Chapter Six
Emily stepped out of the restaurant with her stomach feeling like a blown-up balloon ready to pop. She’d eaten a few small slices of bread and calamari before her main dish, which consisted of stuffed cod, scallops, and shrimp with mixed vegetables and a potato. Seafood was her favorite food and Andrew knew it. That’s why he’d selected the place. She’d shared a slice of cheesecake with him, but he’d let her eat most of it to her. She hoped he realized if she kept consuming so much food she would gain more weight. She started to wonder if that was his plan.
She zipped her coat and twisted to face Andrew and Matt leaving the restaurant behind her. “I am so stuffed.”
Andrew slipped his hand in with hers. “I have to make sure my wife and baby are well fed.”
“Mission accomplished,” she said.
“Good food and good company. I love moments like this,” Matt said.
“I second that,” Andrew said, walking in the middle, keeping her on the inside of the sidewalk.
“Make that three confirmations,” she said.
Dinner had been full of laughs as each of them recalled their favorite Christmas holiday. Matt reminded her of her old friend Troy in some ways. The ex-Marine was strong and outgoing, a real fighter and loyal to his friends. But unlike Troy, Matt had a compassionate heart. He cared about others.
“Shall we go to the Square now?” Andrew asked, gently swinging their clasped hands.
“I’ll go wherever you two want to go,” Matt said.
“That’s fine with me,” she said. “It’s probably warmer in the Square.”
Every time she spoke, a small cloud formed from her breath. The freezing temperature had chilled her the second she’d left the restaurant. She hadn’t bought any hat or gloves since they didn’t plan to stay long, but now she thought she might have to purchase the two to keep her ears and fingers warm.
“It’s nice out here. This town looks like one you’d see in a Norman Rockwell picture,” Matt said.
The old buildings were side by side and holiday decorations covered every one. Even the lamp poles looked historic. The few trees on the outside of the sidewalk had been decorated with clear lights. With light snowflakes falling, Matt’s description was accurate.
They rounded a corner and Emily noticed the flashing lights for an old theatre across the street. The sign displayed tickets on sale for an orchestra playing on Christmas Eve. An SUV with rock music blasting inside approached on the street. Both men watched as the vehicle passed by.
“AC/DC?” Andrew asked.
“I think so. ‘Thunderstruck’,” Matt said. “We listened to a lot of metal when I was in the service.”
An idea sprang into Emily’s mind as the two talked about music. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra often toured during the month of December. Emily wondered if they might be performing in DC, Baltimore, or New York for the holiday. All three cities weren’t too far of a drive. Talk about a Christmas night the men would remember if the band was playing and she acquired tickets.
Andrew squeezed her hand. “Not much of a rock fan?”
“Huh?” She snapped back to the present. “It’s okay. I like a variety except country and rap. You know that.”
“Make sure our child steers clear of the two,” Andrew said.
“Oh, I will,” she said.
A block later, they reached the Square. Couples and families were coming and going while others were dressed in winter coats with hats covering their heads sat on benches near the large Christmas tree. Many were holding cups. Emily’s fingers on her left hand tingled from the cold. Andrew’s heat kept her other digits warm. As soon as she stepped inside the large brick building a heat wave engulfed her and she welcomed it.
“Oh, wow,” she said as she marveled at the bright lights and holiday decorations. Another tall tree stood in the center behind a small white fence. A little train circled the tree. Looking up, there were multiple levels of shops. She’d read in a magazine at the hotel the ice rink was outside in the back, surrounded my more shops and cafés.
“Should we start at the top and work our way down?” Andrew asked.
“Uh, yeah,” she said.
People crowded the escalators on each side. To the left, Emily spotted a see-through elevator on the way to the main floor.
She tugged Andrew’s hand. “Come on.”
They reached the elevator as customers exited. A family of four stepped in once everyone had left. Emily, Andrew, and Matt entered last. She stayed to the side, away from the family with two kids in a stroller. Since they looked the same age, she suspected they were twins.
“Good thinking,” Matt said as the doors shut.
“I think I saw one on the other side, too,” Andrew said.
The elevator stopped on the second level and the family left. Emily unzipped her jacket. Matt and Andrew followed her lead. In little time, they reached the top floor.
Emily stepped out and headed toward the shops. There were so many to choose from. On the other side she spotted a scrapbooking store. She definitely wanted to browse inside it. When she’d been looking at the ultrasound pictures in the car earlier she’d come up with an idea to put a bunch of photos in a small album for Andrew. He couldn’t take it with him, but at least the pictures would be protected and he could flip through the pages as much as he’d like instead of having them in a Ziploc bag.
Andrew gripped her arm, bringing her to a halt. “What do you think?” He pointed to the jewelry store.
“You know I don’t wear much jewelry,” she said. “Besides, we agreed not to buy gifts.”
Andrew sighed heavily.
“You don’t actually expect him to honor that agreement, do you?” Matt asked.
“We’re not materialistic people.” She looked at him. “Are we?”
When Andrew didn’t respond, she added, “I’m happy to spend the holiday with you and Matt. That’s good enough for me.”
“I want to look in the store,” Andrew said.
“Go ahead, there’s greeting card shop on the other side. I’ll check it out. Text me when you’re ready to meet,” she said.
Andrew looked at Matt.
“I’ll go with her,” Matt said.
“Thanks,” Andrew said.
Emily gave Andrew a kiss before she walked away.
Matt strode beside her. He slid his jacket off his shoulders. “You know he wants to get you a gift.” He draped his coat over his arm.
“I know, which is why I’m getting one for him, too. But mine is more handmade. Sort of.”
Matt chuckled. “You remind me of my sister.”
She glanced at him. He’d never mentioned his family before. In fact, he hadn’t spoken about his childhood days much. Most of his tales were of times when he’d been in the service.
“Is she younger or older?” Emily asked.
“She was younger.”
“Was?”
“She died when she was ten.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Emily’s curiosity rose while he remained quiet. She wanted to know what had happened and more about his childhood, but she didn’t want to upset him. But she’d noticed Matt wasn’t the type of man to share details unless asked.
After she entered the scrapbook store, she searched the signs above the aisles. She found the one listing photo albums and headed for it. As luck would have it, not many people were browsing in the shop.
“Mind if I ask what happened to your sister?” She slowed her gate as she reached the aisle.
“It was a car accident.”
Emily stopped and faced him. “You haven’t shared much about your family before.”
“There’s nothing good to share. My parents were real losers. My dad was gambler and my mom drank like a fish.”
“Where did you grow up?”
“In a town outside of Dallas.”
“How old were you when she died?”
“I was fourteen. She had a sense of humor like yours. She was stubborn and strong willed, too. Even though we had crappy parents, she was tough girl with a great heart. She stood up for me and I did the same for her. It took me a while to get over her loss.”
“So what happened?”
“One night my mom was drunk when she was taking my sister to a slumber party. My sister hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt when my mom ran into a pole.”
Emily lifted her hand to her mouth. “Oh, Matt…”
“My dad blamed my mother, of course. He stayed away from us as much as he could. I don’t like to drink much because I saw how it changed my mother. There was a time when she was good and she loved us. But times got rough because my dad gambled. She changed and loved the bottle more than anything.”
Emily swallowed hard and nodded. She’d seen firsthand what drugs had done to her best friend, Libby, in Chicago. They eventually killed her. So many people turned to drugs or liquor to escape the pressures in life.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Matt. I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together before, but I hope you know I consider you a brother. You’re family to me and Andrew, and soon to our baby.”
“Thank you for letting me stay and be a part of your family. You two are the nicest and most caring couple I’ve met. You know, when I reached eighteen, I joined the army to get away from all the negative influences in my life and to do something good. I later went to the Marines to find a purpose to my life. I think I did for a while. But once I was done serving my country, it was like a fog had clouded my path. I was the same person, but I didn’t see my purpose, if that makes any sense. Then the two of you opened my eyes. I know what I’m supposed to do now. I’m more than ready to help you and serve as a father figure for your child.”
Moisture filled her eyes. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. “You are such an awesome brother.”
“God brought us together for a reason. I believe it, and so should you.”
She let go of him and sniffled. “I do. It’s taken me a while to believe, but I do now.” She wiped a tear as it escaped.
For many years she’d lost faith in religion and God. She stopped attending church when she’d been fourteen. Like most people, she got caught up with outside influences. Troy had been a dear friend to her and had helped her be a strong person, but he’d involved her in illegal actions, which could have landed her six feet in the ground. After she’d seen Andrew destroy a demon, she started to rethink things. She had known evil existed in men, but she hadn’t known demons were real. She hadn’t believed hell existed. Heaven seemed like a fantasyland people needed to believe in. But once she’d realized the truth, she decided which place she wanted her soul to avoid. It took Andrew to wake her up and reveal her purpose in life. She’d saved lives by helping him. And while she’d almost been raped and killed a few times, she didn’t regret any of her actions to prevent a demon from harming others. Moreover, she was ever so grateful God had sent Andrew because now she’d experienced love. Without any doubt now, God had a hand in everything.
“Crap, Andrew’s going to be upset if he sees I made you cry,” Matt said.
She chuckled. “It’s my hormones. They are beyond crazy. I don’t know what’s worse, being a crybaby all the time or a psycho lunatic.”
“I vote for the crybaby. I’m not sure I could handle the other.”
She grinned. “Thanks for sharing with me.”
He lifted a shoulder while he shifted his attention to the shelves in the aisle. “So what are you looking for in here?”
She took a deep breath as she refocused. “A small photo album. I want to put a bunch of pictures together to give to Andrew for Christmas. He loves looking at the baby photos. I thought I’d print off a few of us from my phone and add them.”
“Oh that’s a great idea.”
“Yeah, so something small, nothing bigger than a hardback book.”
He studied the shelves and started down the aisle. Emily browsed the other side. Relief and joy swelled within her again. She had two incredibly generous and compassionate men in her life. The world needed more like them. More than ever, she wanted their Christmas to be the best. As soon as she could get a moment alone, she’d have to search for tickets to a show they would enjoy.