Life Happens by Danny Moon – Chapter 26
Chapter 26
The next few weeks before Christmas were exhausting for Lauren. Between dealing with her insurance company, replenishing the wardrobes lost in the fire, and helping out with Cathy, she found scant time for rest.
Cathy moved around the house on crutches. Her face, though still swollen, was healing with only faint scars. Nothing makeup would not hide. She itched to continue making her craft items. Without being asked, Frank loaned her the money for new materials, provided his truck for transportation, and even joined in the cottage industry with Cathy and Jennifer. His entire garage became a workshop.
Cathy managed to fill the Christmas orders she took from Donald Arrington and several other customers with only days to spare.
Curiously, the four family members coexisted in relative harmony in the cramped confines of Frank’s home. Even Flo and Bobo put aside their instinctive rivalry, preferring instead an attitude of studied indifference.
Christmas dinner included Ben and Alice as guests. Gifts were exchanged at the table. Jennifer contributed fresh hothouse tomatoes for the salad, having no resources to purchase gifts. She leaned toward Ben, who sat to her right, and whispered. “Did you bring it?”
He whispered back. “Yes. It’s in my car. I hope you don’t mind, but I had a piece of glass cut for it. It’s beautiful, kiddo.” Scooting back from the table, Ben made a quick trip to his car.
When Ben returned, Jennifer tapped on her plate with a spoon. All eyes turned to her. She cleared her throat and spoke to her grandfather. “Grampa, I did something wrong. I took your favorite picture of Grandma.”
Frank’s forehead furrowed in question. So that’s where it went, he thought.
“I intended to bring it back, but it was lost in the fire,” Jennifer went on.
“Why did you take it, Jennifer?” Cathy asked, upset by her daughter’s confession.
Ben handed Frank a gaily wrapped package. “You’ll see.”
“Open it, Grampa,” Jennifer said.
Frank tore away the paper, saw the contents, and held it to his chest. “You did this?” he asked Jennifer.
She nodded, unsure of his reaction. “Is it okay?”
Frank turned the two-foot square portrait Jennifer had drawn, using the snapshot of Olivia as a model, so everyone could see. Lauren and Cathy gasped at the likeness. Perfectly enlarged and colorized in pencil and ink, Jennifer had captured Olivia’s smile perfectly.
The frame, made with her own hands, contained intricate carvings and filigree. Using stain and gold paint, she had antiqued the simple wood, transforming it into a treasure.
Frank’s fingers covered his lips. Mist appeared in his eyes. When he trusted himself to speak, he said, “There is nothing you could have given me, honey, more precious than this.”
Alice patted Frank’s arm, bearing no jealousy. She understood his feelings—felt the same about her deceased husband. She knew, regardless of where her relationship with Frank might lead, their former spouses would always be a part of them. “It’s truly beautiful,” she said.
“Oh,” Ben said, sounding surprised. “Here’s a gift I forgot to give Lauren.” He dug in his pocket, produced a small, unwrapped, blue velveteen box, and handed it to Lauren.
“You’ve already given me perfume. What’s this?”
“You won’t know if you don’t open it,” Jennifer said, looking on curiously.
Lauren lifted the hinged lid. Light sparkled from the diamond. She looked at Ben. “Will you marry me, Lauren?” he asked.
She turned off her mind and allowed her heart to answer. “Yes, Ben,” she said without the least hesitation. She pulled him toward her and kissed him long and lovingly, as everyone present applauded and offered their congratulations.
When the kiss ended, Cathy said, “Go wash your face, Sis. Your mascara is running. You look like a sad-eyed clown.”
Lauren excused herself and went to the bathroom to make herself presentable. The ring felt good on her finger. Natural. Proper. She had always imagined an engagement ring would weigh a ton. Anything so fraught with commitment and responsibility would be a burden. But this one, like her heart, seemed light as a feather.
Before leaving the bathroom she noticed the hand towel, haphazardly tossed over the rack. She reached to straighten it but stopped short. She thought of the many changes in her world over the past months: Coming to terms with Cathy. Falling in love with Ben. Losing her home. Nothing of her planning. She recalled Cathy’s words. “Life happens. You can’t always control it.”
Life then, Lauren thought, is like that towel. Slightly off-center—skewed. Imperfect in the way it drapes around us—but adequate in its chaos.
She saw her own smile in the mirror as she walked out, leaving the towel untouched.
The End
