Yule Tidings

by Savannah Dawn

  Anne forgot to call Merle. Thirty minutes later, when her phone rang and she heard his concerned voice on the other end, she felt awful. She excused herself from her company and hurried to her bedroom to explain. Merle didn’t care that she was late, he was just glad she was okay. Apparently he’d tried her cell, assuming she was working late, but when she never returned his call, he’d started to worry. He was getting ready to go out looking for her, afraid she’d hit another deer, when he thought he might want to try her house on the off chance that she stopped there first. Anne promised she’d call when the party was over, and depending on whether or not her daughters were staying, she’d see him later in the evening or tomorrow. The girls were calling her from downstairs, and Anne rushed to say goodbye before rejoining the party.

  Anne looked at the large pile of gifts in some surprise. What on earth? The girls just smiled, insisting she sit down. Anne looked at her company. Most of the women were her age or older, with the exception of her daughters and a few of the women she worked with. Anne opened her first gift. It was a set of relaxing oils and bath salts; something Anne rarely used, but loved dearly. Her boss gave her a book about sex after forty. Anne was slightly embarrassed, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she flipped through the pages in some wonderment. The women at the party were all her friends. They all knew she hadn’t had sex in years, and as Anne opened more gifts, she was bombarded by the fact that they knew she hadn’t had sex. Massage oils she’d never heard of, lubricants, and a few other gifts Anne had a feeling she’d never figure out how to use or what to do with.

  Anne was relieved to open Alex’s gift, a framed photo of her first ultrasound. A little message around the frame said, ‘Hi Grandma, I can’t wait to meet you!’ and small handprints and footprints of every color surrounded it. Kelly gave her a lovely travel guide for European museums and Rose gave her a guide for European restaurants. Trisha gave her a small pocketbook of important words and phrases in seven European languages, so she wouldn’t have to buy individual ones for each country. Anne was almost relieved to have finished opening her gifts, and she nearly groaned when Rose grabbed one last gift from the kitchen. It was a small, white box with a simple ribbon tied around it, a card taped beneath the simple bow. The card said,

  Mom,

  We know you’d never buy this for yourself, but we thought every bride should have one. It’s fast becoming a tradition. We love you. Congratulations to you and Merle.

  Your Loving Daughters

  Anne looked at the girls in surprise. Did they really get her a nightgown? She could hardly believe it as she opened the box. She gazed down at the most amazing white silk nightgown. Real silk, Anne thought as she lifted it from the box, almost reverently. The neckline was a modest v, trimmed with the most intricate lace pattern Anne had ever seen. Tears glistened in Anne’s eyes as she looked at the nightgown. It could have been the cheapest one in the store and she would have loved it all the same. She’d always wanted one of these. It had long bell sleeves, trimmed with the intricate lace, and instead of slits up the sides, the skirt flared out past the empire waist, something Anne especially appreciated because it would hide her stomach a bit. She hugged the girls tightly. It was quite possibly the best gift she’d ever gotten.

  Anne called Merle a few hours later. The girls weren’t driving home in the dark, but they had plans early Saturday, so they were leaving by around eight am. She’d waited until they went to bed before getting on the phone. Anne told Merle all about the party and the variety of gifts. She intentionally forgot to tell him about the nightgown, but other than that, she described the gifts with relish and some confusion. Merle laughed as she explained some of the more risqué gifts, her embarrassment obvious. Anne could barely keep her eyes open when she finally said goodnight, hanging up the phone before she fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The next week passed quickly, and Anne was hardly prepared for Christmas. She started the turkey at five in the morning, carefully climbing out of bed so she didn’t wake Merle. It was the first time he’d spent the night at her house, and she’d been extremely uncomfortable. It seemed wrong to sleep with him on the bed Franklin had gotten her, but he knew which bedroom was hers, and when she’d suggested sleeping in one of the spare rooms he’d given her an odd look. As usual he seemed to know what she needed and he hadn’t tried to touch her throughout the night. Now as she put the stuffed turkey in the oven she wondered if she was being silly. Franklin had divorced her, the bed had been a mercy present, and she’d bought a new mattress two years ago. In all actuality, the bed didn’t have nearly the same connection to Franklin as it once had, and she was marrying Merle very soon.

  Anne finished in the kitchen and tiptoed up the stairs to her bedroom. Merle was sleeping on his back now, having rolled over when she left the bed. She eased herself onto the bed, trying not to wake him. When she was nearly on top of him, she kissed him softly on the lips. His eyes opened, drowsily at first, and then gained heat as she kissed him more deeply.

  Anne and Merle didn’t emerge from the bedroom until after eight, having taken a nap after their morning love play. Anne had a few more dishes to prepare; but for once there were no kids around to slow her down with their questions and needs. Merle made pancakes while Anne prepared the side dishes—everything was ready for Christmas dinner. Jim had plowed the driveway for her the night before, making sure there would be plenty of parking. Merle had asked if he could invite Jim and Jennifer, since they were practically family and Anne agreed readily, so the party of fifteen was up to eighteen, but Anne didn’t mind.

  Merle watched Anne as she made the various side dishes for the feast. She’d lost weight since he’d met her. She looked healthier, and much happier. She hadn’t gotten dressed yet, but she covered her pajamas with a plaid Christmas apron that had a snowman on the front. After they’d eaten, Anne sent Merle to the shower while she finished with last minute details. The kids would be arriving in about an hour and she still needed to get ready. She hurriedly showered and dressed while Merle kindly wrapped a few presents that Anne hadn’t finished the night before.

  It seemed like everyone arrived at the same time. The girls chatted like a gaggle of geese. Alex looked tired and a little pale, but she kept reassuring everyone that she was fine. Trisha showed up with her new boyfriend, Todd, an odd-looking young man studying political science. His eyes seemed a bit too large for his face, but he seemed kind and he had eyes only for Trisha. Anne laughed and teased the kids, feeling at home for the first time in years in the old house. It was warm and cozy. She smiled as the kids teased and harassed each other. Jim and Jennifer fit right in, finding a niche with Anne’s family.

  To Anne, it seemed like dinner was done too soon. There weren’t enough chairs, so the grandkids sat on the floor or laps while half the adults sat at the table and the rest sat on the couch and loveseat. Mashed potatoes, broccoli, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, turkey, cherry cobbler, corn, homemade rolls, and a host of other dishes covered the table and kitchen counters. Everyone was spending the night at the farm, with the exception of Jim and Jennifer. Anne and Merle sat up late talking with the kids.

  Merle took the time to get to know a little about each of Anne’s children and in-laws. He wanted them to know that he didn’t have to be some kind of stranger to them if they didn’t want him to be. He and Jason had a lot in common, and Merle could easily see Jason being a son to him; much like Jim. Michael and Brandon were a little more like his own son, not terribly interested in construction or architecture. The girls were sweet and never seemed to stop talking, and he truly enjoyed watching the grandkids toddle about. It made him yearn to see his own children and grandchildren. He was excited for Anne to meet his kids: and for her kids to meet his. It would be interesting to see what would happen.

  Anne was surprised when Trisha asked which couch Todd should sleep on. Since Anne had assumed he’d be sleeping with Trisha, she hadn’t even bot
hered getting blankets or sheets out for him. When Trisha looked at Anne in complete surprise, all Anne could think of to say was, “well, Merle is sleeping with me, so if you want, Todd can sleep on either couch or with you. If you need sheets and blankets, I’ll leave some out for you.” Since Trisha didn’t answer, Anne climbed the stairs to bed, Merle following close behind. The kids might be used to staying up until three in the morning, but Anne and Merle were not. They were exhausted.

  Anne awoke to the sounds of the grandkids playing downstairs and someone bustling around in the kitchen. Merle was gone, and she heard his voice floating up to her from downstairs. He was cooking again; this time it smelled like French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, and maybe sausage. She smiled as she climbed out of bed, dressing quickly before hurrying to help Merle. None of the kids were awake, just the grandkids, and Anne laughed at Merle as he tried to cook and stop the little ones from hurting themselves at the same time. She blocked the stairs with a child gate before taking a spatula from Merle. “They’ve been going non-stop since seven,” Merle said, pointing at the children. “The twins keep trying to climb the stairs, but they don’t know how to get down just yet, and little Robyn thinks she’s invincible.” Anne laughed.

  By the time the kids woke up, Anne and Merle had finished making breakfast and had the grandchildren eating heartily. It didn’t take long for everyone to reassemble once the smell of food wafted through the air. After breakfast the kids loaded up their cars for the drive home. They’d have to make the trip again in just a few more days, but for now everyone wanted to be back home in their beds. Anne and Merle washed the dishes before leaving. Anne didn’t feel the need to stay at the farm. She’d have to clear it out and put it on the market when they got back from Europe. Or maybe she’d have the kids do their rooms while she was gone. Then she wouldn’t have nearly as much to go through.

  Anne looked around the large empty house. It would be nice to leave all the old ghosts behind. The kids didn’t even seem to mind the idea that she would be selling the house. Of course, they all had lives of their own now. Even Trisha was growing up. Anne sighed as she locked the door. Something told her she would never spend the night here again. All her clothes and everything she needed were at Merle’s. Everything she planned on taking to Europe with her was there as well.

  “Are you alright, Anne?” Merle asked softly when she climbed in the car. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she gazed at the house. He imagined that she was reluctant to leave a home she’d lived in for nearly thirty years.

  Anne looked at Merle, the concern in his face. His work-roughened hand rested on the gearshift between them. Anne patted his hand gently, entwining her fingers within his. “I’m wonderful,” she said, smiling. Tears welled in her eyes as he kissed her hand tenderly. She hadn’t been this happy in a very long time.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  December thirty-first was a bright sunny day. Snow covered the treetops and fell in soft flurries around them as they drove to the church. Anne watched Merle as he drove, winding his way down the roads carefully. He looked comfortable in his jeans and sweater. Anne smiled as she held his hand. She was nervous, though she really didn’t have a reason to be. She’d contemplated sleeping at the farm last night just to keep in the tradition of not seeing the groom until the wedding, but she settled for waiting to get dressed until they were at the church. Merle’s kids had flown in on the twenty-ninth and she’d spent some time getting to know them.

  Last night they had a large dinner at Merle’s so her family and his family would have an opportunity to get to know each other a bit. The grandchildren played merrily in the living room while the adults spent a good deal of time chatting and drinking. Anne still doubted her sobriety. She’d had a bit more to drink than she should have and Merle had to help her to bed. He, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have been affected by the alcohol. Then again, he hadn’t drunk as much as she had either. He kept refilling her glass, but she doubted he refilled his quite as often. She’d finally started covering her drink so he couldn’t add more wine.

  They were at least an hour early. Merle looked at Anne a moment before turning off the car. “You’re sure this is what you want?” he asked, giving her just one more chance to back out. He knew he was ready for this, but he also knew that things had been moving extremely fast for Anne, and he didn’t want her to regret marrying him. Anne just smiled and nodded. “Good. I have a couple errands to run first. You go on in and get dressed. I’ll be back soon.” Merle leaned over and kissed her quickly before she climbed from the car. He opened the trunk so she could grab her clothes and watched as she hurried into the church.

  Merle waited until she was in the church before he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. He had three stops to make. His first stop was to pick up a beautiful diamond necklace he’d ordered from the jewelry store. It hadn’t come in until yesterday. He wanted Anne to wear it for the wedding. She wasn’t much for jewelry, and it was tastefully simple; something he thought she’d feel comfortable wearing often. After he left the jeweler’s he went to the florist to buy Anne a lovely bouquet of roses that would be waiting for her at the reception hall.

  Merle’s last stop was at the cemetery down the street from the church. He trudged through the snow to Martha’s tombstone. He knew he had to make peace before he married Anne. Merle stopped at the base of the large angel. “Martha, I’m getting married today to a wonderful woman. I know you’d like her. She’s smart and kind and generous. Everything you would have wanted me to find. She reminds me of you in a lot of ways, and yet, she’s completely different. I miss you, but somehow she’s filling the void you left when you died.” Merle fought the tears that welled in his eyes. He knew he was lucky to have fallen in love twice in his life. The wind blew coldly over his face, making his eyes water with the bitterness. He didn’t have much longer before he had to get back to the church to change. Merle took his wedding ring from his pants pocket. Martha had gotten it for him when they’d been married five years. Before that, they hadn’t been able to afford one for him, and Marth’s had been a very simple band of gold. Merle put the ring on the stone angel, making certain it wouldn’t be able to blow away. In the spring he’d put it in the small chamber carved into the top of the stone on the ground. He doubted he’d be able to get to it right now, with snow covering everything. Merle smiled softly and walked away.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Merle waited breathlessly for Anne to emerge from the vestibule. He hardly noticed her bridesmaids walking down the aisle in his anticipation to see his bride. When she finally emerged from the back of the church Merle thought he would collapse from his anticipation. She looked lovely in an ivory concoction of silk and lace. It flowed delicately down her body in several layers. The neckline was showcased by the diamond necklace he’d managed to sneak to Rose, lace bordering the edges. The long sleeves belled at the elbow in an elaborate selection of lacey layers. The majority of her hair was piled on top her head in a coiffure, leaving a few stray pieces to curl around her face and down her neck. Her veil was held on by a small tiara, half flowing down her back, the other half over her face. Micah walked her down the aisle so proudly it was impossible not to smile. Anne smiled beautifully as she directed Micah to his seat before taking Merle’s proffered hand.

  Anne glanced at her daughters. Rose was her maid of honor, while Kelly, Alex, and Trisha were her bridesmaids. They all wore pastel replicas of Anne’s dress. Rose wore sage, Kelly wore lavender, Alex was in pink, and Trisha was in blue. They were lovely, wearing matching jewelry Anne had gotten them for Christmas. Merle looked dashing in his black pinstripe suit with an ivory shirt and black with ivory swirled tie. The gray of his hair shone in stark contrast to the darkness of his suit and his eyes were lit with joy. His son, Adam, was his best man, while his son-in -law, William, Jim, and oddly, Jason, acted as his groomsmen, each wearing suits to match Merle’s with undershirts to match the bridesmaids.

  Th
e ceremony was over quickly. Neither Anne nor Merle wanted to sit through an entire mass, or kneel for an extended period of time. When the service was over the girls rushed to the reception hall to finish the last minute decorating while the men followed Merle and Anne through town honking their horns noisily to inform everyone in the area of the happy union before slowly dropping off to head to the reception hall before Anne and Merle arrived.

  The reception was charming. Rather than catering, Anne asked everyone to bring some kind of snack tray to the reception. The cake was a lovely four-tier masterpiece of roses in all the colors of the wedding decorating the tops of the layers. Little cherub pedestals of clear plastic held up each layer and the bride and groom on top were crystal lovers dancing on ice. A small fountain of spumante sat on one side of the cake, another of punch on the opposite side.

  Merle and Anne danced over and over, though Michael and Jason both cut in once. When the guests finally started to leave, Anne was almost relieved. She and Merle had a three-hour drive to their hotel. A beautiful suite awaited them, and in the morning they would leave for Europe, the hotel located just a few miles from the airport. Everything was packed in preparation for their departure, and Merle had loaded everything in the car this morning. His children would be flying home from the local airport in a day or two, having only come for the wedding. Anne’s children would spend one last night at the farm before driving back to their homes.

  When the last of the guests left, Merle, Jim and Jason loaded a truck with the wedding gifts to take to the house while the girls helped Anne change and pick up. The bride and groom were ready to leave within an hour, and set off on their way in the early afternoon. Merle held the car door for Anne, kissing her gently before closing the door and walking to his side of the car. Today would be the first day of the rest of his life, and it was a wonderful day indeed.