A Mrs. Miracle Christmas(27)

Sad, and wishing she could’ve been of more help, Helen continued to sit and drink her tea. She wondered what it was that Zach had done. He was a thoughtful person, and Helen knew he would never do anything to intentionally hurt Laurel.

It wasn’t long before the front door opened and her Caring Angel arrived.

“Good morning! It’s a new day!” Mrs. Miracle cheerfully swept into the kitchen, wearing a bright smile. She always arrived with an agenda in hand. After giving Helen an hour or two each morning for knitting and chatting, they’d often plan an outing. They’d been to play bingo at the senior center one day. Then another time, they’d bundled up to watch the ferries come in and out of the port from Alki Point while having a bite to eat at a small Hawaiian-Korean fusion café. And then there was the afternoon they ventured out to a holiday craft sale at a local church. Helen hadn’t been this active in what felt like years. If she was right, today was the planned trip to Hobby Lobby for more yarn. The baby booties were finished, and she needed more yarn for a matching blanket. Helen enjoyed these outings with her companion, loving that she had this caring woman beside her the entire time. She never tired of seeing the loving glow on her face. It reminded her daily that Mrs. Miracle had arrived from heaven.

    “Did you have a good night’s sleep, Helen?”

“Unfortunately not.” She couldn’t rest knowing her granddaughter was miserable.

Whirling around, Mrs. Miracle looked perplexed. “Why ever not?”

No need to hide anything from Mrs. Miracle.

“I was worried about Laurel and Zach. Did you happen to pass Laurel on your way in?”

“I didn’t. Is there a problem?” She looked genuinely concerned.

Caught up in her thoughts, Helen barely heard the question. After a moment, she responded. “I don’t know what it could be. Sometimes I can hear Laurel and Zach talking, and I can’t help but listen. Last night, they seemed to be purposefully keeping their voices down so I couldn’t make out what they were saying.”

    “I see.”

“I didn’t mean to be prying, but I couldn’t stand to see her upset, so I asked. Laurel said Zach had done something foolish but would be making it right today. She didn’t go into details. It looked for a minute like she wanted to explain but didn’t. Whatever it was devastated her. I can’t imagine Zach doing anything to purposely upset her like this.”

Mrs. Miracle reached across the table and gently squeezed Helen’s hand. “I believe I know the problem.”

Helen immediately looked up from her teacup.

“I suspect this has something to do with Zach’s downtown shopping spree at Macy’s last evening after his meeting.”

Zach had gone Christmas shopping? This was news to Helen. Even though it was relatively early, Helen had been tired from their outing earlier that day and had headed to bed before he had arrived home. She’d drifted off to sleep almost immediately and awoke when she’d heard their voices, hushed and heated.

“But Laurel is the one who enjoys shopping,” Helen said, unable to understand what had led Zach to enter a busy downtown department store in the height of the holiday season.

    “Well,” Mrs. Miracle started, looking pleased with herself, “I can’t say what exactly it was that upset Laurel, but I believe Zach met up with a friend of mine last evening.”

“A friend? Of yours?”

Mrs. Miracle’s eyes sparked with mischief. “A very good friend.”

“Might I ask…” Helen ventured. “Might this have been one of the heavenly friends you mentioned earlier?”

The other woman’s responding smile said it all.

Helen’s eyes widened even as she lowered her voice. “Zach met an angel? In Macy’s? But if that’s the case, then why did this upset Laurel and why is Zach determined to make it right?”

“Oftentimes when God works, what happens makes no sense. It will all come together down the road. Trust me on this.”

None of this made sense to Helen, but she was willing to do as her friend asked. In time it would be revealed, and she would understand. For now, that had to be enough.





CHAPTER TEN




“I don’t understand,” Zach said, staring at the young salesclerk. “I purchased these baby outfits myself, less than twenty-four hours ago. I have the sales slip right here, and I would like to return them.” He could hear mumbled complaints coming from the line of customers behind him, which he did his best to ignore.

The woman gave him a look reserved for someone trying to take advantage of the store’s return policy. “But that isn’t possible.”

“It is possible,” Zach said through gritted teeth. Normally, he was an easygoing kind of guy, but this clerk was testing every ounce of patience he had. He couldn’t understand why he was having problems returning the baby clothes that he’d purchased the day before.

    “Those items you claim to have purchased yesterday with cash haven’t been carried by Macy’s for months now. To insist that you bought them yesterday isn’t possible.”

“But…” Apparently, he didn’t have a leg to stand on, according to the salesclerk. In his eagerness to get out of the store the day before, he hadn’t bothered to look at the receipt. The faded ink on the receipt kept him from proving the date of his purchase.