1225 Christmas Tree Lane

18

“The natives are getting restless,” Jon Bowman reported to Grace when she camed own from the apartment. After watching the birth of Mary Jo’s baby, Grace felt ecstatic. She couldn’t describe all the emotions tumbling through her. Joy. Excitement. Awe. Each one held fast to her heart.

Katie, April and Tyler raced around the yard, screaming at the top of their lungs, chasing one another, gleeful and happy. Jon went to quiet them, but Grace stopped him.

“Let them play,” she told her son-in-law. “They aren’t hurting anything out here.”

“Kelly and Lisa are inside making hot cocoa,” Cliff said, joining Grace. “And Paul’s looking after Emma.” He slid his arm around her waist. “Everything all right up there?” He nodded toward the barn.

“Everything’s wonderful. Mary Jo had a baby girl.”

“That’s marvelous!” Cliff kissed her cheek. “I bet you never guessed you’d be delivering a baby on Christmas Eve.”

Grace had to agree; it was the last thing she’d expected. She was thankful Mary Jo hadn’t been stuck in some hotel room alone. These might not have been the best of circumstances, but she’d ended up with people who genuinely cared for her and her baby.

Grace didn’t know Roy and Corrie McAfee’s son well, but Mack had proved himself ten times over. He was a capable, compassionate young man, and he’d been an immeasurable help to Mary Jo. In fact, Grace doubted anyone could have done more.

After he’d delivered that baby girl, Mack had cradled the infant in his arms and gazed down on her with tears shining in his eyes. An onlooker might have thought he was the child’s father.

The other EMT actually had to ask him to let go of the baby so he could wash her. After that, Grace had wrapped the crying baby in a swaddling blanket and handed her to Mary Jo.

The two EMTs were finishing up with Mary Jo and would be transporting her and the baby to the closest birthing center. Maryellen had stayed to discuss breastfeeding and to encourage and, if need be, assist the new mother.

Grace had felt it was time to check on the rest of her family.

“It’s certainly been a full and busy night,” Cliff said.

“Fuller than either of us could’ve imagined,” Grace murmured.

A car pulled into the yard. “Isn’t that Jack’s?” Cliff asked, squinting into the lights.

“Yes—it’s Olivia and Jack.” Grace should’ve known Olivia wouldn’t just go home after Christmas Eve services. She’d briefly told Olivia what was happening before she’d hurried out of the church, fearing she’d caused enough of a distraction as it was.

Jack parked next to Cliff’s vehicle. Before he’d even turned off the engine, Olivia had opened her door. “How’s everything?” she asked anxiously as she stepped out of the car.

“We have a baby girl.”

Olivia brought her hands together and pressed them to her heart. “I’m so pleased. And Mary Jo?”

“Was incredible.”

“You delivered the baby?”

“Not exactly. But I was there.”

Being with Mary Jo had brought back so many memories of her own children’s births. Memories that were clear and vivid. The wonder of seeing that beautiful, perfectly formed child. The elation. The feeling of womanly power. She remembered it all.

“If not you, then who?” Olivia asked.

“Mack McAfee. The other EMT, Brandon, was there, too, but it was Mack who stayed with Mary Jo, who helped her through the worst of it. By the time I arrived, the baby was ready to be born.”

“I’m sure she was happy to see you.”

Mary Jo had been, but she hadn’t really needed Grace; she and Mack had worked together with a sense of ease and mutual trust.

Grace almost felt as if she’d intruded on something very private. The communication between Mack and Mary Jo had been—she hesitated to use this word—spiritual. It was focused entirely on the birth, on what each needed to do to get that baby born. Grace felt moved to tears, even now, as she thought about it.

“Grandma, listen!” Tyler shouted. He pounded on his drum, making an excruciating racket.

Grace covered her ears. “Gently, Tyler, gently.”

Tyler frowned as he looked up at her. “I was playing my best for you.”

“Remember the song about the little drummer boy?” Olivia asked him.

Tyler nodded eagerly. “It’s my favorite.”

“It says in the song that he went pa-rum-pum-pum-pum, right?”

Tyler nodded again.

“It doesn’t say he beat the drum like crazy until baby Jesus’s mother put her hands over her ears and asked him to go next door and play.”

Tyler laughed. “No.”

“Okay, try it more slowly now,” Grace said.

Tyler did, tapping on the drum in a soft rhythm that was pleasing to the ear.

“Lovely,” Grace told her grandson.

“Can I play for the ox and the lamb?” he asked.

“In the song they kept time, remember?”

Grinning, Tyler raced away to show his cousins what he’d learned and to serenade the animals.

“Come in for a cup of coffee,” Cliff suggested to Olivia and Jack.

“We should head home,” Jack said. His arm rested protectively on Olivia’s shoulders.

“I just wanted to make sure everything turned out well,” Olivia explained. “Do you think I could see Mary Jo and the baby for a few minutes?”

“I don’t see why not,” Grace said with a smile.

The two women left the men outside to chat while Grace led the way up to the small apartment. Brandon Hutton sat on the top step with his medical equipment, filling out paperwork. He shifted aside and they skirted around him.

“Mary Jo?” Grace asked, standing in the doorway to the bedroom. “Would it be okay if Olivia came in to see the baby?”

“Of course. That would be fine,” Mary Jo said.

When they walked into the bedroom, they found Mary Jo sitting up, holding her baby in her arms.

“Oh, my,” Olivia whispered as she reached the bed.

“She’s so tiny.”

“She didn’t feel so tiny a little while ago.” Mary Jo looked up with a comical expression. “I felt like I was giving birth to an elephant.”

“It was worth it, though,” Olivia said and tenderly ran her finger over the baby’s head. “She’s just gorgeous.”

“I never would’ve believed how much you can love such a tiny baby.” Mary Jo’s voice was filled with wonder. “I thought my heart would burst with love when Mack put her in my arms.”

“Do you have a name for her?” Grace asked.

“Not yet. I had one picked out, but now I’m not sure.”

“She’s a special baby born on a special night.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Mary Jo said, kissing the newborn’s forehead. Her gaze fell lovingly on the child. “When I was first pregnant…I was so embarrassed and afraid, I prayed God would just let me die. And now…now I see her as an incredible gift.”

Grace had felt that way when she discovered she was pregnant with Maryellen all those years ago. It was shortly before her high school graduation; she’d been dating Dan Sherman and their relationship had always been on-again, off-again. She’d dreaded telling him she was pregnant, even more than she’d dreaded telling her parents.

For weeks she’d kept her secret, embarrassed and ashamed. But like Mary Jo, she’d learned to see the pregnancy as an unexpected gift, and the moment Maryellen was placed in her arms, Grace had experienced an overwhelming surge of love. The birth hadn’t been easy, they never really were, but as soon as she saw her daughter, Grace had recognized that every minute of that pain had been worth the outcome.

“If you need anything,” Olivia was saying to Mary Jo, “please don’t hesitate to call.”

“Thank you. That’s so kind.”

Olivia turned to Mack, who hovered in the background. “Are you taking her to the birthing center in Silverdale?”

He nodded. “We’ll be leaving in about ten minutes.”

“Then I won’t keep you,” Olivia said. “I’ll stop by sometime tomorrow afternoon,” she promised Mary Jo.

“Oh, please don’t,” Mary Jo said quickly. “It’s Christmas—spend that time with your family. I’ll get in touch soon. Anyway, I’ll be with my own family.” She looked up, her eyes widening.

“Mary Jo?” Grace asked in alarm. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, my goodness!”

“What is it?” Mack’s voice was equally worried.

“My brothers,” Mary Jo said. “They never showed up.”

“That’s true.” The entire matter had slipped Grace’s mind. “Mary Jo’s brothers were due here—” she checked her watch “—three hours ago.”

“Where could they be?” Mary Jo wailed.

Grace tried to reassure her. “They’re probably lost. It’s easy enough with all these back roads. They’ve never been in this area before, have they?”

Mary Jo shook her head.

“Don’t worry. As soon as they arrive, I’ll tell them what happened and where to find you.”

Mary Jo smiled down at the infant cradled in her arms. “They’ll hardly believe I had the baby,” she murmured. “But then it’s hard for me to believe, too.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Olivia said.

“Thank you, but please…”

“Yes?”

“Don’t tell your parents about the baby yet. Give them a chance to settle back into their routine before you let them know about David and me—and the baby.”

“I won’t say a word until you and I agree the time is right.”

Mary Jo nodded.

Grace was impressed that Mary Jo wanted to spare Ben and Charlotte the unsavory news of David’s betrayal until they were more prepared to accept it.

“I’ll leave you now,” Olivia told her. “But like I said, if you need anything, anytime, please call. You’re practically family, you know.”

Mary Jo thanked her softly. “You all feel like family to me…. Everyone’s been so wonderful.”

Grace walked down the stairs with Olivia. She was surprised to see Jack and Cliff still outside, huddled with the children.

“What’s Cliff up to now?” Grace wondered aloud.

Jack glanced over then. “You gotta see this!” he said, waving at Olivia. He sounded like a giddy child.

As soon as Grace saw the huge carton of fireworks Cliff had dragged out, she groaned. “Cliff!”

“I was saving them for New Year’s Eve, but I can’t think of a better night for celebrating, can you?”

“What about the horses?”

“They’re all safe in their stalls. Don’t worry about them.”

“And Buttercup? She hates that kind of noise.”

“She’s locked in the house.”

“Can we, Grandpa, can we?”

The children were jumping up and down, clapping their hands with enthusiasm.

“Why right now?” Grace asked.

Cliff sent her a look of pure innocence. “I was just casting about for a way to keep the grandkids entertained.”

“Oh, all right.” She sighed loudly, holding back a grin.

“Okay if we stay and watch?” Jack said.

Grace and Olivia exchanged looks. As they’d often had occasion to observe, most men were little boys at heart.

“If you must,” Olivia murmured.

The front door opened and Kelly stepped out with Paul, who still held the baby. Grace’s daughter balanced a large tray filled with mugs and Lisa followed with a tin of Christmas cookies.

“Anyone for hot chocolate?” Kelly asked.

“I’d love a cup,” Olivia said.

“Me, too,” Grace added.

Paul glanced over at the kids. “What’s going on?”

“Fireworks in a few minutes,” Grace told him.

“Wow! Great idea.”

“Men,” Olivia whispered under her breath, and then both Olivia and Grace broke into giggles, just like they had when they were schoolgirls.