‘Ha-ha.’ Holly smiled, glancing around the room. ‘OK, I think I’m ready.’ As organised as she tried to be most days, there was no denying that she usually struggled to get out the door in the morning. ‘How do I look?’
She had on a brown pencil skirt that skimmed her slim figure and a white blouse with a ruffled cravat that complemented her orange brushed velvet jacket. Slouched brown leather knee-high boots finished off the ensemble.
She wasn't very tall, and only stood about five foot five in her stocking feet, so she felt compelled to wear heels almost all the time. So the boots, though lovely, were also impractical, as they sported two-inch heels. Fortunately Holly had been wearing heels for so long that she was adept at walking in them, and wore them as if they were a pair of running shoes. She was reasonably slender, though in her mind she was never slender enough. She never really dieted, but tried to stay away from junk food, and of course all the walking helped. What didn't help was living so close to some of the Manhattan modelling agencies.
Her auburn hair was piled loosely on her head and her emerald green eyes sparkled, setting off the creaminess of her skin. With a surname like O’Neill, and looking the way she did, people naturally assumed she was of Irish background. But while Holly had been brought up by Irish parents, she wasn’t altogether sure if she was Irish by blood, as she’d been adopted by Seamus and Eileen O’Neill when she was just eight months old.
They were practically New Yorkers by then, having emigrated from different parts of Ireland in their youth, and met and fallen in love in Queens, where Holly’s mother still lived. Sadly her dad had died years ago.
Danny was sizing her up. ‘Actually,’ he said pensively, ‘I think you’re missing something.’ He smiled at her, wiggling his hand back and forth to see if she would catch on.
Holly looked down at herself, a frown on her face. ‘Well, I don’t see what … oh!’ She pulled her sleeves back, displaying a left wrist that was usually adorned with a very important piece of jewellery.
Danny got up and walked to Holly’s dresser, and looked through a small crystal bowl that contained several pieces of jewellery. He found what he was looking for and turned around to face his mother.
‘Here you go.’ He placed a silver charm bracelet in her palm. ‘You almost forgot.’
Holly smiled warmly at the boy who knew her so well. True, she rarely ever took her bracelet off, but she’d removed it the night before when she was cleaning the kitchen, afraid to tarnish it or snag it on something. But even if Danny hadn’t reminded her about it just then, she knew she wouldn’t have gone far without realising it was absent from her wrist. She felt naked when she didn’t have it on.
‘Can I see my charm again?’ her son asked.
‘Of course,’ she said, fastening the bracelet around her wrist. ‘There it is, right here.’ She wiggled the bracelet and displayed a charm in the shape of a stork carrying a small bundle, a baby. ‘I got this one not long after I found out I was going to have you.’
Danny studied the tiny trinket. ‘From Dad, right?’
Holly smiled tightly, her heart speeding up a little. ‘Erm, yes, I think so. Anyway, it’s time to go. You don’t want to be late for school, do you?’ She hoped to distract Danny from asking any other questions about his father. Holly really didn’t feel like going down that road again, at least not now.
Danny caressed the charm one more time. ‘OK, let me grab my backpack. Are you picking me up from school today?’
She shook her head, regretfully. ‘No, not today, but I should be home a little earlier than usual. Kate has a date,’ she said, referring to her good friend who usually did the honours with the school run.
‘Oh OK,’ he said, slightly melancholy all of a sudden.
She leaned down to his level, worried. ‘Hey,’ she said, tilting his chin up. ‘What’s wrong? You like Kate, don’t you – you guys always have fun.’
He shrugged and avoided Holly’s eyes. ‘I know, she’s cool. It’s not that. It’s just … ’ He stalled for a moment, looking ashamed and uncomfortable.
Holly furrowed her brow. ‘What is it Danny? What’s going on?’
‘It’s nothing, it’s just I know you work so hard, and Kate is a lot of fun. But sometimes, the other kids, their dads pick them up at school.’
She smiled sadly. The subject of ‘Dad’ was always such a sensitive topic, and one Holly usually worked to avoid at all costs, but inevitably it came up. Usually during the worst times, like now when she was running late.
Danny looked up at her guiltily. ‘It’s just the other moms, they have help from the dads, you know? I wished you had some help sometimes.’
She smiled at her son’s gallantry. ‘Hey buddy, I have everything I need. Don’t you worry about me. I think we make a good team, don’t you?’ She pinched his cheeks and kissed his forehead.
‘I just want you to be happy. The other dads buy their moms flowers and jewellery and stuff. Someone should do that for you.’
Finally, she laughed. ‘What do I need flowers and jewellery for when I have you to educate me on the finer workings of the iPod? Trust me Danny. I’m fine. I have you and that means I have everything I want. Now let’s get you to school. And maybe later on this week, you and I can head down to the Apple Store –see what you want from Santa this year. Christmas is right around the corner, you know.’
Danny rolled his eyes. ‘Mom, you know I don’t believe in Santa any more. That’s for little kids.’
Holly gathered up her handbag and looked again to the window where the snow was coming down, harder than before. She smiled in anticipation of getting outside and smelling winter in the air, of feeling the wind on her face. During this time of year, New York truly was like a fairy tale.
She hustled Danny out through the door as she switched off the light. ‘Well, humour me for now, OK? I happen to believe in him. Anyway, take it from me, you’re never too old to believe in a little magic.’
2
