seen. Deep blue with a light blue fringe.”
“It sounds lovely.”
Virginia moved on to greet her grandparents.
“Hear you’ve got a right nice little place out there,” said Marty. Virginia only nodded, but her eyes were shining with her joy.
From her grandmother’s embrace she moved to her grand? father. “I understand you had a hand in helping get us in by Christmas,” she said, hugging Clark close.
“Well, now, I didn’t do much. Your man did the lion’s share of the work. You got yourself a good one, my dear.”
“I know, Grandpa,” said Virginia, turning to give Jonathan a proud smile.
“I’m anxious to see it,” put in Marty.
“New Year’s,” said Virginia, nodding enthusiastically. “Jona? than and I have talked it over, and we’d like to invite the family for New Year’s dinner. Can you come?”
All agreed they would have a New Year’s dinner and a housewarming, in one event. Virginia thought her heart would burst with emotion.
Before they scarcely had time to let the Christmas turkey settle, the sun was dipping toward the western horizon. People began searching out heavy coats and hats and scarves, bundling up against the chill of winter. Jonathan signaled to Virginia with a slight nod, and she, too, went to get their wraps. They faced a cold drive. Virginia was anxious to get home so she could stretch out her feet toward the fire and sip a cup of hot apple cider. And look around again at their wonderfully cozy home. If they hurried, there still would be some evening left before retiring.
They were standing in the kitchen, saying their last good-byes, when there was a rap on the door. All eyes turned toward it, wondering who was joining the festivities at such a late hour of the day. Jonathan, standing closest, moved to open it.
Perhaps Clara was popping in with the boys on their way home from Troy’s family dinner. Or Dr. Luke, stopping with a cheery hello as he returned from an emergency.
But it was Jenny who stood on the back porch, shivering against the cold. Jenny with a very chilled little Mindy close at her side.
Virginia and Jonathan took Jenny and her child home with them. This wasn’t how Virginia had intended to conclude their Christmas festivities, but after a hurried, whispered consultation, they agreed it was the thing to do. Virginia noticed that Jenny carried two suitcases. At least this time she had come prepared to stay—for how long, no one asked.
Mindy was warmed with a hot bath and tucked into bed. Thumb in mouth, she curled up into a tiny ball and went to sleep almost as soon as her head touched down. Jenny was a different matter. She paced and prowled in agitated fashion until Virginia wished she could tell her to settle down. Then it dawned on her that Jenny’s need for a cigarette likely had a good deal to do with it. “You may smoke in the sunroom. Just close the door to the house and open the window,” she conceded. She hated the thought of smoke in the house at all. “You know, Jenny, some nourishing food would be better than a cigarette.”
“Yes, Mother,” she interrupted in mock submission. But Virginia could tell she was relieved to be able to have her cigarette without going out to face the cold.
“Please don’t smoke in the bedroom,” Virginia went on, feeling that the rules should be clearly laid out at the start. “We’ll leave a light on if you need to come down in the night.”
Jenny nodded mutely.
Virginia’s tone softened. “If there’s anything you need, please let me know. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish.”
Even as she spoke the words, Virginia inwardly cringed. She had been so looking forward to having Jonathan all to herself. To finally be able to make a home for him. For the two of them. And now … But there was no way she would turn Jenny and her little one away. It would be not only selfish. It was totally unthinkable.
“I don’t expect to be long,” answered Jenny, but she gave no further
“It sounds lovely.”
Virginia moved on to greet her grandparents.
“Hear you’ve got a right nice little place out there,” said Marty. Virginia only nodded, but her eyes were shining with her joy.
From her grandmother’s embrace she moved to her grand? father. “I understand you had a hand in helping get us in by Christmas,” she said, hugging Clark close.
“Well, now, I didn’t do much. Your man did the lion’s share of the work. You got yourself a good one, my dear.”
“I know, Grandpa,” said Virginia, turning to give Jonathan a proud smile.
“I’m anxious to see it,” put in Marty.
“New Year’s,” said Virginia, nodding enthusiastically. “Jona? than and I have talked it over, and we’d like to invite the family for New Year’s dinner. Can you come?”
All agreed they would have a New Year’s dinner and a housewarming, in one event. Virginia thought her heart would burst with emotion.
Before they scarcely had time to let the Christmas turkey settle, the sun was dipping toward the western horizon. People began searching out heavy coats and hats and scarves, bundling up against the chill of winter. Jonathan signaled to Virginia with a slight nod, and she, too, went to get their wraps. They faced a cold drive. Virginia was anxious to get home so she could stretch out her feet toward the fire and sip a cup of hot apple cider. And look around again at their wonderfully cozy home. If they hurried, there still would be some evening left before retiring.
They were standing in the kitchen, saying their last good-byes, when there was a rap on the door. All eyes turned toward it, wondering who was joining the festivities at such a late hour of the day. Jonathan, standing closest, moved to open it.
Perhaps Clara was popping in with the boys on their way home from Troy’s family dinner. Or Dr. Luke, stopping with a cheery hello as he returned from an emergency.
But it was Jenny who stood on the back porch, shivering against the cold. Jenny with a very chilled little Mindy close at her side.
Virginia and Jonathan took Jenny and her child home with them. This wasn’t how Virginia had intended to conclude their Christmas festivities, but after a hurried, whispered consultation, they agreed it was the thing to do. Virginia noticed that Jenny carried two suitcases. At least this time she had come prepared to stay—for how long, no one asked.
Mindy was warmed with a hot bath and tucked into bed. Thumb in mouth, she curled up into a tiny ball and went to sleep almost as soon as her head touched down. Jenny was a different matter. She paced and prowled in agitated fashion until Virginia wished she could tell her to settle down. Then it dawned on her that Jenny’s need for a cigarette likely had a good deal to do with it. “You may smoke in the sunroom. Just close the door to the house and open the window,” she conceded. She hated the thought of smoke in the house at all. “You know, Jenny, some nourishing food would be better than a cigarette.”
“Yes, Mother,” she interrupted in mock submission. But Virginia could tell she was relieved to be able to have her cigarette without going out to face the cold.
“Please don’t smoke in the bedroom,” Virginia went on, feeling that the rules should be clearly laid out at the start. “We’ll leave a light on if you need to come down in the night.”
Jenny nodded mutely.
Virginia’s tone softened. “If there’s anything you need, please let me know. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish.”
Even as she spoke the words, Virginia inwardly cringed. She had been so looking forward to having Jonathan all to herself. To finally be able to make a home for him. For the two of them. And now … But there was no way she would turn Jenny and her little one away. It would be not only selfish. It was totally unthinkable.
“I don’t expect to be long,” answered Jenny, but she gave no further
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