Page 124 of The Blessings of Christmas
“What are you doing?” His ragged breath ruffled her bangs. But he didn’t sound mad.
Glancing up from lowered lashes, Victoria grinned. “Guess what? You do have a heart.”
The poor guy looked stricken. Maybe she’d carried this too far. Backing away, she almost tripped over her own feet. “No offense meant.”
“No offense taken. I think.” His lips tweaked up on one side.
This sure felt like flirting. What was she doing? But hadn’t that been her goal all along?
“Time to get to work.” Grabbing her bag, she made a beeline for the kitchen. After Cindy at her nail salon had taken her to task for chipping two of her nails scrubbing a pan with the steel wool pad, Victoria had bought a pair of purple rubber gloves with a huge sunflower attached to each cuff.
While she was pulling them on, Dr. D. casually walked through the kitchen. He took his time pouring more coffee. Victoria knew that he could have gotten that coffee at the buffet table. Mug in hand, he studied her gloves as she stacked the crockery on the sideboard. “So you've got a thing for purple?”
“What? You don't like my outfit?” In one of her many catalogs, she’d found a pair of purple leggings and a lightweight sweater. They kind of matched the rubber gloves.
“Quite a picture.” His lips twitched. “A lot of...purple.”
Victoria wasn’t accustomed to people making fun of her clothes. “Gee, thanks.” Mama probably wouldn’t like this either.
After he disappeared leaving the faint smell of his soap, Phyllis came in for another stack of dishes. “You’ve been promoted. We’re moving Mary Lou back here.”
“What! You don’t like my work?” She was horrified. A sense of failure loomed.
“That’s not it. Mary Lou’s very shy. Dr. D. thinks you’d be better out at the buffet line. Thinks you’d perk people up. I don’t know what that man is talking about.” But her eyes sparkled.
“Yippee.” She stripped off the gloves. All the action happened out front. When Phyllis handed her a hair net, Victoria swallowed a groan. She’d have to give serious thought to a new hairdo. After stuffing her hair into the net, she followed Phyllis out and took up her position behind the long table, metal scoop in hand.
Serving the scrambled eggs, grits and toast, she got to talk to all the folks. They always said “please” and “thank you.” From where she stood, she’d have a clear view of Dr. D.’s door. The number of patients he saw every day was amazing. Phyllis told her that people were coming from as far away as the big cities.
“Why do they drive all that way?”
“Because they can’t find help anywhere else. No insurance. A lot of these folks have fallen in the cracks.”
“Fallen through the cracks.” The words carved a hole in her heart. She couldn’t imagine how that might feel.
Lowering her voice, Phyllis said, “Some have jobs, but not work that pays well or that gives benefits. So they come here when they get sick or need shots for their children.”
If Victoria had respected Dr. Darling before, he’d now graduated to super hero status. Meanwhile she kept scooping, exchanging jokes with the men and women who passed through. They needed the food but it seemed to her that they also enjoyed the kidding around offered by the regulars, Big Mac among them.
When one of the men called her “Vicki,” Big Mac stepped up. “No, no, Dennis. This lady's name is Victoria. Like the Queen.” He almost whispered the last part but Victoria heard it. Tears filled her eyes. That sweet guy was sticking up for her. “Thishere is the lady who brings the cookies. The good ones that don't come in a package.”
The respect in Dennis’ eyes told her she’d come up in the world.
As the days passed, red trees cut from colored paper appeared on the clinic Christmas tree. She’d watched people write on a blank tree and then hang it up with a green ribbon.
“What’s with those ornaments?” she asked Phyllis.
Phyllis folded her hands over her ample stomach. “Why, this is our giving tree. Everyone writes down their Christmas wish. Me and some of the girls scour the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores from here to Atlanta to fill these wishes. It’s kind of fun.”
“Sounds time consuming and expensive.”
When Phyllis laughed, her entire body jiggled. “Yes, ma’am. It sure is.”
Coming closer, Victoria began to read. “Barbie doll. Spiderman Super Web Slinger. Whatever is that?”
Phyllis shrugged. “Just something kids love and want.”
Victoria kept reading. “Goo Goo Galaxy, Baby Shark Song Puppet, Robo Alive Ferocious Dragon.” She turned to Phyllis. “I've never heard of these toys.”
