Chapter Twenty-One

 

Friday, December 6th, 6:00 a.m.

 

I heard the TV news as soon as I walked into the kitchen. I saw Mom in her recliner in the family room, bundled up in her robe and slippers. She didn’t have an early shift at the casino and must be doing the parent thing on snow watch. I crossed to the counter and took a mug off the rack on the wall. When I looked out the window over the sink, I saw nearly a foot of accumulated snow on the deck. Wow, what fun! I’d have to shovel it off later.

I poured a cup of coffee, added cream, and went to join Mom, curling up on the couch to stare at the talking heads. “What’s the latest word?”

“Snow day for all of you. The schools are closed everywhere.” Mom sipped her coffee. “I had a message from my manager at the casino last night. Business was really slow, so I have the weekend off unless we get a sudden thaw.”

“Will we be okay?” I bit my lip, suddenly worried about how much I’d spent on food last night. “If I could get to the barn, Rocky would definitely pay me. She always has more work when all the horses have to stay inside.”

“We’ll be fine,” Mom said. “We have food in the cupboards, an organic Christmas tree in the garage, and movies to watch. We can have a nice time together, and I’ll have time to put together that parenting plan Ingrid wants.”

For once, Mom didn’t sound upset or concerned. Had she been replaced by a pod person? I allowed the silence to build up between us before I said, “I was really angry with Rick yesterday, but I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s my fault too,” Mom said, “and I’m sorry. I should have realized how much of a control freak he was and the way that he treated you was inexcusable. I ought to have stood up to him a lot sooner, but he wore me down with the constant pressure. He slammed out shortly after you left with Jack, and I had a nice conversation with Ingrid.”

“She’s a good person. I didn’t know that when I started talking to her, but she has a lot of great advice.”

“She certainly does.” Mom stood up and went after the coffeepot. She came back and refilled both of our cups then returned to the kitchen with the carafe. “I didn’t realize how much being raised in foster care affected me. I kept thinking if I tried hard enough to please Rick, we’d have a happy home and I wouldn’t be abandoned. It didn’t work.”

“It takes two people to make a relationship,” I said, “and he didn’t try half as hard as you did. I’m assuming that he’ll be busy at the tire store today and won’t be coming for the kids.”

“You assume correctly.” Mom sank back into her recliner. “He already left a message to that effect. He says the earliest he’ll be around is next Friday. I’m going to talk to Penny at the daycare and have her start picking up your brothers and sisters at the elementary school when you go to the barn.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I put my mug on the end table. “How about a muffin to go with the coffee? I’m having an almond poppyseed one. Want the blueberry one?”

“Sounds good.” She hesitated then added carefully, “I’m not going to call Rick and remind him to pick up the kids anymore, honey. It’s not good for me or for them. He needs to step up and be a ‘real’ dad.”

“It’s okay.” I split my muffin in half and buttered it. Then I did the same with hers. “I’ll pick up the slack when I can, and if we’re both busy, we’ll get Penny.”

“And Darby said she’d help too.” Mom smiled at me when I returned to the family room and passed her the saucer with the blueberry muffin. “Thanks. I’m not trying to harass you, but I have to rent the downstairs apartment. If my hours at the casino continue to be erratic, we’ll need that money to make ends meet.”

I nodded and bit into my muffin. We watched the TV news for a while. As usual, life in western Washington had pretty much slowed to a standstill with the first snowflake. People abandoned their cars on the freeway. Businesses closed. On a commercial, I asked, “Can we put the tree in the living room this year? I think it’s about time we started using the room instead of saving it for special occasions that never happen.”

“Makes sense to me. Ingrid suggested we have a family meeting and make up our own rules so all of us are more comfortable here. I thought we’d invite Darby to join us.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “When will you know about her friend who wants the basement?”

“This weekend.”

* * * *

Friday, December 7^th, 2:00 p.m.

 

It didn’t come as a surprise when Ms. Walker called to let me know that the cheer competition for Saturday had been postponed due to the weather. The snow hadn’t melted. In fact, we had another four inches fall during the morning, and the forecaster predicted even more. We’d probably be out of school on Monday too.

Kevin and Lance spent all morning having snowball fights with the boys in our cul-de-sac. The girls hung out with their friends but that meant visiting other houses, so I didn’t see them either. I took Chrissy out with me while I shoveled off the deck. She got to throw snow between the rails. Fun times for somebody not yet two years old. When we went back inside, Mom and Darby were stringing cranberries on long lines of thread.

“What’s that for?” I asked, stripping Chrissy out of her boots and snowsuit. “How can you cook them that way?”

“Oh, we’re not cooking them,” Darby said. “We’re decorating the tree with them.”

“Wow, that’s cool.” I carried Chrissy’s wet clothes into the bathroom. She toddled after me. I heard the landline ring and Mom answer the phone. Meanwhile, Chrissy followed me to get a box of her blocks. I set her up in the family room, building and knocking down towers amid giggles.

Mom replaced the receiver then looked at me and Darby. “I’ve been laid off at the casino. They said they’re cutting staff because it’s not going to pick up before New Year’s Eve, and they’ll call me if they need me then.”

“I expected that when you told me about Vicky’s accident and filing a medical claim.” Darby slid her needle into another red berry. “You may pay for the insurance, but the casino doesn’t like it when you actually try to use your benefits, Gretchen.”

“That’s illegal,” Mom said. “They can’t penalize me that way.”

“Oh, they’re not admitting what they do,” Darby told her. “They’ll say it was the change in weather and lack of business. On Monday, go file for unemployment.”

“I will.” Mom flicked a glance at me then sat back down and picked up her strand of cranberries. “Don’t tell your brothers and sisters about this, Vicky. I don’t want them worrying.”

“I can keep a secret.” I turned on the stove to heat up the teakettle. “Will you teach me to string berries?”

“Yes, but make some popcorn,” Mom said. “We’ll start stringing that next. When the kids are ready for a break, have them make paper chains.”

“Is that why you wanted construction paper?” I asked.

Mom nodded. She didn’t say anything and neither did I. Okay, she probably expected me to critique her old-fashioned decorations, but I thought it was kind of cute in a down-home way. I knew that Kevin, Cathy, and the twins would get off on making our tree special. I had bought some gold and silver glass bulbs at the dollar store, but I couldn’t get a lot on our budget.

I got out the bag of popcorn and measured a scoop into the electric popper. While it snapped and cracked into the bowl, Mom got up. She came over and pulled the food coloring out of the cupboard. “What’s that for?”

“Let the popcorn cool a little and then mix in some red. Make the next batch green. Then do a blue and yellow one too. It will look super fancy, but it won’t change the flavor if Chrissy eats some.”

“You got it.”

“We’ll need to tie up the tree,” Darby said. “If she tries to climb it, the tree won’t fall on her.”

“No worries.” Mom went through the storage cupboard and removed aluminum pie tins. “Get the scissors, Vicky. You can cut out stars while you’re waiting on the popcorn. I used to tie up the tree when I had cats, since they always thought I had it just for them.”

I shook my head, trying to remember those days. “What happened to your cats?”

“I gave them away when Rick and I started dating. He didn’t like them.”

“You should have given him away,” I muttered and went on a quest for a marking pen. I’d mark out the stars before I cut them from the aluminum pie tins.

I got a long look from Mom before she said gently, “If I’d never married him, I wouldn’t have your sisters and brothers. I wouldn’t take a million dollars for any of you.”

“You know that if I get a puppy for Christmas, Cathy is going to start harassing you for a kitten.” I carefully drew a star in the middle of the aluminum. “Once they figure out that nobody is allergic around here, the house will be a zoo.”

“Well, that should keep Rick outside,” Mom said, “and no, you can’t bring a horse here.”

I laughed. I didn’t tell her, but today I actually liked my mother.

“Boom!” Chrissy yelled from the family room. “All go boom, Mama.”

“Good job,” Mom called. “Make me another one, baby.”

* * * *

Friday, December 7^th, 6:00 p.m.

 

We’d finished up most of the decorations by dark. Darby made a giant chicken potpie for dinner. While it cooked, she started a batch of sugar cookies. She said that we’d cut them out, bake them, and frost them. We’d have some to eat and more to hang on the tree. During the afternoon, Mom taught me how to slice fruit and dry it in the oven. We’d hang the apples too. I told her if we added in carrots, Aladdin would definitely come home with me.

Cathy and Linda were the first kids home. They set the table for dinner, excited about bringing up the tree. Kevin and Lance charged inside, slamming the front door behind them. Mom gave them a stern look. “Do that again and you’ll be showing me you know how to enter this house like civilized people.”

“We’ll be good,” Kevin said super-quick. “Sorry, Mom. Did Dad call? Is he coming?”

“Afraid not,” Mom said. “You know how busy the tire store gets when it snows. You won’t see your father until next weekend.”
Kevin and Lance high-fived each other. “All right! Can we go out and build a fort after dinner?” Kevin asked. “All of us are going to do it. We’ll throw snowballs across the street.”

“Not tonight,” Mom said. “We’re putting up our tree.”

“A real one,” Linda said, satisfaction in her voice. “It stinks pretty in the garage.”

I choked hard on my laughter. What a great description. I hugged her on my way to collect Chrissy. “Come on, girls. Let’s go wash up for dinner.”

“Aren’t you glad we’re home, Kevin?” Lance followed us. “I am. We got to play outside. You didn’t have to make us sandwiches or watch us. And Tessa didn’t yell at us for using the bathroom too much.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the biggest blond boy who tagged behind us down the hall. Kevin finished stripping off his wet jacket. “Give me that and I’ll hang it in here to dry. How long have you been watching the little ones?”

“Forever,” Kevin said. “You’re not at Dad’s, Vicky. And all Tessa has done for the last two months is puke. That’s why she gets all mad if people are in the potty too long. She’s not mean. She’s just sick, and she cries a lot now.”

I stopped in front of the sink and turned on the water. Okay, so I hadn’t met Rick’s new girlfriend. Call me suspicious. If she was constantly ‘tossing her cookies’ as Mom always used to call it, combined with being overly emotional, Tessa might be pregnant. I wondered if I should say anything to Mom about it. No, I decided. I’d bring it up with Ingrid the next time I saw her. I had a counselor for a reason. She was supposed to help me with the questions nobody else wanted to answer.

We’d barely sat down to dinner when the phone rang. Mom picked up the receiver. She listened on the landline for a few moments then she said, “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Who was that?” Kevin demanded as soon as she hung up. “Dad?”

“No. I already told you, Kevin. He’s busy. I wouldn’t even suggest calling him. You know how stressed he gets when it snows and everyone wants tires.” Mom came back to the table and sat down. “It was Neal Galway.”

“Your old boss at the sub shop?” I slid the tray on the front of Chrissy’s high chair. “What does he want?”

“For me to help him out tomorrow. He was short-handed today since most of the employees live too far away to walk to work. The roads are terrible. It’s snowing again. The store was swamped all afternoon and he thinks the rest of the weekend will be even busier.”

“That’s great, Mom,” I said. “Can you bring home sandwiches for dinner tomorrow?”

“No way, Victoria. I am not walking to work, making sandwiches all day, and carrying home an assortment for you kids. If you want subs, bring the kids to the store and buy them lunch.”

“Can we?” Cathy demanded, bouncing in her chair. “Will you, Vicky?”

“Of course,” I said. “It’ll be like old times.”

“And then you can take us to the dollar store so we can buy Christmas presents,” Kevin said. “Please, Vicky.”

“Sure.” I took the plate that Darby passed me and cut the serving of potpie into little bites for our youngest sister. Hearing whispers behind me, I turned and saw Mom and Kevin with their heads close. “What are you two doing?”

“It’s Christmas,” Kevin said, “we’re conspiring.”