and she began sorting out her various purchases, spending some time reminiscing over each one. She already had some presents under the tree for the kids and grandchildren. What she’d gotten at the various Christmas markets would be bonuses.
The last thing she found was the ornament from the ship’s tree, bundled up in a scarf. Signed and dated. If only she and Rudy had met at a different time, under different circumstances.
She padded out to the living room and hung the little blue globe on the tree, another artifact to add to the others.
Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
Such wise advice. Smiles were so much more satisfying than tears.
She dug out wrapping paper and ribbons and got busy wrapping presents. By the time she was finished she had the gifts all neatly stacked under the tree, ready for her children to come pick up. She wished she could see everyone’s faces as they opened their gifts.
Knowing that she wouldn’t be with any of her family made her want to throw a nice, big pity party for herself. She could invite the Grinch.
Actually, no. Even he’d reformed. He wouldn’t want any part of her misery.
She didn’t, either. She was going to have a fine Christmas with Denise and her daughter and children. They were like second family, and second family was better than no family, right?
She finally went back to bed around three in the morning and managed to crawl into a fitful sleep. She was actually dreaming herself back on the cruise ship when her ringing phone awakened her at nine. Seeing the name on the caller ID cheered her up. It was Lila.
“How was the cruise?” her daughter wanted to know.
“It was lovely.”
“Good. I want to hear all about it. I thought I’d come by this morning and pick up presents. I assume you’ll be around.”
“I will. I was thinking about making some frosted sugar cookies.” Lila loved those cookies and they’d often baked them together when she was still living at home. Not so much once she moved out, but maybe she’d like to revive the tradition. “Want to help?”
“I can’t. I’ve got so much to do before the kids are out of school and we leave.”
She probably did, but Catherine still felt a little hurt. “Oh, well. It was just a thought.”
“It was a great thought. Sorry I can’t do it.”
“That’s okay,” Catherine said. “When were you planning on stopping by?”
“In about an hour or so.”
“All right. I’ll have the espresso machine ready.”
“Great,” Lila said, and ended the call. She didn’t have time to bake cookies, but enjoying one of her mother’s homemade lattes was another thing altogether.
Oh, well. When you had grown children you took what you could get. Catherine hurried out of bed and into the shower. Then she threw together a coffee cake because you couldn’t have lattes with nothing to go with them.
An hour later she had just taken the coffee cake out of the oven when Lila’s voice came to her from the front hall. “I’m here. Where are you?”
“In the kitchen,” Catherine called.
In breezed her daughter, looking Christmassy in red plaid leggings under a black top and a red coat, the cap Catherine had knitted for her two Christmases ago perched over her carefully straightened hair. Lila had been slender as a teenager and as a bride, but she’d inherited her mother’s sweet tooth, and her addiction to cake, cookies and doughnuts had plumped her up. She still thought a little extra weight looked good on Lila. She was a pretty woman, much prettier than her mom, with an easy smile. Always fun to be around. And yes, maybe a little self-centered, but when it came down to it wasn’t everyone?
“Something smells good,” Lila said, pulling off her hat. “Is that your streusel coffee cake?”
“It is. I just took it out of the oven. Do you have time for a piece?”
“I can stay long enough for that.” Lila shed her coat and dropped her purse next to a chair. “Eggnog lattes?”
“I haven’t had time to get to the store and pick up any eggnog,” Catherine said.
“Darn.”
“How about your usual caramel?”
“Sure. Why not?” She got plates out of the cupboard while Catherine made her latte. “So, tell me about the cruise. I can’t believe you went on one without me.”
“You were too busy.” Did that sound a little accusative? Was it meant to? Maybe. “Anyway, there was only room for one more in Denise’s room,” Catherine hurried to add.