Page 77 of The Blessings of Christmas
Dusk was falling, and Amanda got up. “Are you two hungry?”
“I’m always hungry. Connor be home soon?” Her dad always enjoyed talking sports with his son-in-law.
“You won’t probably see him until tomorrow. He pulled one of those twenty-four hour shifts.”
“Hardly seems safe,” her father grumbled.
“That’s the job, Dad. Besides, the guys like it. Gives them more time with their families.” Her voice wavered on the last word, and she sucked in a deep calming breath before adding, “Should we eat in the kitchen?”
Her mother was already on her way. “Of course. The dining room is just for guests. We’re family, after all.”
As she took down the plates, Amanda cast a glance at the answering machine. No blinking light. No message from Angie. She reached for the tomatoes and grabbed the chopping boardand a knife. While her father watched sports news on the small kitchen TV, her mother filled her in on what was happening in Sarasota. When Amanda reached the end of the tomatoes, she started on the chickens. The meat fell away in big chunks. She was hacking not slicing, eyes flitting obsessively to the phone machine.
“I admit, I did do some shopping myself for the baby,” her mother was saying.
“Some!” Her father guffawed, a low, easy rumble. “The whole trunk was jam-packed with baby clothes and who knows what else.”
Her mother shot him one of her looks. “We put all the packages upstairs, Amanda. You can take back what you don’t need. The receipts are right there.”
“That is so sweet of you. Really, it is. I still don’t get why you didn’t tell us you were coming.” Amanda slipped the platters of chicken and tomatoes onto the circular kitchen table. Reaching into the cupboard, she found a blue serving bowl and filled it with coleslaw. “We thought you’d forgotten.”
Her mother grabbed some silverware and continued setting the table. “We wanted to surprise you, sweetheart. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I’m so sorry. Guess you just never know about the weather.”
“This snow is exactly why we live in Sarasota.” Her father pulled out a chair and sat down while her mother filled the water glasses.
“Certainly you knew we’d come.” Her mother shot her a puzzled look and took a place at the table. “It’s not every day your daughter has a baby.”
The platters were being passed around. She had their full attention and just couldn’t listen to this talk about the baby all through dinner. Amanda didn’t want them to be crushed if this didn’t turn out the way they all hoped. “You know, there’salways a chance that the mother might decide at the last minute not to give up her baby.”
She hated to see their faces drain. “I mean, it could happen. That’s all I’m saying.”
Her father set the plate of chicken down with a loud thud. “I told you, Donna. How can you trust a stranger when it comes to a baby? Amanda and Connor didn’t know anything about this girl. Now she’s going to disappoint you, Amanda. I just hate to see that.” His face had turned an alarming shade of red.
Maybe this had been a bad idea. “Angie is young, that’s all. Sometimes girls don’t know what they want until the baby comes. Connor and I have to be prepared for anything. I don’t want you to be disappointed.” Connor would probably be furious at what she was saying. She sat back, the spools of the chair biting into her back.
“You can’t count your chickens until they hatch.” Her mother picked up her fork. “Isn’t that just the truth? But never trouble trouble ‘til trouble troubles you. That’s what I say. Everything might turn out just fine. This chicken is getting cold.”
“Guess we won’t know for a while.” How she wished Connor were here. He always lightened the atmosphere with his sly jokes. Connor would talk about team line-ups with her dad and flatter her mother with his attention. He was a natural. Amanda became very busy cutting her chicken into tiny bites even though she had no appetite. They ate the rest of the meal in silence.
“You mind if I snap on the news?” her father asked when they were all finished and the dishes were in the sink. Outside a wind had kicked up, a mournful sound.
“Sure. Why not.”
Anything to distract them. Her poor mother was fussing with her hair, a nervous habit. Now, why had Amanda mentioned Angie?
Her mind raced as she filled the dishwasher. But the word “fire” always caught her attention. She turned to see flames tearing at the dusky sky in the news clip. Grabbing the remote, Her father turned up the volume. “A five-alarm fire has engulfed an apartment building in Berwyn,” the announcer said. “Firemen from surrounding areas rushed to fight the fire.”
The plate fell from Amanda’s hands, shattering in the sink. She remained mesmerized by the blackened shell of a building, red and orange flames shooting from every window. Black smoke charred the sky.
“Amanda, honey. You’re making a mess.” Pushing Amanda gently aside, her mom turned off the water and began picking up the broken pieces.
“Berwyn?” Her father frowned. “Next to here, right?”
Amanda nodded. Given its size, Connor was fighting this fire. Her heart thudded in her ears and an icy shiver snaked through her numbness. Crossing her arms tight across her chest, she drew closer to the screen.
“Although authorities say the fire is now under control, one fireman is reported missing. He returned to the building to save a pet dog.”
The news moved on, and Amanda collapsed onto the nearest chair.
