Yule Tidings Read online

  “We’re going to go see a movie, Mom,” Jason said after a minute.

  Anne didn’t respond right away. “Fine,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m going to bed, it’s been a long day.” Anne couldn’t believe how Jason was treating her. She hadn’t done anything wrong. If she seemed a little surprised and taken aback because he’d brought a girl home, it was only because he didn’t tell her he was bringing a girl home. In all the years, even throughout high school, he’d never brought a girl home. Oh, he had girls that were friends that came over, but there was something different about the way he treated Alexia; something that worried Anne deeply.

  “Okay. We’ll see you in the morning then,” Jason said, standing up and leading Alex with him. He was getting out while the getting was good.

  “What did you want to do tomorrow?” Anne asked, interrupting their escape before they made it through the kitchen.

  “Relax. See a few sights. Go to the mall maybe,”

  Anne nodded once. “I’ll see you in the morning. Your room and Rose’s room are both ready for company.” Anne wanted to insist that Alexia sleep in Rose’s room, but after the little fight she’d had with Jason it didn’t seem like a good idea to push him. Jason had his father’s temper and she knew he’d just as soon walk out the door than give in to her wishes. As if he knew what she was thinking he took Alexia’s hand more firmly in his grasp. Anne had noticed that Jason left their luggage in the car; he would leave without a second thought if she demanded something of him. Anne looked at the clasped hands for a moment, noticing, for the first time, that Alexia wore a small golden ring on her left ring finger. It looked plain, but Anne really couldn’t tell while they held hands.

  “We’ll see you in the morning, Mom,” Jason said, pulling Alex behind him as he walked towards the door. Alex followed obediently, unsure of what was really happening. Anne looked ready to both throttle Jason and burst into tears, whichever one crossed her mind first, while Jason looked blatantly irate. He didn’t stop walking until they’d reached the car, at which point he opened Alex’s door for her. Alex had no idea what to do. She knew Jason was upset, but she didn’t really know why or what would make it better. Instead of climbing into the car, she wrapped her arms around Jason’s neck and hugged him tightly. He hesitated a moment before hugging her back and she could feel the anger, which had welled up into a tight ball inside him, begin to disintegrate and fade. He pulled away, kissing her softly on the lips. “Thanks, you always know what I need.” Alex smiled softly as she climbed into the car.

  Alex sat quietly while Jason drove into town. His mother lived in a small farming community, so it was a bit of a ride. She was burning with curiosity and anxiety. What had set Jason off? He was always so very patient and kind. She’d never really seen his temper flare, except once, and it hadn’t lasted but a few seconds. Yet he was sitting next to her, practically seething with rage. The only time she’d seem him truly, violently angry had been at a bar when some drunken idiot sat down next to her and randomly started groping her. It was actually how she’d met Jason. He’d heard her yelling at the guy and stepped in to help. Jason left with a sore fist. She wasn’t sure if the other guy could even walk. Funny, because Jason was normally so dignified that the idea of a bar brawl was ridiculous. She waited a few more minutes before finally giving in to her curiosity. “Jason, what happened?” she asked gently.

  “My mother happened,” Jason said quickly. He took a deep breath. “She’s mad because I didn’t tell her you were a girl, and my girlfriend to boot, so she could have put your bedroom on the other side of the house,” he explained, though he didn’t entirely understand it himself. He couldn’t believe his mother had gone so far downhill.

  “I don’t understand,” Alex began, but Jason cut her off.

  “She’s mad because I basically told her that we’re sleeping in the same room, whether she likes it or not.”

  “Oh. But, it’s her house, Jason,” Alex said. She understood where Jason was coming from. They’d been together for a year. They were engaged, planning on getting married soon. They even lived together. She certainly didn’t prefer to sleep alone in an unfamiliar house, but at the same time, they were staying under his mother’s roof. She’d been raised that you followed the house rules.

  “Alex, I’m not giving in,” Jason said, warning her to let it be.

  “Okay.” Alex didn’t want to upset him further. His mother had done a good enough job. “What movie do you want to see?” she asked, trying to change the topic.

  “I don’t even know what’s playing. We can just go to the mall or something, if you prefer.”

  “Well, can we go get something to eat? I didn’t really get a chance to finish…” Alex had been aghast when Anne took their plates. She couldn’t believe someone would do such a thing. Her mother would never have done something so rude. Then again, her mother wasn’t divorced and alone. It seemed unfair to compare Anne to her own mother. There were things her mother had been through that made Anne’s life seem easy, but then again, her mother was never divorced. She’d been married to Dad since she was 16 years old. After nearly thirty years they were still going strong

  Jason laughed. Even he couldn’t believe his mother had taken their unfinished plates. That was rough even for her. “Yeah, that one surprised me,” he said, chuckling. “What are you hungry for?”

  “I don’t even care. Just not a hamburger,” Alex said, smiling.

  “Well, it’s good to see you’re finally getting an appetite back. Feeling better now?” Jason asked, glancing at her.

  “Yeah, a little. Traveling has never agreed with me, though.” Alex looked out the window. “It’s getting dark so early now.” Alex loved the snow, but the darkness of the northern winters bothered her more than anything else. The cold was difficult, and sometimes the snow seemed unyielding, but it was the grayness of the sky that caused her to despair living up here. It felt as though there was never enough light.

  “Winter is nearly upon us,” Jason said, pulling into KFC. “Is Chicken okay?” he asked before shutting off the car.

  “Yeah,” Alex said, sounding excited. Jason smiled. Alex was never a big eater, so when she lost her appetite it was a big deal because she would go days without eating; but she always seemed to have room for KFC. Alex and Jason hurried inside. “Let’s get a bucket!” she said excitedly. Jason laughed, but he ordered the seven-piece bucket with mashed potatoes, gravy, pepsi, and biscuits. They took their time eating, Alex savoring every bite with relish. “I swear I was starving,” she exclaimed as she finished her second plate of food. Jason had never seen her eat quite so much. In the last year she’d rarely had more than one serving of anything. Only Chinese buffets encouraged her to eat more than one plateful.

  “Do you eat when you’re nervous?” he asked, slightly surprised. It wasn’t that she’d eaten quickly. In fact, she ate very slowly, but she still finished the same amount of food he’d eaten.

  “Sometimes, but right now I think I’m just hungry,” Alex smiled. “What are we going to do?” she asked suddenly, disparity clear in her voice.

  “Finish eating I imagine,” Jason said evasively.

  “About your mother,” Alex said, her tone clearly evincing that she wasn’t falling for his charm, “don’t try to change the topic. This is a big problem.”

  “Alex, I honestly don’t know what to do. I know you want to tell her about the engagement and everything, and I understand, really I do, but I don’t think you’re going to like her response. You’ve met her now; she isn’t an easy woman to deal with.”

  “Maybe not, but doesn’t it seem wrong to be here and not tell her? I mean, she’ll be even angrier if we tell her later, over the phone.” Alex knew it would be easier to just leave town and have Jason call Anne in the morning to tell her the news, but it was wrong. No parent should have to hear about their child’s upcoming marriage thru a phone call when it was completely unnecessary.

  “True, but if i
t’s over the phone I won’t have to deal with her…”

  “Jason, that’s mean.”

  “It’s true.”

  “It’s mean,” Alex said shaking her head. “She’s your mother. There must be something good about her. You turned out well.”

  “She used to be different, before the divorce,” he said slowly as he considered his childhood. “Now she’s miserable and bitter.”

  “Well, maybe that will get better. Maybe she’ll meet someone and fall in love and be the happiest woman in the world.” Alex’s voice was wistful and Jason had to look at her in some curiosity.

  “Maybe,” he said, doubtfully. “I think you’re just a romantic, but let’s not worry about it. We’ll see what happens in the morning and go from there, okay? I’m tired; you look exhausted, let’s just go get some sleep, by the time we get there she’ll be in bed.” Jason looked at Alex closely. She was pale, and her eyes had dark circles around them, a clear indication of her fatigue. “You’ve been working too much. You should slow down, at least a little.” Alex started putting the food away, not commenting. Jason touched her hand gently. “Lexi, please, tell me you’ll slow down.” He pleaded with his eyes and the gentle stroke of his thumb along the top of her hand.

  Alex looked at Jason. He’d spoken so tenderly, so gently, so full of concern. The look in his eyes, that mixture of pleading and concern, stole her heart. “I’ll slow down,” she said, giving in. She rarely denied him when he called her ‘Lexi’. She loved his pet name for her; so different from anything her family or friends ever called her.

  “Thank you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Let’s go.” Alex carried the leftovers out to the car. “I love you,” Jason said, opening the door for her.

  “Love you too.” Alex planned on talking to Jason about the next morning on the drive home, but she was so tired she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes open. She tried to fight the fatigue, but resting with a full stomach wore away her resistance and she was asleep before they were out of town. Jason smiled at her sleeping form. She was such a trooper, and had an intense sense of honor and morality. She wasn’t like his sister Trisha, always concerned about her looks; she was always pretty and presentable, but she refused to spend more than a few minutes on her hair. She rarely bothered with make-up, and she absolutely refused to spend a lot of money on her wardrobe.

  “Honey, we’re here,” Jason whispered. He smiled when Alex didn’t even stir. He climbed out of the car, grabbed the bags from the back seat and carried them to his room. Alex was still asleep when he got back, so he opened the car door, unbuckled her seat belt and tried to lift her from the car. It was harder than he first expected, but he managed to get her out of the car without waking her. Getting her through the house was easy enough; though carrying her upstairs without waking either her or his mother was tricky.

  When he got her in bed she sighed sweetly and rolled onto her side. He pulled off her shoes, closed and locked the bedroom door, stripped off his shirt and pants, and stood next to the bed looking down at her. “Alex, we should really get under the blankets,” he said, struggling to remove them from underneath her. She moved ever so slightly and he managed to get her under the blankets. He unbuttoned her pants, knowing the clasp would be painful by morning. She snuggled against him as he climbed into bed and he fell asleep, tired and exhausted.

  Chapter Three

  Anne heard Jason and Alexia come back later in the night. She knew they were sleeping in the same room from the sounds of Jason’s footfalls, but what really pissed her off was that he had the gall to lock the door. The doors were never locked in the house when the kids were growing up: she hadn’t allowed it. There were only locks on the doors because Franklin had insisted that the kids have some form of security in case an intruder broke into the house while they were away. Anne didn’t approve of Jason and Alexia sleeping in the same room, let alone the same bed, but locking the door was completely irresponsible and totally disrespectful. The sound of the lock slamming into place caused Anne to sleep fitfully throughout the night, unable to relax. She could almost imagine that wanton temptress taking advantage of Jason. Indeed, she wouldn’t have been a bit surprised if it was Alexia locking the door so she could take advantage of Jason.

  Morning came early for Anne. She was out of bed by five, unable to be still any longer. She had heard nothing from Jason’s room all night, which surprised her and filled her with a thread of hope that perhaps she’d been mistaken and they had slept in separate rooms. When she saw the open door to Rose’s room, the bed untouched, she knew she’d been correct the night before. They’d slept together. Rose lived with Brandon for a year before they were married, claiming that she wanted to be sure before she made such a life altering decision. Anne and Franklin had only been divorced about a year at the time. It was quite a scandal within the family, and Brandon was still low on Anne’s list for corrupting her daughter. Anne felt that Brandon pushed Rose to make a decision and that living together was the compromise. Never mind that they were married now, they weren’t married at first. Now this little tramp was corrupting her son, in her own home nonetheless.

  Anne went down to the kitchen, not bothering to be quiet. She started a pot of coffee, needing the caffeine for a pick up. She sat at the table reminiscing, waiting for the coffee to finish. When Michael brought his girlfriend Kelly home, Franklin and Anne had been impressed. Kelly was in college at the time, enrolled to be a nurse. She was bright and friendly and open. She spoke with them easily, clearly comfortable being in their home. Michael brought her home for Thanksgiving, and went to meet her family that Christmas. Kelly slept dutifully in the basement guest room, never questioning her placement. Michael hadn’t complained or objected to the separation at all.

  Kelly was a wonderful young woman. They’d gotten married when they were still in college, but waited four years before they had children. Kelly worked until the baby was born, and then decided to stay at home with him. Then they were blessed with twins a few years later. She was a good little mother, and so pleasant and amiable too. Anne couldn’t imagine a better match for her son Michael. They’d been married eight years now. Micah was four years old and the twins, Hannah and Haven, were eighteen months. They had the perfect little family.

  Anne remembered how she and Franklin had lain in bed that night, talking about Kelly and how sweet she’d been. They waited, almost expectantly, to hear Michael’s door open as he snuck downstairs to Kelly’s room in an attempt to sleep with her against their wishes; but he didn’t sneak downstairs. Franklin had been impressed with his son, but Anne insisted that it was Kelly. She was too ladylike to allow Michael to sneak down to see her. She would never have slept in the same room with him unmarried.

  Anne and Franklin managed to forget their problems while Kelly and Michael were close. They’d remembered what it was like to be in love for the first time and things had improved, slightly. But it never lasted long. They tried to keep it together until all the kids were in college, but it was just too much. Franklin didn’t want to wait, and Anne couldn’t fight him. She was disappointed in herself for allowing his affair to continue; she should have put a stop to it years before, but she tried to ignore the evidence. Then it just seemed wrong to hold onto something that was so far gone she couldn’t even see it anymore.

  Franklin waited until Trisha was at a slumber party with a few girlfriends for the weekend. He came home earlier than usual, looked her directly in the eyes and said, “Anne, I want a divorce.” Anne thought he was drunk and ignored him while she watched television. But Franklin persisted: he turned off the TV and stood in front of her to say, “You hate me, Anne. You don’t want me to touch you, to be near you even. You don’t even want to sleep in the same bed with me.” She could almost see the firm set of his mouth as he demanded she show him some kind of affection as he stood in the doorway, his eyes pleading with her.

  Anne argued with him for hours; blaming him for never being there for her, and for causing the mi
scarriage. She accused him of sleeping around and having an affair. He never denied it. Never even pretended it was false. She’d looked at him self-righteously saying, “what do you have to say for yourself?”

  “What was I supposed to do Anne? You haven’t wanted to be intimate with me for years. I’m not a monk. I waited for you, but you just never came around. At first I thought, well, with the kids and the house, maybe she’s feeling overwhelmed. I tried to help, but to no avail. Everything I did was wrong.” The pain was evident in his voice.

  “All you ever wanted from me was sex and someone to raise the kids. You stopped talking to me. You only held me when you wanted sex.” Anne had shot back.

  “That’s not true Anne,” he’d said, angrily. “Ever since you lost the baby you didn’t want anything to do with me. I’m sorry you miscarried, honest I am, but we didn’t do anything wrong. It just wasn’t meant to be. We can’t go back and re-do it. The baby is gone. I’m here, but you don’t care.” Franklin’s shoulders were hunched in defeat as he leaned against the doorframe dejectedly.

  Anne had looked at Franklin with pure hatred. “We shouldn’t have had sex. We both knew it wasn’t healthy for me or the baby, but you insisted. You just couldn’t go without. You killed our child,” Anne had screeched at him. It was true. He’d pushed her to have sex. The doctor recommended they abstain until the baby was born, but she was almost five months along and had four healthy children. She hadn’t even realized at first, that she was losing the baby, or perhaps they could have stopped the labor. She went to sleep, unaware of the trauma they’d caused. Her back hurt immensely, but she knew pregnancy would cause discomfort. She chased kids all day long, and while Franklin had been gentle, it was still strenuous. Hours later she woke screaming as the first hard pains took over.