Page 123 of Season of Gifts

“Request for a photo in return, yes.Shall we—”

“One sec.”Alice jogged to the bed and swept the blanket and top sheet into her arms, the overflow dragging around her feet as she made her way back.“What about you?”

Mother was already arranging her sketchbook in her lap and raising the phone.“Delightfully occupied.Smiles?”

“Smiles.”She tucked in close, her face beside Mother’s, and pointed wide eyes and waggling brows at the camera.

Mother added text, and off it flew, to soothe the man they both loved.

A yawn stretched Mother’s face, and she covered it daintily with her hand.“I do apologize.I suspect it’s time for that nap.”

Alice moved the sketchbook to the table and retucked the quilt around Mother.She added a glass of water within reach, then turned on the baby monitor and picked up the handset just in case.“If you need me, I’ll hear you.”

“Thank you, darling.”

Once Alice got the sheets changed, the laundry started, and the rest of the guest room details handled, she peeked into the other rooms on the floor.Aside from the library, they were vacant and still, just room after room of furniture waiting for people to need it.Behind one door, a set of stairs way less fancy than the ones to the second floor led to a third floor.The front-to-back open area at the top must’ve been Mother’s old studio space.On either side, bedrooms with slanted ceilings and dormer windows stood empty and waiting.

“Alice?”Mother’s voice came through the speaker at her hip, crisp and clear.“I suppose I am awake and much refreshed.You needn’t hurry back.”

She did, though, clattering down the stairs that deposited her between the library and the primary bedroom.Rapping on the door, she stepped inside.“It’s after eleven—are you hungry?Should we be putting together lunch?”

Mother had cast aside the quilt; she swung her legs down and looked up as Alice approached.Her eyes were brighter, the color in her cheeks pinker.“We may certainly investigate the possibilities.”

Grilled cheese she could do, if—a cricket chirped from her pocket, and she whipped out her phone.

Mother chuckled at her.“Ah, the eagerly anticipated sister?”

“Different sister.”Not disappointing, despite the slump in her stomach.She thumbed a quick reply.“Nat’s on her way to run that favor for me.Hopefully she’ll have good luck and only minor interference.”Though that involved a metric buttload of hoping.If Nat pulled this off, Alice would owe her big time.She stuffed the phone away and positioned herself in front of Mother with her arm out.“Wanna go downstairs?”

“You realize”—Mother lightly pulled herself to standing and stretched, adjusting her stance wider—“while Henry is out would be an excellent time to identify options for his contribution to your surprise.”

“I didn’t even think of it.”She’d had it tucked away as a thought for later, when things were more settled, but today would be perfect.“We have time before lunch?”

“My stomach isn’t rumbling yet, darling.”Mother hugged Alice’s arm tight.“And I am rapturous at the thought of assisting with your project.”

They settled in the music room, where every object came with a story.Twenty minutes in, her phone chirped again.The screen lit up, and Alice’s shoulders relaxed.“It’s Ollie.She has time to talk.Do you mind if I…”

Mother raised a hand.“Not at all.You go ahead.”

She started the call, her stomach turning somersaults.“Hey, munchkin!You ready for Christmas?”

Ollie snorted.“Working an overnight on Christmas Eve, so it’s better you wanted to talk today.I gotta figure out when I can call Mom and wish her a merry Christmas.I sent a card, though.Did you send a card?Where are you?Did Henry redecorate?Have you seen Mama Helen yet?Is she okay?”

“I can see her right now, actually.”That was the safest place to start.“We’re all at her house, except Henry and Jay are out running errands.Check this out.”She flipped the camera and showed off the tree.“Jay did most of the decorating yesterday.And…” She touched Mother’s arm and pointed at the phone, getting a nod and a soft smile in return.Flipping the camera back, she angled the phone beside her.“Now you can see her too.”

The cuteness of her sister chattering at Henry’s mom kept the nerves from eating her whole, but the nibbling at the edges had her jumpy and awkward.She’d called Ollie for a reason.Comforting small talk wasn’t it.“Hey, so, I wanted to tell you—”

“If it’s about the enormous box, it showed up yesterday.”Ollie panned her phone, and okay, yes, the luggage they’d gotten her for Christmas did seem to be in a box the size of her kitchen table.“I promise I won’t open it until Wednesday.I sent you something, too, like a million times smaller, but I guess you’ll see it when you get home.”

“I can’t wait!And I’m glad the box arrived.”She’d completely forgotten about it, but yay for early planning.Teasing her sister about the mystery package would be much easier than opening herself to whatever criticism she deserved for the mess she’d stirred up.“I went home last week.”

Fuck, her stomach ached like the time Chrissy Saffert slammed her with a kickball in gym class.“I, uh, I know I said I wasn’t going to.But I did.”

Ollie gaped at her without blinking, her mouth hanging open.“You went…”

A shudder rolled through her.This was not the place to throw up.She should’ve told Ollie on Thursday when she got back to the hotel.Every day she’d waited, the storm inside grew.“Sorry I—”

“I am so proud of you.Like holyshit.Sorry, Mama Helen!But that’s huge, Allie.Massive.And you didn’t—all by yourself—they were home?Of course they were home, duh, sorry, I just…” Ollie blew out a long breath with chipmunk cheeks.“Sooo…” Ollie’s face filled the screen, little twitches around her eyes, tiny tremors in her lips.“How was it?”

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