” Agatha nodded. “I know it’s probably not my place or anything, but I’ve gotten close to your sister over the years. She’s a good girl, Jeb. She’s fragile. It’s probably hard to understand what goes through our heads, but—”
“It ain’t that hard.” He said defensively. “I reckon I may never understand the technical aspect when it comes to why a person feels the need to exchange their equipment, but I do know my sister. She was never happy answering to the name Jonathan.” Shaking his head slowly, Jeb leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. “I know she’s happy now and that’s all I’d ever want for her. It’s all I want for Laney, too. I just want them to be happy and if Callum and dresses and girly things make her happy then, well, that’s just how it’s got to be because I don’t ever want to see her sad.”
“You’re a good brother.” Agatha whispered. She rested her hand atop his and he didn’t try to pull away.
He wasn’t disgusted by it. Lydia and her friends were just people—they were just like everybody else. They had beating hearts and blood in their veins. They had ups and downs, good times and bad times. They had struggles and hopes and dreams.
Some people in the world viewed anything other than heterosexuality as a sin—vulgar and wrong. The only thing Jeb could see as a sin, however, was the hate people had for anyone who dared to be different.
He didn’t like the thought of anyone hating Lydia, and since he’d gotten to know Benji and Agatha, he couldn’t really imagine anyone hating them either.
Agatha’s fingers were so warm against his, which was surprising given how cold it currently was in the house. She squeezed his hand and leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek, the tiniest hint of stubble tickling the corner of his mouth as her lips lingered there.
His chest tightened and he swallowed hard, unsure of why he wasn’t pulling away.
Maybe there was just a small part of him that didn’t want to.
The scent of her perfume dizzied his senses as she turned his head until they were facing one another. Her soft hands gripped his chin and her even softer lips brushed over his, literally causing his world to turn upside down as they shared a tender kiss.
As quickly as it started, he ended it by pulling away and gripping her wrist gently. “I can’t do this.” He whispered hoarsely.
“I know, sugar.” Agatha murmured sadly. “I never expected you to return it.” She sniffed and scooted away, quickly wiping at her eyes. “I suppose I was just looking for my own Christmas miracle.”
“It’s not that, Aggie. It’s not you.” He promised, reaching out to touch her arm. “I just...uh, well...” Damn him for not being able to find the words he wanted to say. He was never good with words.
“Don’t worry about it, honey.” She forced a smile and stood from the floor, dusting the back of her dress off. “Lydia is incredibly lucky to have you in her life, you know. I’m glad I can go home and know she’s safe here. She’s got somebody looking out for her.”
The lights came on then, bright and blinding. He shielded his eyes and tried to look at Agatha, but she had already turned her back to him and was exiting the room.
“Damn it.” He sighed, falling back against the wall and mentally kicking himself.
“Lights are on! We’re almost good to go!” Laney squealed as she bounced into the room and peered around. “Hurry up and get everything back where it goes, Jeb. Ugh, you’re so lazy.”
“I’m getting to it.” He muttered, standing up. “Tell Callum I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Will do, cap’n.” Laney giggled. “Isn’t this wonderful? Don’t you feel all tingly and warm from helping Kelly’s family?”
“Yep.” He felt tingly and warm—but it wasn’t entirely from helping Kelly’s family.
Chapter Twenty-one
Lydia
After making sure Kelly and Justin got their bellies full at the truck stop and waiting until Jamie had her diaper changed, Lydia convinced them to come with her to see the Christmas lights—a tradition she’d often participated in with her family as a child. There wasn’t a house in Prairie Town that didn’t put up lights, no matter how big or small, everybody liked to display their Christmas spirit.
And Lydia had missed it desperately.
Even though her mother probably never thought about her, Lydia had thought of her often. A day didn’t pass by in which she didn’t recall the happier times of her childhood, when her mother would hold her close and kiss her boo boos, or when she’d stay with her in her room until the thunder outside stopped.
Mrs. McIntosh had been such a good mother until she found out she would have two daughters instead of one.
Lydia wished desperately things could be mended between them.
“I know you from somewhere.” Kelly stated, staring at her from the passenger seat. “Your eyes—I remember your eyes.”
“You think so?” Lydia laughed nervously, keeping her eyes on the road.
“I know so.” She replied matter-of-factly. “They possess a kindness I remember from my childhood. It’s just weird. Are you related to Jeb and Laney?”
“I am.” Lydia replied cautiously. Kelly was becoming too curious for her comfort. She didn’t want to lie to anyone, but what if Kelly figured her out?
“I knew it. You have the same eyes. Maybe that’s why you look so familiar to me.”
“Maybe.”
They drove in silence for a while after that, turning down various roads so Justin could ooh and ahh over the Christmas displays of the rich neighborhoods. The families that were better off almost always went all out when it came to Christmas decorations, but Lydia had to admit her favorites were the simple ones; the nativity scenes, reindeer, and snowmen that were placed in the front yards with a few lights. She always did like those best.
Kelly glanced in the backseat occasionally to check on her children. Jamie had fallen asleep again—it must have been something babies did a lot, but Lydia was grateful for the peacefulness as they rolled to a stop at a four-way and sh
e looked both ways.
“Whatever happened to Johnny?”
Even though it was clear in all directions, Lydia couldn’t bring herself to take her foot off the brake.
Johnny was a name she hadn’t heard anyone speak in a long time—Jonathan, yes, by her mother, but not Johnny.
It caught her off guard and made her body tremble as she gazed straight ahead, afraid to make eye contact with Kelly, as if she’d somehow figure it all out just by seeing her face.
“He was a nice boy.” Kelly continued, unaware of the train-wreck she was causing in Lydia’s mind. “I hated how Devin and his little gang of delinquents treated him. He never deserved that.”
Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Lydia sucked in a deep breath and nodded in agreement.
“So you knew Johnny then? Do you know what happened to him?”
God, kill me now. She thought, tightening her grip on the wheel.
“I used to worry about him a lot. That probably sounds crazy and you don’t know what I’m talking about, but I guess you had to know us back then. We were all close when we were little. Jeb, Laney, and Johnny used to come visit their grandmother when she lived by me. Sometimes I got to play with them if my homework was finished in time.”
The bad thing about blocking out so many memories was the fact a lot of good ones got blocked, too. Somewhere, in the darker parts of her mind, Lydia could recall a bright-eyed girl with curly blonde hair, running into the yard to greet them when they arrived at Gran’s.
“Laney! Jebby! Johnny!” Kelly squealed, hugging each of them in turn. “Want to play with me? I got a brand new swing set, and it’s got three swings! We can take turns if you want.”
“I don’t want to play with no girl.” Jeb muttered.
“I want to play!” Laney giggled. “I love to swing.”
“Me, too.” Johnny nodded, reaching for Kelly’s hand. “Let’s go!”
Blinking her eyes rapidly, it felt like she’d been punched in the gut and she buried her face against her arm, her body raking with sobs.
How had she forgotten those memories? Kelly?
Why weren’t Jeb and Laney still close to her? How had she ended up so alone in the world?
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Kelly asked, resting a hand against her shoulder. “I’m so sorry if I brought up bad memories. I always knew something terrible must’ve happened to him. Oh—Oh, Lydia, please don’t cry. I’m so sorry.”
“No.” Lydia lifted her head quickly, wiping at her eyes. “You didn’t do anything to be sorry for, Kelly. I guess...I guess I just forgot a lot of important things.”
“I understand.” She said softly. “It’s so hard to lose someone you love. I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to wake up in the morning and realize they’re gone. Oh, I feel terrible now. Here you are, trying to do something nice for us and I’ve just made you cry. God, I’m awful.”
“No, really. You’re fine.” Lydia insisted, glancing in the backseat and meeting Justin’s concerned gaze. “I’m really okay.”
“Okay.” Kelly pulled her hand away and sighed. “So, would it be too terrible of me to ask what happened to him? I’d just like to know he’s okay.”
“Yeah,” Lydia whispered, finally releasing the brake and pushing the gas pedal lightly. “He moved on. He found what he was looking for.”
“I’m glad.”
Lydia was even more grateful for the silence, the second time around. She didn’t like remembering the person she used to be because he was never someone she liked very much, but she understood—now, more than ever before—that she didn’t necessarily have to disregard everything from the past. Just because she sought a new identity, it didn’t mean she had to replace all the people she had known before.
Maybe letting Kelly know the truth wouldn’t be so bad. She cared about Johnny—about me.
But how much was she willing to risk to come clean with one childhood friend? What if others found out and they ran her out of town? Lydia wasn’t sure she could handle that.
Living in secrecy sucks.
The familiar tune of “All I Want For Christmas” began playing and she quickly snatched her phone from the console, smiling from ear to ear because she already knew who was calling.
“Hi, baby.” She greeted him, feeling her heart calm down at the sound of his laugh.
“Come on back.” He said. “We’re ready for you.”
She still didn’t know what he was planning, especially on such short notice and on Christmas Eve of all days, but if there was one thing she had learned about her boyfriend during their few months together, it was that Callum was capable of moving mountains.
His strength, determination, and kindness only made her want to love him more, but good Lord was it possible to love him any more than she already did?
Yes, she decided when they turned onto Kelly’s road around seven o’clock and the brightest lights on the street caught her attention.
“Wow! Look at our house, Mommy!” Justin shrieked from the backseat.
His excitement stirred Jamie from her nap and she started to cry, but Kelly was too dumbfounded to react. Her eyes were glued to the house, lit with hundreds of Christmas lights. There were a few vehicles in her driveway; the electric company, the local home repair man, and Mr. Reynold’s car.
She leaned forward in her seat as they got closer and pressed her palm against the dashboard, speechless.
“Look, Mommy! There’s a Christmas tree!” Justin giggled happily, clapping his hands together.
Sure enough, on display in the bay window of their home, was a brand new Christmas tree with lots of lights. The strings were in perfect rows and Lydia was pretty sure she knew who had been compulsive enough to do that.
Aggie. She laughed quietly and eased into the driveway. They had barely stopped when Justin pushed the door open and got out, running for the house and shouting at the top of his lungs.
It was nice to see the kid so happy.
“Unbelievable.” Kelly whispered, frozen in place. “I...you did this for me?”
“Callum likes Christmas miracles.” Lydia replied, shutting off the engine and leaning back in her seat. Studying the other woman for a few moments, she finally reached over and rested a hand against hers. “You deserve this, you know. All of it and so much more.”
“I don’t know if I can accept it.” Kelly whispered, quickly thumbing a tear from her eyes. “This is too much.”
“It’s never too much on Christmas.”
Kelly suddenly hugged her and Lydia accepted, glancing in the backseat at a very fussy Jamie. The baby stared at her, big eyes blinking as if she somehow understood what was going on.
That’s crazy. Lydia rolled her eyes and squeezed Kelly gently. Babies are just babies...and they’re so cute.
“Let’s go in and see what else Santa brought, huh?” Lydia cooed at Jamie, making a silly face.
Callum had gone above and beyond in terms of making Christmas the best it could be for Kelly and her kids. Not only did they have electricity and a Christmas tree, but he’d called the repair man out to patch up the roof and fix the leaky faucet in Kelly’s bathroom.
Everything that had been previously been boxed up was unpacked and put back where it belonged, along with a new recliner and coffee table to make her living room look less bare.
“That’s from Tula.” Benji stated as he nudged her shoulder. “She said it would be put to better use here and I think I agree.”
“I do, too.” Lydia whispered, watching Kelly bury her face between her hands. While she did not know what her childhood friend had faced on her own, she knew exactly how she felt in that very moment.
It was the same happiness and relief Lydia had felt when she realized people could accept her for who she was and they wouldn’t necessarily hate her for it.
Hopefully Kelly would know people cared about her and she didn’t have to go through hardships alone.
“What do ya think?” Callum
asked, appearing by her side a few minutes later. “Did we do well, beautiful?”
“Yes. Double yes.” Lydia nodded, leaning into him when he wrapped his arm around her. “You didn’t just change their Christmas, Callum; you changed their lives.”
He smiled, maybe because he felt proud or simply because he was happy, and kissed the top of her head.
“People are never the same after they meet me.” He joked, keeping his voice low enough for only her to hear. “Do you think she’ll be okay now?”
“I think so.” Lydia nodded. “I hope so.”
The doorbell chimed and everyone looked up. Even little Justin stopped playing with a shiny new fire truck as curiosity got the best of him.
“Were you expecting company tonight?” Mr. Reynolds asked as he stood from his seat and wandered to the front door.
“N-no.” Kelly replied, just as surprised as Lydia. “Honestly, I wasn’t even expecting this gang to show up.” She nodded to Lydia, her friends, her siblings, and Callum.
“Well, we should probably see who it is then.” Mr. Reynolds nodded. “It’s only right.”
“O-okay.” Kelly made her way to the door, hesitant and unsure, while everyone else waited patiently.
Lydia really had no idea who else could be making an appearance at almost eight o’clock on Christmas Eve, but judging from her boyfriend and brother’s matching grins, they knew what was going on.
Sneaky devils. She thought, watching as Kelly pulled open the front door to reveal Mrs. Reynolds, Tula, Paul, and—holy shit—Lydia’s parents.
They entered the house with Tupperware in tow, filled with delicious-smelling foods.
“Merry Christmas!” Tula said in a singsong voice, carefully balancing a plate piled high with various homemade sweets. “We heard your turkey wouldn’t be ready in time, so we decided to help you out.”
“Oh my god.” Kelly’s mouth fell open and tears filled her eyes again. “W-what? Are you serious?”
“Turkey!” Justin shrieked, hopping up from the floor and abandoning his new toys. He flew into the kitchen, chasing after Mrs. Reynolds. “I want to see the turkey!”
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