Page 156 of The Blessings of Christmas
“That'll be great. Thank you,” Phyllis called after her.
Lifting the construction paper ornaments from the tree, Josie quickly scanned them. Some of the wishes were simple, like shaving equipment and soap. But there was more than one bike printed on an ornament, along with the color and size. The exact descriptions made her chuckle. Thinking back on her ownchildhood, she’d always been very specific about what kind of Barbie doll she wanted, down to the clothes.
There were an amazing number of Christmas Wishes on this tree. Sports equipment and clothes. Baby carseats and diapers. A family name was jotted at the bottom of each ornament. When she’d finished, Josie took the pile back to the table where her lunch was waiting. Setting them aside, she smiled at Malcolm and maneuvered herself into a chair. “Thank you. Looks like egg salad. I love that.”
“You always have. What have you got there?” He reached for one of the ornaments in her pile.
“Christmas Wishes.” And she explained how they worked. The egg salad sandwich that he’d brought back was on fresh rye bread and tasted oh, so good. As she ate, Josie enjoyed watching Malcolm read the Christmas Wishes with the excitement of a little boy.
“Fishing tackle. That's one that I could probably contribute.” But his smile turned serious when he reached the baby equipment.
“Wouldn’t it be terrible to have a baby and not even have a bed or one of those little buggies?” He stared off into space. “Of course, in the communities I worked in over the past year, mothers just strapped the babies to their bodies with a shawl and carried them around. It worked.”
“Those mothers probably didn't have to take their baby to the grocery store in a car,” she said. “All that safety equipment is expensive.”
Josie watched Malcolm turn that over in his mind. “Yes, I suppose so,” he said quietly.
“From the gifts we gave Bryn and Emily at their baby showers, equipment is pretty pricey. I was amazed. Strollers alone can cost hundreds of dollars. They’re called ‘strollersystems’ to make them seen more important. You know, worth all that money.”
“You're kidding.” Malcolm looked astonished. What did men know about babies and all the trappings that went with them? Well, he’d probably soon find out. Pushing her plate away, she couldn't finish eating the sandwich.
“We have our share of single mothers here too,” Phyllis told them. “But all the families we serve are in need.”
“What about books?”
“I'm sure the children would like some books,” Phyllis said. “But they might not be high on the list for these folks. Basic essentials take precedence.”
Throwing back his head, Malcolm laughed. “You mean, books might get the same reception as clothes on some kids’ list.”
Phyllis looked a little mystified. “Not sure what that means, but maybe.”
“What about having a library day? We get the kids over to our library or we bring the books over here?” Malcolm glanced over to Josie. “We have a woman on staff who loves to read to the kids. Eileen's really good at it. I could take a turn too.”
Malcolm was always full of ideas, which was why she enjoyed working with him. Josie loved his enthusiasm. He had used that same creative spirit on behalf of the library so many times in the past.
“That's a fabulous idea.” Phyllis definitely looked interested. “Do you think we could make that work?”
“We’ll tease it out at the library and I'll get back to you,” Josie told her.
Apparently Derek had finished seeing patients because he came to sit with them. His wavy dark hair was swept back from his forehead and his blue eyes lightened when he smiled. “Goodseeing you here, Josie.” He glanced down at her foot. “Is that something I should look at?”
Josie said, “No,” at the same time that Malcolm said, “Yes.”
Derek's head pivoted between the two of them. “It would only take a minute.”
Well, from the stubborn tilt of Malcolm's chin, she wasn't going to win this argument. “Oh okay. I guess so.” Pushing herself up, she walked to the open door, swinging her crutches before her with each step. Malcolm came right behind her, as if they were a couple. Okay, this felt weird. But these small moments with him? They filled her heart.
Derek helped her up onto the examining table and cautiously unwrapped her bandage. What followed was basically what Malcolm had done after she'd fallen in the road. “Icing in twenty-minute increments,” Derek said after rewrapping her ankle. “Take ibuprofen or Tylenol for the inflammation. If the swelling or pain gets any worse, let me know.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Is the clinic in competition with the urgent care center?” she teased as he helped her from the table.
“Trust me, a lot of these folks don't have the the money or the transportation to go to the urgent care center. So no, we're not competing.”
“Well, thanks for your time,” Malcolm said as they left the room. This had felt so strange having him stay with her during the brief exam. His time in the Amazon must have taught him this casual concern. But for those few stolen moments, she’d felt as if they were a couple. Except they weren't. She couldn't wait to get out of there and glanced over at Malcolm. “I guess it's time to leave,”
But Malcolm hung back. “Can I catch up with you? I'd like to talk to Derek for a minute.”
Really? What was that about? “Sure. I'll be right outside.” But her footsteps lagged as she maneuvered back to a tableclose to the door. She spent more time with Phyllis than was necessary talking about what made a good macaroni and cheese. But her mind wasn't on food.
