Page 85 of Season of Gifts

“Except I am,” she mumbled.She swung them over the side and sat up.“Lots more to do today.”A push against the mattress got her to her feet.Couldn’t fault the amount of stair-climbing exercise she got at home.Down one, two, three—

“Alice?My apologies.”Henry’s voice came through clearer, the background noise absent.“I’ve reached the car.Are you in the bedroom or prepared to write a packing list?”

Four-five-six-seven—her heels thudded on the steps, a drumbeat racing her toward the goal.“Bedroom.”

“Are you panting?”He dropped into his curious-stern dangerous voice.Guess she was going to get that chiding for running in the house after all.“Have you been using your time on hold to entertain yourself in our bed, sweet girl, or are you lying to me about being in the bedroom?I’ve asked you not to lie, even about the most trivial of things.”

Wincing as she crossed the threshold into the bedroom, she silently pleaded with him to forgive the bigger secrets later.Lies of omission, with the best of intentions.“In the bedroom now, I swear.There was just a staircase between me and it.I wish it had been the first option, though.”

“Thank you, Alice.All right.You’ll want…”

He rattled off her packing list at the speed of light.Started with the right size bags, and named shirts and pants and skirts exactly, with detailed colors and fasteners, and he could tell her exactly where they’d be on the rods and shelves.She was standing in the damn closet where the clothes lived, and she couldn’t do what he was doing.She threw things over her arm until the weight got too much, then tossed those onto the bed and went back for more.His packages were even wrapped, fetched from one of the built-in cabinets in the playroom and already in two big sacks for transport.Those she hauled to the top of the stairs; she and Jay could take them down to the car later.

“—and of course comfortable clothes to wear about the house for you both.Allow Jay to choose his pajamas, please; he’ll need something he can don quickly just in case.”

He didn’t say in case of what, but it didn’t take more than two brain cells to think about how Henry had casually mentioned the “overnight incident” that had sent them back to the emergency room.Being able to jump out of bed and call for an ambulance without searching for clothes could matter.“How is Mother doing?”

Henry’s end of the call went silent for the first time in many minutes.

She slumped down beside the pile of clothes; a pair of rolled socks tumbled off the bed.“Has there been another setback?”

“No, no.”His answer came quick, reassuring, but his pause and breath afterward signaled something off.She hadn’t hit on the right question.

He cleared his throat.“Mother is finishing her rehabilitation session.Today is a long day of appointments, but we’ve been in to see the doctor, and Mother is doing well.I am attempting to accomplish the errands while she is with the care team.It will be past teatime before we’re home.”

“Don’t feel like you have to do anything for me and Jay.”She would cut herself walking the knife edge between what each of her husbands needed.“I’ve already made dinner plans for us, and we can’t get there before nine at the earliest.We just really want to be there with you.We’ve missed you, Henry.”

“Yes, the separation has been a strain.I will see you both tonight.Please be careful on the drive.”

Distant, distracted—that wasn’t Henry even on a bad day.But this was day thirteen of a string of bad days for him.Her shoulders prickled.Normally she would avoid engaging, play it off like she didn’t care either.But she was going to do better.Be better.“We will.I love you.”

“And I you.Until tonight.”

“Until tonight.”

The call blipped out.She blew out a long breath.A million things could have been influencing his mood.He didn’t have to throw away energy on proving his enthusiasm.Once she and Jay got there, he would see how much better that was.How his stress melted away in an embrace.If they couldn’t fix the problem, they could make dealing with it bearable.

“Time to get started.”In the next three hours, she needed to pack these clothes in their duffels, wrap her gifts, order dinner, send some texts, run an errand, and do a little prep work for Jay’s room check reward.

She yawned, her mouth gaping like the Grand Canyon, and her stomach rumbled.

“Right.Snack first.I’ll sate that other hunger later.”

Chapter forty-four

Jay

Jayhunchedhisshouldersand ducked his head against the wind as he rounded the last corner, swinging the bike wide since their street was one-way and the traffic was light.He’d picked up seventeen routes today, and his legs yowled for a hot shower.

The glow down the block—that was their front window.He for sure hadn’t left the tree lights plugged in.They didn’t have a timer.Coming home to them was damn cheery, though.He should get—

Alice.

Alice had made it home.

His legs blasted out a fresh burst of speed.Nearly overshot the front door, and only a wild swerve saved him from the strange minivan parked out front.Holiday guests at the neighbor’s, probably.He leaped off the seat and rolled the bike up to the door.His hand couldn’t scoop the keys from his pocket.Two tries, three, and finally success.Cars and pockets and doors, freaking obstacles between him and his wife.

“Alice?”He shouted for her.The wall hooks held her winter coat like a prize.He unloaded the panniers, knocked them flat, and popped the front wheel of the bike up.Lifted it into the rack, hands shaking as he swiveled it against the wall.“Alice?”

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