The Homestead

"You still don't get it, do you?" David said, glad that Holly had remained in the great room. "Things will never be the way they once were between us. What we had was great ... once, but you did everything you could to drive me away. You thought you could control me, say anything to me, treat me like shit, call me names, insult me in front of the kids, tell me to leave you alone and instead go jack off in the bathroom ... and I was just supposed to get over it and forget that it ever happened? Life doesn't work that way; people don't work that way. Holly loves me as much as I love her, and we are together now."

"Whatever, lover boy."

"All right, I think it is time for you to go," David said, feeling exasperated. "We've got a ton of stuff to do yet tonight."

"Goodbye, David," Allison said with a chill voice, moving toward the open door.

"Goodbye. Take care." He could see in her eyes that she saw Holly moving toward the foyer.

"Oh and honey," Allison spat in Holly's direction. "When you're all finished with whatever you have planned for this guy, just make sure that there's enough left to put the kids through college." Then she turned and stepped through the door and trotted out to her car without another look back.

David took a deep breath as he closed the door and latched it shut. Allison was usually nice when dropping off the kids but could always be counted on to say something cruel if his girlfriend was about. When he returned to the great room, Holly stood looking at the fireplace. David embraced her from behind, whispering in her ear, "I love you, Baby!"

"Mmm, I sure hope so," she said turning toward him. "You're going to need to if she's going to keep coming around. I don't know about putting up with that all the time..."

"You won't. I'm sorry. I thought that maybe she could be civil."

"She was civil, just a little malicious too, that's all."

"You forgot brutal, nasty and spiteful," he said. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to put up with that."

"I'm all right," Holly said. "And don't apologize for her behavior. You were trying to be nice, and besides, it's not your fault she's a bitch."

"Hey, let's not think about that," he replied. "Let's move on, okay?"

Holly nodded.

"So you ready to meet them?"

"I can't wait," Holly replied.

David escorted her up the stairs to where the kids were in their rooms. He knocked on the open door to Jenna's room. She was hanging up some of her clothes and looked over.

"Jenna, there's someone here for you to meet," David said, bringing Holly to the doorway. "This is Holly."

"Hi," they both said awkwardly at the same time. They looked at each other, Jenna's glance perhaps a bit more critical than Holly's.

It took Holly to make things move off dead center. "So your Dad tells me that your swim team did really well this year," she ventured.

"Oh, yeah! We won our league and district and made it to the State Finals for the first time!" Jenna said proudly.

"That is so awesome!" Holly said. "That must have been exciting."

"We had the greatest time," Jenna said, starting to warm up. "I did my personal best in the 50 freestyle and butterfly."

"And you've been accepted at Auburn," Holly added. "That must be pretty exciting too."

"Yeah," Jenna replied trying to mask her excitement with an air of nonchalance. "I have some friends going there this year and I'm really looking forward to it."

David noticed Drew peering out of the door of his room and moving down the hall toward Jenna's room.

"Come on, Boo-boo," David said, waving him closer. "There's someone you should meet. This is Holly."

Drew moved shyly into the shadow of his father, trying to keep his eyes on Holly while shielding the rest of him from her view.

"Hello, Drew," Holly said with her winning smile, waving toward him.

"Hell-oo," Drew replied in a low soft voice. He had always been shy at first around strangers, but once he warmed up there were no family secrets that were safe.

Holly squatted down onto Drew's level. "Your father tells me that your robotics team won their regional contest and that you're going onto the State finals next week." Drew nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing just what it is that you guys do," Holly said with a grin.

Drew giggled but didn't reply, not too surprisingly.

"Well, you guys need to finish unpacking," David said. "Why don't I give you a hand?" he said to Drew.

David and Drew went to his room to finish unloading the rest of his clothes and things. As David hung up some shirts and jeans in the closet, Drew busied himself finding places for his Lego and Hot Wheels collections.

"Oh and Dad?" Drew asked.

"Oh and Drew?"

"Is your girlfriend--what's her name?"

"Holly."

"Is Holly going to be living with us while we're here?"

"Yes, she is."

"Is she going to be my new mom?"

David paused for a moment. "Well, she is never going to replace your mother. Your mother will always be your mother. Holly is my girlfriend."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes, I do."

"More than Mom?"

"Drew, Drew," David said, sitting beside Drew on the bed, and putting his arm around his shoulders. "I've explained to you many times that your mother and I can't live together any more. What's important is that we both love you and want to do what's best for you."

"So you love Holly more than mom and want to live with her instead?"

"Not exactly," David replied. "But I love Holly and want to live with her now and I want you and Jenna to be a part of our lives."

"Ok."

And that was it. His curiosity satisfied for the time being, Drew began to put his collection of Bionicles away. David finished hanging up and putting away his clothes. As he passed back down the hall he heard the sound of laughter coming from Jenna's room. When he poked his head into the open door, Holly and Jenna were standing at the open closet door, with Jenna holding up one of her outfits.

"You didn't tell me that Jenna has awesome taste," Holly remarked.

"Yeah," Jenna gushed. "And now that I have someone almost the same size, I have another closet to borrow things from."

"Oh, man. Don't get me in the middle of that one!" David exclaimed and backed out of the room, lowering his eyes and waving his hands.

"Why don't I let you finish unpacking, ok?" Holly said to Jenna. She followed David down the stairs and reached her arms around his waist, pressing her body against his backside. "Your kids are precious, David," she remarked. "I hope this works out, I really do."

"So do I, Baby," David replied, turning around to face her. "So do I ... very much. And as long as we keep enough time for each other, we'll be all right."

Holly didn't say a thing but her tight hug spoke in the affirmative. They refreshed their drinks and toasted their new life together, pleased with how things had gone for slightly different reasons; David that Holly seemed to accept his kids, and Holly that his kids seemed to accept her. Of course she wasn't above a good bribe and prepared some hot chocolate for the kids when they finally wandered downstairs.

They gathered in the great room, sipped their drinks, and talked about the small things in life, school life and work life, just casual superficial conversation that continued to break the ice. David kept a close eye on his kids. They seemed reserved--hesitant almost--at first, but as the minutes rolled out, they grew more accustomed to Holly's presence and their conversation grew warmly animated. By the time their drinks were history, it had grown dark and they decided to get started on their first evening together.

"Come on kids! Let's go!" David barked out.

Given the cool weather, it took a few extra minutes, but they all managed to get dressed for their excursion.

"So where we going first, Dad?" Drew asked.

"First things first, we're getting our Christmas tree."

The kids were happy and excited at the thought as they piled into the van and headed out to a Christmas tree farm not far away. Of course, David felt it was his responsibility to keep the Christmas tunes going as they motored along the pleasant drive on a two-lane blacktop. There were a couple inches of snow on the ground and almost every house they passed was decorated and lit up.

"I was reading in the newspaper where this might be the last year for the old Christmas tree farm," David remarked.

"Why, Daddy?" Jenna asked.

"Another subdivision I guess, you know progress and all," he replied.

"That's too bad," Holly said. "It's really pretty out here."

"That's why people want to live out here I guess," David commented. "When I was a kid, I picked apples at an orchard right here," he commented as they passed by a newer subdivision with large brick homes on huge lots. "Now they grow houses instead of apples."

David turned off the blacktop onto a gravel road and drove slowly along the winding road until they came upon a brightly lit field. Even from the road you could see several beautiful Christmas trees. As everyone climbed out, David grabbed his saw and took Holly's hand as they crossed the road.

"Let's stick together, you guys!" he called out to the kids as they ran into the lot and disappeared between the trees. "Come on! Don't get lost!"

The pine scent was thick as they walked between the rows of trees. There were several empty spots and many of the trees that were left near the road were small or misshapened. They could hear the kids shouting back and forth farther along. There were Douglas Firs and White Pines and Scotch Pines and Blue Spruces and several others for which David didn't know the names. They paused occasionally as they strolled along checking several prospective trees. Suddenly they heard Jenna's voice calling.

"Daddy! Daddy! We found it!"

Holly and David headed off in the direction of her voice and came face to face with a tall Scotch Pine, perhaps seven feet tall or more.

"What'd I say?" Jenna said as she gestured toward the tree. "Isn't it perfect?"

It was tall and full and thick with strong branches for lots of ornaments. The needles were thick and green and gave off a great fresh smell.

"I like it," Drew proclaimed. He had picked up a loose branch and waved it about like a sword.

"What do you think?" David asked Holly. She walked around the tree and smiled.

"It's very pretty," she answered.

"Good enough for me," David said, slipping the cover off his saw and squatting down to begin cutting the tree.

"Is that all you do, just chop it down?" Holly asked.

"Yep," David said, drawing the saw blade back and forth on the tree trunk. "Then you carry out to the road and the guy tells you what you have to pay. Pretty slick, eh?"

"Oh and Dad?" Drew asked.

"What's that, Drew?"

"When we bring the tree back, how are you gonna glue it back down?"

Holly and David both chuckled.

"Well, you see, Drew," David said slowly, trying to think of the best way to tell him. "After we cut it down, we can't exactly put it back."

"Oh," Drew said. "I don't think I want that tree anymore." Drew began to wander off.

"He's gonna be like Jenna and the turkey farm."

"How's that?" Holly asked.

"Years ago we used to drive past a turkey farm every day on the way to her school. I stopped by one day by myself and ordered a turkey for Thanksgiving. Jenna refused to eat it, saying that she couldn't eat something that she maybe had once seen alive."

Once David had cut the tree down, he managed to carry it toward the road. A few dollars lighter, he tied it to the roof rack and they piled inside and drove home. Once it was unloaded and placed inside on the stand, David looked at his watch. He knew if he was hungry that everyone else must be too.

"It's getting kind of late to cook dinner and decorate the tree," he observed. "Why don't we go into town for dinner instead?"

"Yeah!" the kids shouted.

"Guess they're tired of my cooking already," David joked. "And I haven't even cooked my first meal!"

"But I never will," Holly said.

"Hope not, baby," David replied, planting a kiss on her lips.

"And don't forget that I can cook too, you know," she added proudly.

"I remember," David answered. "And look forward to it."

They all bundled up and piled back into the van to drive into town. Like many older small towns, Northville had survived by keeping filled with the sort of specialty shops that the large shopping malls didn't have. There were some of the old standbys, like a hardware, bakery, and barber shop, but there were also designer women's apparel shops, a jeweler's, an antique store and of course the local theatre, which now featured live performances and not films. From the moment they pulled up along Center Street, the sidewalks appeared more crowded that usual. Almost all the stores were still open and David realized that this was no ordinary Friday evening.

"That's right, this is the Friday Night Aglow." he remarked. "Stores open late, Santa Claus in the park, probably carriage rides too."

"Cool," Holly said checking out the crowded sidewalks and the bright lights and decorations everywhere. They managed to find a parking spot not far away and walked toward Main Street. The sidewalks were lined with luminaries, and the vintage streetlights were decorated with fresh garlands and red bows, the store windows were all brightly decorated, and the warm seasonal glow was reflected in the faces of the shoppers.

"Well, Mr. Morrison," called out a familiar voice. David looked around to see the smiling face of Bob Meyer, a friend from scouting, and his wife.

"Hey, Bob ... Lisa ... how are you?" David said, greeting Don with a handshake and Lisa with a smile. "This is Holly."

"Hello," Holly said shyly.

"Nice to meet you," Lisa said politely, giving Holly a close but approving look.

"Indeed. Very nice to meet you," Bob replied.

"So what brings you downtown on a cold night like this?" David asked.

"Dunno," Bob said in a dull voice. "Heard a vicious rumor about something happening down here tonight, but damned if I can figure it out."

They all chuckled, then stood and chatted for a few minutes more before moving on. "Merry Christmas!" was the common greeting or farewell. It seemed that everyone passing by would say hello, or wish a merry Christmas, even if they didn't actually recognize the person. David held Holly's hand tightly and squeezed it every once in a while.

"Oh, my look at this," Holly said as they passed the jeweler's. "Isn't that the most beautiful thing ever?"

"Which one?"

"That one right there," she said pointing at a lovely diamond ring set in the Orin Jeweler's window. It was an elegant setting and a very attractive, artistic design.

"That would look great on your finger, wouldn't it?" David remarked.

"In my dreams!" Holly laughed and looked away, but then caught a glimpse of David staring closer at the display for a moment before they continued down the street.

After passing a few more shops and slowing to look at the brightly decorated windows, the passing crowd reached a bottleneck. Holly and David had to press tightly against the storefront to get past. Caught in the shadow of a doorway leading to a law office on the second floor, David pulled Holly close to him and put his hand under her chin, lifting her face toward his for a warm wet kiss. The glow of the lights across the street flickered in their eyes as they looked at each other and smiled. They didn't need to say a word for the expression in their eyes said everything. As the crowd surged along, they looked ahead.

"Kids!" David called out to Jenna and Drew as they began to move further down Main Street. The children were getting a little too far ahead and he wanted to make sure they all got into Helen's Uptown Café for their late supper. "Hold up, okay?" He pointed toward the restaurant. Pleasingly, there wasn't a very long wait at all and they soon slipped into a cozy booth, David managing to slip in beside Holly.

Once settled in and the menu was fully digested, Jenna proceeded to relate her latest tale of high school romance and intrigue involving her friend Lauren who was moving to Arkansas and pledging eternal faithfulness to her boyfriend Lance who was remaining in town. Drew chipped in with a new story of his latest Kid's Club adventure, where his buddies had built a fort and they had a great time defending it against the invading girls. Holly and David exchanged a look knowing how that whole dynamic would change in a few years.

David enjoyed the look on Holly's face as she listened intently to the kids and he loved the way she laughed joyfully when Drew told of the burping contest that he had won. He reached under the table and found her hand, taking it inside his and holding it on her lap. When their meals were served, they all shared sips of pumpkin bisque, bites of Eggplant Parmesan, and afterwards split a generous order of cherry cheesecake.

"I am so stuffed!" Holly commented as the last bite of cheesecake disappeared.

"Now we have a good reason to walk all the way back to the car," David remarked.

They noticed how the evening had obviously grown chillier when they exited the restaurant. David led them across the street to where a line had formed to take rides in the horse-drawn carriage festooned with holiday decorations. As they joined the line, another friendly voice called out.

"Hey, Dave! Dave!"

"Well if it isn't the Mike Denton family," David announced as he recognized the approaching couple with their kids stringing along. "How are you?" David asked, shaking Mark's hand and nodding toward Mike's wife, Beth.

"And a hearty Merry Christmas to you," Mike replied, eying Holly closely.

"Merry Christmas!" Beth said cheerfully.

"So are you going to introduce us?" Mike asked pointedly.

"Of course," David said warmly, placing his hand on the small of Holly's back. "Mike, Beth, this is Holly."

"Hello," Beth said, reaching her hand out to Holly.

"Nice to meet you both," Holly replied.

"So you're the one who's been keeping our former Men's Club president so busy lately," Mike said to Holly. "Not that I can blame him at all."

"It's up to him what he does in his spare time," Holly said, looping her arm inside David's.

"So what're you guys up to?" Mike asked.

"Just waiting in line for the carriage," was David's reply. "Thought it'd be nice to tour around town with all the lights and decorations turned on."

"How romantic!" Beth exclaimed. "I remember when Mike used to want to do things like that."

"Never too late, old man," David commented with a laugh.

"Maybe next year," Mike replied. "Right now I'm freezing my ass off."

"So am I," Beth added with a giggle. "Merry Christmas!"

The Dentons waved and moved on with the rest of the passing crowd. When the carriage pulled up and emptied, it was their turn. David helped guide the kids up into the carriage and then helped Holly up, following behind her and sitting next to her in the back with the kids up front.

"You might want to wrap up in those blankets, folks," the driver said. "It gets pretty chilly up here once we get going."

Holly and David spread the heavy woolen lap blanket over their laps and snuggled together as the carriage began to pull away from the curb. Holly hooked her arm through David's and leaned against him. The view from up in the carriage was lovely as they toured the downtown streets and then moved out into the residential neighborhood nearby, where the rambling Victorian houses were lit up and their decorations were all aglow.

"This is so perfect," Holly said as she nuzzled next to David. He could see the glow of the season sparkling in her eyes as they passed house after house with lights and animated seasonal characters placed out on the lawns and rooftops. David let his hand wander underneath the blanket, coming to rest on her thigh and stroking it lightly. He could feel the warmth of her legs underneath the fabric of her slacks and she did nothing to stop his hand. Yet with his kids in front, he had to behave himself for the most part. But there was no denying the intimacy of his touch.