Yule Tidings (22 page)

             
             
             
             
             
Sincerely,

             
             
             
             
        Anne Stafford

Anne gently put the nightgown back in the box as Merle read the card.  She wanted Alex to have this.  It was something she would have loved, but could never have bought herself.  It was meant to be a gift, and there had been no one to give her such
a
gift when she married Franklin.  She wouldn’t have known what to do with it anyway; she was so naïve then.  She’d made it a point to buy Rose and Kelly one when they were getting married.  There was no reason to treat Alex any differently.  Merle nodded his approval as Anne taped the note to the box.  She only hoped Alex read the card first.

             
Merle drove Anne to the post office to mail her packages.  She smiled brightly as they walked from the building and Merle was struck by how lovely her face looked when she smiled.  She was radiant.  She’d been so animated while Merle helped her carry the packages inside that Merle was unable to subdue a grin.  She was actually being cute.

             
It had been expensive to ship the three packages, but Anne was excited for Alex to open them.  It would be hard not to be there when Alex saw the gifts.  She’d have to rely on Donna to tell her the details.  The girls still weren’t talking to her.  Merle offered Anne his arm and walked with her down the street.  He wasn’t quite ready for their lunch to end.  Anne looked at her watch.  “I’d better get back, Merle.” Disappointment was clear in her voice, she didn’t want to go back to work, but she didn’t have much choice.  She’d spent most of the day avoiding work; it would take her quite a while to catch up. 

             
“I do too.  Maybe we can do this again sometime?”

             
“I’d love to.”  Anne smiled.  Merle dropped Anne off at the Red Cross before driving back to the Anderson site.  It was looking more and more like a house now.  Jim came out to harp on him about taking such a long lunch, but stopped when he saw the happy gleam in Merle’s eyes.  He was just preparing to ask Merle where he’d been when his phone rang.  When he looked at Merle his face was so full of excitement Merle grinned and pointed him towards his truck.  Jennifer was in labor, finally. 

Chapter Twenty-Three

             
By Saturday Alex was so anxious to get out of bed she thought she’d go crazy.  The doctor assured her everything was fine on Thursday, it had only been a false period, but Jason was so nervous and uptight that he’d begged her to stay in bed until she got ready to go to the wedding shower.  She’d finally conceded when he offered to take Friday off work just to keep her company.  How could she refuse?

             
Jason drove out to Michael and Kelly’s slowly.  He wasn’t in any particular rush to get in.  It was opening day.  Most of the guys were out at the hunting cabin at five a.m.  Jason would have joined them if he hadn’t been nervous of leaving Alex alone, but he didn’t really mind starting late.  Hunting was a hobby for him, not something he loved doing, but something he enjoyed on occasion.  Besides, he was planning on staying at the house a few minutes after the shower began to make sure his mother didn’t show up.  Alex’s giggling guests, including his sisters, received her so warmly that most of Jason’s anxiety left him as he watched them lead her into the living room.  Gifts covered the floor around the place of honor: a glider meant especially for Alex.  He watched her for a moment, chatting happily with the other women.  Her eyes were bright, a slight flush on her cheeks, she looked healthier than she had in a couple weeks.  She’d even put her hair up in some sort of twist or knot.  She urged him to go hunting, the other women pushing him out the door.  Apparently it was an all-woman party, and he wasn’t invited. 

Alex took her time talking with her guests.  Most of the ones from Jason’s family, she’d never met before, and she enjoyed getting to know his grandmother, aunts, and cousins.  No one mentioned Anne or her absence, a fact that relieved much of Alex’s stress.  She listened to the older women offer suggestions on keeping a marriage alive and healthy.  She was surprised at the audacity of some of the older women; apparently sex was a topic open for conversation to them.  Alex found herself becoming exceedingly embarrassed and uncomfortable.  She’d been sheltered.  Sex was not a topic of conversation in her family, and as she glanced at her mother’s surprised face she could tell that the comments weren’t just embarrassing her.  Everything she knew about sex Jason had taught her.  She liked it that way, and he seemed to as well.  The women laughed at her reddened cheeks, patting her hand politely and thankfully changing the subject.  It was Donna that urged Alex to open gifts when a particularly open woman began sharing stories of her sexual explorations with her second husband.  Alex was more than happy to oblige.

Alex’s parent’s bought them a very nice stainless steel cooking set for the kitchen, and her sister bought the hanging rack to match and utensils.  It was a lovely set, and Alex was excited to take the burnt, mixed matched pans that filled Jason’s cupboards to the goodwill.  Jason’s grandmother bought them a beautiful set of china for four.  There were cooking implements, gift cards, a set of casual dishes, a nice mantle clock, statues of a bride and groom, a digital camera, three sets of towels, a robe and slipper set for the bride and groom, jewelry of various kinds, cookbooks, a set of encyclopedias, and more things than Alex was able to keep track of.  Kelly wrote a list describing each gift and the person who gave it to the couple for Alex to keep as a guide when she sent out ‘thank you’ notes.  When Alex started to open Donna and Franklin’s gift, Donna stopped her, handing her the three large boxes that had been delivered to Kelly’s house the day before instead.

Alex opened the box numbered one.  A card with her name scrawled on top caught her attention, and as she’d done with every other gift, she opened the card first.  Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at Kelly and Rose is some astonishment.  They’d assured her that Anne hadn’t sent a gift, yet here one was.  Rose rushed to her side afraid something was wrong.  She scanned the note quickly, then read it again more slowly.  She couldn’t believe it.  Her mother, apologizing?  Rose read the card out loud to the waiting company, skipping the part about the baby. Alex and Jason hadn’t told the extended family about the pregnancy, but everyone knew about the fight.  If Anne hadn’t told them someone else did, and the guests were advised not to mention Anne’s name during the shower for Alex’s sake.  Alex looked at the box of brightly wrapped packages.  It was clear that Anne was sorry, but would Jason forgive her?  Alex was almost afraid to open the gifts without talking to Jason first; she excused herself and went to the kitchen. 

Jason answered his cell phone on the third ring.  He could hear the strain in Alex’s voice. 
She showed up when I specifically asked her not to
he thought angrily.  The guys groaned as he left the euchre game.  He wasn’t listening to a word Alex said as he rushed to his car.  She kept saying something about an apology, and Jason was determined to force one from his mother for whatever it was that had set Alex on edge.  He was back at the house within twenty minutes, hurrying inside to check on Alex.  She waited for him by the front door, a small card in her hand.  Jason brushed the card aside to hug her to him, not caring what his vicious mother had said for the moment.  She squeezed him quickly and then pushed him aside.  “Read this,” she ordered, putting the card in front of his face.

Jason stopped short at the first line.  A man told her she was a terrible, rotten, individual?  Jason almost wanted to defend his mother, then again, he also wanted to shake the man’s hand.  He read the short note several times before looking at Alex.  “This is her handwriting,” he just couldn’t believe they were her words.  He’d never heard her apologize.  “What did she send?”  Alex looked at Jason suspiciously. 

“I haven’t opened it.  I thought you’d be angry if you decided not to forgive her.”
Alex smiled.  “Are you forgiving her?  You said you just wanted a heartfelt apology.  I think this one counts.”  Alex was excited that Anne was apologizing.  It would be a relief to know that things were doing better, and Alex wouldn’t have to feel guilty for Jason writing off his mother.  Jason smiled.  He’d forgive her, at least for the time being.  If she started being unreasonable again, well then it would be another fight.  He didn’t want to fight with her, and he could see the relief in Alex’s face when he nodded his assent. 

             
“Go open your presents.”  Jason listened from the kitchen as Alex gasped in surprise.  Well, at least the shower would be over soon and he could go home with Alex and relax, he thought, if they were already opening presents.  He waited a few minutes to be certain Alex didn’t need him before he went back out to the hunting camp.

             
Alex opened the various presents from Anne in surprise.  It was the coveted bedroom set.  She’d planned on buying it piece by piece, but it didn’t look like she’d have to.  Jason had plenty of money, but she refused to spend so much at once.  She would have spent fifty dollars every couple weeks until she had the entire set.  Anne even bought both sets of sheets, so Alex wouldn’t have to rush to wash them if she wanted to keep the set together.  There were tears in her eyes as she came to the last box.  Kelly and Rose gave surprised little gasps when they saw the small white box.  Alex looked at them in concern, but they smiled slightly and encouraged her to open the gift. 

             
Somewhat afraid to open the small box, Alex read the card three times. 
What would she send that might offend me, but she bought for Rose and Kelly?
Alex asked herself, gingerly opening the box and folding back the tissue paper.  The nightgown was absolutely beautiful.  “Oh my,” she whispered, easing it out of the wrapping to hold it up and examine it more closely.  Alex had never seen something quite so lovely.  It wasn’t extremely expensive, or exceptionally sexy, it was just as Anne described it, elegant.  

             
Alex finished opening the rest of her gifts slowly.  Still shocked by Anne’s apology.  She glanced at Donna in surprise when she opened a sack of throw pillows and the other coordinating items for the bedroom set.  Donna and Franklin had worked with Anne to get her the entire set?  That was a surprise.  After the rather disastrous conversation Franklin had with Donna on Alex’s behalf, she’d doubted that Franklin and Anne would ever speak again. 

             
By the time the shower was over, Alex was completely exhausted.  She’d wanted to call Anne, but Jason asked her to wait, at least until they got home.  It took him several trips to load the car with all the gifts.  Alex hid the nightgown from Anne in one of the other boxes.  Something told her she wanted to save it for their wedding night.  It wasn’t exactly lingerie, but it was beautiful and just the thought of wearing it made her feel special.

Chapter Twenty-Four

             
Merle brought Anne lunch for the rest of the week.  She was so busy catching up she never noticed it was lunchtime.  On Friday he asked her if she’d heard from her son yet.  She told him no, but she doubted any of the gifts would be opened before the shower, so she wasn’t holding her breath.  They talked about their children and grandchildren.  Merle told her how much progress the crew was making at the Anderson house.  He described the layout and design of the home, the ins and outs of its construction, everything he could think of.  Anne listened pleasantly.  It was nice to hear someone talk so passionately. 

             
On Saturday Anne spent the morning cleaning and re-organizing the house, again.  There wasn’t much to be done, but she found it hard to sit still.  She was anxious to hear from someone at the shower.  She didn’t really expect to hear from Jason, or Alex even.  Donna promised she’d call when the shower was over, and she half expected to hear from one of the girls.  By three in the afternoon Anne was going crazy.  The shower was supposed to be over at two pm.  At three thirty the phone rang.  Anne answered on the first ring.  Donna told Anne how Alex had refused to open the presents until Jason read the note, and that she nearly cried as she opened each gift.  Donna said she was surprised that Anne hadn’t heard from Jason or Alex, but they had a lot of unpacking to do before they could relax.  Anne wanted to ask questions but she couldn’t bring herself to keep Donna on the phone any longer.  Things were better, but it was still a sore spot to speak with her so called ‘friend’ that was now married to her ex-husband.

             
Anne could hardly contain herself, so she decided to go for a drive.  Donna seemed to think that Jason and Alex had forgiven her, or they were at least willing to try.  It was the best news Anne could have gotten.  Before she realized what she was doing, Anne pulled into Merle’s driveway.  She didn’t even consider it unusual when she climbed out of her car and walked to Merle’s front door, knocking softly.  Merle opened the door wearing a pair of worn blue jeans, a red t-shirt, and a flannel.  His beard was freshly trimmed and his dark eyes were sparkling.  He didn’t seem at all surprised to see her, greeting her warmly and ushering her into his home.