by Susan Rohrer
Skeeter lit up. “God bless ya, Miss,” he called back. Realizing she was stuck, Catherine smiled tightly in return, just as Merry reached her.
“Catherine. What a surprise,” Merry greeted, looking back out to the street. “Is Daniel coming?”
Catherine gathered herself. “He doesn’t actually know I’m here,” she replied.
♥ ♥ ♥
Daniel descended his living room stairs, a tiny wrapped gift box in his hand. There was something about seeing Ollie, amusing himself with the model train under the tree that warmed Daniel’s heart. It reminded him of the joys of bygone Christmases and the promises of the ones to come.
As Daniel approached, Ollie played conductor, choo-chooing the string of cars around the track circling the Christmas tree.
Daniel stooped beneath the branches, adding the small box to the growing pile of gifts underneath. Reaching under a bough, he jostled one of Merry’s broken china ornaments. Daniel looked at the creation with an affectionate grin, and then hid the ring box behind it, commenting to Ollie. “Gramma’s taking up some serious real estate with these packages here.”
Ollie eyed the tiny package suspiciously. “Who’s that little one for?”
Daniel checked around secretively, and then whispered to his son. “Let’s keep it between us, but it’s a very special gift for Catherine.”
“From all of us?” Ollie inquired.
“In a way, but it’s mostly from me,” Daniel answered. “You like her, huh?”
Ollie shrugged. “She’s okay, I guess. I like Merry better.”
Daniel tipped his head. “I like Merry, too. But see, Ollie...I like Catherine in a different way. Kind of that man-woman thing. Like Mommy.”
“Catherine’s not like Mommy,” Ollie answered.
“Well, no, but—”
Ollie jumped in definitively. “I like Merry. She’s pretty, don’t you think?”
Daniel scrambled for a response. “Yeah, Buddy. I do, but...”
Daniel trailed off. He examined his conflicted heart. How could he explain something to his nine year-old son that he couldn’t entirely explain to himself? “Catherine, she’s really special, too, and the thing is...well, I promised her first. Now she’s gotten her father’s blessing about me. And you know how I always taught you that a promise is a promise?”
♥ ♥ ♥
Across town at the Downtown diner, Merry sat opposite Catherine, refilling syrup dispensers while Kiki and Arthur closed out. It wasn’t that Merry wanted to give Catherine any less than her full attention, but Catherine had come to her fulltime workplace, a job Merry knew she needed to keep after the holidays.
Catherine looked at Merry directly. “I won’t mince words, Merry. You’re stealing my show.”
Merry squinted a bit. “Come again?”
“Please don’t be coy, Merry. I already know you’re smarter than you come off.”
A quizzical expression crossed Merry’s face. “Thank you?”
“You’re a Christmas Coordinator, not the Pied Piper, okay?” Catherine continued. “And I’m asking you as nicely as I know how to stop piping, because if you won’t give me a chance, neither will those children.”
Merry wiped a dribble off a bottle. “You can pipe up, Catherine. Pipe away.”
“I won’t compete with you, Merry.”
Seeing Catherine’s distress, Merry put the bottle down. Something in Merry’s heart went out to Catherine. “Then, get in there. Take the stage solo. Show them what you’ve got.”
“I would. I could,” Catherine insisted. “But, thanks to you, everything’s already been done.”
Merry shook her head. “Oh, it’s a long way from done. I’ve hardly even started on the Christmas Eve party.”
Catherine reared back in frustration. “That’s great. I’m sure this will be yet another charming extravaganza, putting me even farther out of my comfort zone, while drawing him hook, line, and sinker into yours.”
“Catherine, I never meant to—”
Catherine put a hand up. “Okay, no. Stop. Do you think it’s easy for me to say these things?” Her eyes misted as she continued; her regal voice broke. “I mean, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m a totally insecure mess and completely off. So, please, Merry, do us both a favor. Tell me here and now that you feel nothing for Daniel, and I’ll apologize this minute.”
Merry stopped, a deer, caught in the headlights. She had never been a liar in her life, and she resolved in that moment not to become one. What in the world could she say? She shot up a prayer for words.
“Well...” Catherine pressed.
Merry took a breath. “My job is over in a couple of weeks. It’s not like it matters.”
“Of course, it matters,” Catherine retorted. “It’s the most sentimental time of entire year and there you are, Little Miss Spotlight. You’ve constantly got his eye.”
Merry swallowed the lump in her throat. “But you’ve got his heart, Catherine. He loves you. I know it. Me, I’m like a snowflake—a little sparkle that’s there one moment, and then the next I melt right away, completely forgotten. Trust me. He doesn’t look at me the way he looks at you.”
Catherine stared at Merry, suddenly speechless. Every ounce of guardedness left Catherine’s face. “You’ve seen him look at me?”
Merry smiled encouragingly. “Kind of hard to miss.” Merry saw a glimmer of hope as it lit in Catherine’s eyes. It encouraged her to continue. “You’re the one he wants, Catherine. I know it.”
“Still,” Catherine allowed, “I... If you could allow me a moment or two to shine at this...Christmas Eve Party you’re planning.”
“Okay,” Merry nodded, “but it takes more than a moment or two to work up a good shine, you know. Might have to roll your sleeves up,” she advised.
Catherine cocked her head back warily. “Meaning...?”
“Meaning, you could help me with it. Run the whole she-bang, if you want.”
“But Christmas Eve,” Catherine sputtered. “That’s just around the corner, now.”
“So, you might want to hop on it,” Merry suggested. “That is, if you really want to—”
“No,” Catherine interrupted. “I couldn’t. “
“Couldn’t or won’t?”
Dejectedly, Catherine sat back in the booth. “I don’t think like you, Merry. Sometimes I wish I did, because I don’t want to lose him, but face facts. I’m not folksy. I’m not fun. I’d have no idea what to do.”
Seeing Catherine’s genuine despair, Merry pondered it, wrestling mightily with her heart. She could let Catherine flounder and allow things to take their natural course. Or, she could remember what the season was all about. She could be the larger person and do what she could to help.
Merry smiled warmly at Catherine. “We may be way different in a lot of ways, but you want to know how we’re exactly alike? I really do know what it’s like to be in a tough spot with no earthly idea what to do. So, maybe that’s what I can give you for Christmas, Catherine,” Merry offered. “An idea or two.”
eleven
There was always something about the twenty-fourth of December that seemed every bit as special to Merry as the stage it set for following day. As the sun descended behind a blanket of winter clouds, a light snow began to fall, dusting the streets with the promise of a white Christmas. Anticipation filled the Bell household, for the first time in years. Merry knew that her job was essentially done. All that was left was to stand back and watch it unfold.
Strong Bank & Trust had closed early for the holidays, releasing Daniel for a well-earned week of vacation. Arriving at home, Daniel brushed the snow crystals off his coat as he entered the kitchen door. A look of surprise lit up his face to find Merry, his mother and kids, all dressed as elves in a makeshift assembly line. Busily, they stocked dozens of holiday bags with treats, gifts, and personal supplies.
“Whoa! What’s this?” Daniel queried.
Ollie looked up from his work. “Duh. It’s Christma
s Eve, Dad.”
“Yeah, try to keep up,” Hayden quipped.
As Daniel took off his coat, Tara eyed his attire. “You’re not wearing that, are you?”
Daniel glanced around, puzzled. “To what? I thought we were having our party here tonight.”
“You said I could outsource,” Merry reminded. “So, Catherine volunteered to throw together a little something.” With a gesture toward the living room, Merry gave the floor to Catherine, who sashayed in wearing a darling Mrs. Santa outfit.
“Better run upstairs and put this on, Father Christmas,” Catherine beamed, handing Daniel his costume on a hanger. “Your ride’s coming in twenty minutes.”
Soon, a carriage drawn by four horses sporting reindeer antlers clip-clopped through the snowy downtown streets. The Bell contingent snuggled under warm tartan blankets, caroling as they traversed the winter wonderland. Merry purposefully remained in the background as Catherine led the singing from a festive booklet of Noels.
As the sleigh pulled up outside the Downtown Diner, Merry gave Catherine an encouraging grin, seeing what she had accomplished. A Merry Christmas banner was festooned across the font awning, welcoming the neighborhood homeless. A long row of shopping carts, overflowing with the belongings of the area’s transients, stretched along the walk.
When the Bells hopped out of the carriage and headed inside, Skeeter greeted them with a gentlemanly tip of a vintage top hat. Sporting a dashing cutaway, he “parked” another shopping cart neatly at the end of the line. The lady who owned it sifted through her belongings. “Lemme give ya something, Skeet,” she said.
Respectfully, Skeeter waved her off. “No, Ma’am,” he assured. He smiled at Catherine as she passed by on Daniel’s arm. “Nice lady here’s payin’ me good to work this. Go on in. You’re our guest.”
Merry was the last to enter the diner. As soon as she did, she saw that the old ho-ho-ho-ing Santa had been replaced with a much nicer, more welcoming version, no doubt Catherine’s doing. A trio played from the corner, filling the air with holiday cheer.
As she scanned the decorated diner, in some ways Merry’s heart was breaking, but then again, it felt incredibly full. She was doing the right thing and she knew it.
In no time, the Bells were at their stations and the party was in full swing. Kiki and Hayden gave out festive headwear to arriving homeless. Each and every party guest was crowned with holly or stars, halos or antlers, just as soon as they walked in Arthur’s door. Joan ladled hot chocolate and steaming cider to grateful street folk.
Merry headed to the kitchen just in time to see Catherine as she leaned down to serve holiday cookies to an elderly woman in a wheelchair. “Thank you, Darlin’,” the old woman said with a toothless smile. “These look just like the kind my mama used to make!”
Merry pushed through the swinging doors and into the diner’s kitchen where Arthur hustled to refill service trays with scrumptious treats. There were buffalo wings, stuffed mushrooms, fruit chutney, steamed shrimp, fancy cheeses, and hors d’oeuvres, the likes of which had never been tasted by this crowd. Catherine had insisted that they should have no less than she would serve at any other party she’d ever thrown, and Arthur had been game to deliver. Since Arthur had given her so much time off, Merry thought about how grateful she was that Catherine had decided to give him the business.
Through the open service window, Merry could see the whole family pitching in and having a wonderful time. Daniel and Tara passed out gift bags to each man, woman, and child who approached their table. Merry watched their guests revel over the great many surprises inside, no matter how small. To most it may have just been a hand towel, a comb, or a pouch of bus tokens, but to these people, the gift bags were a treasure trove. An indigent mom kissed the new toothbrush Hayden gave her. The woman’s eight year-old son was thrilled to discover a pocket video game in his sack; a man paraded around to show off his new hand-knitted scarf.
As the night progressed, Merry filtered through the crowd, watching as downtrodden souls forgot their troubles and danced joyously to the music. Ollie kicked up his heels with a homeless girl, having the time of his life.
Skeeter bowed deeply in front of Catherine and extended his open hand. “May I have this dance?”
Merry noticed that Catherine was a little taken aback at first. But apparently, in an instant, Catherine thought better of it and offered Skeeter her hand.
“It would be my pleasure, Sir,” Catherine answered.
As Merry loaded a fresh tray of goodies, Kiki elbowed her, eyeing Arthur. He was still busying himself with food preparation. Merry whispered that Kiki should go for it.
Kiki sashayed over to Arthur. “Got enough for three parties now,” Kiki cracked. “Time for you and me to go have us some fun. You do know how to dance, don’t you?”
Arthur looked up, confused. “You. Asking me. To dance.”
Merry stifled a giggle.
Kiki exhaled dramatically. “Been asking you for most of fifteen years, case you ain’t noticed.”
Slowly a light dawned for Arthur. After all those years working side by side with Kiki, he was finally starting to get it. He pointed as he spoke, to make sure he’d understood. “You mean you. And me. Dancing.”
“What do you think,” Kiki sassed, “I been hanging ‘round here all this time for the tips?” With that Kiki grabbed Arthur’s hand and pulled him out of the kitchen.
As Merry passed by with her tray of treats, Daniel offered to take it for her. It was tempting to enjoy a moment with him, but Merry redirected Daniel’s gaze to Catherine, dancing with Skeeter near the musicians. “I’ll get this. Go. Try your moves.”
Daniel obediently made his way through the crowd toward Catherine. Merry circled the perimeter and handed her tray to Joan.
“You doing okay?” Joan asked.
“How could I not be?” Merry covered. “Just look at everybody. They’re having such a great time. Look at your granddaughter.” Merry directed Joan’s gaze across the room where Tara helped a middle-aged woman to try on a new tube of gift lipstick. Tara held up a mirror while the woman blotted her lips together, delighted with the results.
Arthur and Kiki cut a mean rug, capturing Merry’s attention. It seemed now that Arthur could finally see Kiki, he could hardly take his eyes off her.
Merry took their pairing in with a bittersweet sigh. She was off the charts thrilled for them, but—truth be told—it made her feel her own singleness all the more acutely. Merry shook it off, purposely turning her gaze to Hayden as she helped a few homeless kids toss wreaths onto candy cane striped posts for prizes.
Merry nodded across the room at Daniel, signaling him to go ahead. Daniel turned and politely tapped Skeeter’s shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?”
Skeeter bowed out like the gentleman that he was, making way for Daniel to take Catherine into his arms. Indeed, they made a striking couple.
As the band transitioned to a slower tune, Kiki and Arthur spun right by Merry, nuzzling like old marrieds. Daniel swayed nearby with Catherine.
Merry watched it all from the sidelines. Shoving her pain inside, she retreated to the kitchen alone. With so much Christmas wonder going on, she couldn’t bear to be thinking of herself, but the price she had paid in giving this gift to Catherine was almost more than her breaking heart could bear.
♥ ♥ ♥
Caught up in the moment, Daniel stopped counting his steps. He began to actually enjoy dancing with Catherine, and she couldn’t have looked happier, swaying with him to the music. As much as he almost hated to admit it, Merry had been right, he thought. She’d been right that Catherine would enjoy dancing. She’d been right about his kids. She’d been right about absolutely everything.
Suddenly, though it was Catherine that he turned in his arms, in Daniel’s mind’s eye he flashed back to his dancing lesson, on his backyard patio with Merry. All over again, it was Merry he spun in his arms, lost in the brilliance of a thousand lights.
Catherin
e broke Daniel’s reverie. “You’ve been holding out on me.”
“What’s that...?” Daniel asked, training his mind on the present.
“I never knew that you danced,” Catherine remarked. “We should do it more often.”
Daniel nodded, deep in thought. Where had that come from? Through the service window to the kitchen, he saw Merry working diligently by herself. What it was that had told him to hire her, he didn’t really know. But he found himself thanking God that he had. In just a matter of weeks, she’d become a surprisingly meaningful part of their lives. It was hard to imagine that she’d ever been a stranger. He would miss her, he realized, when the holidays were over. So would the kids.
Exactly what it was about Merry, Daniel wasn’t sure. In some ways, he found her so comfortable to be with, and in others she completely unsettled him. He hadn’t hired her to do it, but something about her had made him question himself, since the first day she’d asked for the job. From the very beginning, she had pushed past the boundaries of professional service and into their still-grieving hearts. She had gone beyond the seasonal trappings of Christmas to the core of his family’s need.
As he moved across the dance floor, Daniel watched his children. They were coming back to life again in ways that amazed him. Ollie wanted to connect with him in an entirely new way. Tara was maturing, becoming more selfless before his eyes. Even Hayden seemed to be forgetting her troubles. That dark cloud that had persisted for the past three years was finally beginning to break.
Despite Merry’s unconventional approach, and probably because of it, she had been exactly what they’d all needed this Christmas. How did she get to be so wise? Merry had the gentlest way of leading him to answers that seemed to have been there all along, he pondered. And this evening, it seemed that she was leading him straight to Catherine.