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I awoke to the feeling that someone was tapping on my forehead. I opened my eyes and after a few seconds, they zoomed in on Destiny. Mary was standing behind her.
I groaned. The sun wasn’t even all the way up.
I looked over at Mekhi’s side of the bed and it was empty. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Where’s Krissy?”
“She’s sleeping,” Mary said.
I scooted up in the bed and picked up my phone to find the time. Six-thirty a.m. “Why are you girls up?”
“It’s Christmas,” Destiny replied.
I was puzzled for a moment, but then I remembered, kids got up early because they wanted to open their gifts. “Okay,” I said, still shaking cobwebs. “Did you see Mr. Mekhi?”
“He left.”
“The house?”
Mary nodded.
I threw the comforter back. “He’s probably out running.”
“Running from what?” Destiny’s eyes were as big as saucers.
I chuckled. “Not from, kind of to,” I replied. “To better health. Running is good exercise.”
“You’ll learn that in gym class when you get older,” Mary said. “But he wasn’t running. He was in his car.”
I nodded. I was curious about where Mekhi might be going at this time of morning on Christmas, but I figured I’d find out soon enough. “Are you girls hungry?”
They nodded.
“Okay, let’s go fix something to eat.”
“Can we open our Christmas?” Mary asked, her voice squeaked high with excitement.
I pulled on my robe. “We have to wait for Mr. Mekhi.”
Her shoulders slumped, but then she took my hand. “It wouldn’t be fun without him anyway.”
I smiled. We paddled our way down the stairs and I heard noise and the low sound of Christmas music coming from the kitchen.
“Are you sure he left?” I asked the girls and now two sets of wide eyes glared back at me. They answered yes with their heads.
We walked into the kitchen and found people milling about. One at the stove and another preparing items at the island.
“Good morning, Mrs. Johnson,” the woman making preparations greeted me. She wiped her hands on a towel. “We’re with 3 Sisters Catering. Your husband hired us to prepare your family’s meals for the day.”
We shook hands. “Did he?”
The woman at the stove replied, “Mr. Johnson asked me to tell you that you’re expecting guests at eight a.m.”
I cocked my head. “Am I?”
“Yes, ma’am. Breakfast for twenty.”
I stepped to the island, picked up a grape and popped it into my mouth. “I don’t think I know twenty people I’d want to eat breakfast with, but I guess my husband does.”
“Yes, ma’am, I suppose he must.” The sister that shook my hand washed her hands and then went back to what she had been working on.
I reached for the fruit bowl and moved it to the table in the breakfast nook area. “Will a piece of fruit hold you girls over until we get dressed?”
They nodded yes and both took a banana and a few grapes and ate them. While we were there, Krissy joined us.
“What’s going on?” she asked, her grumpiness evident.
“We are having a special Christmas breakfast.” The excitement in Mary’s voice bounced off the walls.
Krissy yawned. “It can’t be too special without Mama.”
Always the ray of sunshine, Mary replied, “It can be as special as we let it be.” This kid had a gift for finding the good.
“We’re having fruit. Breakfast will be served at eight a.m.” I stood. “In the meantime, the girls and I will go up and get dressed so whomever our guests are won’t catch us in our pajamas.”
The girls stood and we left Krissy with the cooks. I’d purchased red outfits for them to wear today. I was excited for them, but as I dressed Destiny an overwhelming feeling of sadness crept over me. My baby would be almost three months old now. I’d be dressing her for her first Christmas. She’d be turning over and making the sweet cooing sounds. I’d have beautiful little first Christmas pictures.
“What’s wrong Ms. Samaria?” Mary asked. “You did all Destiny’s buttons wrong.”
I looked down through teary eyes and sure enough, I’d started in the wrong place and continued the wrong pattern all the way down the front of the button down, corduroy dress.
Destiny looked at herself and smiled. “It’s pretty.”
I swiped under my eyes and stood. “Mary, can you fix it for me?”
She nodded. “You crying. Why come?”
“How come?” I corrected her like her mother would have. “I’m sad because I won’t be able to spend Christmas with someone this year.”
“They can’t come to breakfast?” Mary asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
I turned to leave the room.
“We’re here.” Mary’s little voice carried her will to be enough.
I turned back to face them. I leaned over and hugged them both. “And I’m so glad you’re here. Both of you. Even though I’m crying a little bit, you girls make me happy.” I squeezed tight and stood.
Opting for privacy, Krissy had been getting dressed in the bathroom. She’d picked out a velveteen jumper for herself, red of course, with a white lace bodice and drawstring waist.
“You look nice,” I offered.
“Thanks,” she said looking down at her shoes. “Thank you for buying the clothes for us.”
She looked pretty, but I could tell she wasn’t happy. I was a decent stand-in, but I wasn’t her mother. I knew that. “It was my pleasure.”
“Can we go see our mama later?” she asked.
“Of course,” I said, thinking Mekhi would have expected them to do that no matter what he had planned. “I’m going to hurry and get ready. It’ll be eight soon.”
I left the room and entered my own. I took a quick shower and pulled my holiday look together in the twenty minutes I was working with. Just as I finished my makeup, the doorbell rang. The girls met me in the hallway and we made our descent down the stairs.
I pulled the door open. Ebony and her family came busting through. Behind them was Mekhi’s mother and her new man, his brother, Wang and Wang’s two sons. Now I realized how we were getting to a setting of twenty, but I couldn’t imagine who else he’d invited that I’d actually want to see.
I accepted hugs and kisses and Merry Christmas wishes from everyone as they entered. The adults were carrying bags with wrapped presents. Once everyone piled in out of the weather, I introduced the girls to them as my friend’s children.
We made our way to the great room where the adults arranged presents under the tree. Camera phones came out and pictures were snapped next to our fancy tree and lit fireplace.
The caterers called us in and I reached for my phone. Still no word from Mekhi. I was starting to get a little nervous. Before I could push the number to call him, I heard the garage door open. Relief flooded me. I excused myself and cut through the kitchen to the garage. Mekhi came in the door with my mother.