“Sounds traumatic.”
Maria gave a wry smile. “All I know is I was the only thing that got decorated. I probably looked like a Christmas tree with strands of faux greens and lights all over me. I somehow got untangled. My arm was throbbing by the time I made it down, and I felt so miserable and considered just giving up. That’s about when you called.” She looked at Carol with misty eyes. “You really feel like a godsend. Even if this is just a brief visit, I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve always wanted to meet you. I used to invite your mother to bring you up here year after year, but she always had an excuse.” She cleared her throat. “Probably my fault.”
Carol wanted to ask her to expound on their rift a bit more. Especially since her mother had always been very tight-lipped about her older sister. But the phone rang. Startled by the sound of a landline, Carol leaped to her feet. “Want me to get it?”
“Yes.” Maria nodded. “Thank you.”
Following the sound of the loud ringing, she discovered the phone on a little table in the hallway. Carol answered.
“Hey, is this Carol?” Victor asked brightly. “I figured you must still be there since I heard no flights are going out today. Is Maria busy?”
“Well, no. But she’s kind of resting.” She quietly explained about her aunt’s arm. “I’m worried it could be broken, but she doesn’t want to get it checked. Not in this weather, anyway.”
“That’s too bad. I’m not surprised she wants to wait for the roads to clear. It’s pretty gnarly out there. The reason I called is to see if I can bring her a Christmas tree. I picked up a couple of beauties from Harper’s Tree Farm this afternoon. Got ’em for free after I plowed their drive. I hoped to drop one by, but if Maria’s laid up ... maybe not. What do you think?”
Carol wasn’t sure what she thought. Wasn’t it holiday decorations that sidelined her aunt today? “Well, I could ask her.”
“Thanks,” Victor said. “And tell her I’ll get the tree in the house and set it up for her. I can even help decorate it if she wants.”
Carol had zero interest in anything to do with Christmas, but she thought she might enjoy seeing Victor again, and so when she told her aunt about the tree, she made it sound cheerful and positive. “He said he’d get it all set up for you too,” she said finally.
“Well, if he really has time,” Maria said, uncertain. “I guess it’d be okay.”
“He even offered to decorate it for you,” Carol added. “But I can help out.”
Maria’s brows arched. “I thought you were sick of all that Christmas fa la la and that you just wanted to escape it all, to run away to the Bahamas. Sure you want to get involved in decorating?” There almost seemed to be a teasing tone to her question.
Carol felt her cheeks warm as she considered her answer. Was this sudden change of heart because she wanted to help her aunt? Or was it due to the guy waiting on the phone? “Well, this feels different,” she said. “It’s for family.” She smiled. That was true. “And for your neighbors since I know you like to host them here.” That was true too.
Maria just nodded and smiled in a slightly smug way.
As Carol headed back to the phone with Maria’s answer, she could hear a muffled chuckle behind her. Apparently, Maria was amused by all this. Oh well.
“I can’t get it over there until later today,” Victor told her. “Still got plowing to finish while there’s daylight. Is that okay?”
“Okay by me. I’m not going anywhere. Well, not until flights resume, at least. And from what I’ve heard, that’s not likely. Not until tomorrow anyway.”
“Right.”
As she ended the call, she decided to recheck the airline’s site to see if they’d made any progress yet. To her surprise, they were rebooking twenty-four hours out now. The available Miami flights weren’t until tomorrow afternoon, but she wentahead and nabbed one for 5:40 anyway. Pacing in front of the woodstove, which she noted could use more wood, she waited for the confirmation. Then, satisfied that she would be on her way by the next day, she pocketed her phone.
However, as she pulled on the green parka and tugged on the fleece-lined boots, she wondered why she felt so torn about leaving. What was wrong with her? Did she really want to remain here as Aunt Maria’s houseguest? Even for a few days? No, that was ridiculous! Besides her careless packing, she hadn’t even gotten travel insurance for this whole Bahamian vacation. If she canceled everything now, she would lose money—and miss out on those sunny beaches. No, she was definitely leaving. Still, she decided not to mention it to Maria just yet. Why worry her?
****
After a light lunch fixed by Carol, Maria spent the afternoon napping in her recliner while Carol sat on the soft chenille sofa near the woodstove and stoked the crackling fire. She felt surprisingly refreshed. Outside, snow was still falling and though it was half past five, darkness had fully set in. But inside, all felt cozy and secure and warm. A little while later, Maria woke and stretched.
“Can you turn on the porch light for Victor?” Maria asked. “I’m thinking he’ll be here before long. And would you pull the drapes while you’re up?”
“Of course.” Carol saw to the tasks and brought in some more pieces of wood too. She carefully stacked them in the antique copper washtub Maria used for firewood. As she unzipped her parka, she studied Maria, wondering why her brow was creased. “Are you in pain?” she asked.
Maria shifted slightly. “Yes, a little.”
“No wonder. You haven’t had ibuprofen in hours. Let me get you some.”
She hurried to the kitchen, then shook two pills from thebottle and filled a glass with water. Poor Maria. She’d probably been in pain for a while now. But in the short time Carol had observed her aunt, she pegged her as the type who would suffer in silence. And Carol should know about that. Wasn’t that the way she was wired too? Not for the first time, Carol was struck by the similarities in her and her aunt. Carol was more like her than her own mother.
She took the pills to Maria, then waited for her to take them.
