Page 124 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

“Will he be spending Christmas with you?” Nova asked.

Jesse nodded. “I think so. That’s the plan anyway.”

“Then it’s all come out the way it should.”

Jesse took another sip of kombucha. “Maybe so,” he conceded.

“Dad,” Brigid called. “Come in here. Christopher can makethem so fast!”

They all moved into the living room and settled down towatch Christopher and Brigid work.

“I guess you never forget. Like riding a bike,” Christophersaid, proudly.

Jesse grinned. Christopher looked beautiful sitting on thefloor with Brigid, smiling and laughing at Will’s commentary, and then talkingearnestly with Nova and Tim. Jesse could imagine a whole future made up oftimes like this, and the vision burned through him joyfully.

He could have a future with someone he cared about. It wassomething he could reach out and grab. He tugged Will into his lap and snuggledup with him, satisfied in a way he hadn’t known in years.

“Well, look at you,” Gran said, leaning forward in thewheelchair and reaching up for him. “Come on now and give me some sugar.”

The entire nursing home, including Gran’s room, wasdecorated for Christmas. The common areas hosted several trees, and her roomwas done up with some gaudy bows and doodads. There was a big wreath over thewindow, a nativity scene poster stuck up on the wall by the door, and thefinishing touch was the sound of Amy Grant’s Christmas album coming from thespeakers by her bed.

Edna wasn’t in the room, and after Christopher had obligedGran with a kiss, he looked wonderingly toward her bed.

“Oh, just out with her good-for-nothing son. Took her toCracker Barrel. In this weather? He shoulda brought her something, I tell you.She has no business being out in this wet and cold.”

Christopher smiled and pulled up a chair to sit across fromher. He took her gnarled hand in his, tracing the puffy lines of her veins, andtried to think of just what to say.

“I gotta tell you I’m sorry,” Gran said quietly.

Christopher’s lips turned up at the edges as a sad smiletwisted through his heart and smeared across his face. “No, Gran. That’s notwhy I’m here.”

She went on like she didn’t hear him, “Well, I am. I shouldn’t‘a done it. I know that now. But what I wanted was for it to get bad enoughthat you’d put an end to it your own self. Or that your mama would. I wanted itto get downright awful, for Bob to expose himself as the sick man he is, an’most of all, I wanted you to understand you can’t keep going there,Christopher.” She gripped his chin, forcing him to meet her clouded hazel eyes.“I wanted Joe to see it too, an’ I wanted him to show you how to just get upand walk out. And hedid. So, that part worked. Yourmama, though. I didn’t think she’d be so quick to throw her baby away.”

“She threw me away a long time ago, Gran.” It was still hardto say, but he felt less sick to his stomach each time.

She clucked her tongue, her eyes sad and stormy. “I guessshe did, baby boy. I guess she did. She always was a weak-minded fool.”

“Thank you for apologizing, Gran, but I’m here to tell you thankyou, actually.”

Gran blinked at him like he’d gone mad.

“If you and Lee hadn’t conspired then I don’t think I’d haveever been brave enough to do what I needed to do. Well, what Mom did, really, Iguess. But in the end, her cutting me free is probably the best thing thatcould have happened.”

Gran squeezed his hand and nodded her head. “I’m still sosorry, baby.”

“It’ll be okay, Gran. Maybe one day I’ll make my own family.”

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “That Jesse Birch and hiskids, maybe? They need you and you’d be good for them.”

Christopher winked at her. “Maybe so, Gran.”

She wagged a finger. “No, you fess up, young man. Things aremore serious now, aren’t they?”

“They are. I had dinner with him, the kids, and his in-lawsthe other night. They’re more like his parents than his parents are, it seems.”

“And they accepted you?”

“With open arms. Everyone got along and seemed happy to seeeveryone else. Even me.”