“Mercy!” Her mother dropped into a chair and covered her mouth in shock.
“It wasn’t on purpose. It was an accident. I was coming back from the store and she came out of nowhere on the road.”
“It’s true mom, it was my fault.” Rita’s pain filled voice cut through the waiting room.
The relief I felt at seeing Rita walking toward us overwhelmed me and I started crying, realizing just how bad it could have been.
“Hey now.” Rita took my hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. “It was an accident and all is well, right? My car is on the way to Mona’s, I got my pain meds and Christmas is in two days.”
I saw the caring in her eyes, but I wanted to see more. I wasn’t over her. Burying myself in my work and my restaurant hadn’t cured the loneliness and now here she was, trying to make me feel better about hitting her with my car.
“You haven’t changed a bit.” My hand ran along the side of her face and she pulled back. A bit to quickly.
“Ow, dammit.” She grabbed at her side and sat down.
Her mother looked as confused about our encounter as I felt.
“I’m going to head out now. Mona, I’ll be by tomorrow to drop off the presents.”
“Aren’t you coming over for Christmas?” Now Mona was confused and I had to admit I didn’t know what the heck I was feeling. I looked over at Rita, being ministered by her mother and realized I had to get out.
“I have to go.”
I didn’t hear what else she might have said. Walking out into the snow I pulled my coat tight around me, remembering what it felt like to have Rita hold me. I spent Christmas with her family every year since she left, hoping that one day she would be back. It was all I wanted for Christmas. And now she was.
“What the hell do I do now?”
Chapter 3-Rita
“Mom I’m fine.” I grimaced as my mother tried to fix the pillows behind me for the umpteenth time. “Mom…”
“Hija, I just want you to be comfortable.”
“I am Mom. Besides, it’s Christmas eve, don’t you have cooking or something to get to.” I smiled knowing full well she had already prepared a lot of what was going into Christmas dinner.
“Titi, titi! Look!” My seven year old nephew came running downstairs brandishing a toy lightsaber. He proceeded to show me some of his best moves before turning around to face his older sister who attacked from the kitchen.
“Ha!” She whacked him across the bottom and started cackling. “Young Skywalker, I am your destiny.”
“Nooooooooo!”
I laughed. I shouldn’t have and no amount of pain medication could stop my ribs from aching. “Ow...hahaha...ow…”
“Basta!, Stop it both of you, your Titi is in pain.”
“Leave them ma, they’re just having fun.”
She threw up her hands. Small as she was, it was always funny to watch. God I’ve missed this.
“Well, did you ever call her?” Seven year old Javi plopped down at my feet and started yammering.
“Call who?”
“Titi Mercy,” Eight year old Gladys was all business. “We heard you asking Mami about her.”
“Yes, well...no, I haven’t called her.”
“Why?
“Yeah, why?”
I looked at my mother for help and got none. “I’m with them, porque no la llamas?”
“Ma… if she wanted to talk to me she would call.”
“You left her, remember?”
“Ma…” I sputtered, I couldn’t believe she said that. “Well she hit me with her car, okay?’
“It was an accident.” My sister strode in with the littlest niece on her hip. “You’re an idiot you know, she still cares for you.”
I couldn’t say a thing, and she knew it.
“Dinner is in an hour and then we open one gift, agreed.”
“Yes abuela.” The kids took the rules in stride and ran upstairs to change.
“Hey sis, do you think she’ll come?” I didn’t want to sound wishful but I know I did because she smirked.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
She left me alone after that and I pressed play on the movie I was watching. It’s a Wonderful Life was my favorite Christmas movie. I never knew why until I watched George Bailey looking for the now unwed Mary. How scared she was of him because she never knew him. Love wins in that story but not in real life. I knew that, and I regretted it. I wiped away a tear as the movie ended. Second chances weren’t real. Just fantasy.
When the doorbell rang I waited for someone to answer. But no one came. It took me a couple of minutes to get off the couch so I wasn’t too happy when I got to the door.
“Okay, okay...hang on.” I yanked the door open and stopped cold. Mercy stood on the porch carrying a single present.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” She looked beautiful. Her green coat brought out the color in her eyes and her smile.
“Better, sorry, come in, come in.” I got out of the way and watched as she stomped the snow off her boots. “I didn’t think you were coming.”
“Me either.” She put the gift down and gave me a gentle hug. When I hugged her back I realized this is what I had been every day, every holiday, every Christmas. When she pushed me away I thought I had done something wrong.
“Sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She reached down and handed me the small gift. “This is for you.”
I looked down at it and back at her before tearing the wrapping. It was a small box and inside was the locket I had given her not long before I left. I was sure she had gotten rid of it.
“Open it.” Inside were the pictures of us when we first started going out. We had so many plans back then.
“I don’t know what to say. You kept it?” When she nodded I put it down on the bench and pulled her close. The kiss was meant to be innocent but it sparked so much more. I knew I was home again and it felt wonderful.
“Silly woman, I didn’t need a gift, you are my gift.”
THE SWEETEST CHRISTMAS
Marie Long
Chapter 1
Sweet Peach Bake Shop was slammed tonight. Resident pastry chef Arianna Willis was debuting her Christmas Memories pairing of peppermint cookies and white hot chocolate during the weeklong Festival of Lights leading up to Christmas Day, and a record crowd had gathered. The line of bundled patrons was out the door of the tiny shop, wrapped around the corner, and down the sidewalk of White Pine’s historic downtown. Arianna scrambled behind the counter, preparing drinks, packaging cookies, and ringing up customers. She had spent all morning baking, decorating, and preparing her limited-edition cookies and hot drink, expecting a small crowd for her soft launch. But she was selling her new offerings faster than she could blink.
After moving to the quaint Vermont town three years ago and acquiring the shop, Arianna had grown accustomed to the small crowds of locals and the few tourists who passed through during the year. But this holiday season was proving different. Christmas was a big deal in White Pine, and Arianna had never seen another town transform into such a magical storybook fantasy. As a result, the town had seen a larger influx of tourism than in past years.