Mark and I are splitting. Now I know why he couldn’t take off work to go on the cruise with me. He’s been having an affair with his boss. Is that even allowed in the workplace? Stupid question. Affairs shouldn’t be allowed anywhere.
I should have seen this coming. I knew we were growing apart. We both want more out of life. Our definitions of more just happen to have stopped matching up. I should be glad I found out now that this marriage isn’t going to work, but all I want to do is cry. How do you go into the holidays feeling like this?
Good question.
It’s not easy, Catherine responded. We always think that because this is such a happy holiday what’s happening in our lives should match up. But it doesn’t always, does it?
There was an understatement. Nothing had matched up for her the year before. She’d gone into the holidays miserable and had left them behind feeling the same way.
This year she was not going to do that. Was not. She refused.
She turned her attention back to Sierra’s email. What to tell her?
This won’t be the happiest holiday ever for you and I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry you and your husband aren’t able to reconcile. Who would want to under those circumstances? But I know you have people in your life who love you and they’ll be there for you. Trust me, you will get through this.
Catherine read what she’d written, deleted her last sentence and retyped the words in upper case, bold letters. Then she added, Anytime you need to talk, I’m here.
She was smiling when she shut down the iPad. Even if her own children couldn’t make time for her there were still people who wanted to share their lives with her and who appreciated her input. She may have been sitting in her living room by herself but she wasn’t alone.
She decided to bake those sugar cookies. Her Christmas may not have been what she’d have liked the year before and it wasn’t going to be what she wished for this year, either, but it didn’t have to be miserable. She’d bake brownies and snowball cookies and maybe even some gumdrop cookies. So what if her children and grandchildren weren’t going to be around to eat Christmas cookies? The neighbors would appreciate some.
Two hours later her kitchen table was covered with baked treats and she was exhausted. She went into the living room, turned on the TV and flopped on the couch. Found a holiday movie on Hallmark and promptly fell asleep.
She didn’t wake up until her doorbell rang at seven. Who on earth?
She made her groggy way to the front door and opened it to find her son standing on the doorstep. He was holding a little white dog with button brown eyes and floppy ears.
“Hi, Mom,” he said. “Sorry I didn’t call first but Lila said you were home so I figured it was okay to come over.”
“Of course,” Catherine said, stepping aside to let him in. “What have you got here? Is this a new member of your family?” And did he want her to watch it while he was gone?
“No, actually, it’s a new member of yours.” He set the dog down and it gave a little bark and tried to climb his leg. “No, not me,” he said to it. “You want her.”
No, not her, either. “William...” she began.
The little dog barked at her and wagged its tail.
“She likes you,” he said.
“What is this about?” she demanded.
“Uh, it’s your Christmas present?”
“A dog? What makes you think I need a dog?” Or want one.
“Let’s go in the living room,” he suggested. “Come on, Cookie.” He started for the living room and the dog fell in line, prancing along behind him.
“Gabby and I thought you might like the company,” he said.
As if an animal could substitute for a person? Not in her book. Thank you, Gabrielle.
“I’m not looking for a dog,” she said, her irritation bleeding into her voice. There were some presents people shouldn’t buy for you and pets fell in that category.
“She’s already housebroken,” he said. “She’s a mix, part Maltese and something else. The woman at PAWS thought maybe a spaniel because of the ears. She said both breeds are really good with seniors.”
“William, I don’t want a dog.” Catherine didn’t care how sweet the dog was. He could just take her back to PAWS. “And I’m not that old,” she added, and plopped