for his goodies. There was no way she was going back in where her sisters could corner her again.
The SUV didn’t turn over right away, but neither of her sisters came after her. While she let it warm up, Johanna thought about Julietta’s assembly of ingredients and hoped taking the locket from Gram’s box didn’t set her off. Her youngest sister had always been odd. Whether her particularities stemmed from a chaotic childhood, the accident, or some gene in her pool, no one could say. They made her Julietta, best-loved and strange. Johanna wouldn’t change her for anything in the world, though she often wondered if Julietta felt the same.
Johanna breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth. On the seat beside her was a box full of Christmas cheer for Charlie and his kids. She breathed in their sleigh ride, breathed out her sisters’ discovery, breathed in the first kiss, breathed out Julietta’s future, breathed in all the kisses thereafter, and, smiling, backed out of the driveway.
* * * *
Pulling to a stop in front of Charlie’s house just outside of town, Johanna tried to quell the fluttering in her belly. She had no real idea how Will felt about her and his father and their almost-kiss that had, since then, multiplied. Maybe he was still upset. She hadn’t even thought to ask. At least Charlotte would be happy to see her.
And Charlie.
A thrill shuddered through her. If Will was still upset, she’d leave the goodies and head home, happy enough to have delivered what they didn’t get on Christmas Eve.
She got out of the car, reached back in to pull out the box of cookies and pies. Balancing it, she closed the car door with her butt. Shouting stopped her before she got to the front door. Charlotte, and another woman. Johanna’s heart sank.
The door flew open and Charlotte came barreling down the steps, nearly bowling Johanna over in the process.
“Charlotte Rose, come back here!”
“You had no right coming. Dad paid you for the house. You’re trespassing.”
Charlie came down the steps. The kids piled in the doorway behind him. His eyes found Johanna’s. He mouthed an, I’m sorry . She didn’t know what to do, and thus did nothing but stand like a statue.
“I have every right to see my kids.” Gina kept her voice down. “It’s Christmas. You are all supposed to be with me.”
“Yeah, right. You couldn’t even bribe Millie and Tony down with the promise of Harry Potter World. Get it into your head, Mom—no one wants you here.”
“Charlotte, enough,” Charlie told his daughter. Caleb had his arms around Millie and Tony, who were crying. Will stood stone-faced, his arms crossed over his chest like a shield. Gina’s face was a mask but for the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then her eyes moved from one child to the next, and with each glance, she thawed just a little.
“This was a mistake,” she said. “I didn’t think it would be this way. I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
“You thought wrong.”
“I said enough, Charlotte Rose. Gina, come back inside. This is not the place to—”
Gina’s shoulders went back. “I want my kids. The divorce decree says I get them every other Christmas. It’s my Christmas. I can’t force Charlotte but Tony, Millie, Caleb, Will, get some things. We’re going to your cousin Tracy’s.”
Millie wailed and clung to Caleb, who held her closer to him.
“Gina,” Charlie moved closer to his ex-wife. “Do you really want to do this?”
“I miss my kids,” Gina wailed like her daughter and threw herself into Charlie’s arms. “You have no idea what it’s like to be without them. Over a year, Charlie. Millie and Tony don’t even look the same.”
Charlie’s stricken, confused gaze met Johanna’s again. She smiled wanly, and nodded, backing towards the car. An arm around his ex-wife’s heaving shoulders, he led her back into the house. The kids in the doorway parted to let her in.
Charlotte remained in the driveway,
The SUV didn’t turn over right away, but neither of her sisters came after her. While she let it warm up, Johanna thought about Julietta’s assembly of ingredients and hoped taking the locket from Gram’s box didn’t set her off. Her youngest sister had always been odd. Whether her particularities stemmed from a chaotic childhood, the accident, or some gene in her pool, no one could say. They made her Julietta, best-loved and strange. Johanna wouldn’t change her for anything in the world, though she often wondered if Julietta felt the same.
Johanna breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth. On the seat beside her was a box full of Christmas cheer for Charlie and his kids. She breathed in their sleigh ride, breathed out her sisters’ discovery, breathed in the first kiss, breathed out Julietta’s future, breathed in all the kisses thereafter, and, smiling, backed out of the driveway.
* * * *
Pulling to a stop in front of Charlie’s house just outside of town, Johanna tried to quell the fluttering in her belly. She had no real idea how Will felt about her and his father and their almost-kiss that had, since then, multiplied. Maybe he was still upset. She hadn’t even thought to ask. At least Charlotte would be happy to see her.
And Charlie.
A thrill shuddered through her. If Will was still upset, she’d leave the goodies and head home, happy enough to have delivered what they didn’t get on Christmas Eve.
She got out of the car, reached back in to pull out the box of cookies and pies. Balancing it, she closed the car door with her butt. Shouting stopped her before she got to the front door. Charlotte, and another woman. Johanna’s heart sank.
The door flew open and Charlotte came barreling down the steps, nearly bowling Johanna over in the process.
“Charlotte Rose, come back here!”
“You had no right coming. Dad paid you for the house. You’re trespassing.”
Charlie came down the steps. The kids piled in the doorway behind him. His eyes found Johanna’s. He mouthed an, I’m sorry . She didn’t know what to do, and thus did nothing but stand like a statue.
“I have every right to see my kids.” Gina kept her voice down. “It’s Christmas. You are all supposed to be with me.”
“Yeah, right. You couldn’t even bribe Millie and Tony down with the promise of Harry Potter World. Get it into your head, Mom—no one wants you here.”
“Charlotte, enough,” Charlie told his daughter. Caleb had his arms around Millie and Tony, who were crying. Will stood stone-faced, his arms crossed over his chest like a shield. Gina’s face was a mask but for the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then her eyes moved from one child to the next, and with each glance, she thawed just a little.
“This was a mistake,” she said. “I didn’t think it would be this way. I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
“You thought wrong.”
“I said enough, Charlotte Rose. Gina, come back inside. This is not the place to—”
Gina’s shoulders went back. “I want my kids. The divorce decree says I get them every other Christmas. It’s my Christmas. I can’t force Charlotte but Tony, Millie, Caleb, Will, get some things. We’re going to your cousin Tracy’s.”
Millie wailed and clung to Caleb, who held her closer to him.
“Gina,” Charlie moved closer to his ex-wife. “Do you really want to do this?”
“I miss my kids,” Gina wailed like her daughter and threw herself into Charlie’s arms. “You have no idea what it’s like to be without them. Over a year, Charlie. Millie and Tony don’t even look the same.”
Charlie’s stricken, confused gaze met Johanna’s again. She smiled wanly, and nodded, backing towards the car. An arm around his ex-wife’s heaving shoulders, he led her back into the house. The kids in the doorway parted to let her in.
Charlotte remained in the driveway,
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