Chapter 33
As soon as Ivy was inside her house, she rummaged through her purse and pulled out her cell phone. Scrolling through her contact list, she found Sarah’s number and hit the SEND button. She glanced at the clock on the stove. It was a little after ten. She was probably up. It was Saturday night. No one went to bed early on Saturday nights.
“Hello,” Sarah said, sounding fully awake.
“Hey, Sarah, it’s Ivy. I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said.
“Just reruns of The Golden Girls. Pretty sad, huh?” Sarah stated. “I need to get a life.”
“You have a great life, Sarah. All those kids in your class love you, and I heard this from a very reliable source.”
“And might I ask who that would be?”
Ivy saw no reason to keep her night with Daniel and Holly a secret. “Holly Greenwood told me. She idolizes you. I had pizza with her and Daniel tonight. At Ollie’s, then we went for ice cream. Which is part of the reason I’m calling.” She did not want to sound gossipy or come off as a busybody, but there was no one else she could ask.
“Okay,” Sarah said. “What’s up?”
“Have you ever heard Holly sing?”
“It’s quite a shock the first time you hear her, isn’t it? She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
“I’m still reeling. She sang ‘Silent Night.’ Not only does she have the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, but I have never heard it sung with so much heart and passion. It was an experience, to say the least. I wondered if you knew how I can get in contact with Miss Carol.”
“She’s the director of the Christmas musical, isn’t she?” Sarah asked. “I don’t have her telephone number, but I’m sure your father could find it for you.”
Ivy hadn’t even given her father a thought. Of course he would know how to contact her. “I’ll call him tomorrow. I have no idea why I didn’t think of that.”
“So how did you manage to wrangle Daniel Greenwood to take you out for pizza?” Sarah asked.
Ivy did not hear one ounce of jealousy in Sarah’s voice, so she told her. “I brought that note to him, and I think he was shocked that Holly wrote all those silly things, but it affected him badly enough that he told her what had happened to her mother. She seemed to take the news in stride.
“I don’t think she really remembers much about her mother, which is just too sad. She was a bit embarrassed about the note, though. Daniel didn’t get angry. Mostly he seemed regretful about her even thinking those things, because he had never let her know what had happened to her mother. So he invited me to have pizza with them, I think because he knew this would make Holly happy. I met them at Ollie’s, met Geraldine, the full deal. Then we went to Double Dips for ice cream. I left my car at Ollie’s and rode with Daniel to the ice-cream shop. That’s when Holly sang ‘Silent Night.’ I simply cannot believe how gifted she is! I simply do not understand why Daniel doesn’t encourage her. It’s not as if she is a supremely talented tennis player and they would have to move somewhere she could receive the training necessary to make her into a Serena Williams or something. But instead of encouraging her, he just told her to stop, said that was enough. I was surprised .. . no, flabbergasted.”
“I’m probably assuming this, but I think I’m onto something here. Daniel does not want Holly to have a career in music. His wife was a singer, and I’m guessing he thinks something bad will happen if Holly chooses the same path,” Sarah suggested.
Ivy considered this. “What a waste of talent. This is going to sound crazy—and maybe it is—but it’s what I feel. I need to do whatever I can to make sure Holly gets to sing in that musical. I do not know why. Dad’s invited me to go each year for the past three years, but I never have. Now I feel . . . I have to go, and I have to make sure Holly performs. Does that make me sound crazy or what? Especially given the fact that I just met them.”
“Pine City is a small town, Ivy. Most of the residents are decent, hardworking people. We look after one another, you know how it is? I think it’s perfectly reasonable for you to pursue this. Daniel needs to move on and allow his daughter to enjoy being a young girl, and he needs to let the world hear her sing. So, no, you do not sound crazy at all. In fact, I think this is the best news I have heard all week. Hey, if you have a . . . thing or a crush on Daniel, it’s fine with me. I am so over him. He was such a jerk, embarrassed me to death. I still cannot think of that scene this afternoon without feeling mortified, so trust me, he is off my list of potential men to date. Pine City, I am sure, still has a few other eligible bachelors.”
Ivy laughed. “I’m sure you’ll find the right guy. Remember what they say, it usually happens when you least expect it.” She knew firsthand. Though she was not really sure if Daniel Greenwood had invited her out because she was there and had witnessed a private family matter, or simply because he wanted to get to know her better. Time would tell, but for now, she had to do everything in her power to see that Holly got to sing in the musical.
“So, are you telling me you and Daniel might be an item?” Sarah asked. “It’s fine, really. I do think he’s a hunk, but there’s no harm in that.” She laughed.
Ivy was clueless. “I have no idea what’s in the future for Daniel or for me. I just feel compelled to make sure Holly performs in that musical. I feel like this is . . . a new beginning for me.” She did, and though her sadness over the loss of her family would remain in her heart forever, she knew John would have wanted her to move on. While James and Elizabeth were much too young for her to form an opinion about what they would have wanted, she felt sure they, too, would want their mommy to be happy. As young as they were, they’d understood what happy and sad meant.
“Ivy, this is a blessing in disguise. I feel it in my bones. I’ll help you in any way I can, and do not hesitate to ask if you need me,” Sarah offered.
Ivy recalled how close they’d been in high school and knew Sarah’s words were sincere.
“I will, I promise.”
“Think of this as an early Christmas gift,” Sarah said. “It’s time to kick off the holiday season, anyway. I’d planned to invite Daniel and Holly for Thanksgiving dinner, sort of a jump start to Christmas, you know how it is? Maybe you could come, bring your dad, anyone you like.” Sarah’s voice was so upbeat and cheery, Ivy could not help but feel her friend’s enthusiasm. “Think of this as your first gift, you know, like the one your dad always gave you a few weeks before Christmas. Remember those days?” Sarah asked.
Ivy had not thought about them in years, but she remembered exactly how she had felt. So antsy, knowing what she had put on her Christmas list. In high school, she would always make a lengthy list of clothes, gadgets, shoes, and boots.
She remembered her first computer. Dad had given it to her right after Thanksgiving. It was big and bulky, and he’d given her a membership to an Internet service that required using a phone line. At the time, a computer was not something one found in everyone’s home, as it was now, but she had had that on her list, and Dad had come through.
“I do,” Ivy responded fondly. She had insisted on not celebrating any holiday since losing her family. Now was as good a time as any to rectify her lack of Christmas spirit and start celebrating the sacred day. Though she had only experienced Christmas three times with the twins, some motherly instinct kicked in, telling her they would want her to celebrate this holiday, as well as Easter and Thanksgiving. Those were the holidays that they’d been old enough to have somewhat of an understanding of, so she would honor their memory by promising to celebrate as though they were here alongside her, if only in spirit and in her heart. “Those were some of the best times, for sure,” Ivy concluded. “I’ll let you know about Thanksgiving.”
“Please do, as it’s . . . this Thursday! I am so behind. I should start baking now. I do not know where my head has been,” Sarah said, sounding a bit dismayed at getting a late start on her Thanksgiving prep, but Ivy knew she would pull it off. She had plenty of time.
“You’ll be fine, I remember how organized you are,” Ivy said. “I’ll see if Dad has plans for the holiday and get back to you. If we decide to join you, I’ll let you know ASAP.”
“Sounds good to me,” Sarah said. “Call your dad now, get Carol’s number, and let’s do what we can to ensure Holly gets to perform in the musical.”
“Thanks for listening to me,” Ivy offered. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt as positive as I do now. I’m so glad we had lunch today.”
“Same here, and let’s make it a habit, okay?”
“Absolutely,” Ivy said. “I’ll talk with you later.”
After they said their good-byes, Ivy’s thoughts were all over the place. What to do, how to do it, and could she persuade Daniel to allow Holly to share her gift with Pine City and, maybe, the world?
Feeling she had a purpose, a reason to look forward, a germ of an idea lingered in the back of her mind. But before she allowed herself to toss the idea to the winds, Ivy found her purse and removed one of the keys.
This key would unlock memories that she had kept hidden away for so very long. Maybe it was time to release them, allow herself to feel, and know that whatever emotions she felt, they would propel her forward to a future where new and happy memories could be made as well.