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The phone rang while Susannah was looking for clean clothes for Kitty.
“Hello?” Why did her heart always skip that little beat whenever someone called?
“Susannah? That you?”
She didn’t need caller ID to recognize the voice. “Hi, Ricky. Merry Christmas.”
“Yeah, you too. We missed you at the candlelight service tonight. Couldn’t make it, huh?”
Susannah propped the phone against her shoulder and tried to get Kitty’s things organized on her bed. “Yeah, it’s pretty icy, and we don’t want Kitty in big crowds where she can catch a cold or anything.”
There she went using we as if she and Mom were both still around, both still making decisions about her sister’s care.
“That makes sense. Well, I just wanted to say we missed you.”
Susannah wondered which we Ricky was referring to. Him and his mom?
“That’s sweet of you to say.”
“Hey, I know it’s last minute.” He cleared his throat. “And maybe you already have plans, but Mom says we’ve got plenty of food for tomorrow, and we could come pick you up so you don’t have to worry about getting Kitty in the car by yourself. You know, if you wanted to come over for Christmas dinner. We could bring the truck and put her wheelchair in the back.”
Susannah had the feeling she’d appreciate the thoughtful offer more if she didn’t have two dozen different things to take care of at once.
“That’s really nice of you to ask. It sounds fun, but ...”
“It’s not a big group,” he interrupted, “and Mom already checked. Nobody has a cold or anything, so you don’t have to worry about germs.”
Susannah sighed. “I’m sorry, we kind of already have plans. Nothing big, it’s just Derek is coming over, and he’s bringing a ham, so I think we’ll just have a quiet day here.”
“Oh. Ok.”
She hated to think of disappointing him. “But I’ll tell Kitty you invited her. It’ll make her really happy to know you were thinking of her.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” Ricky’s voice fell lifeless.
“Thanks again.” Susannah did her best to infuse extra enthusiasm into her tone. “That’s probably the nicest invitation I’ve gotten in quite a while.”
She didn’t mention it was also the only invitation.
She could hear his smile on the other end of the line. “Well, Mom says if tomorrow doesn’t work out, maybe we’ll plan on something else another time. After the holidays.”
“Yeah,” Susannah repeated mindlessly while she grabbed a clean chux pad to place on her sister’s bed. “Sounds great.”
She hung up the phone, realized the nightgown she’d planned to dress Kitty in was already soiled. She had meant to wash those clothes today. Finding nothing else clean, she decided her sister would be comfortable enough sleeping in her sweats and tossed the dirty nightgown into the pile of laundry that was now almost as high as her waist. She’d have to spend tomorrow cleaning before Derek came over for Christmas dinner.
The most wonderful time of the year, right?
Of course right.