Mary and Alvin Ch. 30

***

As the sky grew dark, a temporary calmness settled over the house. Mary looked around the kitchen, sure that something had been forgotten. She ran through a checklist in her mind. The platters of cookies were all neatly arranged on the dining room sideboard. The lasagna was simmering in the oven. Thanks to Jennifer, the shrimp was all boiled and on ice. Danni had sliced the ham and Charlotte had put together a beautiful cheeseboard. Bonita was filling the pickle dishes with gherkins and peppers and dilly beans. Even Seth had pitched in, cleaning up and washing dishes as the work went on.

She walked into the living room. Alvin was tending to the fireplace, little Alvy watching his every move with rapt attention. Hannah was laying on the couch, reading a book.

"Honey," Mary asked her, "why don't you take Buster outside and see if he has to do his business before people get here?"

Hannah looked over at Buster, sleeping by the fire. "Nah, let him sleep."

"I think he should go out."

"He's not your dog."

"Take the dog out, Hannah," Alvin said in a low, stern voice.

Hannah slammed her book shut and made a great show of getting up and taking the dog outside. Mary turned to watch her stomp out, and saw Charlotte standing behind her.

"What was all that about?" Charlotte asked.

Mary shrugged. "I don't know. She just likes to give me a hard time sometimes."

"She's a teenager," Alvin muttered.

Mary shrugged and forced a grin, but Charlotte could see the pain in her eyes. "Come on, Mary" she said, "Let's check on the packages I sent you."

They went upstairs to the bedroom. Mary dragged two large cardboard boxes from the closet. She sat on the bed while Charlotte knelt on the floor and opened them.

"This was a great idea," Mary said. Charlotte had shipped all of Alvy's presents from Santa Claus a week earlier.

"Yeah, saved space in the car and there was no chance of him finding them. But, there's something else in here..."

Charlotte rummaged through the packages until she found what she was looking for. It was a small square box, wrapped in bright green paper and tied with a thin red ribbon. She handed it to Mary.

"I was going to give this to you later, but maybe you need it now."

"Oh, Charlotte, really?" Mary unwrapped the box. Inside she saw a delicate crystal angel.

"It's for the tree."

"Thank you, Char." Mary hugged her.

"I've never forgotten that day that we went to the cemetery and talked about the angels."

"I haven't either," Mary said, "I am surrounded by angels every day. Sometimes they are cranky angels..."

They left the bedroom, making sure to shut the door tight to deter any curious boys. When they came down the stairs, they saw Theo coming in the front door with a pretty blonde girl.

"He's got another new girlfriend?" Charlotte whispered.

"Only about once every two weeks," Mary told her.

"He's his daddy's boy," Charlotte shrugged.

Mary greeted Theo, met the new girl, Michelle, then showed the crystal angel to Alvin. Together, they went to the tree and hung it on a branch. Tim and Molly came through the front door, and everyone moved into the dining room and gathered at the table. Mary retrieved a pitcher of egg nog from the kitchen and passed it around. Tim got up and went to his car and came back with a bottle of rum.

"Nearly forgot this," he said, "Can't have nog without grog."

Alvin covered his plate with lasagna and ham. The room was filled with talk and laughter. He didn't say anything, he just listened, not to any one voice, but to the chorus of his family. He was not religious, but he felt something spiritual in the gathering. If there was meaning in the world, it was here, in the circle of love that encompassed his family, from generation to generation.

That feeling brought a thought to his mind, and he spoke. "Hey, everybody..."

The chatter continued, and he spoke louder and tapped his fork on his glass. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him.

"I was just thinking..." he began, then stopped to scratch his head.

"What is it, Daddy?" Jennifer asked.

"Well...I was looking around and thinking, here we have three generations of family gathered together."

"That's wonderful isn't it?" Mary said.

"It truly is," he continued, "But last year there were four." He raised his glass. "To Stanley."

Everyone raised their glasses and joined in the toast.

"We love you, Grampa," Jennifer said.

Charlotte nodded. "I think, on our way home, we will stop in Portland and buy Amato's Italian sandwiches in his memory."

Alvin chuckled and said, "First year I was going with Bonnie, I went to their house on Christmas. Didn't really expect any gifts, but Stanley had one for me. I opened it and it was a tie. A really nice tie. I thanked him and he said, well, I wanted to be sure to get you something I knew you wouldn't already have."

That brought laughter and the merry mood returned to the gathering. Theo and Michelle left to go to her family's house, but Laura and Eric came by soon after, and then Andy and Jessica arrived, along with their daughters Emily and Sophia. Alvy was pleased to have some guests his own age.

"This ham is delicious," Laura said, "Is this one of yours, Jen?"

"It sure is. Or, I guess, was."

"Does it bother you at all, to raise an animal, then, you know, eat it?" Jessica asked.

"Nope," Jennifer shook her head, "Not at all. I treat them good, they live a happy life. And they take their place on the food chain."

"And besides, taste good," Danni said.

"Did you eat kosher when you were growing up?" Seth asked her.

"Oh yeah, until college. The first time I walked into the dining hall and smelled bacon, I had a spiritual crisis."

"Bacon is a gateway drug," Jennifer laughed.

"Oh yeah," Danni replied, "Look at me now, eating shrimp."

After the lasagna and the ham, the guests started in on the cookies and a lovely gingerbread cake that Jessica had brought. Diana and Bob stopped by on their way home from dinner with Bob's family, and Hannah's face lit up when she saw that Rachel was with them. Mary felt a pang of envy watching them together. It wasn't that long ago that her daughter looked up to her with that expression on her face.

Jessica and Andy decided it was time to get their girls home to bed, and said their goodbyes. Once they had left, Charlotte put Alvy to bed in the cot Alvin had set up for him in the guest room.

"I ought to get my little boy home as well," Molly said.

"You puttin' me to bed?" Tim asked with a grin.

She rolled her eyes. "I think you've had a little too much egg nog, honey."

"I imagine you've still got things to do before bedtime," Diana said to Charlotte, "We ought to all clear out. We will see you all tomorrow. Bob, maybe you can help Molly get Tim to their car."

When everyone else had left, Jennifer and Danni helped Mary and Alvin clear the table and put away the few leftovers and Seth washed a few of the dishes, while Bonita helped Charlotte bring down the boxes from upstairs.

"Anything else we can help with?" Danni asked Mary.

"No, honey," Mary said, "but thank you for you've done."

Danni stuck her head into the living room. "Come, my sweethearts," she called to Jennifer and Bonita. "Let's get out of Santa's way."

Alvin threw one more log on the fire and sat with Mary on the couch while Seth and Charlotte arranged Alvy's present under the tree.

"I didn't put tags on these," Charlotte said, "I hope we can tell them from the other presents."

"All of ours have tags," Mary assured her.

"Cool. Well, I guess we are all set. You ready for bed, Seth?"

They said good night and went upstairs. Charlotte saw a sliver of light under Hannah's bedroom door.

"You go ahead," she told Seth, "I'll be along in a few minutes."

She hesitated a moment, then softly tapped on Hannah's door.

"Hannah? You still up honey?"

She heard a muffled reply, and opened the door. Hannah was sitting on her bed, reading.

Charlotte sat down at the foot of the bed. "So, I have been thinking about you a lot lately," she said, "Wondering how you're doing. I wish I could see you more."

"I'm doing okay," Hannah shrugged.

Charlotte sighed. "I was thinking about Christmas when I was thirteen. It was pretty much just like tonight." She hesitated, fidgeting with the edge of Hannah's blanket. "But it was different from every Christmas since."

"How was it different?"

Charlotte looked away for a minute, then back at Hannah. "It was the last Christmas I had with my Mom."

"Oh." Hannah laid her book on the nightstand. "You probably really miss her at Christmas, huh?"

"Yeah, I still do," Charlotte sighed. She reclined on her side, propping her head on one elbow. "Hannah, can I ask you something? Sister to sister?"

"Sure," Hannah replied. She looked up to Charlotte and was pleased when she treated her like a peer.

"How come you're so hard on your Mom?"

Hannah looked down at her hands. "I don't think I'm hard on her," she mumbled.

"Yeah, honey, you don't cut her any slack. And, hey, I know that she's kind of a hard act to follow."

"She thinks she's so perfect."

"No, she really doesn't. Other people might think she is, but she doesn't. She's actually kind of insecure."

Hannah shook her head.

"No, she is," Charlotte insisted. "You know what? I hated her at first. Well, no, not hated. But, jeezum, I was wicked pissed that Daddy was going out with her. And he'd gone out with other women after my Mom died, but when Mary came along, you just knew it was serious."

"How did you know?"

"The way they talked to each other. The way they talked about each other. The way they looked at each other. Lots of things. And so I gave her the benefit of the doubt, and the more I knew her, the more I loved her, too."

"Okay. I love her, but she annoys me sometimes."

"I think that's normal. It's part of establishing yourself as your own person. But I think about all the shit you go through as a teenager, as a young woman. Daddy was great, but it's not the same. You really need a mom."

She sat up, and patted Hannah's leg.

"And you've got a great one, honey. If you don't believe me how great your mom is, ask Jessica what your Mom did for her. Ask Terri Arsenault about how your Mom saved her business from bankruptcy."

"I don't know who that is."

"Oh. Well, I'll tell you some stories some time." Charlotte stood up and stretched. "I better get some sleep. Alvy will probably wake us all up at five o'clock." She leaned down and kissed Hannah on the cheek. "I love you, little sis," she said.

"I love you too," Hannah said.

Charlotte stopped at the door. "Hey, will you go someplace with me before I go home?"

"Okay, where?"

"You'll see. I want to go talk to somebody and I'd like you to come with me."

Hannah shrugged. "Sure."

When Charlotte had shut the door behind her, Hannah picked her book back up, but she found that she couldn't concentrate on reading it. She felt a deep, unfocused sadness. Bonnie had been dead long before she had been born. She was just a figure in some old photographs to her. For the first time, she realized that her absence was a deep wound to her sisters, one that would never fully heel. It made her feel ashamed that she was so often impatient and dismissive of her own mother. She set her book back down and turned off her reading lamp. Lying down, she pulled her knees up close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She felt like crying, but no tears came.

***

Mary poured two mugs of eggnog, put a shot of rum in each, and carried them to the living room. She handed one mug to Alvin then turned off the lamp. The only illumination remaining in the room came from the lights on the Christmas tree and the last glowing embers in the fireplace. She sat down next to Alvin on the couch, tucked her feet under her and pulled the afghan down off the back cushions and spread it over their laps.

"You've got that look on your face," she told him, running her fingers through his hair.

"What look is that?"

"That contented look you get when the whole family is together."

Alvin smiled. "Hard to think of a better reason to feel contented."

"Oh, I think I can think of another one," Mary said. She slipped her hand under the afghan and squeezed his crotch.

"Best be cautious," he laughed, "We've got a houseful here."

"They've all got visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads," she said, licking his ear.

Alvin draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. Their mouths met in a lingering kiss. Mary tugged at his belt until it came unbuckled. She unsnapped the waist of his pants and slipped her hand inside.

"I know it's been a long day," she said as she wrapped her hand around his cock, "I hope you aren't too tired."

"I'm feeling a bit more awake right now than I did a few minutes ago."

Mary raised her leg and laid it across his, allowing her skirt to slide up her legs. Alvin stroked her thigh while she worked his cock out of his pants. They kissed and Mary's tongue slipped into Alvin's mouth. They held each other and continued the kiss for several minutes.

Mary slipped the afghan down and looked at Alvin's lap. "Baby," she whispered, "It might take you a little longer to get ready than it used to, but you always get ready."

"So far," he sighed.

Mary leaned forward and kissed the head of his cock, then rose and straddled his lap. She gathered her skirt around her hips, then reached down, slipping her underpants to the side and guiding the head of his cock to the entrance of her vagina. Leaning forward, she touched her forehead to his and slowly sank down on to him, feeling his full length filling her. She pulled the afghan up and draped it over her shoulders.

Alvin held her hips as she slowly rocked back and forth in his lap.

"Does that feel good, baby?" she asked him.

"It feels fantastic."

"How about this?" She wiggled back and forth, rose up until he almost slipped out, then slowly slid back down his shaft.

He could only moan in reply. Mary increased the pace of her movements. She kissed the side of Alvin's neck. She licked his ear and whispered. "I want to make you come, baby."

"Mary, I just..."

"I know, but we are in no rush. If it takes a while, it takes a while."

"I love you, Mary."

"I love you too, baby." She jerked her hips, moving faster. Alvin moved with her, squeezing her ass and thrusting into her.

"Oh, Alvin, yes, that's it..."

He sat forward, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing tight. She threw her head back and rode him, growing light headed as she neared an orgasm. The couch began to squeak, and she tried to stop, but her body was beyond her control.

"Alvin, the couch..."

She was panting, and it took him a moment to realize that they were making too much noise. He stopped moving and held her while she came down from her orgasmic high.

Mary swept her hair back from her face and sighed. "Do you think anyone heard us?" she asked.

"Well, if Charlotte heard, she'll make jokes about it in the morning. If Hannah heard, she just rolled her eyes and went back to sleep."

"I was mostly concerned about Alvy."

"He didn't hear a thing."

"How do you know?"

"If he had heard a sound, he'd have thought it was Santa and been done here in a heartbeat."

"Good point." She kissed him, then leaned back and touched his face. "You didn't come, baby."

"That's alright, Mary."

"No, it isn't, damn it. It's Christmas and you need to come."

"You're mixing me up with Santa, honey."

Mary slipped down off his lap and knelt between his legs. His cock had softened, but with a few gentle strokes, she quickly had it back to its full length. She licked the tip, while continuing to stroke it.

Alvin watched her take the head of his cock in her mouth. She raised her eyes to his and she held the contact as she bobbed her head up and down, taking in a little more of the shaft each time. When she had engulfed the full length, she held it in her mouth as long as she could before she had to come up for breath. She raised her head, gasped, and laughed. She wiped her watery eyes and lowered her head again.

As she had took his cock in her mouth again, Alvin reached out and stroked the side of her head. Her eyes were twinkling as she sucked on the head, while wrapping her hand around the lower part of the shaft and stroking it. Listening to his breath quicken, she pumped her fist faster. She could feel him swelling between her lips, and tasted the salty tang of his precum. She moaned and swallowed, knowing she had brought him to the edge.

"Come for me, baby," she whispered. She pursed her lips over the head and a few seconds later, felt his semen flood her mouth.

"Jeezum, Mary," he panted. She looked up at him and smiled. There was cum on her lips and on her chin.

"See, baby, I knew you could do it. You ain't that old, fella."

She stood up and went into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with a damp hand towel. Sitting next to Alvin, she wiped him clean. When she finished, she cuddled next to him and handed him his eggnog.

"I'll never get too old to want you," Alvin told her.

"I know, love."

They sat together, gazing at the lights on the Christmas tree. Their snuggling was interrupted by a soft knock on the front door. Mary jumped up, startled, and nearly fell over backwards. Alvin grabbed her by the arms, guided her down on to the couch, and got up to answer the door, buckling his pants on the way.

Danni was standing on the porch. "I didn't know if you guys were still up. I thought you'd like to see this."

Alvin stepped out on to the porch, then stuck his head back in the door. "Mary, come out for a minute."

Mary was puzzled, but she stood, wrapped the afghan over her shoulders and went to the doorway. Alvin and Danni were standing on the bottom step. Beyond them, she saw Jennifer and Bonita in the dooryard. They were all staring up at the sky. She stepped on to the porch and looked up.

Above the tree line the sky was awash with green light. As she watched, a shimmering streak of magenta waved and then disappeared.

"The northern lights?" she said, half as a question, half as a statement.

"Yes, indeed," Alvin said. She held out his hand to her and they walked into the dooryard. "I haven't seen them in a good twenty years."

"I remember you and Mom waking us up to see them when we were little," Jennifer said.

"I've never seen them before," Danni said in a voice filled with wonder.

"Neither have I," Mary nodded. She was mesmerized. Another streak of magenta moved through the sky, this one slow and sinuous. As she watched she realized that the green light was fluctuating, pulsating, shifting in intensity.

The door squeaked behind them and Charlotte and Seth came out, wearing their coats over their pajamas.

"Jeezum crow," Charlotte whispered as she stepped off the porch. "We heard voices and looked out. Jeezum crow."

"Remember when we were little and we saw them?" Jennifer asked her.

"Who could forget?"

"What's going on?" Hannah said from the doorway. "Why is everybody outside?"

"Get your coat, honey, and come out," Alvin told her. A moment later, she joined them. Mary watched her face when she saw the sky. Her mouth hung open and her eyes grew big and round.

"What is making that happen?" she asked.

"The solar wind disturbs the magnetic fields around the polar regions," Seth explained, "the resulting ionization..."

"Honey," Charlotte said, kissing his cheek, "I love you, but you are not the most romantic guy around."

Alvin wrapped his arm around Mary and Hannah came up on her other side and snuggled against her. Mary took her daughter's hands and pulled them under the Afghan, holding them between her own hands to keep them warm.