“Surprise,” Evelyne called as she entered her son’s home. It was Christmas eve, and they had arrived in town that morning to surprise their son and his family with gifts and holiday dinner.
“What are you doing here!” Candy squealed, throwing her arms around the taller woman for a hug. Realized the awkwardness in her mother-in-law’s stiff form, she released her, and settled for a less enthusiastic half-squeeze from Roger. “Did Gary know you were coming?”
“No, silly girl, that’s why it’s a surprise,” Eve informed her while removing her coat. Looking around, she wrinkled her nose and demanded, “Where is Gerald? It’s Christmas Eve, don’t tell me he’s working!”
“He’s,” Candy hesitated. “He’s at the hospital with Caroline and Ben. I think they are going to release Ben today, and they are going to help him get home and settled.”
“That Gary,” Roger shook his head with a chuckle. “He’s always been the natural hero, in every situation.”
“Yes,” Candy agreed. “I’m beginning to think he is addicted to saving people,” she added quietly as she accepted their coats and placed them in the closet in the hall. “Are you staying for dinner?”
Eve could see the strain on her son’s bride’s features. “This is your wedding anniversary, Candice. You don’t have any special plans?”
Leading them into the kitchen, Candy glanced into her mother’s room, where Daks and Lanelle both lay sleeping, stretched out side by side on her bed. “Things have been hard this year, Evelyne,” she sighed, pouring herself a cup of warm coffee. “What am I saying; things are hard every year. Christmas hates me.”
“Christmas doesn’t hate you,” Eve smirked, preparing a cup for herself. “Gary told me about the incident with Caroline. I was furious that he put the three of you in danger to help her.”
“I was, too,” Candy agreed, turning to find Dakota standing in the doorway and rubbing his eyes. “Aww, honey, did we wake you?”
“How about I take him outside for a bit of snowman building,” Roger offered, already retrieving his coat. “That way you girls can talk.”
Helping her son into his winter gear, Candy silently agreed. She would hate to admit it out loud, but at the moment she was in need of some great Eve advice. Closing the door once they were gone, she began in earnest, “I was so angry when Gary brought her home. But it was so incredible having her here, Eve. I mean, the cops and the guys who showed up to burn our house down weren’t great, but Caroline herself was pretty fantastic. She cooked, she cleaned,” Candy lamented as she curled into her mother’s favorite chair at the table. “She took care of my mother and my son with nothing but love. How do we replace her?”
“Are you sure she’s going to quit?” the older woman calmly sipped her brew, seated in the chair across from her.
“Yeah, I’m sure she will. Ben is going to give her back her job. She was a great secretary from all accounts,” Candy sniffed. “Why would she choose being ‘the help’ over that? I mean, what can I do about it?”
“You should speak to her, Candice. Let her know that you want her to stay and be a part of your family, if that’s truly what you desire.”
Candy glared at her. “You know what she did to Gary,” she bit curtly. “I was thinking you would talk me out of this nonsense and convince me that her leaving was the best thing that could happen to us.”
“I’m not going to convince you of anything,” Evelyn’s laughter tinkled lightly. “Yes, I am aware of the circumstances between Caroline and Gary. She was a young and foolish girl, and I knew from the moment that I met her that she was lying about her pregnancy. I’ve never put much faith in the girls that Gary chose to date,” she raised her coffee cup to the one who won her son’s heart in the end. “Thankfully, I wasn’t always right about them.”
“You’ve got that right,” Candy agreed with a tiny grin. “But she also tried to extort money from a criminal, and that wasn’t so long ago. Who knows what she might do, living here in this house with us. Are you saying you would ask her to stay, if you were in my shoes?”
Eve shrugged, “I can’t say what I would do; I’m not in your shoes.” She glanced around at the spotless kitchen. “What I can say is that I’ve never seen this house look better, and that includes when it’s previous owner occupied it. Even Aunt Betty couldn’t keep it this spotless. I think Gary was right; you need someone to help out around here with the housework, and with caring for Dakota and Lanelle. If that person is Caroline, then so be it.”
Blinking at the older woman a few times, Candy allowed the words to sink in before she replied, “You have such a way with people, Eve. Every time I think you are going to react one way, you totally surprise me.”
“Well, that’s what I’m here for,” she laughed in reply. “Now, how about we start dinner so everything is ready when Gary and Caroline get home?”