Gloria and Miriam sit at her kitchen table and stare at the computer screen. “Okay, now let’s get this right,” Gloria says. “How should we start it?”
Miriam nods, thinking. “Dear Kelly.”
Gloria waits for more. “That’s it? I could’ve come up with that.”
Miriam pats the air in front of her. “Just hold on. I’m getting something good.” Gloria keeps her fingers on the keyboard, waiting. Miriam nods. “We are not crazy people and would very much like to meet you.”
Gloria shakes her head. “Just saying that we are not crazy people proves that we are crazy people!”
“Well, what is your idea?”
Gloria begins to type.
We are so sorry that we missed you again. Our hearts are in the right place and we truly would like to meet you. We can tell by your e-mails that you are a bright and sincere young woman.
“Oh, I like that,” Miriam says. “That’s good. Ask her if she can find it within herself to try one more time.”
Gloria nods, typing again.
Christmas is our favorite time of year and we would be so honored if you would share it with us. We are not perfect people (as you are by now well aware), but we do have a lot of love to share, especially at Christmastime. Please forgive us for messing this up.
“Technically, we didn’t mess it up, Gloria.”
“We need to eat some crow and fix this.”
Miriam sighs. “I’ve never understood that expression. Sounds repulsive.” She points to the screen. “Ask if she’d like to set the next date.”
Gloria glances at her. “Good idea. We need to see if she really wants to meet. She shouldn’t feel pressured to do it.”
“But we do need Stacy to pressure her to set a date?”
“Absolutely.”
Miriam shakes her head. “This is still very confusing to me.”
“All of Grandon shakes its head at that revelation.” Gloria finishes the e-mail.
Please let us know if and when and where you would like to meet again.
Your friends (truly),
Mary and Laura
Miriam folds her hands on the table. “What if she doesn’t reply?”
“She’ll reply.”
“But what if she doesn’t?”
Gloria pushes send. “Why do you have to be negative? Let’s just believe that she’ll reply.”
Miriam shrugs. “Okay. She’ll reply.”
Gloria closes the computer lid. “But what if she doesn’t?”
* * *
Lauren watches as children arrive the next day at Glory’s Place. When she sees Grayson and his mom walk into the building she waits until he is all signed in and headed to his cubby. He stops when he notices a coat hanging on the hook inside. His face lights up when he picks it up. “Whoa!” Spider-Man’s face is on the right shoulder and when Grayson turns the coat around, there is Spider-Man in midair shooting a web from his hand! “Awesome!” He looks up and notices Lauren smiling. “Did you see this?”
She nods. “I did. Try it on and see if it fits.”
The sleeves are a little long but Grayson doesn’t seem to notice. “Where did it come from?”
Lauren shrugs. “I told you that all you had to do was say something.”
He runs to show some of the other boys as Gloria steps in next to Lauren. “That coat wasn’t there when I got here a couple of hours ago.” Lauren watches Grayson. “Now how do you figure that coat slipped into that cubby without my noticing?”
Lauren grins. “A Christmas miracle?”
Gloria throws her arms in the air. “Another one? What a red-letter Christmas this is turning out to be!”
* * *
With only two rehearsals left before the sing-a-thon the children’s excitement ricochets off every wall inside Glory’s Place. Dalton and Heddy have been busy the last two weeks finding red and green scarves for all the children to wear on the day of the parade. “Our treat,” Heddy says, winking at Gloria. Of course, all the children want to practice wearing the scarves during rehearsal and they shriek and laugh, whipping the scarf ends at one another. Lauren and Stacy try their best to maintain control, leading their wiggling, giggling choir through each Christmas song and carol as Gloria, Miriam, Dalton, and Heddy yell out “bravo, bravo” and “more, more” at the end of each song. Cassondra’s solo on “Silent Night” brings tears to their eyes. They have been graced (in Gloria’s words because she doesn’t believe in luck) to work with these kids. They’ve seen some families tear apart at the seams and others who have mended themselves. They’ve watched as some children have flourished while others have given up. It hasn’t been easy work, sometimes it hasn’t been enjoyable, but it has always come with its rewards: a child who finally “gets” addition or division, one who is put back into his home after a few months in foster care, a single mom who lands a better job, a hug at the end of the day from a child who’d had a meltdown at the beginning, and a child’s voice echoing the sound of an angel as she sings.
Dalton and Heddy collect each scarf before the children leave for home. “Don’t worry,” Dalton says, smiling at their downcast faces. “We’ll bring them to the gazebo on Saturday and after the sing-a-thon you can take them home.” They hand each of the children a candy cane in place of the scarves and Lauren watches as Grayson carefully sticks his inside his new coat’s pocket and presses down to make sure the Velcro sticks. He pulls the hood over his head and pretends to release a web from his hand as he waits for his mom. When he sees her he runs as fast as he can and throws his arms around her. She marvels at his new coat and Lauren swears she can see his chest swelling inside it.
Gloria and Miriam work at wiping down the tables and chairs, Heddy straightens the front office area, and Stacy and Lauren begin to sweep as Dalton prepares the mop bucket. Lauren pulls her phone from her back pocket and Miriam grabs Gloria’s arm. “She’s looking at her phone!”
“Keep working,” Gloria hisses, dipping her rag into the hot, sudsy water and wiping a chair.
They both bend low to the table, scrubbing the area in front of them over and over while keeping their eyes on Lauren. “She’s moving,” Miriam whispers, dunking her rag into the bucket of water on the table.
“I have eyes, Miriam! Move over, for crying out loud! We look suspicious!”
Miriam moves to the end of the table and watches as Lauren walks over to Stacy who’s sweeping near the front door. Stacy holds on to the broom and leans over to look at Lauren’s phone. Both of them look solemn, serious. “Are they reading an obituary?” Miriam asks.
“It doesn’t look good,” Gloria says, moving to a table closer to them. She cocks her head to make out what they’re saying but Dalton’s whistling is all that she can hear. Their faces are just too hard to read.
“They’re laughing now,” Miriam says between her teeth. “What does that mean? Do they think we really are nut jobs?”
Gloria glares at her. “You look like a puppet. Move your mouth before Dalton and Heddy think you’re having a stroke!”
When Lauren moves away to finish her sweeping, Gloria and Miriam burst into activity. They keep their heads low as Stacy approaches. “Lauren has heard from the two women,” she whispers. She continues to sweep as she notices Lauren looking over at them. Gloria and Miriam just catch each other’s eye before stacking the chairs and assume that Lauren is answering their e-mail when they see her typing into her phone.
The door closes behind Dalton, Heddy, Lauren, and Stacy as they leave for the day, and Gloria locks it from the inside. She and Miriam scramble to the office where Gloria sits at the desk. “You have to pull up your personal e-mail, not Glory’s Place’s,” Miriam says, twisting her hands in front of her.
Gloria begins typing on the keyboard. “I know that, Miriam!” They watch the screen load and Gloria clicks on an e-mail from Craigslist, reading aloud: “Dear Mary and Laura, Thank you for contacting me. I really would like to meet you.”
“What a relief,” Miriam says. “I was about to tell her the whole sordid story today.”
Gloria continues, “I will be in Grandon tomorrow and could meet you at noon at Betty’s Bakery. Let me know if that works, Kelly.”
Gloria high-fives Miriam and then types WE WILL BE THERE in all caps.