Page 20 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
“I would guess so, from all the times I heard her out on the front porch this summer.”
“It’s not easy suffering through a breakup,” said Mom.
Didn’t he know it?
“Your poor Aunt Jen had a terrible time.”
He still remembered his aunt sitting at their kitchen table, crying, his mom patting her on the shoulder and telling her she was well rid of Uncle Alan. He’d seen enough of Aunt Jen’s nagging and put-downs over the years to wonder if it wasn’t Uncle Alan who was well rid of her.
Funny how after Alden had broken up with Cynthia his mom sang a different tune. “I never liked that girl,” she said when he showed up at a family gathering alone. “She didn’t deserve you.”
Alden knew there were two sides to every story. Was his neighbor’s ex’s mother saying the same thing to him or was he the undisputed villain in the breakup?
“Tell me more about this neighbor,” said Mom. Great. Her matchmaking radar was now activated.
“There’s not much to tell. She’s got a kid and she’s living with her mom.”And that image of her standing on her porch with the string of lights is now stuck in my mind.
It was the leggings. She’d looked great in them.
“Wouldn’t Gram have loved it if the house she left you turned out to be right next to the perfect woman?” Mom said with a smile.
“I don’t know if I’m going to keep it.”And I wouldn’t exactly call my neighbor perfect, no matter how good she looks in leggings.
“Not keep it?” Mom looked shocked. “I thought you were going to fix it up.”
“I am, but it seems kind of stupid to keep the place when I don’t have a family.”
“You will,” Mom predicted.
“Yeah? What do you know that I don’t know?” he teased.
“I know plenty,” she said. “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
His dad was in the kitchen now, wondering how the cheese dip and wings were coming.
“Everything’s ready,” she said.
“Good, I’m starving,” said Dad.
“I know,” she said, patting his cheek. “You’re wasting away to a shadow.”
“A pretty big shadow,” Alden teased, patting the old man’s beer belly.
“Hey, that’s muscle,” Dad said, trying to tighten up his gut.
David came into the kitchen just in time to hear that and let out a guffaw.
“Don’t you be making fun of your father,” Mom scolded. “He’s perfect just as he is.”
“Yeah, right,” scoffed David.
Alden didn’t say anything, but he couldn’t help thinking,I hope I find someone as cool as my mom.
Molly had gotten a sudden burst of energy after meeting with her Christmas compadres and went out the very next day and bought a Dremel and some red and green paint. She found the perfect block of wood at Hobby Lobby and took everything home and got busy. Two days later her bobblehead Santa was ensconced on her desk atop a holiday brick that proclaimed she wasKeeping Christmas All Year Here.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” demanded Mrs. Bigman as she set her package on the counter.
“It means I want to keep the Christmas cheer going,” Molly replied. “Nobody likes a Grinch.”Hint, hint.
