Laura checked the clock in her bedroom—11:45 a.m. David and his parents would be here any minute to pick her up to go to the church Thanksgiving dinner, and she couldn’t decide what to wear. Four complete outfits were strewn haphazardly across the bed, and none of them had seemed right for meeting David’s parents.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t met them before. She’d met them plenty of times at UT when they visited David on campus; however, she’d never been nearly eight months pregnant with twins when she saw them. And she’d never really been trying to make an impression. But today, she was.
Last night, she’d attended the midweek Bible study with David at the church, and like Mandy had promised, everyone welcomed her with open arms. She’d felt accepted, forgiven, loved. David never left her side and introduced her to anyone she hadn’t already met. Laura had enjoyed Brother Henry’s class about grace and felt right at home in the small community church. In fact, she wondered why she’d stayed away from church, away from God, so long. And she wondered why she’d never realized how amazing David was when they were in school. He’d always been a dear friend, but she’d never thought of him beyond that. Now, as much as she’d fought it, she couldn’t stop thinking about him that way, and she wondered if they’d ever have a real date.
Then again, she shouldn’t have to wonder. He said if it happened, she’d know. Would it ever happen?
She heard the door downstairs and then a female voice calling, “Laura?”
“Oh, dear.” Taking a look in the mirror, she saw that she’d ended up in a long stretchy navy dress. She’d yet to accessorize, and she had no idea about shoes.
“Laura, you here, dear?”
David’s mother. Laura couldn’t start their day together by keeping her waiting, so she headed down the stairs.
“I’m so sorry. I’m running behind,” she said, entering the kitchen to find Mrs. Presley waving her hand through the smoke and attempting to turn down the knob on the oven. “Oh, no, I forgot all about the pie!” Laura hurried to help the lady as she opened the oven door, and more smoke came rolling out to fill the kitchen. And then, naturally, the smoke detector emitted a deafening screech.
“Where are your pot holders?” Mrs. Presley asked, all calm and cool in spite of the incessant blast, which seemed to be getting louder.
Laura coughed. “Over there, on the counter by the refrigerator.”
David and his father entered the smoky room and quickly evaluated the situation. “Laura, Mom, y’all get out of this smoke,” David said. “Dad, can you—”
“Open the doors and windows?” his father asked. “One step ahead of you.” He’d already flung the back door open, and he unlocked a window and pushed it up, then moved to the next and did the same.
Thankfully, the smoke thinned out fairly quickly, and nothing was actually flaming.
“I’m so sorry,” Laura said. “I wanted to make a pie for the lunch and then I was having a hard time picking out what to wear, and I forgot all about it.”
David waved a hand above the charred meringue. “Well, it looks like it would have been—” he hesitated “—real good. What was it, chocolate?”
“Lemon,” Laura said miserably. “Lemon icebox.”
David’s father was the first one to smother his laugh, but David couldn’t hold his back, and it rolled out with gusto. His mother’s lips were pressed together as though she were afraid to open them or she’d also set a laugh free.
Laura frowned. “I was just going to brown the meringue for a second.”
“Well, it is brown,” David said, pointing to the blackened mound of what used to be fluffy white topping. Then he laughed again, and this time, Laura joined in.
Apparently, Mrs. Presley was simply waiting for Laura’s cue, because she released a giggle that Laura was pretty certain had a bit of a snort in the middle.
When they finally finished laughing and the room cleared of most of the smoke, David glanced at Laura’s feet, sticking out beneath the dress. “Laura, were you planning to go without shoes?”
“No,” she said. “I couldn’t decide on what to wear, and I was in the middle of considering this dress when your mom came in and then I remembered the pie. Or rather, I never remembered it, I smelled it.”
David’s mother wrapped an arm around her and started toward the stairs. “Tell you what. You guys finish cleaning up and airing this place out down here. I’ll help Laura get ready. Sound good?”
David and his father nodded in unison, and Laura let the lady guide her to her room.
“You’ll have to forgive the mess,” she said. “I was having a tough time deciding.”
“This isn’t a mess,” Mrs. Presley said as she looked at the discarded clothes, “it’s the sign of a woman getting ready.”
“Thanks. I’m so sorry that we’re going to be late. I’ll hurry and pick something out.”
“I like the dress you have on,” she said.
“You do?” Laura ran a hand along the jersey fabric. “I did, too, to tell you the truth, but I wasn’t sure what to put with it.”
“How about this?” She picked the gold cardigan from Laura’s closet. “And you have these matching flats. How about a chunky bracelet to go with it, maybe a red one?”
Laura moved to her jewelry box and withdrew a red cuff bracelet. “Like this one?”
“Perfect,” she said, smiling as Laura snapped the bracelet in place. “And you know, I have a beautiful new red infinity scarf in the car. We’ll add that when we go outside, and I think that’ll tie it all together very nicely.”
Laura was amazed. Her mother often coordinated clothes and usually gave Laura complete ensembles so that she never had to worry about mixing and matching items on her own. But watching Mrs. Presley in action was fun. “You’re very good at that,” she said.
David’s mother spotted some gold earrings on the dresser and handed them to Laura. She tilted her head as Laura put the earrings on and then nodded her approval. “I’ve never had a daughter to shop with or to help dress. This is fun.” She looked at Laura and didn’t hide the fact that she noticed her tummy.
“Mrs. Presley,” Laura began, feeling that she should explain.
David’s mother spoke before Laura had a chance. “We’re very happy for you,” she said tenderly, “and your babies. Children are a gift from God, you know.”
Laura’s heart tugged in her chest. “I know.”
“And we’re glad you came to David. He told us about you working at the store and how you’ve boosted his business. I’ll be honest, we’ve been worried that the bookstore wasn’t going to make it, not because of anything he’s said, but because it didn’t seem to have a lot happening anytime we would visit. It’s good to see that it’s working again. And I’m grateful to you for helping that happen.”
“I enjoy working there,” Laura said. “And I’m very grateful for all of David’s help. I, well, I don’t know what I’d have done—or what I’d do—without him.” She hadn’t meant to say so much, but it was hard to talk about David now without attempting to explain how much he was beginning to mean to her, almost even more because she hadn’t wanted to feel anything toward her boss, toward her friend. But she was definitely starting to feel something.
His mother ran a finger along her cheek and smiled. “You’re helping him, too, dear. And in case you’ve wondered about it, I don’t want you to have any misconceptions. David’s father and I are very happy about that. Whatever happens between you and our son, we are happy about it.” Her smile eased up a notch. “You understand?”
Laura did understand, and the realization that David’s mother had essentially said that she was happy about a relationship between Laura and her son both shocked and thrilled her. “I do understand, and thank you.”
“No, thank you. We haven’t seen him this happy in a very long time,” she said, “and from what he says, you haven’t even been on a real date.”
Laura couldn’t control her surprise. “He told you that?”
“Not voluntarily, but as a mother, I’ve learned what questions to ask. I bet you’ll figure out how to do the same with your girls.”
Laura thought about the future conversations she’d have with her daughters. “I’m sure I will.” They left the bedroom and found the two men waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
“I get it,” David said. “I told you I couldn’t cook, and you were trying to make me feel better.”
“Very funny.” Laura tried to stomp past him, but he tossed an arm around her and pulled her close.
“It was sweet of you to want to fix a pie, but they will have plenty of food. I bet they won’t even miss it,” he said as they passed through the semi-smoky kitchen and walked outside. “But I bet you’ll make some stray cat’s day.” He pointed to the garbage can behind the studio and the charred pie balanced on top of the bags.
Laura laughed, with David and his parents joining in, and then they drove to the church and she had her best Thanksgiving dinner ever.
* * *
The next morning, the bookstore opened at 8:00 a.m. to join in the Black Friday “Sales on the Square.” Laura’s father called shortly after and said he was on his way, and she looked forward to him arriving and being part of today’s fun. Customers filled the store and were steadily purchasing all of the inspirational gift books Laura had recommended David order for the holidays, as well as many other books in the store.
“The Christmas favorites display is a hit,” David said, placing a large stuffed snowman in the chair beside the display. “I’ve always advertised the classics at Christmas, but you were right—putting the modern stories here as well has really been popular.”
“Adults love the classics, but the teens are typically looking for something a little more trendy,” his mother said. “Laura got it right.”
“Thanks.” Laura helped another customer looking for Destiny’s book. “And it looks like Southern Love in Claremont is going to be a popular stocking stuffer this year.”
“That’ll make Destiny happy,” David said.
Mr. Presley stayed behind the counter ringing up and visiting with customers while Laura, David and Mrs. Presley replenished the items on the displays and helped customers find their desired books. It didn’t seem like four hours had passed when Laura’s dad walked in.
She didn’t realize how much she’d missed him until she saw him enter the store. “Daddy!” Laura hurried to him and hugged him tightly.
He kissed her cheek. “Hey, princess. How’s it going?”
“It was going good, but now that you’re here it’s going great!” she said.
“Now that’s a smile I’ve missed seeing,” he said. “I can’t wait to tell your mom how good you’re doing.”
Laura was often mesmerized by her father’s love toward her mom. Obviously, Marjorie Holland wasn’t easy to love, but that never stopped either of them from loving her just the same. “Mom called me this morning,” Laura said. “Just to let me know she was sorry she couldn’t come with you and that she’d call me again tonight after she got done at work.”
He nodded. “I wish she could’ve come, too.”
“Mr. Holland,” David said. It took him a moment to maneuver past the children crowding around the boxcar to get to Laura’s dad. He extended a hand. “We’re glad you’re here.”
“Thanks, David. I’m glad to be here, especially because I get to see my Laura smiling again,” he said. “Thank you for that.”
“Happy to help.” David winked at Laura then glanced down to see the child tugging at his arm.
“Hey, Mr. David, can you come help us?”
Laura recognized the boy as Matthew Hayes, one of the twins. “Matthew, is there something I can help you with?” she asked.
“Nah, I just threw one of the pillows up high and it got stuck on the top shelf. Can you get it down, Mr. David, like, before Daddy sees it?”
David laughed. “Duty calls,” he said, following Matthew to the scene of the crime. “I’ll be right back.”
“I like that young man,” her father said as they watched David retrieve the pillow and then hand it back to the kids.
“I do, too.” And that had become a major understatement over the past few days.
Laura watched as David made certain the kids knew the pillows should stay at ground level then returned smiling. “Hey, since my folks are here to help me out in the store, why don’t you go show your dad around the square? Take some time to visit, and go have lunch or something.”
Laura did want to spend some time alone with her dad, but she didn’t want to abandon David on the busy sale day. “You sure?”
“Of course. Besides, my dad and I need to run to the building supply store later for a project I’ve got going upstairs, so we’ll trade. You and your dad can help my mom out here when we leave, and we’ll call it even.”
“When does your mom get a break?” Laura asked.
“Are you kidding? She’s on cloud nine around all of these kids.” He pointed to Mrs. Presley, sitting in the children’s area and animatedly reading to the kids, who were captivated with her rendition of Frosty the Snowman. “I’ll be lucky if I can talk her into retreating to the kitchen long enough to eat a sandwich.”
Laura had to agree. David’s mom appeared to be having a blast. “Okay, then, we’ll head out and then tag team with you and your dad in an hour or so.”
“Make it two hours. It’s going to be a long day, and you’ll want that extra break,” he said. Then to Laura’s dad, he said, “Don’t let her overdo it on the walking. I try to watch and make sure she sits down and rests often, but she doesn’t always listen.”
“Sounds like he’s got you pegged.” Her dad wrapped an arm around her and then looked back to David. “Don’t worry, we won’t overdo it.”
Laura liked the fact that both of them wanted to take care of her. “Thanks, but I will stop if I get tired.”
“And we’ll make sure you keep that promise,” her father said.
Laura didn’t argue. There had been a couple of afternoons that David practically had to force her to take a break. She’d wanted everything perfect for the sale today and hadn’t wanted to waste any time. But they were right. She was at the point in the pregnancy where she had to be careful and not overexert. Early labor was always a possibility with twins.
“So, you ready?” her dad asked.
“I am.” She led him out of the bookstore and into the square. People filled the sidewalk, and signage advertising each merchant’s Black Friday sales covered the storefronts. “What do you think?” she asked.
“I think your mother should’ve come,” he said. “She would’ve loved all of this. Marjorie has spent so many Black Fridays at Macy’s that she doesn’t even realize there are more activities going on, like this type of old-fashioned thing. Look at that fountain and the geese. And all of these detailed storefronts. The architecture is remarkable. It’s like someone plucked the entire town out of the fifties.”
“I know. I love it here,” she admitted.
“I’m glad for that. I really am. I meant what I told David. It’s wonderful to see you smile again.”
“I’ve been smiling a lot lately,” she said, saying hello to several shoppers that she recognized from the bookstore and church as they walked down the sidewalk. Everyone was so friendly, and she realized that she already felt at home in Claremont. “So for lunch, how about one of the best cheeseburgers you’ll ever taste?” She pointed across the square. “You’re going to love Nelson’s.”
“Lead the way.” He walked beside her, and when they reached the variety store, Marvin Tolleson met them at the door.
“Miss Laura, great to see you!” he said. “I’ve had several customers come in with bags from the bookstore. Looks like y’all are having a good day.”
“We are.” She nodded toward the packed booths and soda fountain. “And it looks like you are, too.”
“God is blessing us,” he agreed, “but don’t worry. We have an open booth in the back for you. And I don’t believe we’ve met.” He smiled at Laura’s father.
“Thomas Holland. I’m Laura’s dad.”
“Well, then, I believe I met your wife here a few weeks back,” Marvin said, ushering them toward the only vacant booth. “Nice lady, but I’ll admit, I thought she was Miss Laura’s sister when she first came in.”
Her father grinned. “We get that a lot, but I take it as a compliment, as does she.”
“Well, here are your menus.” He handed them each a laminated sheet. “Do you know what you want to drink?”
“I’ll have sweet tea,” her dad said.
“I’ll have the large lemonade,” Laura said, “and we can go ahead and order, if that’s okay.”
“The babies hungry?” her father asked.
Laura grinned. “Always.”
“Well, we can take care of that,” Marvin said. “What would you like?”
“Cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.” It’d become one of her favorite meals.
“I’ll have the same,” her dad said as his phone started up with the “Rocky Top” ring tone. He withdrew it from his pocket and glanced at the display. Laura knew before he answered that it was her mom.
“Hey, how’s work going?” He nodded a few times as she apparently told him about her morning, or night would be more accurate, since the sale started at midnight. “I’m sitting at a table with her right now for lunch. Yes, it is really nice here.”
He continued talking for a few minutes and then said, “You get yourself something to eat while you have a chance. I’m glad you’re having a good sales day.” Another nod. “I’ll tell her.” He smiled. “I love you, too. ’Bye.” He pocketed the phone. “She wanted me to tell you she loves you and misses you, and that she’ll be back down here soon.”
“I’d like that,” Laura said as Marvin’s wife, Mae, hurried toward the table with two plates of food.
“Marvin said your babies are hungry—” she placed a plate in front of each of them “—so we moved your order to the top.”
Laura laughed. “I could’ve waited.” She plucked a fry from the plate and started eating it.
“But we didn’t want you to,” Mae said. “And Marvin told me you’re Laura’s dad. We’re glad you’re here.”
“Glad to be here,” he said.
They started eating, but Laura didn’t have her food on her mind. True, she was hungry, and she’d eat, but she also wanted to talk about what had been bothering her ever since her mother’s visit. “Dad, when Mom came down, she seemed to really enjoy herself and we had a great day,” she said.
“That’s what she said. I wished she’d have told me she was coming down here, but I am glad you two enjoyed some time together.”
“Me, too, but—” she decided just to tell him what happened “—but before she left, she said some things that confused me.”
He was about to take another bite of cheeseburger, but he placed the sandwich back on his plate. “Something about why she keeps leaving? Because I asked her, again, and I got the same answer.”
“What answer?”
“That she had to get away.” He shrugged. “Same answer she’s been giving me for nearly twenty-four years. Did she tell you something different?”
The eagerness in his tone hurt Laura. He so wanted to know what caused his wife to head out every now and then, and Laura wanted to know, too. Over the past few weeks, ever since she spent that day with her mom, she’d thought about the best words to convey everything her mother said, and she selected them carefully now. “She started off talking about you, the two of you, and how you were the love of her life, and that she thought she fell in love with you the first time she saw you.”
His mouth flattened, and he nodded. “She’s told me that before, and I believe her. I felt the same way. There’s something to be said for love at first sight.”
Laura imagined her parents young and so in love, and she liked the image. She almost didn’t want to tell him the rest, but she knew how desperately he wanted to figure out what caused her mother to run. “But then she said something else through the day that I couldn’t stop thinking about, something I didn’t understand.”
“What’d she say?” He’d pushed his plate forward, having lost all interest in eating until he and Laura had this conversation.
“She said that she wanted me to find someone who chose me. A couple of times she mentioned how important it was to be with someone who chose you.” Laura shook her head, not understanding it any more now than she did that day. “Is there something that has happened in your marriage to make her think she wasn’t your first choice? Or when you were dating?” Laura asked. “That’s all I can think of.”
He sat there for a second then ran his hand down his face while Laura took in his instant reaction. Maybe he did know what was going on with her mom.
“Daddy?” she asked while he straightened in the booth then leaned his head back against the seat and whispered something to the ceiling.
Laura couldn’t hear his words for all of the chatter in the five-and-dime, but she read his lips.
“Oh, Marjorie, what do I have to do to make you believe me?”
Laura leaned forward in her seat and lowered her voice, though that hardly mattered with the crowd and the noise today. Even so, she didn’t want to draw undue attention to whatever her father was about to say. “Daddy, did you—was there someone else that you loved?”
He slid his hand across the table, took Laura’s in his and squeezed. “Honey, there has never been anyone else. Like I said earlier, I think I fell in love with your mom the first time I saw her.”
“Then what is she talking about, wanting to be the one someone chooses? Why doesn’t she feel like you chose her?” Laura was so thankful for Marvin’s crowd now. Normally, it’d be impossible to have this conversation at the restaurant, but thanks to the Black Friday shoppers, that wasn’t a problem. And Laura was glad; she didn’t want to wait to hear his answer.
“She isn’t talking about another woman,” he said. “She’s talking about...you.”