Home for the Holidays Ch. 08-10

When I got inside, Momma took the pail from me, setting it to the side and covering it with a cheese cloth. "Baby, can you get down the stack of plates and set the table for me?"

"Sure thing, Mom. Dad wants an extra stack of pancakes this morning. He says he needs the fuel to stay warm."

"And his doctor says he needs to lose ten pounds and cut out some of the fat he's been eating," Mom said.

"Doctor? Is Daddy all right?" My father always seemed larger than life, invincible. He was my hero; nothing as wimpy as a heart attack could take him out.

"Your father was having chest pains, so we took him to see Doctor Ford. He has palpitations and high cholesterol. If we can get that down, he'll live for another hundred or so years." Momma kissed me on the cheek and then took me by the shoulders, turning me and giving me a tiny push to get me moving.

"But..." I began to turn, but she cleared her throat, letting me know I could talk and work at the same time. "But," I started again, reaching for the plates, "should he be out there doing all that hard work everyday?"

"Do you know what would happen to a man like your father should you take his work away from him? He'd wither away and die without a purpose to his life. Your father is not the type to retire and take up golf."

I chuckled; the vision of my father wearing pastel plaid golf pants and chasing a ball around a big field was almost too funny. "Yeah, I can see that."

I set the table in the kitchen, a smaller affair than my mom's prize dining room set. It was cozier and much less formal, just right for breakfast. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Finish setting the table and then pour your father a cup of coffee," Momma said.

"No, Mom, I mean with Daddy. Should I ... come home?"

"I won't lie to you, Kenna, your father and I have talked about selling the farm. It's a lot of work for one man to handle. Even since we started renting out the land to other farmers, your father is up and going from sunup to sundown. He's sold some of the cows. But no, your life is with your Nicky and in the city. We'll manage fine."

I got the coffee pot and poured Daddy's cup of coffee, adding the small dollop of milk he liked and stirring it for him. Then I poured Nicky a cup, adding two teaspoons of sugar and a healthy amount of milk until it reached the color of dull caramel. Grabbing the pail of fresh milk, I poured it into

Momma's porcelain pitcher and poured Mara and me a glass. It was still warm, despite the frozen weather.

Momma was flipping the last pancake onto a huge platter when the troops...well, trooped in. Nicky buried his cold nose in my neck. I squealed when he slid his cold hands under the front of my shirt.

"You two cut that out. No horseplay in my kitchen, Kenna McEwen. You know the rules."

"But Mom, it was Nicky's..."

"I don't want to hear it, young lady. Now get sat down. Breakfast is ready."

Nicky smirked at me and Mom sat the last of the food on the table in front of us. Grabbing her own cup of coffee, she took off the pretty apron she only wore at Christmas and took her place while Dad and Mara took theirs. Then she led the prayer as we gave thanks for the food set before us.

After that the only sounds were hums of appreciation and silverware clinking on Mom's heavy bone china as the food was devoured. It was always so funny to me how a huge meal that took an hour to prepare and another hour to clean up only took minutes to eat.

I slid another pancake onto my plate, even though I was already groaning about being full. There was just something about coming home to Mom's cooking that made everything taste so good. Pouring homemade maple syrup over it, I caught Nicky's eye and passed him the pancakes. He grabbed two more, which made me smile. I really had wanted him to enjoy the farm and it looked as if he was.

"I can't believe how much I don't really use some muscles," he was saying to my Dad.

"Stick around here, boy-o, and we'll make sure they get a real workout." Dad grinned over at Mom. "I think we might have a farm boy in hiding under them city clothes."

"He sure eats like a farm hand," Mara smirked, laughing as Nicky narrowed his eyes at her. He reached across and snared the last piece of her sausage.

"Be grateful I left you anything," he said.

"All right, you two," Mom said. "It's Christmas, act like it."

"Yes, ma'am," they both yelped and I laughed.

"Has anyone heard from Bekka today?"

"She called while you were out in the barn. Rose had a good night and they are talking about maybe taking her off the oxygen to see how she does. Bekka's feeling better, though they are still concerned with getting her blood pressure regulated. Steven was there," she threw out off handedly.

"Steven got up before noon?" I asked, astonished.

"Yep, and Bekka said he brought her beautiful white roses as well as a cute little outfit for the baby to wear home. They've both spent time with her and she said he's being a wonderful father."

"I didn't think he had it in him," I said softly. "Let's hope he keeps it up."

"It's a Christmas miracle," Mara said, though I could tell she was having trouble believing it.

"We'll have to go up and visit her later today, before we leave tomorrow."

"Oh, I can't believe you're leaving already," Mom said, setting down her fork.

"It's like you just got here and you're already out the door."

"I know, Mom, but Nicky's parents are expecting us tomorrow night." I felt his hand come up and cover mine, squeezing gently. "Maybe this summer we can come back for a longer visit?"

"I hope so. I miss you," Mom said. "I'd always thought my girls would marry and settle down around here. Maybe we'd even build you all houses on the farm, so that we'd see each other all the time. But not my Kenna. You always wanted bigger."

"I'm sorry, Momma."

"No, don't you dare be sorry. I'm so proud that you followed your dreams, Kenna. You're on your own, you've got a wonderful man in your life, and you have a stable and respectable job. What more could a mother hope for, for her children?"

Nicky lifted my hand to his mouth. "How about a wedding?"

It took a second for his words to register, then Mara squealed, putting her hands over her mouth and dropping her fork.

Nicky reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out the blue velvet box he'd given me earlier. He pushed his chair back, getting down on one knee.

"Mr. and Mrs. McEwen, I want you to know that I've been in love with your daughter since way before she got involved with Steven. I love her with everything in me. At first she was like a dream, something that I could see, that I could feel but it wasn't real. Then I got to know her better. She's honest and loving, loyal and caring and so much more than I thought I'd ever find in a woman."

"You're making me sound like a dog or a Boy Scout," I hissed at him, making my dad laugh. My Mom and Mara were too busy sighing over the romance in Nicky's speech.

"God forbid," he said, opening the box. "Kenna, will you be my wife?"

"Yes," I said, waiting for him to slide the ring onto my finger before wrapping my arms around his neck and drawing him in for a kiss.

"Oh, that was beautiful," Mara said, grabbing her napkin and blowing her nose into it.

The sound broke our kiss and I glared at my baby sister. "Mara," I growled.

"Well come on, you two were practically doing it on the table."

"We were not!" I snapped. "Besides, what do you know about doing it?"

"Enough," Mara snapped, then blushed as Dad cleared his throat.

"Can we see the ring?" Momma asked, holding her hand out for mine.

It was oohed and ahhed over, and then Mara got up to stack plates and rinse them, not wanting to be left alone with Dad. She knew when he got her alone, there would be questions asked and she would have to have an answer to them.

We quickly cleaned up. My new ring felt heavy on my hand, conspicuous. I was too worried about losing it to let it off of my hand for an instant. After the dishes were done, we went into the living room to exchange gifts.

We'd just settled in when the twins burst through the door, babbling about what Santa had brought them. Shawn walked in, kissed Mom on the forehead, and then said loudly, "Is that pancakes I smell?"

"Yep," I said gleefully. "We ate them all and they were soooo good. Your radar must be out boy, you used to get here before the last pancake was eaten. Or are you just getting slower in your old age?"

I squealed as he turned toward me with mischief in his eyes. I grabbed Nicky's arm and hung on tight. "You wouldn't let him hurt your fiancée, would

you, Nicky?"

"Fiancée?" Shawn asked, his eyes widening as he caught a glimpse of the ring on my finger. "Wow, that must have set you back a pretty penny. It's nice to know you didn't go Steven's route and buy Kenna a cubic zirconia."

"He did not," I said, glaring at Shawn.

"Did too," Shawn said. "I noticed the band turned your finger green as well."

"Shawn Anthony McEwen, that is enough." Dad's voice cut through our argument and Shawn went back to his wife, grabbing the handful of bags she carried.

"Can I see the ring?" Jenna asked, bending over and admiring the single diamond. "Very classy," she said. "I approve."

I grinned up at Jenna. She'd been a friend of mine in high school before she'd gone gaga over my pain in the neck brother. "I'd hoped you would.

Where's your friend, Alex? Poor Mara looks pretty lonely."

"He'll be around later today. He's a stud, isn't he?"

"Let's hope he doesn't try to be too studly with Mara. Dad would kill him."

"Kenna, your little Mara isn't so little anymore. She's almost eighteen."

"And Alex is what, twenty-six or seven? That's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Not if they care about each other. Alex is a stand up kind of guy. I doubt he'd do anything he didn't think was right."

"His right and my right might be a bit different," I said, though I could see what she was saying. I'd dated a professor in my first semester of college and knew the appeal of the older, more sophisticated man. If she let him, Alex could wine and dine my little sister and have her in the sack before she would think to say no.

"I'll talk to him if you want," Jenna offered, "but you do know what Mara will say if she finds out."

"Yeah. Damn, I hate the fact that we are leaving tomorrow. Just, keep an eye on her, will you Jen? She still has fragile feelings."

"Like the rest of us don't," Jenna laughed, though she did promise to keep an eye on the two of them.

The twins were under the tree, searching out presents that bore their names. "Hey, you two," Dad called. "While you're under there, why don't you deliver a few of those others to where they belong?"

The first box was brought to me. It was flat and long and the tag said: To Kenna, From Santa.

I pulled off the paper and the box top, bringing up the scarf my mother had knitted and burying my face in its softness. "Momma, it's beautiful. Thank you."

Mara squealed when she opened my gift. Getting up, she pulled on the leather jacket. It fit like I had hoped, cutting in at the waist to give her a trimmer waistline. "Oh, Kenna, thank you, thank you. But this is too much."

"No, it isn't, not when I could see the lust in your eyes for mine. It's called self-preservation. I had to get you one so you wouldn't filch mine."

"It's beautiful," Mara said, slowly stroking the fine grained leather.

"Now see? You'll have to give it a name and keep it now." I laughed, shaking my head as she went to Mom and let her stroke the soft leather.

I glanced over at Nicky, a bemused smile upon his lips as he opened the scarf that Mom had made for him when she found out he was coming. "Evelyn, this is beautiful, thank you."

He held the same look when he opened the pen Mara had gotten him and the pocket watch that Shawn and Jenna had given him. It was almost as if he didn't believe people could be kind and good. It made me nervous. If he wasn't used to receiving presents, what kind of parents could he have? I guess I would be finding out—and soon.

The wrapping paper was balled up and tossed in the fireplace, creating some pretty-colored flames; presents were gathered and put away. We got cleaned up and then piled into the car, heading for Christmas Mass that started at eleven. I loved going to midnight Mass, but this was second best. I listened to our priest intone the words that praised God.

Instead of hymns, carols were sung, starting with Joy to the World and ending with my mother's favorite, Silent Night. I got up to go to Communion, surprised when Nicky went with me.

"You're not Catholic," I said around the tiny communion wafer.

"Nope, but worshiping God is worshiping God in my book, no matter what you call him."

I smiled. That was the Nicky I was used to.

After Mass, Momma asked Dad to take us up to the hospital. She'd brought Bekka and Steven's gifts as well as some things for the baby. Bekka was sitting up on the side of the bed when we showed up. She had a pillow across her stomach and was holding it with both hands.

"How's the new momma doing?" Mom called as she announced our presence. We trooped in behind her, carrying the presents.

"Sore," Bekka said as Steven came out of her bathroom. He carried a cup of water and a small cup that held a couple of pills.

"You'll feel better, baby, after you take these," he said softly, sitting next to her on the bed.

I noticed that he was still wearing the same clothes he'd had on yesterday. "Were you here all night?"

"Yeah, the nurses set up a cot for me and this way I could help Bekka. She's expressing breast milk to feed to the baby. It's much healthier for Rose, but it's hard on Bekka."

"She's eating?" Momma asked.

"Like a horse. She ate two ounces this morning and kept it all down. Doctors said the more she eats, the better she'll grow. She'll have to stay here for a few days after they release Bekka, but we'll come down and bring her the breast milk and see her until we can take our baby girl home with us."

Bekka reached out and took Steven's hand. "It's hard to think of not having her with us when we go home, but it's better if she stays here. They are looking out for jaundice right now."

Mara pushed through the crowd around Bekka and Steven and dropped the presents she carried next to Steven on the bed.

"Merry Christmas," she said, giving a little pirouette to show off her jacket.

When it was given its due, she sank down in the chair. I dropped Bekka's presents next to her, waiting for my sister to do the rip, tear thing she usually did when it came to presents. Instead, she read who they were for, and who they were from. She opened them slowly and exclaimed over each one. She had actual tears in her eyes when she opened the thick box from me. It held a heavy satin robe in the same soft eggshell blue as her eyes.

"It's gorgeous, Kenna," she said, slipping her arms in the sleeves. "And so soft."

"Oh, there you go, Bekka. Now you have to name it and keep it," Mara said, getting a laugh out of the same words I'd used on her this morning.

Bekka motioned me forward and I found my older sister hugging me tightly.

"Okay," I said when she finally let me go. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

"Can't a person grow up, Kenna?" she asked softly so that only I could hear. "Can't a woman regret the things she's done and wish to make amends? I'm so sorry for hurting you the way I did, Kenna, you'll never know how sorry. I just hope one day you'll forgive me."

"You're forgiven, Bekka," I managed to say just as she spotted my engagement ring.

"Oh, Kenna, it's beautiful. Nicky, right?" she asked, looking up into my eyes even as she held onto my hand.

I nodded, still bemused by this side of Bekka.

"I know I don't deserve to even ask but maybe, while you're trying to get the wedding around, I could help?"

I looked over at Nicky and I think he caught my thoughts because he came over and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Congratulations, Nick," Bekka said, holding out her hand and shaking his. "She's a wonderful person, treat her right."

"Your father already threatened to tear me apart if I don't," Nicky said, making Bekka giggle.

"Yep, that sounds like Dad."

"Feel better, okay Bekka?" I said, pushing Nicky back and taking his hand. I headed for the door, unable to stay in the room with this Bekka. It was just too strange. "Could it be the water?" I muttered, glancing at the water fountain I'd drank from the day before. "Maybe it's the drugs they're giving her?"

"What are you talking about, Kenna?" Nicky asked, pulling me to a stop as I started to pace the floor in front of him.

"My sister. I've known her all my life but that woman in there, she wasn't my sister."

"Don't be ridiculous, Kenna. That was your sister."

"Nope, my sister is hateful and mean. She says things purposefully to hurt you and is never satisfied with anything you give her. That's Bekka, not that nice woman in there."

"People change. Maybe she had a change of heart because she's now a mother? Maybe she got a good scare last night? Maybe the Ghost of Christmas Past came and gave her a reality check? Who the hell knows? It's a good change, so I don't think we should question it."

Somehow, as we were talking, we'd moved down the hall and now stood near the nursery. Rose lay in her incubator, her little hands waving, her feet in the air. Her head turned as we stood there looking at her and I swear the little girl winked at me.

"Maybe it was her?" I said softly. "Maybe she decided that she didn't want the parents she'd been given and changed them into actual humans with feelings and everything."

"Oh, so you'll believe a tiny baby in a plastic box could work magic, but you don't believe people can change."

"Look at her, Nicky," I whispered urgently. "Just look at her."

Nicky stared at the beautiful baby for a minute before a huge grin broke over his face. "She's a little doll, Kenna. Maybe you're right. Maybe this little girl is special. Maybe she's ordained for bigger and better things. I don't know. I just see a pretty little baby who'll have her parents jumping for the next few years."

Rose pursed her lips as if to blow me a kiss, her hand waving in front of her eyes. "I can see that."

"Do you think our children will be as beautiful?"

"As long as they look like me," I kidded, snickering.

Mara showed up before Nick could retaliate and she sighed as she looked at her pretty niece. "The nurse is kicking Mom and Dad out and then they are going to bring the baby down so that Bekka can try to breastfeed her."

"That's great news," I exclaimed. "That means she's stronger."

I could hear Mom and Dad behind us and backed away so that they could see their grandchild. They cooed over her until the nurse came in and unhooked her from all the monitors and then swaddled her tightly.

"Okay, guys, let's go home," Dad said. He herded us all out to the car. At home, a football game was turned on, the fire was rekindled in the fireplace and I helped Mom fix dinner. After it had been eaten and enjoyed, we cleaned up and then went out to join the men and Mara. I sank down into Nicky's lap, full, tired and happy.

In no time I was asleep.

Chapter Ten

It seemed all too soon that Nicky and I were getting into the car and leaving for the bus station. I said goodbye to Mom at the house, tears filling my eyes.

"I miss you, Momma," I said. "I wish we could stay longer."

"You'll be back again soon and then we'll have a wedding to plan," Momma said, holding me in her arms. "My beautiful Kenna, I am so proud of the woman you've become. Stay true to her and you'll always come out ahead."

I sniffed, wiping my eyes and giving her cheek one last kiss before I put my arms in the coat that Nicky held for me.