“Here.” Cherry took a plate of cookies from one of her nephews. “Let’s set everything on the counter for now.”
Tom came in at the end, carrying the box of table decorations.
“Tom!” Faith said, reaching up to hug him.
Tom shifted the box to one hip to hug her back. “Hey, Faith.”
Joy was right behind her. “Merry Christmas, Tom.”
Honny waved from the other end of the kitchen. “Hey, Tom.”
“Hey, Honny. Did you guys redo that retaining wall?”
“Yeah, in the spring.”
“It looks great.”
“Cost us an arm and a leg.”
“I’ll bet.” Tom looked at Cherry. His eyes were a little too bright. “You want me to set up the tables? I was going to have the kids help me with the paper tablecloth.”
“Go ahead,” she said. “I’ll do the adult table. Mallory will help me.”
He nodded and waved at the room at large before he headed out. Cherry waited for her sisters to start haranguing her again. But when she looked around, everyone just looked awkward and sad.
Normally Tom spent a few days illustrating the paper tablecloth for the kids’ table. Obviously, this year, he hadn’t had a chance.
Instead he rolled the kraft paper out on the folding table and quickly drew a long mantel, like the top of a fireplace, with black marker. Then he drew stockings with each kid’s name. He gave them all crayons to decorate their stockings, and he moved around the table, drawing gifts peeking out of the stockings and adding details to the mantel. He drew candlesticks and a clock. He called Cherry over to draw a Santa mouse peeking out from behind the clock.
He helped the toddlers. He joked with the teenagers.
Hope came into the house with Cherry’s parents.
Cherry’s mom had clearly been briefed about Tom—but it didn’t stop her from being weird.
She put her hand over her heart when she saw him. Then she came and took both of his hands in hers. He was still holding a Sharpie.
“Tom,” she said. “It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s great to see you, Nancy.” Some of the brothers-in-law called Cherry’s mom Mom. Tom called her Nancy.
“You look good,” she said. “Have you lost weight?”
“Um...”
“Everyone’s losing weight. Have you seen Hope? She lost a whole person! I never thought I’d have a skinny daughter.”
Tom glanced up, reflexively. Hope had just walked over, wearing a jersey wrap dress that showed off her narrow shoulders and slim arms. His eyes widened, also reflexively—then he caught himself. “Hey, Hope. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Tom.”
“And look at your hair,” Cherry’s mom said, smiling up at him. “It suits you.”
“California must suit you,” Hope said.
Being single must suit him, Cherry thought.
Her mom was still holding Tom’s hands. Her dad had settled onto the couch—where he wouldn’t move for the rest of the day. “It’s so good to see you,” her mom said again, squeezing Tom’s hands. “You’re my son, you know that?” She was tearing up. “You’ll always be my son.”
