Merry's Christmas: Two Book Set (Amish) (7 page)

Joan looked fully into Merry’s face. “I’m thinking Daniel might be surprised at how much he’d like something more comfortable, still very attractive in its own way—but less fussy, more festive—like if I turned a handmade set at my pottery shop.”

Merry studied Joan quizzically, surprisingly at ease. “Are we still talking about dishes?”

Joan smiled knowingly. “There’s more than one kind of dish.”

Merry couldn’t help but press. “And you’re saying...?”

Merry watched as Joan chose her words carefully. It seemed that Joan wanted to be as clear as was appropriate, without overstepping her maternal bounds.

“I’m saying,” Joan confided, “What’s Christmas without a secret or two between the womenfolk?”

Merry climbed the Bell’s front stairs. There had been a note on the refrigerator that Tara had stayed after school for a student council function. Hayden had come straight home and wordlessly disappeared into her room.

Of all the Bell family, Merry related to Hayden the most. No matter where Merry had been as she’d bounced around the system for abandoned children, then into her adulthood—even when she’d been with other people—she’d always felt alone. Everyone else seemed to have found a sense of belonging that Merry had never had. Something in Merry longed to connect with Hayden. It was just that she had no idea how.

Merry peeked into the twins’ bedroom. Hayden sat inside, clearly perplexed.

“Knock, knock,” Merry started.

Hayden barely looked up. “I don’t have a list for you, if that’s what you want.”

“No, I just...” Merry took a step inside. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“Because you look sort of—”

“I said I’m fine,” Hayden snapped. She just sat there, sullenly staring into space.

Merry flushed. She kicked herself, realizing she’d pressed too hard too soon. Clearly Hayden didn’t want her there for some reason or another.  “Okay, then. I’ll just... Bye.” It was beyond awkward, but Merry backed out. She extracted herself the only way she could.

By the time Daniel pulled up to the garage, the sun was going down, casting a golden glow on the backyard. Merry waved cheerfully, and then went back to pruning holly boughs off of an overgrown bush. Ollie waited nearby with a large, open basket, gathering the trimmings.

Merry thought to herself how nice it was that Daniel got home at night before she had to leave.
Bankers hours
, she mused.

Daniel ambled over. He tousled Ollie’s hair as he arrived, but he looked directly at Merry. He had kind eyes, she observed. He had loosened his tie.

“You don’t have to do my yard work,” Daniel began. “I have a man I pay.”

“Just getting some holly for the mantle—Ow!” Pricked by a holly briar, Merry recoiled.

“There’s big stickers on that,” Ollie informed.

“Yeah,” Merry agreed. “But it’ll be worth it. Sometimes good stuff is that way, you know.” Merry put a last sprig into Ollie’s basket. “Want to run this into the living room for me?”

Ollie took the basket and went inside. Left alone with Daniel and suddenly unsure what exactly to say, Merry did what she usually did when at a loss for words. She looked for a way to busy herself. Loose holly clippings were scattered about, so she squatted to gather them. Daniel leaned down to help.

“Go all right, today?” he asked.

“Mostly. I haven’t quite cracked Hayden’s safe.”

Daniel looked surprised. “Hayden has a safe?”

Merry smiled. “No, I’m just trying to find a way in with her.”

Daniel nodded, getting it. “Well, of all of us, she’s taken it the hardest. Or at least the longest.” Straightening up, Daniel gestured to the holly bush nostalgically. “Amanda planted this bush, you know. She nurtured it from a seedling.”

“Did she?” Merry asked, suddenly a little concerned at having taken the cuttings from it.

“She did, and just for this purpose.”

Merry breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, then. That gives her a special part in this Christmas. We’ll hang out the holly for her.”

Daniel studied Merry intently. “How is it that you seem to know these things?”

Merry pondered it. “I don’t know. Just comes to me, like it can come to anybody, I guess. Okay, put that in here.” Merry extended a paper bag and Daniel deposited his clippings.  “All right, you try.”

“Try what?”

“Try letting a thought come to you. Not something you’ve thought about before. Something new. An idea.”

Daniel balked a little. “I’m not so good at this. Maybe I’m too Type A, but...okay.” He waited an uncomfortable moment or two. “Now, what am I supposed to do?”

“Look around for a minute. Don’t stress about work or dinner or whatever. Just let something float into your head.”

Clearly outside his comfort zone, Daniel still gave the notion a chance. He surveyed the yard thoughtfully, finally settling back on Merry’s face.

“What do you see?” Merry asked. “Anything?”

Daniel’s voice took on a softer, contemplative tone. “Light. I see light...all around you.”

Merry took what he said to heart. From the way he was looking at her, she wasn’t sure if his words were meant to be taken literally, but she swiveled around to refer back to the yard just in case. “I always liked the little white twinkle lights. Like stars, you know?”

Daniel nodded, turning his gaze to the yard. “Yeah. Lights would be good.”

Over Daniel’s shoulder, Merry saw Tara peer out at them through the blinds at the study window. Ollie appeared at her side. Suddenly, the slats were shut tight.

Stifling amusement, Merry mustered her courage. “Oh, I meant to tell you. I thought of a gift idea for Catherine. Depending on how it works with whatever your...relationship is.”

Daniel mulled it over. “Yes, it’s... The woman has virtually everything, so... What were you thinking?”

It was a fearsome plunge, but Merry took it, her desire to know overtaking the fright over what his answer would be. “There’s this formal Ball New Year’s Eve. It’s a big Children’s Hospital benefit.”

Daniel shifted his weight and rubbed at his jaw.  His expression was impossible to read. “Good thought, and I could make a donation in her name, she’d like that. But I don’t actually dance.”

“You didn’t even dance at your wedding?” Merry probed. 

Daniel smiled faintly. “That was the first and last time. Amanda coaxed me into it and believe me, it wasn’t pretty.”

“Dancing’s not so hard. I taught myself,” Merry said. “You’re good with numbers. You just count to three, that’s all.”

Daniel quickly waved the idea off. “No, I—”

“Really. If that’s all that’s standing in the way of you taking Catherine to that Ball, don’t worry, I’ll show you,” Merry encouraged. “You can practice on your own, then try it out with me later if you want.”

“I really don’t think—”

“Don’t think,” Merry said. “Just watch. And listen to the music in your head. One hand on your partner’s waist, the other takes her hand, just lightly. Then, it’s...” Merry closed her eyes, imagining music. She extended her arm as if being held, and three-stepped in time. “First with the left. One, two-three. Then back a little to the right, two-three. Left, two-three...”

Daniel watched Merry as she turned, a look of fascination on his face.

Suddenly self-conscious, Merry came to a stop. “So, something to consider. That is, if it suits your...situation.”

Again, much to Merry’s chagrin, Daniel remained enigmatic. “Yes, well—given the situation with Catherine...I may go another way.”

Merry accepted it, sensing it was as far as she should go. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.” She took her bag of discards toward the garage, quietly encouraged.

Tara was already decorating the living room mantle with holly and pine when Merry came back inside. Merry purposely didn’t make anything of it, but she was quietly thrilled to see Tara taking an initiative. She watched, impressed, when Tara picked up a spool of red ribbon, pulled out a length of it, and looped it repeatedly to fashion an artful bow. If it had been a step in the right direction when Ollie had join in, Tara taking part seemed a quantum leap.

As respectfully as she could, Merry placed family photos amongst the greenery they arranged on the mantle. She picked up a photo of Amanda with the twins as grade-schoolers, dressed identically. “So, you two used to dress to match.”

Tara shrugged pleasantly. “Kind of geeky, but I liked it. I guess I’m more into the whole twin thing than Hayden is.” Tara picked up a particularly striking photo of her father, and drew it to Merry’s attention. “Isn’t this great of Dad?”

Just then, Hayden leaned in momentarily from the kitchen. “Dinner,” she called.

Tara barked back, “Just a minute. Helping here.”

Not wanting to get between the sisters, Merry took the photo of Daniel. “I’ll get this. You go, eat. Really. It’s fine.”

Tara set the bow down, and then headed toward the kitchen.

Merry carefully placed the photo of Daniel at the center of the mantle. She lingered over his image, nestling it into the pine and holly boughs. It really was good of Daniel, she thought. All of his photos were. His dark hair, bright smile, and shining eyes were undeniably appealing. But mostly, she realized, it was the man himself who was starting to make her heart flutter in ways it never had before. Merry checked to make sure she was unobserved, then stroked the photo affectionately.

In his pajamas, Daniel turned off the bedside lamp. Moonlight spilled through the window as Daniel stood there, deep in thought. The Charity Ball had been a reasonable idea for Catherine, he supposed. She would enjoy the opportunity to dress up and mingle with the upper echelon. Catherine was a sensation in those settings. What’s more, she would be happy to write a generous check for the Children’s Hospital.

Tentatively, Daniel began to practice the three-step Merry had taught him.
One, two, three...one, two, three
, he counted.

Passing by in the hall, Hayden watched her father, wryly amused. “What are you doing?”

Daniel stopped abruptly, suddenly embarrassed to realize his awkward attempt had been observed. “Nothing. Just something Merry suggested. Clearly not my skill set.”

Hayden stifled a grin. “Not so much.”

“Goodnight, Hayden,” Daniel said as he pulled back the covers to get into bed.

“Night, Dad.” Hayden padded down the hall.

Daniel sat on the bed, shaking his head at the oddity of it all.

The wee hours of the morning found Tara hard at work, the beam of a flashlight spilling on her father’s newest note to Merry. She could see that her gift idea was catching on and it encouraged her creativity.

Ollie sleepily shuffled into the study. “Did he send another one?” he wondered a bit too loudly.

“Shhh! Want him to hear us?”

Ollie nestled up to see Tara’s work. “What did you do?”

Tara sat up proudly. “Turned up the flame a notch.” She blew on the drying ink as Ollie read.

“You wrote ‘
Much Love’
this time. Oooh...”

Tara pointed out the salutation. “I also put that ‘
Dearest
’ before Merry’s name. And I’m particularly proud of this part I added at the end, here. Look. Dad had it ending with just ‘
everything
that you are
.’ But I made it ‘
everything
that you are becoming to me
.’ See? Can’t even tell I added that last part.”