The Christmas Portrait (20 page)

“Let's go. You first.” I followed behind Laramie, but I turned around to look at Daddy. He was smiling and gave me the thumbs-up sign. That meant she was coming. Laramie's mom was on her way.

My Christmas dress had been hanging on the doorknob all day. Mama made it last year out of green velvet with a red sash. And there were petticoats underneath. I put it on and Laramie helped me button it in the back and tie the sash.

“I'm so glad I'm just giving the welcome and singing in the choir tonight at the pageant. I don't have to wear one of those dumb costumes like Chesler. He's a sheep.”

“A sheep's in the Christmas pageant?”

“Yeah, a sheep. Granny Grace and Aunt Susannah Hope glued cotton balls all over a king-sized pillowcase to make it look like sheep's wool. And they took one of my old head bands and glued on floppy ears made out of felt and covered in cotton balls.” I laughed out loud. “Granny said his floppy ears make him look like a cross between an old hound dog and a cotton patch.”

“Well, your dress is prettier than any costume, Kate.”

“Thanks, Mama made it for me last Christmas. Good thing I didn't grow too much this year.” I shut the second drawer in my dresser. “I gotta find that big red ribbon. Mama made it too. It goes in my hair a special way.” I kept looking. “Here it is, bottom drawer.”

I brushed my hair while Laramie put on her dress. I was glad Mama tied that bow, sewed it, and glued it on to the back of a comb so all I had to do was stick it in my hair. Daddy could never fix my hair as nice as Mama did.

I could see Laramie in the mirror behind me, and I turned around. “Oh, how pretty! I love that blue. It looks so pretty with your eyes.”

“Thanks. Would you zip it?”

I zipped it. It was a little bit tight. She had on white tights to match the white lace collar. She looked like a doll that belonged under the Christmas tree.

“I have a barrette with white lace and ribbons. You want to wear it?”

“Sure. Is it okay?”

“Of course. You can put it right there on the side where your stitches are, and nobody'll see them.”

When we finished, I sprayed a little bit of Mama's perfume on us. Daddy said I could do that on special occasions. And this was a special day.

Uncle Luke and Miss Lisa had just walked in the front door when we came downstairs. Uncle Luke looked at us and then back at Miss Lisa and said, “Three beautiful girls. I'm just glad I don't have to choose which one's the prettiest.”

He would choose Miss Lisa. She had on the red lipstick again to match her red Christmas dress.

Daddy had the camera on the tripod set up in the living room. “Okay, time for the Christmas picture, and aren't we glad Lisa and Laramie will be in our family picture this year?”

Uncle Luke started clapping, and Chesler and I did too. Uncle Luke looked like he wanted to kiss Miss Lisa, but I didn't think he was about to kiss that much lipstick, not with all of us watching.

“Chesler, come here. Your tie looks like Grady tied it.”

Chesler left his spot and ran to Daddy. “Grady can't tie my tie. He's a hound dog.”

“Exactly what I mean.” Daddy fixed it and sent him back to his place for the picture. The timer was set. Daddy mashed the button and walked over real fast to stand between me and Chesler. It beeped ten times, and there was our family Christmas photo. Just after it flashed, the doorbell rang.

Chesler took off toward the door, but Daddy caught him just as he rounded the corner of the living room that leads into the front hall. “Wait just a minute. You may be dressed up like the butler, but don't answer the door. I want to take your picture with Uncle Luke and Lisa.” He patted Chesler on the behind and sent him back to his place in front of the Christmas tree.

“Laramie?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Would you mind getting the door while I take this last photo?”

“No, sir. I mean yes, sir, I'll get it.” Laramie walked just like a lady out of that living room.

As soon as her back was turned, Daddy was smiling so big we could count his teeth all the way back to his molars. He motioned for us all to come and stand behind the French door so we could see.

Laramie grabbed the doorknob, and she had to tug on it a couple of times before it would open. On the third tug, that old door came wide open. Laramie just stood there like some kind of statue, holding on to that doorknob like she might fall down if she let go. “Mom?”

“Yes, Laramie, it's me.”

“Really, it's you?”

That's when Laramie's mom came through that door, and Laramie cried and hugged her and held her the way I hugged Mama the night she went to heaven, just like she wasn't ever letting her go. She was so pretty, blonde and green-eyed just like Laramie. Then Mr. Fields came in too, and all three of them hugged each other all over again.

Daddy led us all into the front hall to meet Mr. and Mrs. Fields. He introduced everyone. Mrs. Fields must have thanked him about a million times for taking care of her sweet girl. I took Laramie upstairs to get her things while they talked.

When they were saying good-bye, I remembered my Christmas present for Laramie and the other present. “Wait just a minute. I have to get something.”

Daddy must have invited them over for our family Christmas because when I got back to the front hall, Mrs. Fields was saying they really should have their own Christmas and not intrude on ours.

I handed Laramie's present to her. “Here, Laramie, this is from me.”

She hugged me and thanked me.

“And here's the present you made for your mom.” I handed her the other present wrapped up in redbird paper.

“But, I . . .”

I stretched my eyes and shook my head. Then she smiled and her face told me she understood. She took the present from my hand.

Laramie's mom took her hand. “Let's go, Laramie. We have lots of things to talk about and some explaining to do.” Then she thanked Daddy for all he did to help their family. Even Mr. Fields shook Daddy's hand. I could tell he didn't have words.

Before she left, Laramie hugged me one last time, and I whispered in her ear, “Go be with your mom and dad. You're gonna have the best Christmas ever.”

“Kate, I love you. I hope your plan works.”

“It'll work. It's just got to.”

C
HAPTER
E
IGHTEEN

C
HRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYED
, and Granny had candles lit everywhere when she met us at the back door with her red Christmas apron on.

My aunt and uncle were already there. Aunt Susannah had a little more color in her cheeks than when I saw her last time at the hospital. She asked, “Where's Laramie?”

Daddy told her the whole story about Laramie's mom coming home. My aunt just cried. I knew she was missing Mama and wishing she'd come walking through that door just like Laramie's mom did. Whenever Mama walked into a room, everybody looked, and just seeing her put a smile on their faces.

Last Christmas Eve was our first one without Grandpa, and now Mama's chair at the table was empty too. Made me look around the room and think about what could happen by next Christmas. But if I knew Granny, she wouldn't allow too much time for being sad tonight.

Everybody was in the kitchen, the way they always were at Granny's house.

Granny switched off the griddle. “Susannah Hope, look at Lisa's hand and see what happened when she and Luke were out here skating on the pond last night.” Aunt Susannah Hope was probably expecting a cast on Miss Lisa's arm the way Granny talked. She was so surprised when she saw that ring that she started crying all over again.

Granny gave everybody a job except Chesler. His job was to stay out of the way until the food was on the table. When we were all in our seats, Granny Grace asked Uncle Don to pray. He prayed good prayers, but they could be long. I opened my eyes and looked around. Granny was sitting in Grandpa's seat at the end of the table. Miss Lisa was sitting in Granny's old seat next to Uncle Luke, and I was in Mama's chair right next to Daddy. I closed my eyes again when I thought he was about to say amen.

Granny's supper was simple compared to what our Christmas lunch would be tomorrow. Every Christmas Eve since I could remember, we've sat around Granny's dining table with her red Christmas cloth on it. We have the same thing—French onion soup, grilled cheese sandwiches on my aunt's homemade bread, and fruit salad. Daddy insisted on making the fruit salad this year because that was always Mama's job.

Grandpa used to grumble, “Gracie, I don't know why you have to serve cheese on top of the soup, and another half a pound of cheese on my sandwich. You know that much cheese messes up my plumbing.” The first time I heard him say that, I just laughed because everybody else did. But when Daddy explained it to me about the plumbing and all, I laughed out loud all over again.

When we finished our supper, Granny, Aunt Susannah, and Miss Lisa cleared the table, and Granny brought out the Santa Claus platter of her homemade cookies and fudge. “Okay, just a reminder, if you eat all these cookies tonight, you won't get any tomorrow.” She always said that too.

Then came my favorite part, not because of the cookies, but because Granny brought out the magic marker, and we all signed our names on the table cloth again. The table was cleared of dishes, so we could see everybody's names from years ago. I was looking for how Mama signed her name when she was in the second grade. She signed it “llennoD'O yoJ anaiD” just to be different. And then one year she drew smiley faces in all the Os in her name. We always laughed about that. Granny made a big deal about Miss Lisa signing her name for the first time. One time Granny told me that when she went to heaven she wanted me to have the Christmas tablecloth.

We put on our coats to leave for the Christmas Eve service, and Aunt Susannah Hope insisted Granny ride with them. Granny refused. “I'm riding in the car with these young folks. I need to make sure Chesler and Kate know their lines for the Christmas program. But go ahead and put my overnight bag in your car. I'm spending the night in town with you and Don. Oh, where's Chesler's sheep costume?”

Uncle Don was helping my aunt to get in the car. “It's in our car, and your bag's already there too. Anything else you need?”

“No. We'll come back early in the morning for the food I've prepared and for all the presents. That is, we'll get the presents if these children are good tonight.” Granny smiled.

I knew she didn't mean that. She'd be giving presents no matter what. She was asking me to say my lines before we got down the lane to the main road. I said them perfect the first time. Then she insisted Chesler sing his solo. Asking Chesler to sing is like mashing the “on” button of a radio. He had us all singing Christmas songs by the time we got to town.

“Now you two kids sing like that tonight, and your mama and your grandpa will be clapping all the way from heaven.”

Uncle Luke had Chesler in his lap in the back seat. “And your dad and I will jump up and yell just like we do at the baseball game.”

“Nah, you can't do that, Uncle Luke, not if Granny's sitting next to you. She pinches.” Everybody laughed at Chesler.

Daddy parked in the lot across the street from the church, and we all got out. “Would you look at that? That's one beautiful old church.” The church ladies on the decorating committee had tied red ribbons to the iron fence around the old stone church, and candlelight shone from the windows.

Daddy slapped Uncle Luke across the shoulder. “You sure you don't want a Christmas wedding?”

“Not on your life. If Lisa wants snow, then I'll bring in a snow-making machine. But we're getting married right here in June. Right, Lisa?”

“Right. With white rose petals, who needs snow? And with Chesler and Kate, looks like we have our singer, and I have a bridesmaid.”

“I'm so excited to be a bridesmaid. Thank you, Miss Lisa.” I took her hand. “Would it be okay if I started calling you Aunt Lisa?”

She squeezed my hand. “You know, I think I'd like that a whole lot. I've been waiting a long time to be an aunt.”

Granny hung on to Daddy's arm when we crossed the street. Pastor Simmons was standing at the door to greet us. He asked about Laramie. Daddy didn't get to tell him everything about Laramie's mom, just that she was home and he was hopeful everything would work out for that family. “And speaking of families, Luke, here, will be asking you to tie the knot to start another family right here in June.” Daddy took Aunt Lisa's hand and showed the pastor her engagement ring.

“Yes, sir. Lisa and I'll be coming in next week to talk to you about the wedding. We can't imagine getting married anywhere else.”

Pastor Simmons shook Uncle Luke's hand. “Now that's plain beautiful, Luke. One of my favorite things about being a pastor is the sweet time I have with families at weddings and funerals.”

I agreed weddings were “plain beautiful,” but funerals? Maybe that was another one of those things I'd understand better when I grew up.

“Two services tonight, Pastor?” Granny asked.

“Oh, yes. This one with the children's pageant, and then there's another one at eleven.”

“Too late for my blood.” Granny moved on over by Uncle Luke.

The pastor turned to me. “Kate, I think the other kids are gathering in the choir room. You and Chesler better hurry.” Then he reached for the basket and started handing out candles to the grown-ups. “And the rest of you, don't forget your candles, you'll need them for the end of the service.”

Aunt Susannah went with us to make sure Chesler put on his costume right.

It wasn't long before Mrs. Crouch cranked up that organ and made it sound like trumpets. That was our signal to come out and take our places. The choir for adults was behind us in the choir loft, and we were on risers out front. All the kids in costumes were in the manger scene over by the organ.