Arianna sat beside the pink Christmas tree with Comet curled in her lap and the phone cradled to her ear. Instead of sniffing back tears, she rubbed her nose on her shoulder. She wouldn’t let her grandmother hear her cry.
Gary had gotten his revenge on both her and Connor. He must have started pimping their story minutes after Connor had left Arianna devastated and sobbing her heart out in the back hall at the manor. The story appeared in a Boston online newspaper first thing this morning. Because of the Gallagher name, the story had gone viral.
But the only reason it had reached L.A. was because several of her mother’s friends in Harmony Harbor had shared the news with her this morning, which resulted in her mother canceling their trip home for Christmas.
“It’s all right, Glamma. Don’t feel bad. I won’t be alone. Comet and Connor will be here,” she lied.
“Good. I was worried he might blame you for losing out on knowing his son. I should have had more faith in him. It’s your mother who’s the unreasonable one. Though I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s always been difficult. But she knew how much I wanted to be at the town hall for the announcement and to spend the holidays with you.”
“Maybe she’ll change her mind. If you have the tickets already—”
“She won’t change her mind, darling. I’ll be lucky if she lets me come this summer.”
“Don’t even joke about that. She can’t keep you away, Glamma.”
“She holds the purse strings and the deed to the house. I won’t have her throwing you out on the street.”
“She’s threatening to throw me out of the house?”
“I’ll not allow it, so don’t worry about it. It’s just one more thing for her to threaten me with.”
“Glamma, you’d tell me if she was hurting you in any way, wouldn’t you?” She hated to think it could be true.
“Unless you count her keeping me away from you, set your mind at ease. She’s not hurting me in any other way. I’m glad you have Connor. It makes this a little easier.”
“I didn’t think you knew he was the baby’s father, Glamma. You never mentioned it to me.”
“Of course I knew. He was the only boy you ever loved. And I’ll be proud to introduce him as my grandson-in-law. But don’t tell him I’ve been singing his praises until after Hazel and the town council render their decision. I wouldn’t want him to think I’ve gone soft.”
“Glamma, I’ve decided to withdraw my name from the contest. I’m going to let Hazel know today.”
“Why? You seemed so happy lately. You had so many plans, good plans, darling. And not just for Main Street. Irene told me about all you’re doing for the seniors and the programs at the community center.”
“Just because I won’t be mayor doesn’t mean I won’t be involved. My friend Evie, the woman I’ve been telling you about, the one who owns Holiday House, she’s done more good for this town in the past two months than the majority of elected officials have done in years.”
“But that’s not why you’re withdrawing your name, is it?”
“No. It’s because Connor has done so much for me, and I want to do this for him. I know it can never make up for not telling him about the baby, but I have to try. Besides that, he deserves the job, Glamma. You should see him. The man works practically twenty-four-seven, and he’s amazing with people. He truly cares about them and this town. He’s the best person for the job.”
“What about the office building? What about changing the face of Main Street?”
“I presented a request to the council this past Monday and asked if they would put the project on hold to allow the business community more input. They agreed.”
“It sounds like you’ve thought this through. I just worry about how you’ll earn a living. Have you given more thought to designing a line of evening wear for Merci Beaucoup?”
“I’ve had another idea, and I wanted to run it by you. I’d like to design clothing for women with disabilities, seniors too. Clothing that’s fashionable but easy to get into and comfortable to wear. I thought maybe you and I could do it together, Glamma. Our tastes and vision are so much alike, it would be easy to work together.”
“Do you think we could get your mother to agree?” Glamma asked, sounding as excited as she’d been at the thought of coming home.
“If we come up with a way to sell it to her, I think maybe,” she said, her heart twisting when she heard her mother’s voice in the background telling her grandmother to get off the phone. They said a whispered and hurried goodbye.
Now that she no longer had to put on an act for Glamma, tears rolled down Arianna’s cheeks. She didn’t know what she’d do without Connor in her life. All along she’d thought it was the campaign, the idea of being mayor that had brought her back to life, but it wasn’t. It was Connor. It had been him all along.
There was something else she’d been wrong about. She hadn’t thought her heart could take one more loss. She’d been sure it would shatter into a million pieces, leaving her empty and numb. But even now, without a single word from Connor, with it looking like they were done for good, her heart was still beating. And as big a loss as Tie the Knot and her injuries had been, losing Connor beat that times infinity and beyond.
Yet here she was, dressed and out of bed, makeup and tree lights on. She was stronger now, more resilient, and as devastating as it was for the truth to come out, it had allowed her to release the pain she’d been holding inside since the day she’d learned she’d had an eleven-year-old son who’d died.
And now she had to call Hazel with her decision. She wanted them to keep it quiet. She didn’t want anyone to know she’d withdrawn her name. She’d work up until the twenty-fourth and be there for the decision to be read.
As she reached for the phone to call Hazel, it rang. It was the Harmony Harbor clinic, reminding her of today’s appointment to check her arm. Arianna considered canceling, but she was a little concerned her arm might somehow be behind the overwhelming tiredness and queasiness she’d been feeling of late.
* * *
Arianna arrived at the clinic ten minutes before her appointment. The waiting room was packed. With Christmas only three days away, she imagined people wanted to get checked out before the clinic was closed for the holidays. She felt everyone’s eyes upon her, and she lifted her chin. She had nothing to be ashamed about. From the expressions on people’s faces, they didn’t think she did either. Though she imagined Connor and his family might disagree. Her stomach did a little wobble at the thought that Connor’s cousin and cousin-in-law worked here.
She smiled at a teenager with a baby in her arms and took the seat beside her. “What a beautiful baby,” she said. “How old is he?”
“A week,” the girl said. She glanced at the other patients nearby, then dipped her head.
“Just a checkup, I hope,” Arianna said, noting the disapproving looks being sent the teenager’s way. She wondered what it must be like for her. To be so young and to have the responsibility of a baby while also having to put up with people looking down on her. “Is your mom or partner here? I can take another seat if they are.”
“No. It’s just me,” she said, and then chewed on her bottom lip, looking so young and vulnerable that Arianna wanted to cry.
She offered her hand. “I’m Arianna Bell.”
The girl gave her a small smile, shifting the baby to shake her hand. “Dawn, and I know who you are.” She glanced around the room again, lowering her voice. “I read the story about you and Mr. Gallagher online. I’m really sorry about your little boy.”
Arianna stiffened, then forced her shoulders to relax. She’d have to get used to this. “Thank you.”
“My parents wanted me to give him up.” She nodded at her son, wrapped in the blue blanket. “But I couldn’t do it.”
“At least they gave you a choice.”
“I guess. Only I didn’t make the one they liked, and they kicked me out.”
“I’m so sorry, Dawn. What about the baby’s father? Is he helping?”
“He let me move in with him.” She shrugged. “We’re…It’s pretty hard.”
Her heart broke for the teenager. Arianna’s sister and most of her friends were so much better at this kind of thing than her, but she was desperate to say something to make Dawn feel better, or at the very least give her some hope. “In the new year, we’re starting several programs at the community center to help single mothers and families who are having a hard time. If you have any ideas what we, the town, can do to help make things easier for you and your baby, we’d love to hear them. Here.” She reached in her bag. “Here’s my card. I really would love your input. Or if you just need to talk to someone. Evie, the woman who owns Holiday House, she’d probably be better than me to talk to. Just drop into her store and tell her I sent you.”
“I’d rather talk to you, if that’s okay.” The baby started to cry, and Dawn bounced him lightly on her knee, crooning to him, her face softening as she looked down at her son.
“It’s more than okay.” Arianna smiled. “Look at that. You got him to stop fussing right away. You’re really good with him.” She lightly stroked the baby’s cheek with her fingertips. “His skin is so soft.”
“Do you want to hold him?”
“I don’t know. I’m not very good with babies.”
“I bet you are.”
“I guess you didn’t see the video of me that went viral.”
“No. I didn’t,” Dawn said with a half smile, and then lifted the baby, nudging her head for Arianna to put out her arms. Arianna looked down at the small blue bundle the young girl placed in her arms, and tears welled in her eyes. Throughout the years, she’d held the babies of her friends and members of Gary’s family, but never before had she felt this overwhelming rush of emotion. She gently rocked the baby and willed the tears away, but when he opened his blue eyes and looked up at her, she lost the battle. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.” She sniffed.
An older woman Arianna didn’t recognize handed her tissues. “It’s the stupid reporters’ fault, reminding you and the Gallagher boy of all you lost. It’ll be okay, love. You’ll have more of your own one day.”
“Thank you,” Arianna said.
The older woman offered Dawn a tentative smile. “You have a beautiful baby, dear.”
Dawn returned the woman’s smile with one of her own. “Thank you.”
“Arianna.” Dorothy called her name and waved her over.
“I better go.” She shifted to give the baby back to his mother. “I forgot to ask, what’s his name?”
“David.”
“A beautiful name for a beautiful baby. Merry Christmas to you both,” she said as she stood and then reached into her bag. “Please don’t be offended, but all the angels from the angel tree were gone by the time I remembered, and I like to give a gift at Christmas to someone in town that I don’t know.” She removed two hundred-dollar bills from her wallet and tucked them into the fold of the baby’s blanket. “Buy something special for you and David from me.” She leaned in and gave the girl a hug, then kissed the baby’s forehead. “Thank you for letting me hold him.”
“Well, it looks like you managed to make half the waiting room cry, lovey. I think that’s a record,” Dorothy said when Arianna reached her. She gave her a hug. “How are you holding up?”
“Better than I expected.”
“How’s Connor?”
“I don’t know. He’s not speaking to me,” she confided because she’d felt comfortable with Dorothy from the first time she’d met her.
The older woman patted Arianna’s arm as she held open the door to the examination room. “As I understand it, you’ve had years to live with the loss while he’s had less than twenty-four hours. Give him time, lovey. He’ll come around. It’s obvious to everyone how much that man loves you.”
“I’m afraid he might not know how much I love him.”
“Then you’ll tell him, and you’ll show him. Over and over again until he knows it right down to his soul.” She patted the examination table, giving a little cheer when Arianna hopped up on her own. “I guess I don’t have to ask how the arm is doing.”
“Actually, that’s why I came. I think I might have an infection. Lately I’ve been tired and queasy.”
Dorothy frowned. “You should have come in right away. Here. Let’s get this off of you and have a look.” She helped Arianna out of the sweater and removed the compression bandage.
“I haven’t noticed any extra redness, but I, um, don’t really like to look,” Arianna admitted.
“Well, we’re going to change that today. Oh, no. Don’t think you’re going to argue or wheedle your way out of this. I might look sweet, but I’m a tyrant when I need to be. Just ask my husband.” She gave Arianna’s hand a gentle squeeze. “This is important, lovey, and not just so you’re aware of any changes that might indicate infection, but because you need to accept it for you to truly heal.”
She let go of her hand. “So while I take some bloodwork and your temperature, you’re going to cream your arm, and instead of turning away while you do, you’re going to look at every inch of your arm and hand and fingers. And as you do, you’re going to thank God that you have an arm that works and fingers that are healing. Even if they never work like they once did, they do work.”
Arianna nodded, knowing that Dorothy was right. And while she smoothed the cream over her skin, she thanked God not only for her arm and hand but for Dorothy and the young teenage mother and her beautiful son.