Page 20 of Forever Christmas
A tiny lightning streak of pain shootsthrough my belly down to my groin. I clap my hand against my stomach. It’s gone as quickly as it came, but I snap my laptop shut.
I don’t need any more sign than that to stop.
My phone buzzes, but it’s clear across the room. I’m not up for moving from my safe place, so I open my laptop again, quickly closing the search results before I can read anything.
My phone messages show up on my messagingapp on the computer.
It’s Mom.
Gavin’s father has heart surgery tomorrow. Very risky. You coming?
What?
I quickly text her back.
What happened?
While I wait for her response, I text Gavin.
What is going on with your father?
My parents have no love lost for the Mays family, who have lived across the back alley since before Gavin and I were born. We never told Mom or Dad outright about Gavin’sfather, but they knew something at his home wasn’t right. They accepted Gavin as one of us.
Well, up until he left during Finn’s funeral. That took some work to forgive, for all of us.
I haven’t told them about the new baby yet. I don’t know why. I’m scared, I guess. And I want to wait for the first sonogram, still two weeks away.
But now this.
Both messages come through at the same time.
From Mom.He has congestive heart failure and needs a quadruple bypass. I just took a casserole over. I offered to help.
From Gavin.The old man’s bad karma has finally caught up with him.
I respond to Gavin first.When are we leaving?
He responds:The day after never.
Are you sure? It sounds serious.
I’ll show up at his funeral and dance on his grave.
Oh, Gavin.
I know. I get it. One ofthe reasons Gavin and I got so close as children was that Gavin never stayed at home. And when his father forced him to help around the house, I helped too. Mr. Mays wouldn’t hit him in front of me.
But when I wasn’t around, it was bad. Real bad.
Mom’s message is still sitting there, so I answer her.
He won’t go.
Not even to let his father make amends?
Is his father planning to?
I don’tknow. It’s so sad. I grieve for Alaina.
My mom and Gavin’s mom Alaina became friends after I got pregnant, out of necessity. Gavin leaving town during the funeral hurt their relationship.
Probably Gavin’s father has not changed. And Gavin isn’t going to give him absolution he hasn’t earned.
But I know Gavin is making a mistake. I just know it. Mom thinks Mr. Mays has changed.
I need to makehim go. Like lighting the rainbow candle and turning down the adjunct job, I know it’s the right thing to do.
