Ch.10, Pt. 2: A few days later
A few days later, over supper with Rick in the red and white kitchen, Katherine took a breath and raised the subject. “Have you thought about Christmas?”
“Yeah. A lot. The boys are getting harder and harder to buy for. Of course, each one wants a car…” He put down his glass guiltily. “You mean our Christmas. You and me.”
Katherine waved her fork. “Well, the whole package, actually. What we’ll do, what’s happening. Will we have Christmas together?” She tried to look casual.
“How about Christmas Eve?”
Katherine smiled in relief and took a mouthful of lasagna.
“The boys will be with their mother then,” continued Rick. “I get them Christmas Day this year. We’re going to Jason’s girlfriend’s house for a family dinner.”
Katherine slid down the emotional roller coaster and she spoke briefly around her food. “How nice.”
Rick narrowed his eyes and looked across the table at her. “So how is Christmas Eve together? We’ll have a tree, and dinner, and I’ll stay over?”
Katherine’s spirits rose. “I’d like that. Of course I was hoping we could have Christmas Day together, too.”
“I have to get my turkey dinner somewhere,” he quipped. When Katherine did not see the humour, he added “Maybe if the dinner ends early enough I can come back over afterward.”
“Call first,” she said coolly. “I may not be in.”
“Of course. Don’t wait around for me.”
“Should I give the boys a present?” Her heart was pounding. This was so difficult to talk about.
“I don’t think so.” Rick tore off a piece of bread. “I mean you could, but they don’t expect it.”
“They don’t know about me, do they.” Her voice sank with her self esteeem; it wasn’t a question.
“They know I’m seeing someone,” Rick said brightly.
“But they don’t know who. Do they even know my name?” Her voice sounded panicky.
Rick stopped chewing and stared at her. “They know your name.”
She sighed. “Why should they? We haven’t met.”
“Do you want to meet them?”
“Well, yeah. I think that I should, sometime. I mean, we’re seeing a lot of each other. You and me, I mean.” Why did it seem so difficult to communicate?
“Okay. You’ll meet them sometime.”
“Good.” The roller coaster lifted her up again, and this time she stayed there. She held out her glass for more wine.
* * *
Noodle was hungry. Katherine knew it from the way he followed her around, his eyes eager and hopeful. It was past his dinner time. Katherine had come home later than usual, having done some Christmas shopping. She was trying to follow another rule from the dog training book, “Never feed your dog before you’ve eaten,” but she wanted to make a call before starting dinner, which meant Noodle would have even longer to wait. She felt tired and irritated. “No,” she said firmly to Noodle, picking up the phone. The dog dropped his tail in disappointment and drooped onto his mat.
“Hello, Douglas,” she said into the phone. “How are things?”
“Same as usual. Kids are watching TV. You missed Frieda. She’s out for a little bit.” His voice sounded a little odd.
“Doing some Christmas shopping?”
“Not sure. Maybe.” There definitely was something different about his voice.
“Is everything all right with you two?”
“Just fine. You know married life.”
“I don’t actually.”
“Everything’s fine. So Frieda says. Nothing to worry about.”
“That’s good. I’m calling about Christmas. When’s a good time to bring over my presents for the kids? When will they be out?”
“You better talk to Frieda about that. I don’t know what her plans are these days.” There was a little pause, and then his voice grew more cheerful. “Are you going anywhere this year? And with anybody special?”
Katherine switched the phone to her other hand. “Actually, I thought I’d stay home this Christmas.”
“Ah yes. Have a cosy Christmas at home, and not alone this year.”
“Partly,” she said with forced cheerfulness. “We’ll have Christmas Eve together, but he has to be with his boys Christmas Day.”
“He’s got kids?”
“He’s been divorced a long time. They’re grown.”
Douglas sounded concerned. “Come and spend Christmas Day with us. We’d love to have you.”
“That’s really sweet, but I think I want to spend all of my first Christmas here in the house. I can really relax, and I won’t have to worry about Noodle being alone.” She gave the puppy a guilty glance. He was lying with his head turned away from her.
“Whatever you want, but you know you’re always welcome here.”
“I know, and that’s lovely. But I really think I’ll want a quiet Christmas.” She didn’t want to tell him that she was secretly hoping that Rick would come back later in the day. “Listen, have Frieda call me, okay?”
“Will do. Bye for now.”
Katherine hung up the phone and looked around the living room, trying to imagine it at Christmas. She pictured candles on every windowsill, a fragrant tree in the corner, a bottle of champagne, a box of truffles, and snuggling next to Rick. It was going to be fine. The only problem was Christmas Day. She really didn’t want to spend it alone, and suddenly she decided that tomorrow she would ask Lawrence if he wanted to come over that day, if he had no other plans. Then she rushed to the kitchen to get her dinner over with so that Noodle could eat.
* * *
She and Rick exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve. Christmas music was playing; Noodle and Goldie even wore big floppy red bows around their necks, although Noodle kept trying to bite at his. Tiny white lights on the Christmas tree illuminated the room. They had eaten dinner and drunk an expensive bottle of red wine, and had moved into the living room to nibble at chocolate.
Her present to him was a dark blue terrycloth robe, so he could be comfortable in the house. “Katherine, that’s so special,” Rick said as he held up the robe, then bent over to give her a kiss.
“So try it on,” she cried gaily, waving her glass of champagne.
“Later,” he said, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows. “Now here’s yours.” He held out a small box wrapped in a silver ribbon.
Katherine gasped and frowned. “I said you weren’t supposed to get me anything, because you refinished all that beautiful furniture.”
“It’s nothing.”
Katherine put down her glass, shaking her head, and gave his wrist a little slap before taking the gift. Unwrapping and opening it, she saw a silver chain coiled on a small white cloud. She lifted it up, and on the end dangled a charm in the shape of a simple house.
“Now you can always carry this house next to your heart,” he said.
Tears filled her eyes. “That’s beautiful.” She melted into his embrace.
* *
Ch. 10, Pt. 3: Breakfast was early the next day » »