Page 71 of Resisting Fate
He gave her a strange look but told her he’d get them.
Time was ticking away as she rushed back to the Harpers’ place. She was sure any minute someone would notice all the bags and boxes she’d left on the porch and front walk. She got there just as a young woman was peering down at the pie and jelly mess.
“That’s mine,” Missy called. “Sorry, I’ll clean up and clear this out. I’m on my way to visit a friend upstairs.”
The woman nodded and went back inside.
She squatted on the sidewalk, cleaning up as best she could. She’d take a hose to it later after the festivities. Her hip was screaming in pain, but it had to be done. It just wouldn’t do to leave a mess out here. Finally she was done, wiping her hands as best she could before gathering the decorations and buzzing Rena’s apartment.
“Hi, it’s Missy.”
“Come on up.”
She balanced the boxes on her non-injured hip while she opened the door and made her way up to the third floor. She knocked and the door swung open a moment later to a beaming Rena. Her dark brown hair was short now in a cute pixie cut. She wore a red sweater with jeans, looking comfortable and happy.
“Merry Christmas!” Missy exclaimed. “I brought some decorations. I wasn’t sure if you’d brought much with you.” Everyone knew they’d left with only one bag each of personal belongings.
“Oh, how nice. Here, let me help you with that.” Rena took one of the boxes before Missy could protest.
She walked in to a cozy scene, a fire crackling in the fireplace, the scent of pine and fresh-baked cookies in the air. They had a scraggly Christmas tree in the corner decorated with candy canes, red and green construction paper chains, and silver tinsel. The kids were gathered around the coffee table, industriously cutting folded white paper into snowflakes.
“Hi, guys,” she said. “That looks fun.”
The boys ran over, showing off their snowflakes. “Aren’t they awesome?” Todd asked. “We’re going to put them on the tree next.”
Will chimed in. “You can get really tricky, cutting in just the right place to make a surprise hole in the middle.”
“Cool,” she said.
Madelyn smiled, shaking her head. “It’s not a surprise after the first time.”
A timer dinged in the galley kitchen. Rena smiled. “Oh, that’s our snickerdoodles. Just be a minute.”
Missy left the decorations by the tree, thinking she’d probably brought too many. The tree was pretty well covered already, and they had snowflakes to add too.
She followed Rena to the kitchen, where the sight and smell of snickerdoodles made her stomach growl. A pang of pure longing went through her at this beautiful scene of family togetherness. “You really brought the Christmas cheer, Rena.”
Rena took her potholders off and leaned close, speaking under her breath, “I wasn’t sure how our first Christmas on our own would go, but the kids are happier than ever. They feel safe here. And they’re resilient, you know? Their world was rocked and they carried on.” She looked lovingly over at her children. “I never had time to do this kind of thing with them before, simple things like teaching them to make paper snowflakes. I was always so busy with all the kids’ activities. I was more like a chauffeur and we barely had time to sit down to a meal together. Now we can’t afford all those extras, but you know what? It taught us how to be a family again.”
Missy couldn’t speak for a moment, her throat tight, eyes burning with tears, heart pounding.
“Mom, help!” Will hollered, holding up his snowflake.
Rena walked over, and Missy just stared at the simple beauty of a mom helping her son make a snowflake. Rena’s words stuck in her mind:Their world was rocked and they carried on.Missy’s world had been rocked many, many times and she’d carried on too. She’d fought so hard and struggled so much, and she never gave herself credit for that. She was resilient. If her world was rocked again, she could carry on too.
She let out a breath, the ache in her heart easing. She could take a chance on Ben. He’d screwed up, but she had too, kissing him at the office, and he’d let it go. He’d apologized sincerely, there were no more secrets between them, and he might be willing to try again. She ran a shaking hand through her hair, both euphoric and terrified at the idea. What if it was too late?
Rena looked over. “Would you like to join us, Missy? Or I could make you some tea and you could just relax on the sofa.”
Crap. She’d left all the food and presents outside. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “I left something downstairs.”
She raced out the door, hurrying down the stairs, hoping everything was still where she’d left it. She burst through the front door. Oh, thank goodness. She went for the bags of food first when a familiar masculine voice said in a wry tone, “Looks like a paintball war. I’d say red won.” He meant the jelly stains on the sidewalk.
Heart in her throat, she lifted her gaze to find Ben standing at the end of the front walk in a green velvet coat with a matching green velvet elf hat, holding a brown paper bag. He was here because of her, she knew it, and that meant he hadn’t given up on her. Her pulse raced, heat stealing through her body despite the cold, all of her suddenly electrically alive.
His dimples appeared and her heart squeezed. “I thought we could make sugar cookies. I brought the cookie cutters I used as a kid and sprinkles.”
She slowly set the bags down and closed the distance between them on shaky legs. “How did you know where to find me?”
