A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale Page A

battling something. The sadness in her face was the kind of sadness that is only created over a long period of time. The way a rock becomes smooth in the tide, the woman’s face had done the opposite in some kind of storm. There was so much there in her face and the way she held herself that Carrie had a ton of questions going through her head: What had she experienced that the rest of her family had not to make her so sad? Was she happy to be there? Did she wish she were somewhere else? The other person, a man with curly hair and big brown eyes, came up behind the woman and put his hand on her back, almost as if holding her up.
    “This is Adam’s sister Sharon,” Joyce said, moving out of the way so that Sharon could formally greet Carrie. Carrie smiled and gestured for them to enter.
    Sharon stepped forward to come in, the snow crunching beneath her feet. If it weren’t for her quiet smile, Carrie would have thought her to be a little anxious. She had light skin like her mother, and gentle eyes, although they looked tired. She played with her fingers as if it were a nervous habit just before reaching out and offering a hand to Carrie. “Hello,” she said in a quiet voice. She shook hands and then turned toward the man with curly hair. “This is my husband Eric.”
    “They’re leaving me out, but I’m Walter, Adam’s grandfather,” the elderly man said in a lighthearted way as he trailed behind them all. Joyce was already shaking her head, an amused look on her face. She grabbed his walker as Walter held on to the door frame to help himself up the step at the door. He was wearing a houndstooth cap that snapped in the front and a wool scarf over his tan coat.
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Carrie said, squaring her shoulders and nodding like she should, although she was putting on a more formal air for their benefit. She already felt generally comfortable around them, which said a lot for their first impressions. Walter patted her on the shoulder and offered her a smile not unlike her own grandfather would have done, his legs becoming unsteady with just the gesture, so he leaned back onto this walker for support.
    “I’m glad Adam told you about us,” Joyce said, closing the door after everyone had entered. “He failed, however, to mention you !”
    “I’m so sorry—I thought he would have,” she said, smiling back but feeling a twinge of insignificance creeping in. “I’m Carrie Blake.” As she thought about it, it didn’t surprise her that Adam had neglected to tell his family that he’d had a change in staff. How did he possibly have any time to make a phone call to his family when he barely had time to eat? She had noticed, when she’d let Rose in to clean this morning, that he’d rinsed out and set in the sink the dishes from dinner that she’d prepared, and she was glad that she’d made it for him, even though she was still annoyed with his behavior. This morning, he’d gone before the kids had gotten her up, and she hadn’t heard a peep from him all day.
    Joyce picked Olivia up and gave her a squeeze. Olivia’s shoes hung by the strap at her toes, the princess heels dangling from each foot. The little girl wrapped her arms around Joyce’s neck. It was nice to see Olivia be so open and affectionate with her grandmother. Carrie was glad that the children had someone in their lives who showed them they were worth their time. She didn’t like the way Adam spent his days as if they weren’t there. He had passed off responsibility for them by getting a nanny, and if he spent any time with them at all, it was by accident when he ran into them on his way to do something else. As Joyce held Olivia, rubbing noses with her, smiling, talking to her, Carrie knew that this woman must have been the same loving woman when she’d raised Adam. What had turned him into the person he was now? Was she missing something?
    “Do you live here?” Joyce asked, glancing down at Carrie’s sock feet. Her