Our first stop was Home Depot where we bought several wreaths—a matching pair for the stone columns at the driveway and another for our front door. We even bought one for the rear gate. We bought a tree—one with the lights already wired onto the branches and dozens of ornaments. Then we went to Lowe’s and we were almost there when I remembered the Christmas shop in Calabash.
The store was expensive, but had a huge selection of everything. We bought a nativity set and a big wreath for the large stone area over our fireplace. Most of all we had some ideas we would think about for next year. The good thing about this shop was that it was open all year around. The Christmas stuff at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and even Walmart disappeared by January.
We had a lot of fun decorating with but one problem—Lady’s tail. She must have knocked twenty decorations to the floor and twice almost knocked the tree to the floor, a problem I finally solved by placing a screw eye into the wall and connecting it to the tree with steel wire.
Jennie and I did all of our shopping online, and most of it at Harry Winston’s. Jennie suggested pearl earrings and necklace for Mom. We bought similar sets of small diamond studs and pendants for Andrea and Allison. For Toni we went a bit overboard, buying what Jennie thought was an exquisite diamond and emerald pendant with matching earrings. For Paul sweaters and shirts were all we could come up with.
Charlie was a fisherman and the girls had told us of a rod and reel combo that he just drooled over—a Shimano Stella reel and matching rod—exactly what I had on my boat. Jennie insisted that she didn’t want anything so, naturally, I bought her an expensive gold and diamond watch by Movado. I had the best presents I could imagine in Jennie and Andrea.
Christmas day began like every other with Lady sticking her cold nose under my arm to tell me that Andrea was about to wake up. Fifteen minutes later Jennie carried her out to the living room. I placed a blanket on the floor as I’d done almost every day. She seemed to enjoy watching the lights and she always reached out for Lady who always lay right next to her, her dangerous claws facing away. Several times we’d seen Andrea reach over to touch Lady’s fir and she’d laughed every time.
We exchanged gifts with Mom and Paul. Jennie loved her watch. She bought me a new watch, too—a solar powered Seiko. We spent a quiet day—as quiet as a day can be when there’s a three-week old baby in the house. The Blasi’s phoned around noon to wish us a merry Christmas and we discussed their visit.
I met them at the general aviation terminal and—wow—were they excited! They had several plastic bags with brightly colored boxes in addition to their suitcase. I drove into the garage not more than forty minutes later. After hugging Jennie and being introduced to Mom and Paul the girls ran upstairs to unpack. We had planned to exchange gifts at that time, but apparently Lady had other ideas. She took Andrea’s wrist in her mouth and led her to our room, stopping right in front of the bassinette with our sleeping daughter. Andrea, Allison, and Toni stood there for a good twenty minutes
They took photos and commented on how beautiful and how tiny she was. When she woke up they commented on how loud she was. The girls asked if they could watch when Jennie nursed and we agreed. Then while Andrea was still awake they gave her their presents. Andrea had bought her a pink bear with the softest covering. It became her favorite.
Allison bought her rattle with several colorful bands on a plastic ring and was thrilled when Andrea was able to hold it. Of course, she tried to put it into her mouth. We gave them their gifts then and they were understandably pleased—more than pleased, they were ecstatic. “You shouldn’t have,” was what Toni said, but the expressions on her and her daughters’ faces said otherwise. I’d hear that expression several times over the next few months.
Charlie arrived as scheduled on the 30th and I met him in Myrtle Beach’s main terminal. The first words out of his mouth when he saw the gift from Jennie and me were—you guessed it!—“You shouldn’t have.” Yes; his face said otherwise.
We would have normally taken everyone out for dinner several times, but neither Jennie nor I were ready to take our newborn daughter out into crowds of coughing and sneezing people with colds or flu, or worse. Instead, Mom and Toni handled the evening cooking, Mom making pot roast and baked ham and Toni doing both homemade lasagna and spaghetti with homemade meatballs and Italian sausage. I handled most lunches, grilling hot dogs, homemade burgers, kielbasa, and bratwurst. We all wanted Jennie to take things as easy as possible.
The girls chipped in with caring for Andrea who we decided to call “Andi” to separate her from Andrea, her namesake. They changed her diapers and helped with her bath. They loved to hold her and did so often.
We had a great time New Year’s Eve, but when Lady ran out of the bedroom at 12:30 to get us we called it a night. All of our guests left two days later by limo. There were six of them and our largest car, Jennie’s SUV, could hold them, but not their suitcases, too. There were hugs and kisses aplenty and even a few tears, even though we assured them that we’d see them soon—Spring Break at the latest.
Jennie and I took Andi to her first doctor’s appointment about a week later. It was a well-care visit, one of many that would be scheduled over the next few years. She’d received her first shot and she wasn’t happy. Poor Andrea cried and cried even after we had left the office and were on our way home. We needed some baby powder and some ointment so Jennie asked me to drop her at Walmart. She’d go in while I waited in the car with Andi. I found a parking spot and stood outside the car so she’d be able to see me. Luckily, she wasn’t in the store too long. I waved, she saw me and we were back in the car less than ten minutes later.
I drove out toward the highway, paying keen attention to the traffic. Whoever designed this parking lot should be strung up by his balls. There are so many blind turns that anyone who does more than ten miles an hour is a fool. One of the exits requires a left-hand turn straight into entering traffic. I was almost out when I felt Jennie’s grip on my arm. “Doug!” I looked first at her then saw what she was looking at. Rather than driving to the highway I found a parking spot and walked up to the stop sign. Seated there with a homemade cardboard sign was a man—yes, it was a man this time—begging for help.
“What’s your story, Mister,” I asked as I approached.
“I lost my job…my career, actually. Then I lost my house. My family’s been staying at the city shelter for the last week. It’s dangerous there. I worry about my wife and my little girl every night. Even worse, if we don’t get there on time we have to sleep in my truck. I don’t even know if I have enough gas to get back to them.”
“What did you do for a living?”
“I was a roofer. Then I fell and broke my hip. I got workers’ comp and disability, but they’re nothing compared to what I was making. Then they dried up…fucking government—all they ever do is screw you. Can you help me? Will you…please?”
“I can and I will. It was about a year ago that I met a young woman at this very stop sign. We’re now married and we have a little girl of our own.” I reached for my wallet and pulled out ten fifties. Handing them to the man I told him, “Get your family out of the shelter and into a motel. There’s a gas station about two blocks down the highway. You might want to go there first.”
I took a business card from my wallet and wrote on the back—Blue Ribbon Cleaners—with their phone number. “I spoke to the owner just the other day. They clean our house every week and they’re in dire need of people. You can tell them I told you to call. It’s only $10 an hour, but they’ll be happy to get you. Maybe your wife would like a job, too if you can find daycare for your daughter.”
He shook my hand as he thanked me repeatedly until I suggested his wife and child needed him. He grinned, probably for the first time in weeks then jogged across the exit to an old pickup truck. I returned to my wife, realizing for perhaps the millionth time how lucky we actually were. I was barely in the car when Jennie leaned across the console, planting a huge kiss onto my lips. “You’re such a wonderful man. How much did you give him?”
“Five hundred and the phone number of Blue Ribbon.”
“Oh…good idea; no wonder I love you so much. And to think it’s our anniversary. Yes, darling—it’s exactly one year since I met you here…the very best year of my life.” She kissed me again and I drove down the highway to our home and our future.
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