Page 6 of Even More Christmas Magic and Romance (Holiday Hiccups #3)
Six
THAT VERY IMPORTANT Friday has arrived, the Friday after Thanksgiving. It’s time to turn our house into a Christmas wonderland. That’s my way of describing the event called decorating our home. I love making every room look festive and fun.
Stanley knows the drill. After breakfast, he made several trips to the attic to bring down boxes of decorations.
We were discussing which room to decorate first when he got a call from his mom.
I don’t know Barbara Bickerman very well, but when she and Stanley Sr. visited a couple of times, she was always quiet.
She was also very happy for Stanley and me.
After Stanley ended the call, he pocketed his phone and asked if we could talk. We sat down in the living room, and I waited for Stanley to begin the conversation. A long minute passed before he shared his information.
“Mom just told me she’s checked into a motel here in town.”
“What?” I gasped. Stanley’s announcement was the last thing I expected to hear. “Is she by herself? What about your dad?”
“She drove here alone. She’s talking about leaving my father,” he said.
I scowled back. “Oh no, I can’t believe it.”
What was going on with our moms? Both of them were acting out of character. I knew Stan Sr. was a difficult man, however, the Bickermans had been married for nearly forty years. Didn’t that mean something about how they felt about each other?
“Did something happen that made her want to leave your dad?”
Stanley shrugged. “I only know Mom said she’s had enough of Dad’s stubborn ways. She asked if she could visit us. I think she needs a chance to talk about what’s happened.”
“Of course,” I said. “When would she like to visit?”
“I’m not sure. Would you mind if I call her back and tell her to come over whenever she wants?”
“Stanley, I want to do whatever I can to help. If that means just staying out of the way when she’s here, I’ll understand.”
“I don’t know what’s best at this point. There were quite a few arguments between my parents when I was growing up, but they always got over whatever they were fighting about. Mom’s current situation is unexpected.”
I leaned into Stanley’s shoulder. “Call your mom back right now. Tell her to come over,” I insisted.
While Stanley was doing what I suggested, I remained on the couch.
The thought of the Bickermans splitting up made decorating the house seem unimportant.
I decided to call my mom. When Stanley isn’t available, she can be my go-to for advice.
I’d talked to her briefly before breakfast, and she assured me she was feeling better.
As soon as I said “Hello, Mom,” my mother’s super radar must have gone off.
She immediately asked me what was wrong.
I told her about the call from Stanley’s mother.
Since Mom and Barbara know each other, the news seemed to affect Mom in the same way it affected me.
Neither of us knew what to do or say. However, Mom tried to be reassuring and told me I shouldn’t worry.
It was what I wanted to hear. When I became an adult, I wanted to figure everything out myself.
That time has passed. I’m taking advantage of my parents’ wisdom, even if it’s the “wait and see” type of comfort.
After hearing my Mom’s steady voice, I sat back and did my best to have some faith in things working out.
I glanced over at the boxes in the foyer.
They were filled to capacity with wonderful, holiday décor.
When Stanley brought them down, I felt like a kid again, a kid wanting to make the house a place where the holiday spirit came alive.
After Barbara Bickerman’s call, I began to question the way the season affected people.
While I was happy, Stanley’s mother was probably my opposite.
Were the holidays affecting the kind lady and how she thought about her marriage?
Could the holidays intensify her emotions so much that she only thought about what was wrong with her relationship with her husband?
As I tried to figure out what was happening, Stanley came back into the living room. I gave him my most encouraging smile. “Is your mom coming over?”
Stanley sat down next to me again. “Yes, she says she’ll stop by later this afternoon.”
“It’s strange,” I said, “both our mothers are going through a lot right now.”
Stanley put his arm around my shoulder. “Please, don’t worry too much. Our moms are very, strong women.”
“Yes, they are, but—”
Stanley’s handsome face relaxed into a friendly smile. “Do it for the baby.”
“The baby? What does the baby have to do with any of this?” I asked.
Stanley stared back at me. “I thought you told me you didn’t want to get stressed. You said it could affect when our baby comes into the world. You went on and on about the problems of a person having their birthday on Christmas.”
I returned a squinty-eyed look. “So you do understand my concern.”
“Of course I do, but I’ll welcome our baby into our lives no matter what the date is. And if that’s on Christmas, we’ll find a way to make sure our child knows their day is special.”
I let out a groan, ignored his smile and pushed myself up and off the sofa. “So what do you think? Should we continue with our decorating plans?”
Stanley quickly stood up too. “Sure, I’m game,” he said as he headed to the foyer.
A couple of years ago, there were only two boxes of decorations. Now, there were twice as many. I made another silent promise to myself. From now on I’ll curtail my need to shop after Christmas. From now on, I won’t let the allure of half-price decorations pull me in.