“Yeah, honey, you were terrific. I never laughed so hard,” Mayor Charlie said, then threw back a big swig of Jack, straight up.
Just then, Cal walked up with the drinks and handed one to Dallas. Blake and Sonny joined them, and there were hugs all around. Everyone exchanged Merry Christmases and started telling stories. Dallas was lost in what she knew would become a new memory in the warmth of this magical home that Meridee constantly opened to everyone.
Soon Arthur and Bonita arrived, joining in the laughter and eating, hugging everyone hello. Everyone in Blake’s circle was there. It was the way Dallas remembered it, except now she was part of the circle, too, with Cal by her side. This time she felt as if she belonged. She was finally a real part of this amazing family, something she had secretly always longed for. She could feel the joy warming her from the inside out.
“Hey, how are y’all tonight?” Dallas asked as she joined Vivi and Blake in the kitchen.
Vivi was holding Tallulah and bouncing her on her hip. “I’m so sorry about the other night,” she said. “When I got up to the house after visiting Arthur’s, you and Cal had left.”
“I know it. I’m so sorry, but I realized something very important when you were talking to Arthur. I had to go fix a few things in my own family, so I left the second I figured it all out,” Dallas explained.
“I totally understand. And, listen, you really said a lot of important things that night. It really helped. I mean it. Forgiveness is freedom, and it really brings such peace. I hoped it worked for you, too.”
“Oh, yeah, honey. It did.”
“It has for me, too,” Blake added. “I even forgave Harry after that night for all his fooling around during the campaign. He looked at me and wondered what the hell had happened to me, but I just went right along like it was nothing. And get this, y’all. Jane was standing next to him, and so I looked into her beady eyes and said, ‘You know what? I forgive you, too...bitch.’ I whispered that last part under my breath, though.”
All three of them burst out laughing just as Bonita and Arthur walked in.
“’Scuse me, Miss Vivi. I believe I need a word with you if y’all don’t mind.” Arthur was grinning ear to ear and offering his arm to Vivi. She handed Tallulah to Blake and wrapped her arm through Arthur’s as he led her to the front room. He looked back over his shoulder and gestured to the women to follow him. With everyone in the living room in front of the tree, Meridee dimmed the lights, the Christmas tree glittering in the darkness. Arthur took a small wrapped present from inside his jacket pocket.
“Vivi, I love you and Lewis and that sweet baby girl more than life itself, and I want you to have this from me to you. Merry Christmas.” Arthur’s eyes glimmered in the dim light.
Vivi opened the little box and a tiny slip of paper was folded up inside.
“What’s this?” she asked as she opened it. Then her mouth dropped open, and the tears began to overflow, spilling down her rosy cheeks. “Oh, Arthur, how—” She stopped. She was overcome. She put her other hand over her mouth. Lewis walked across to her, slipping his arm around her waist and peering at the piece of paper. His mouth dropped open next.
“Arthur? Are you sure?” Lewis asked.
“I am indeed. It was the plan all along, and I was savin’ it till Christmas, but I knew tonight we’d all be together.”
Vivi turned the paper around so everyone could see. “Look, y’all. It’s the deed to the McFadden Plantation. I own my own house!”
Everyone clapped and hugged. Vivi leaned over to Arthur and hugged him tight. “What about you? I mean the place is worth a fortune. Don’t you wanna sell it? At least let me pay you.”
“It was never mine to sell, Vivi. I was just the guardian of it till you got married. I promised your daddy I would take care of it till you either got married or let me know you weren’t ever plannin’ on marrying. I knew the minute you started seein’ Mr. Lewis that you’d be marryin’ that man, so I just waited for the right moment. Besides, haven’t you heard of the Moonwinx BBQ? I hear they’re so successful, they’re fixin’ to franchise that place all over Tuscaloosa. I’m doin pretty good these days,” he said, winking at her.
“You know, I think we need to co-own all this land,” Vivi offered. “It’s decided. Blake, please draw up the papers. I am deeding all the property for the Moonwinx right back to Arthur.”
“Oh, now, Miss Vivi that ain’t necessary,” he said, shocked.
“I know it, but it absolutely is important to me, and it would be to Daddy, too. So it’s done. It’s mine to do what I want with, and this is what I’m doin’.” Vivi smiled and handed the deed to her lawyer and best friend, Blake.
Arthur and Vivi embraced under the lights of the tree. Everyone smiled, collectively wiping away tears. Blake slipped her arms around Sonny as he leaned down and kissed her, everyone caught up in the tenderness of the moment.
Cal pulled Dallas into him closely and kissed her. “I love you. This is just as it should be.”
“I love you, too.” she said, kissing him back softly.
“Okay, y’all, that’s enough of the boo-hooin’,” Meridee announced. “Time for more booze. Hey, anyone here play the piano?” Meridee asked.
Dallas nudged Cal, and he raised his hand.
“Good, get over here and let’s get this party started,” Meridee said.
Cal sat down at the black antique grand piano and started playing “Deck the Halls,” everyone singing. Blake and Vivi ran into the kitchen and came back in a jiffy with three amber-colored mixed drinks.
“Bonita, one for you. Dallas, one for you,” Vivi said handing out the drinks to the two other women. “And Blake, honey, you get the mocktail. Sorry, Momma.”
“Sassy Belles, for us all,” Blake said, raising her glass of the signature drink of their little club. The other women joined her, clanking them together.
“To new beginnings,” Dallas said.
“To new beginnings,” they all repeated.
49
Dallas woke early Saturday morning. Too early. She turned over, pulling the covers up under her chin, the night before still clinging to her. She kept her eyes closed in hopes she’d just drift off again—but it was no use. The anxiety fell over her, heavier than her grandmother’s homemade quilt. She placed her arm above her head on her pillow to pet Wilhelmina, who always slept on the pillow right above her head, nuzzling her head most of the night. Her soft purr was Dallas’s lullaby.
But it wouldn’t help her get back to sleep on this heavy morning. Dallas had a lot to think about, but she decided to only focus on the happy things for now. Later on, the nerves about the anchor job and the play would take over anyway. For now, she wrapped her mind around Sara Grace’s arrival.
In the spare bedroom, Dallas hung the new clothes in the closet and put a princess tiara on the bed. She had wrapped her presents and hidden them in a hall closet to bring to Cal’s for Christmas morning. New sheets and a pink striped comforter made the bed just perfect for a little girl. Since tonight was only the 23rd of December, Sara Grace would spend her first night with Dallas at her little house near the campus. Although Dallas and Sara Grace would be at Cal’s for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Sara Grace would be with Dallas through New Year’s, so she would need a room there. Plus, she wanted to spend some “girl time” with Sara Grace so they could get comfortable with each other. She looked around the room, satisfied with herself. She knew Sara Grace would be comfortable there.
“Come on, Wilhelmina. Mommy’s got breakfast,” she called to the kitty from the kitchen.
She fixed herself some toast and coffee, then headed to the shower. My life will change again today, she thought, stepping under the spray of steaming hot water. But no matter what happens tonight, she reasoned, when it’s all over I will be coming home with Sara Grace and Cal.
I have no control over whatever else happens, so I have to let it go. But Dallas relinquishing control...? Well, that might take another Christmas miracle entirely.
* * *
The weather had turned nasty outside; another ice storm was predicted for the evening. Frigid winds blew damp and cold, as the gray skies grew thick and puffy. Darkness fell early. Dallas asked the parents to leave the children at the theater with her after rehearsal, so none of them would get caught in the ice and cold outside.
The dress rehearsal was now over. The live animals, who were outside in makeshift pens under tarps until showtime, were perfectly tame and ready to be led onstage by two crewmen dressed as shepherds. It was only one sheep and one donkey, so the menagerie would be easy to control.
Dallas sat with Cal alone in the sound booth on the balcony. The empty theater was quiet; the little lights of the pretend stars twinkled overhead. Ms. Betty Ann and Corey had the children in one of the practice rooms having a snack. The show was scheduled for seven-thirty, so everyone had time to rest. Since it was five o’clock, some of the parents had gone for pizza.
“They looked great today, babe. You’ve done a great job,” Cal said, leaning over and kissing her forehead.
His warm lips sent a spike of heat through her cold body. You know it’s the real thing when even a kiss on the forehead gets you excited, she thought.
“I’m so glad I have you, Cal. You are just what I’ve needed for so long. I can’t believe we didn’t try this me-and-you thing before.” She smiled and kissed him on his lips and held it there.
“I have no idea, but evidently the timing was everything. I can’t imagine what I would do without you right now. You know what? It’s all gonna be fine. All this will be over soon, and, by midnight, we’ll have tucked in a little girl and we can have a drink in front of the fire at your house. Sound good?”
She nodded. Cal had a way of keeping things simple. That was a good thing, since Dallas’s life was always somewhat dramatic. But her heart was as big as her hairdo, and Cal had figured that out just in the nick of time. They needed each other, and each of them sweetened the other’s life like perfect sweet tea.
“Let’s go check on the kids and the animals and make sure everyone’s ready to go,” she suggested.
There were two hours left till showtime, but Dallas needed to run off all those nerves. Cal followed her down the stairs and into the theater auditorium, then up the makeshift ramps that were created for the kids to go into the audience safely to sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” They were to walk up and down the aisles, throwing little candy canes out to everyone at the end of the play.
“Hey, my superstars, how’s everybody doing?” Dallas said cheerfully as she walked into the practice room.
The children got excited, and all jumped up to hug her and Cal. Cal sat down at the piano nearby and played the theme song from the Charlie Brown Christmas show and everyone started dancing. Betty Ann jumped up and grabbed Corey, swinging him around.
“Ms. Dallas, I need to tell you something,” Corey said to her, and Betty Ann spun him past.
“Sure, honey, shoot,” Dallas said, dancing with little Tristan with the big blue eyes and dark curly hair.
“I wanted you to know, I really enjoyed working with you. You’re nothing like what I thought,” he said over his partner’s shoulder.
“Oh, really?” she teased. “What did you think I was gonna be like?”
“I meant...you’re just really down-to-earth, not like a TV diva or anything.” He smiled, trying to wiggle free of old Betty Ann, who was having a great time making a spectacle out of him for the kids.
“Well, thank you, Corey. If you need a recommendation letter or something, I will be happy to write you one. You have been wonderful and so patient with the kids—and with me.”
He stopped dancing and came over and hugged her. Little Tristan danced off with Sara Grace. Everything was going along just fine until suddenly the lights went out.
In the back part of the theater behind the stage, it was pitch-dark. Betty Ann felt her way to a shelf where they kept an emergency flashlight and flicked it on.
“Okay, everybody, listen to me,” Cal said, jumping into action from the piano bench. “Don’t be scared. We’re all gonna follow Ms. Betty Ann to the green room up front. There’s a generator light on up there, and maybe we can see the street outside so we will know when the lights will be back on. So, everyone hold hands and walk slowly. Ms. Betty Ann and Corey will take us up front.”
The green room was what they called the lobby, and that’s where all the concessions were stored. A small, dim light was on in the corner as Betty Ann led the way out of the room, to the stage, down the ramp, up the aisle and into the green room. Corey took over from there.
“Okay, y’all have a seat in a big circle and stay put. We’ll pass out some snacks and wait safely for the lights to come back on. It shouldn’t be too long,” he said, looking at Dallas for reassurance. She only wished she could give him some. It was nearly six o’clock, and people would be arriving to get a seat in the next hour.
The kids sat patiently for all of about fifteen minutes. Then someone needed to go potty. Then someone else. And before they knew it, six or seven kids were in the bathroom. When they came back to the green room, they would ask for a drink. Then a snack. After they got a snack, they wanted to run around and play hide-and-go-seek. Sugar Babies was not a good choice of snack for a cloistered group of children.
Betty Ann and Corey tried to sing songs and keep the kids seated in their circle, but as the minutes slowly dragged by, the kids were getting more and more antsy.
Then came a knock on the front glass door. Cal ran over and opened it. Vivi and Blake stepped inside, shivering from the cold night air. Vivi had a huge, black plastic garbage bag slung over her shoulder like Santa Claus. Dallas walked over and helped them both through the dark over to the concession stand.
“I brought you a little something,” Vivi said as she opened the garbage bag.
Dallas stood next to her as Blake looked on from behind.
“I wanted you to know, I didn’t forget,” she said as she pulled a pair of perfect white angel wings shimmering in the dim light with iridescent glitter. “They’re covered in Bellerina Dust, It’s for good luck. We’ll tell you all about it.”
“Oh, Vivi, they’re so beautiful! Thank you so much,” Dallas said. She was overcome by the gesture.
“You still needed them, didn’t you?” Vivi asked.
“I certainly did. Sara Grace,” she called out to her little soloist. “Come see what Miss Vivi brought you for tonight.”
Sara Grace came running over, excited to see the large white wings made of translucent white fabric and secured tightly to wire in the shape of wings. They were trimmed with white faux fur and covered with glitter. Sara Grace didn’t close her mouth all the way across the room.
“Are these really for me?” she exclaimed.
“Yes, baby. Miss Vivi made them just for you.” Dallas took them and helped Sara Grace slip them over her arms. They were perfect.
“You look beautiful,” Dallas said.
“Thank you so much,” Sara Grace said to Vivi. “Are you Ms. Dallas’s friend?” she asked.
Vivi and Dallas looked at each other and smiled.
“Yes, I am,” Vivi answered. “I hope you like them. They’re yours to keep if you want them.”
“Yes, I do! I mean...thank you.” Sara Grace ran off to show the other kids her new prize.
“Is she one of the kids from the Children’s Home?” Vivi asked Dallas.
“She is, but she’s not in a foster home at the moment.”
“You mean she’ll be at the Children’s Home over Christmas?” Blake asked sadly.
“Actually, no,” Dallas answered. “I’m takin
g her for Christmas. She’ll be with me and Cal.”
Vivi and Blake looked at each other. Clearly, they had never known this Dallas.
“Those wings are great,” Cal said as he approached the women. “Lewis never told me you were so talented, Vivi.”
“It’s nothin’. I just threw ’em together when I was up with Tallulah last night. I sang to her while I glued everything together. I think the glitter amused her. Pageant baby in training.”
It occurred to Dallas at that second, watching Sara Grace scamper around in her wings, that this theater was where the awful itching powder incident had taken place almost twenty years ago. My, how far they had all come since then. This was most certainly a peace offering from Vivi, right in the place where the war had begun all those years ago. And the olive branch was angel wings.
“When do we expect some lights in here?” Vivi asked.
“I just talked to the power company,” Cal said. “They’re working on it. I told them we have a play with a ton of people expected in an hour. I don’t know what we’ll do if we’re still dark at seven-thirty.”
Just then a group of parents knocked on the glass doors. Cal walked over and held the door for them.
“Look, y’all, pizza!” he shouted. The kids jumped up and ran to the parents with the hot, delicious food. Two parents brought in warm boxes of Krispy Kremes and sat them on the concession counter.
“Perfect, pizza and doughnuts for kids who are locked in a small area,” Blake said sarcastically. “Now that was brilliant.”
“At least it’ll keep ’em busy,” Corey said, coming over to get some paper plates from behind the counter.
“Yep, and then they’ll be high as kites, wound up like Bessie-bugs and still locked in this room,” Vivi said.
“Well maybe we can get them fed and calm by the time the lights come back on.” Dallas went around the counter to help Corey.
“I have an idea,” Cal said. “Let’s line up some cars and turn on the headlights. Maybe we can at least have enough light to see what we’re doing in here.”
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