At Last (The Idle Point, Maine Stories)(14)
"Why don't the three of you come back to my place for hot chocolate?" Nora suggested. He knew what this meant, bringing his mother and Gracie to Nora's place.
Nora was thirty-eight years old, divorced, and lonely. She was also soft and kind and womanly and he ached for all of that and more.
He was forty-seven, widowed, and going down for the count. He did the only thing he knew how to do. He said yes.
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Mrs. Cavanaugh made sure all the costumes had been collected before she gave out the Christmas cards and candy. Gracie and Noah waited their turns with Laquita and Mary Ellen. Don and Tim were always first on line and they tried to grab two bags each when Mrs. Cavanaugh wasn't looking but she put a stop to it. Gracie didn't mind so much because she knew that the two brothers didn't always get as much to eat as the rest of them did. Besides, the longer it took to reach the front of the line, the longer the night would last.
She loved the way the auditorium looked with the bright red and green Christmas decorations and the big tree in the corner of their classroom. She loved dressing up in her shepherd's costume and stepping right up to the front of the stage when it was her turn to say her lines. For a moment she was so scared she didn't think she'd be able to push out the words but then, like magic, something happened and she wasn't Gracie Taylor any more but a real-life shepherd in Bethlehem, heralding the magical star in the first Christmas sky. At first she didn't see Daddy and Gramma Del in the audience but then all of a sudden her eyes landed right on them and she was so happy she thought her heart would burst. Gramma Del blotted at her eyes with a handkerchief and Daddy smiled at her in a way he hadn't smiled in a long, long time. She saw Nora Fahey sitting alone near the back and she wondered if Miss Fahey wasn't speaking to Daddy any more. That happened a lot.
If only he could marry someone like Noah's mommy. The thought made her feel all dreamy and sad at the same time. Why couldn't Daddy find a wife who actually liked little girls.
"Merry Christmas, Graciela." Mrs. Cavanaugh handed her a small bag of hard candies and a Christmas card. Gracie ducked her head and mumbled thank you then ran over to where the rest of the kids were trading for their favorite flavors. She knew she couldn't stay much longer. Gramma Del and Daddy were waiting for her outside and Daddy always got mad when Gracie dawdled. She had to admit it had been better lately. He didn't smell like beer anymore and he was always awake when she and Gramma Del came home at night. Once he'd even started the meatloaf heating up in the oven and set the table. Gramma Del said he wasn't to go patting himself on the back for doing what needed to be done but Gracie could see it made her very happy.
The last few weeks had been the very best in Gracie's short life. She still loved school and it showed. When Mrs. Cavanaugh opened the Christmas mailbox yesterday afternoon, Gracie had more cards than anybody but Noah. Every time Mrs. Cavanaugh called her name, she felt her heart swell with happiness. Noah turned bright red when he opened the card Gracie had made for him. Gramma Del had helped her cut green construction paper in the shape of a Christmas tree and she'd decorated it with gold and red and silver stars from the 5 & 10 then written "Merry Xmas Noah Love Gracie" along the bottom. He'd bought her a real Hallmark card from the drug store near the Gazette and signed it "With Love Noah." He'd made a mistake on the word "Noah" and had to cross it out and write it again. She promised she would keep the card forever and ever.
Laquita's mommy showed up in the doorway with the new baby in her arms and said it was time for them to go. Don and Tim had already left. So had most of the other kids. Finally Mrs. Cavanaugh said it was time for her to close up and that they shouldn't keep their parents waiting any longer so Noah and Gracie put on their coats and mittens and started for the front door. They were halfway there when Mrs. Chase appeared, looking just like an angel from a Christmas card. Her blond hair looked like a halo and she wore a white wool coat and a soft white scarf around her neck. The scarf twinkled with little gold stars that matched the sparkly gold star pinned to her collar. When she bent down to say hello to Gracie, Gracie reached up and touched her cheek with a mittened hand. Mrs. Chase laughed softly then gathered Gracie close to her in a hug that smelled like cinnamon and chocolate. A mommy smell that made Gracie bury her head deep into the soft folds of her coat and wish she could stay there forever.
"I'm so glad I found you, Gracie," she said while Noah looked on. "We have a gift for you." She reached into the leather bag slung over her arm and pulled out a package wrapped in shiny red paper and tied with a big green and gold bow.