Page 54 of Sweet Home

“Sissy,”Mrs. Harris said suddenly, her voice quavering with emotion. “Sissy, you came.”

West looked over to see that the older lady was gazing at Dulcie, a rapturous smile on her careworn face. His heart broke at the idea that she was going to be disappointed.

“Hi, Kit,” Dulcie replied softly, holding up the bag. “I brought candy.”

The room went silent for a moment.

“Oh,” Kit sighed happily. “That’s nice.”

“Can I sit with you?” Dulcie asked her.

“Come on, Sissy,” Kit said happily.

“We have to take our vitamins first,” Dulcie told her as she snuggled onto the loveseat beside the older woman.

When West finally remembered to move, he walked slowly over to the medicine toget it ready.

“Is that your boyfriend?” Kit asked Dulcie, eyeing West with a mischievous expression.

“He’s cute, right?” Dulcie asked quietly.

West tried not to chuckle.

But Kit just threw her head back and laughed, and West was suddenly reminded of the long-ago days when Kit had been part of all the ladies’ social circles in town. His mom used to say that Kit Harris’s book club picks were always the funny ones.

West carefully placed Kit’s pills in her hand and then placed pretend ones in Dulcie’s.

The two ladies knocked back their pills and Dulcie handed Kit the glass of water from the table to wash hers down.

“Christmas candy,” Kit said conspiratorially to Dulcie.

“I could eat the whole bag,” Dulcie said, opening it and pulling out a mint. “They’re just so good.”

“Me too,” Kit said. “So good.”

West watched as Dulcie unwrapped the candy carefully and placed it in Kit’s waiting hand. She unwrapped one for herself too, and they popped them in their mouths at the same time,

“Mmmmm,” Dulcie said, smiling.

And in that moment, West knew that the peppermint dissolving on her tongue had nothing on his melting heart.

Kit smiled back at her, looking decades younger. Ellen’s hand wrapped around West’s wrist and she squeezed. When he looked over, she had tears in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she mouthed.

“We want our movie,” Kit said after a moment.

“Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street?”Ellen offered.

“We like that one,” Kit said, nodding.

Ellen grabbed the remote from the coffee table and started the television up. The classic movie was already playing, and West wondered how often they watched it.

“Would you be able to stay a few more minutes?” Ellen asked softly. “She doesn’t get too many happy moments these days.”

“Are you okay?” West mouthed to Dulcie.

Dulcie nodded and smiled.

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