Page 31 of The Christmas Keepsake
“You’re glowing. Like the tree.” She pointed to the blue fir in front of them.
Mallory shook her head. “No. No, I’m just thinking about, well, a good friend.”
Nan ignored Mallory’s claim. “I had a special person once too, you know?”
Mallory pulled up a chair from a nearby table and sat it beside Nan’s wheelchair. “Who was he?” Even though the journals mentioned a man named Ralph, Mallory didn’t know who that was. Nan had never spoken about this person who’d been so important to her. Were the journal writings a false memory that Nan had penned during the initial moments of her Alzheimer’s?
Nan seemed to think, her demeanor shifting from light to heavy as she shook her head.
Mallory reached for her grandmother’s wrinkled hand. “It’s okay.” She knew how upset Nan got during these moments where she struggled and failed to recall her past. Instead of pressing, Mallory diverted Nan’s attention by holding up the Rustic Nail Ornament again. “Fourth from the top, right?” she asked with a cheery tone, hoping Nan would relax.
“Yes. Fourth from the top.”
“Okay.” There was a stepladder against the wall that Mallory had used to string the lights. “I need to hang the first three first,” Mallory went on. They were in the bag as well. “The Santa Hat Tree Topper. The Butterfly Barrette Ornament. The Wildflower Ornament.Then the Rustic Nail Ornament.” Mallory stood, grabbed the ladder, and set it up in front of the tree. One by one, she carried each keepsake to the top as Nan watched.
When Mallory was done, she looked at Nan. “I’ll hang some more with you tomorrow. But tonight, I need to get to the theater for the play.”
“Play?” Nan’s face lit up. “Oh, I’ve always loved the theater.”
“Oh?” Mallory asked, as if she didn’t know. “If you want, I’ll take you to the play on opening night. Would you like that?”
Nan looked uncertain. “My home is here now. I don’t want to leave.”
And that’s why Mallory needed to do whatever it took to keep Nan here at Memory Oaks. Whether it meant working extra shifts at the hospital or listening to Maddie justify why they should sell the theater after this final show.
Nan had cared for Mallory and Maddie when they were children, and Mallory needed to return the favor and take the best care of Nan that she could. Reaching down, she squeezed Nan’s hand. “Let’s get you back to your room, Gr—” She stopped herself, remembering how upset Nan had gotten last time she’d said thegrandmaword, and continued wheeling Nan to her room where she helped her back into her recliner. “Okay, off to the theater I go,” she said on her way out. “See you tomorrow.”
“Break a leg!” Nan called behind her, giving Mallory pause. And hope. Nan was still here, though hard to find.
A noise coming from the attic of the theater got Mallory’s attention. The theater was old, and it creaked when the wind blew. Still, she looked up in the direction of the attic as she listened attentively. Then she screamed as the front entrance door to the theater burst open.
“Ho, ho, ho!” Hollis stopped in his tracks and stood on the indoor mat, his brows crinkling as she relaxed back into her natural posture. “You all right?”
Heat crawled up her cheeks. “You scared me.”
“Me?” Hollis dug a finger into his chest.
“You ever heard of knocking?” she teased.
He grinned in response. “The sign on the door saysCOME ON IN. Want me to leave?”
“Of course not. You’re the first to arrive for play practice. That bodes well for you as our lead actor. Punctuality is a plus. That’s what Nan always said.” Mallory tilted her head. “Speaking of Nan, she told me about that dance you two shared. I think she has a soft spot for you.”
Hollis stood a little taller and puffed out his chest. “Must be my handsome good looks.”
Mallory knew he was only teasing, but she couldn’t argue. He had a rugged look about him that she’d never really been attracted to. In the past, she’d dated guys who worked at the hospital, polished and prone to tucked-in polos and fancy cologne. Not Hollis. He was different, in a good way. “I appreciate how good you are to Nan.”
Hollis gave Mallory a long look. “She means a lot to me too, you know. Your grandmother stood by me at my worst. Can’t say that about too many people. I’m a loyal guy.”
“Is that why you still work on Matt’s construction crew?” Mallory wasn’t sure where the question came from, but she could see that it visibly hit a nerve with Hollis. His gaze dropped, and he shifted uncomfortably.
Hollis pinched the bridge of his nose. “Matt is the dad I never had. And the crew is like the brothers I’ve always wanted. We’re one big extended family. That’s hard to walk away from.”
Mallory understood that perfectly. “I always felt that way here in this theater. The cast was like my family. I’d come home from school, and they’d help me with my homework.”
Hollis grinned. “Same. I loved coming here as a kid.”
Mallory looked around the old, run-down theater. “If these walls could talk.”
