The Christmas Promise(20)

She headed for the back stairs leading to the service entrance. “He doesn’t get it from me,” she said. “He doesn’t even look like me.”

A metal light with a huge bulb hung over the door, lighting the back entrance. They stood in the silence at the top of the stairs while she smoked. A foggy gray ribbon circled her head. “Is Donovan’s dad here?” Chaz asked. She nodded. “Does he see Donovan?”

“He doesn’t care.”

Chaz crossed his arms to keep warm. “How could anybody not care for Donovan?” That came out quicker than he expected.

She looked at him, and her face softened for the first time since he’d known her. “You don’t look like you’re from here,” she said.

“Where do I look like I’m from?”

She shrugged. “Any place but here.”

“I’ve lived in a lot of places,” Chaz said.

“You don’t want to be in one spot too long.”

“Seems that way.”

She took a long drag and blew smoke toward the light. “That way nobody ever gets to know you and you don’t have to know anybody, either.” He smiled but didn’t say anything. “Where’s your family?” she said.

“My parents are dead. I was an only child.”

She nodded. “Do you miss them?”

“This time of year, especially. Donovan said he wants to tell Santa you want press-on nails for Christmas.”

She laughed and leaned against the metal railing, blowing smoke up into the air. “Did you have Christmas with your parents as a kid?”

“Yeah. Sure,” he said.

“Did you get lots of presents?”

He blew into his hands. “Not too many. Enough, though.”

“Like what?” she asked. “What was one of your favorites?”

He leaned against the door. “I used to love Hot Wheels cars, and one year they gave me the racetrack. I can’t remember anything else I got that year because for months that racetrack was all I talked about.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I took the track to the basement and I put it together in the shape of an oval.” He laughed at the thought. “Oh, the imagination and vision I had! Dad came down and helped me make it into the shape of a figure eight with all the cool ramps and loops.”

“When did he die?” Carla said.

“Just a year or two after that.”

She nodded and inhaled. “When I was little I wished that my old man would come around at Christmas. He’d bring me presents and put all the ones that said ‘assembly required’ together for me, you know, like your dad did. Then we’d eat a huge turkey and he’d play with me all day.” She twisted the cigarette butt into the railing and pulled out another smoke, flipping it up and down in the palm of her hand.

“Did he ever come around?” Chaz asked.

She put the end of the cigarette into her mouth. “Gave me a Frisbee. Unwrapped. I was so excited. I asked him to play hide-and-go-seek and he hid behind the couch. I found him right away and then ran off to hide in the hall closet. He never bothered to look for me. I heard the front door close.” She put the unlit cigarette back into the pack. “All my life I just wanted him to notice that I was there. How the hell could he notice me when he couldn’t even pretend to find me?” She took the cigarette back out of the pack and lit it.

They were quiet as wind carried a cloud of smoke into his face. “Hey,” Chaz said. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be working here at night, so…” She turned to look at him, taking a drag. “Do you think you can find anybody to watch Donovan?”

She took another puff and flicked the cigarette off the loading ramp before opening the door. “I need to ask Miss Glory but she’s been busy with lots of people at her house,” she said. “I don’t have any place else. Once somebody finds out he’s here I’ll get fired. That’s how it goes.” She disappeared up the stairs and he heard a vacuum kick on.

Chaz peeked through the security office window. Carla had to find a place for Donovan soon. He was getting too close, and that was making Chaz uncomfortable.





Six



One learns people through the heart, not the eyes or the intellect.

—Mark Twain



As always, Marshall Wilson agreed to help provide hats, socks, and mittens for the Christmas packages Heddy and Dalton and I were putting together. “Any big Christmas plans?” he asked as I gathered my purse and coat in his office.

“No,” I said. “All my kids are spending it with their in-laws this year. I’ll go to Dalton and Heddy’s. How about you?”