The Christmas Scarf(2)

Missy followed her mother to the back of the house and sat down in a large kitchen with high white cabinets, stainless appliances, and the largest stovetop she’d ever seen. Her mother must be in heaven. She loved spending time in the kitchen. Light flowed in the big windows and a breakfast nook was tucked over near the side.

“Mom, your kitchen is beautiful.”

“It is, isn’t it? I tell you, Dwayne spoils me. He had the whole kitchen redone and let me pick out everything. We had a formal living room, but who needs that? We knocked down the wall between the living room and kitchen and made the kitchen bigger.” Her mother pulled a baking sheet of cookies from one of the double ovens. “I guess they finally decided to give you some time off for the holidays? I know you always say it’s a busy time of the year and hard to get away. It will be so nice to have you here this year, though. So nice. It’s been so long since you’ve been home for the holidays. Cookie?”

She’d missed her mother’s rambles. And her cookies. Missy decided it wasn’t really a good time to go into the fact she was homeless and jobless. She reached over and snagged an oatmeal cookie. Nothing like comfort food to chase away a person’s problems.

The back door swung open and Dwayne entered with his arms full of packages. “I think I got everything you need for baking your cookies for the tree lighting ceremony.” Dwayne hip checked the door closed behind him, then saw Missy sitting at the island in the kitchen.

“Missy. Great to see you.” Dwayne set the sacks on the counter.

“Thanks, good to see you, too.”

Missy caught a quick look flash between Dwayne and her mother and that hint of concern popped up in her mother’s eyes again.

“Missy has come home for the holidays.” Her mother rolled a bit of cookie into a ball and plopped it onto the baking sheet.

“You don’t say. Well, that’s nice.” There was that look between Dwayne and her mother again.

“I really should have called first…” Missy shifted back on the counter stool.

“No, of course not, dear.” Her mother plopped another cookie on the baking sheet.

“Well, I’ll let you two catch up. I’m going to head back to the Gazette. Got to get the weekly paper all put to bed.” Dwayne headed out the back door.

“He’s been the editor at the paper for like a million years, hasn’t he?”

“Twenty or so. Along with running an insurance business, but he’s retired from that and just works at the paper now.”

“Mom, is everything okay? You’ve got that look…”

“What look?”

“That look that says something is wrong and you’re trying to fix it for everyone.”

Her mother washed her hands and sat down on the stool beside Missy. “Well, it’s just that Dwayne’s two daughters and their husbands are coming for Christmas. They each have two kids. We only have three bedrooms. But we’ll make it work.”

“I should have called. I’m sorry.”

Her mother leaned over and wrapped her in a hug. “Don’t be silly. You’re always welcome here. I’ll sort it out. The more the merrier.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

But even at home in Comfort Crossing, the town she grew up in, she felt out of place.

~ * ~

Missy headed over to Main Street with no real purpose in mind. She loved that she could walk from her mother’s new home to Main Street. She could walk to almost any place she wanted to in Comfort Crossing. She’d forgotten how nice that was. It was a bit chilly this time of year, with a nip to the air. She pulled her jacket closed to keep out the wind. Her hometown was an interesting mix of weather. A person would be just as likely to be wearing jeans and a t-shirt this time a year as they were to be bundled up in jackets.

She crossed down the side street and came out on Main. Decorations and lights were strung across the street. Each business had elaborate decorations in their windows in preparation for the window decorating contest the town held each year. She’d forgotten about that. There was a lot she’d forgotten about her home town in her years away.

Magnolia Cafe was right across the street and she decided to pop in and see if her cousin still worked there. She hadn’t seen Becky Lee in years. Missy pushed through the door of the cafe and the smell of cinnamon twirled around her, whisking her back in time, filling her with memories. Christmas music drifted through the restaurant. Now this felt like home. She’d spent so many hours here, with friends or just sitting and chatting with Becky Lee as she worked.

“Missy Sherwood, don’t you even give your cousin a heads up when you’re coming to town?” Becky Lee set down a tray of dishes and hurried over and smothered her with a hug. “You are a sight for sore eyes. I’ve missed you, Cuz.”