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Marla disconnected her phone call with Doc. She was thrilled to be back on the work schedule. After being off for two weeks, she would be taking the New Year’s Day shift back to work. She had tried to work New Year’s Eve so she wouldn’t feel bad about not having someone to kiss at midnight, but Doc and Millie would be leaving town on the first, so she had to cover New Year’s Day. That’s okay. I’ll just go to bed early, she thought.
Marla looked at the time. It was almost noon. Her stomach growled, and she set out the things she would need to make a grilled cheese sandwich. After lunch, she stepped out onto the deck for five minutes of cold, fresh air. The lake was beautiful as the sun reflected off the waves. There was a slight breeze which gave the air more of a chill to it. She stepped back inside and prepared a cup of hot tea. She stared at the Christmas tree, which now had very few pine needles attached to it. Most of them were lying on the floor. She was surprised the tree hadn’t died while she was in the hospital, but Ben watered it during that time, and she was grateful. Despite its pitiful state, she hadn’t had the heart to take it down, yet. Her Christmas still felt incomplete. She wasn’t sure how it could feel complete now with everything that had happened, but she talked herself into keeping the tree up for a few more days.
She glanced at the empty space on the wall. It was still there, and she was convinced that she’d never put a piece of furniture there. Charlie came to mind as Marla grieved the loss of the grandfather clock once again. So much had happened since her move to Guntersville. She surmised that most of it had been good, and she would just have to take the bad with the good. That’s just life, she thought. Micah’s face came to her mind, and she missed him desperately. Why can’t I get past my hang-ups with him? I love him so much. “Lord, help me,” she prayed aloud.
Marla’s thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. She furrowed her brows, wondering who it could be. All of her friends would knock when they came by. Marla walked to the front door and opened it. An unfamiliar man was standing outside the door, holding a piece of paper and a pen.
“Can I help you?” She asked.
“Are you Marla Devereaux?”
“Yes, I am.”
“We have a delivery for you.”
“Oh, okay. Who’s it from?”
The man looked down at his paper again. “It’s from Micah Brady.”
“Oh, okay,” she replied, rolling her eyes. Then she looked around and asked, “Where is it?”
The man pointed to his delivery truck. “It says here on this paper that we’re supposed to put it on the empty space on the wall.”
“What is it?”
“Some kind of furniture.”
“Um, okay, that will be fine for now.”
“Okay, we’ll bring it in.”
Marla watched the man motion to another man, who was standing near the back of the delivery truck. They unloaded the piece of furniture onto a dolly and wheeled it down a ramp. The object was covered with padding that had been taped around it. The men rolled it on the dolly into the house and unloaded it where Marla instructed.
As the man left the house, he had Marla sign the delivery note. Then he said, “Oh, I almost forgot. Here is a note I’m supposed to give you.”
“Thanks,” Marla said as she closed the front door. The note was in a sealed envelope. She opened the envelope and pulled out the note.
Dear Marla,
I would search high and low, near and far, and deep and wide to bring your heart back to me. I love you with all of my heart.
Merry Christmas,
Micah
Marla walked over to her new gift. She didn’t know why Micah had gone to so much trouble to fill the spot on her wall or why he was being so cryptic. It was thoughtful, though, and his note was beautiful. She slowly peeled the tape off the padding until she was able to unwrap the first layer. As she caught first sight of the furniture, she froze. Then she yanked all of the padding off at once. She stood there, dumbfounded, as tears trickled down her face.
It was the clock—her grandfather clock.
She fell to her knees and reached down to run her finger over the heart she had carved at the base of the clock when she was a child. The clock was really here—with her. She couldn’t believe that he had found it and had returned it to her. She covered her eyes and wept. This was the sign she had asked for.
She wound the clock and set the time. The familiar and comforting sound of the tick-tock resounded. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on the cherry wood. It was as if her heart started to beat again.
A knock on the door startled her, and she walked toward the door. When she opened the door, Micah stared back at her.
“Hi,” she said, eyes swollen.
“Hi,” he said. “Did you get my Christmas present?”
She nodded and reached for him.
Micah wrapped his arms around her, and Marla snuggled into his chest. She looked up at him. “Thank you so much.”
Micah pulled her closer to him. “I love you, Marla, and I’d do anything for you.”
Marla pulled him inside out of the cold and closed the door.
“How did you find it?” She asked.
“I called several antique shops in Cincinnati and surrounding towns. I found it in Blue Ash. It’s a good thing you carved that heart in it years ago. It made it easier to identify.”
They stood in the living room, and she smiled up at him.
“How can I ever repay you?”
“This is a gift from me to you. There is no repayment. But I am asking for you to give me another chance. I need you, Marla. I know we were meant to be together. Please give us a chance.”
She took his face in her hands, pulling him toward her.
“Yes.”
She kissed him gently. As their lips were pressed together, the kiss grew more passionate. After a moment, Micah pulled away from the kiss and held Marla closely, listening to the comforting, rhythmic sound of the tick-tock of the clock.