Merry and Bright

“Did you find everything you need today?”

“Yes, thanks.”

The cashier forced a cordial smile, but Annabelle could feel the annoyance as the woman put her fan aside to ring her up. Shopping wasn’t high on people’s list of things to do on a day like this, and she felt like she was disrupting the thrift store’s peace just being there.

The woman raised her eyebrow curiously as she folded and bagged the sweater. “Interesting choice. Shopping for anything in particular?”

Annabelle’s phone buzzed in her pocket yet again, and she dug it out with a sigh. “Christmas.”

“Now?”

Her sister’s name lit up the screen once again. “ETA?”

“Soon. Had to find gift. Headed home to change then omw.”

“Mom is asking about you, don’t take too long.”

“You can keep Mom busy.”

She looked up from her phone as she heard the receipt print and grabbed the bag with a nod. “Thanks, have a good one.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Annabelle squinted against the afternoon sun as she stepped outside and walked to her car. She tossed her bag haphazardly on top of the store bought cheesecake in the passenger seat and put the car into gear, turning left onto the main road behind a gang of motorcycles as they sped past.

She had still been in bed, lying on top of her sheets and playing on her phone, when the text came in. “Just heard from Marilyn, Christmas dinner at Mom’s tonight 5 PM.” Her heart had sank when she read it, but she knew Angeline already knew she had the day off, and everything her sister asked for was always more of a command than a question anyway. She had glanced at the time with a groan – 10:41 AM. Hours left to scramble for something to bring and anticipate the evening to come. Fortunately – or unfortunately, she wasn’t really sure – the search for a gift had taken longer than she had expected, keeping her safely away from being alone with her thoughts.

The AC hit her like an arctic storm as she walked in her front door. Annabelle placed the cheesecake and her keys on the kitchen counter and headed to the bedroom, stripping out of her shorts and tank top as she walked. She shimmied into her nicest jeans and studied the contents of her closet with a frown. Anything her mother would expect her to wear was still packed away.

The box she hauled out from under her bed was covered in dust, and she wiped it off with her arm before opening it. A fuzzy red knit sweater sat at the top. It smelled a little musty, but it would have to do. She pulled it over her head quickly, gave herself a generous spritz of perfume, put on her bravest face, and headed for the door.

 *

The sun was still high when she reached her mother’s home. An old man waved to her from the porch of the unit next door, smiling as he watched his grandkids shrieking and chasing each other through a sprinkler. The grass surrounding the sidewalks was dead and yellow, but the lilies in the front gardens glistened in the light where the water droplets hit them.

She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open before she made contact. “Anna! It’s so good to see you!”

The little old lady embraced her in a hug tighter than her frail frame would suggest. “Hi, Mom,” she answered warmly. “Sorry I’m a little late.”

“It’s fine! I’m just glad you could make it. Who knows how many more Christmases we have together? I’m getting on in years, you know.”

“I know. I got you something.” She handed the bag with the folded Christmas sweater to her mom with an apologetic smile. “Sorry it isn’t wrapped.”

“Oh, that’s alright. I’m sure the shops have sold out of wrapping paper by now if you waited this long. Didn’t your dad and I teach you to plan ahead better than that?” she teased.

“You’re right. Sorry, Mom.”

“It’s okay, dear. I’m sure I will love whatever you got me just the same. But don’t just stand there in the cold. Come in!” She excitedly ushered Annabelle through the door, peaking out for just a moment longer before it clicked shut. “Doesn’t look like we’ll be getting a white Christmas this year, does it?”

“I imagine not, sorry.” She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow before her mom could notice. Angeline got up from her seat near a sparsely decorated fake tree and the fireplace, which was blazing heartily. She could hear the AC fighting a losing battle against it. “Hey, Sis.”

The wrinkles around her mouth deepened as Angeline smiled and embraced her. “Thank you for being here,” she whispered. “It will mean a lot to her.”

“At least for today.”

“That’s good enough.”

Their mother smiled happily at the two of them. “It’s so nice to be here all together! And Marilyn, she was so sweet to bring me to get the ingredients to make the cream and bacon green beans you two used to love. Is the ham ready too, dear?”

“Yes, Mrs. Warren,” the nurse replied kindly. “If you three get settled into the dining room, we can get started.”

“Oh, no, we can’t start eating yet. Mr. Warren hasn’t arrived.” The old woman frowned, her eyes distant. “Wait, where is he? Has anyone heard from him?”

The sisters exchanged an uncertain look, and the tension in the air thickened with each moment that passed in silence. “Where do you think he is, Mom?” Angeline finally asked.

“I…I don’t know. I think…he was just here, wasn’t he? We wouldn’t celebrate Christmas without him!” Her voice grew loud and shrill as panic overtook her, and she looked around wildly. “Where is he? Gerald?? Where are you??”

“Mrs. Warren, don’t you remember?” Marilyn had rushed to her side and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “His friend is traveling for the holidays and asked him to check on his dog. He told you he loved you but not to wait for him. He wouldn’t want you ladies to go hungry, right?”

Mrs. Warren blinked, but the words seemed to reach her. “Yes. Yes, that makes sense.” She laughed. “He always has loved dogs. Like your sweet old lab, Moxie. How is Moxie doing, Anna?”

Moxie had been gone even longer than her father. “Oh, she’s doing fine,” Annabelle replied.

The nurse led Mrs. Warren into the dining room, and the sisters followed. “Why bother trying to make her remember that when you’re so willing to drop everything to make Christmas happen?” Annabelle hissed to her.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Angeline snapped back.

“Angie, sweetie, come sit here,” her mom insisted, and Angeline took a seat at her side. Annabelle and Marilyn sat cross from them. Ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, and the cheesecake Annabelle had brought were spread across the middle of the small table. “Mrs. Warren made the green beans all on her own today,” Marilyn said cheerily. “So please, make sure you eat your fill.”

“It’s so nice to have you all here. Who knows how many more Christmases we have together? I’m getting on in years, you know.”

“You? No way,” Angeline replied.

Mrs. Warren laughed. “Maybe we can take a walk in the snow later if the weather cooperates. I’m sure Gerald will be back by then.”

Annabelle wiped another bead of sweat from her forehead and pushed up the thick sleeves of her sweater with a smile. “Sure, Mom.”

 *

The clock on the microwave read 8:01 PM. Annabelle brought a stack of dishes to Marilyn apologetically. “I’m sorry you’re still here so late. I’m sure you’re usually home by now.”

“I don’t mind,” Marilyn assured her. “It’s nice to see your mom so happy. And hey, I’ll beat traffic now.”

“Fair enough,” Annabelle laughed.

She pulled out a stack of Tupperware from the bottom cabinet and set it on the counter. Her expression darkened as she listened to her mother and sister talking loudly in the other room. “The sun is still so high tonight. What a strange winter day,” Mrs. Warren mused.

“Maybe it’ll snow tonight after we’ve all gone to bed.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice? I’ll have to be sure to have Gerald add another log to the fire.”

“How has she been?” Annabelle asked quietly.

Marilyn froze, the sponge dripping down the half-clean dish. “She has her moments. Yesterday she was lucid. The day before that was worse. This morning she wanted to watch some old shows she used to love, but as we were flipping through options she spotted It’s a Wonderful Life and thought that meant today was Christmas. Begged me to get out the Christmas tree and make sure her daughters would be here.”

“Ah, that explains it.”

“Yeah. Thank you for being coming, by the way. She seemed so excited. I would have broken it to her if you two hadn’t been able to come by, but I figured if we could make it happen…”

“No. No, this is better. Thank you.”

Mrs. Warren’s laughter echoed from the other room, and Annabelle dropped the spoon back into the pot and hugged her mother’s nurse tightly. Marilyn returned the embrace with soapy hands, pretending not to notice the tears in the woman’s eyes. “It just means we get another Christmas with her,” Annabelle whispered. “Who knows how many we have left?”