The Soldier's Return

Chapter 17

An hour later, Maggie sat in her car, cursing under her breath. After ten minutes of trying, it was clear that the old vehicle was not going to start. Once more, she turned the key in the ignition, and once again the engine sputtered and died. She sighed.

"Guess we're going to have to call someone for help, buddy," she said to Jimmy, as calmly as she could. At least, she thought, she had family. It would be impossible to find a mechanic to come out on Christmas eve.

Her son, buckled into the back seat, was unfazed by the unexpected glitch to their plans. "Don't worry, Mom. Dad won't mind." Maggie was startled. She hadn't thought of calling Matt, but as soon as Jimmy mentioned it she realized it was the obvious choice. Matt was five minutes away; the rest of her family across town.

As expected, Matt arrived a few minutes later, appearing happy to lend a hand. He took Maggie's place in the driver's seat and tried the engine for himself, then, despite the rain, lifted the hood and inspected the engine. A few moments later he was back in the car.

"I'm not a mechanic," he said, "but I'm pretty sure it's busted." Maggie laughed. "Is that your expert opinion?"

"Yes, ma'am. " He smiled back at her. "I don't think this car is going anywhere tonight, so why don't you two just hop in the truck and I'll run you over to your folks."

"Yay! That's great dad, now you can come to Christmas eve too! Nana's a great cook, you'll love it!"

Matt looked questioningly at Maggie. Suddenly she felt excitement at the idea of sharing the holiday with her son's father. Even if they couldn't be a real family, at least they could be together. "Sure, you should stay. My folks will love it, and mom always cooks enough food for an army, but I guess you already noticed that."

The rain was heavier now, the drops beating against the roof of the car. "You stay here and I'll pull the truck up beside you so you don't have to get wet," Matt instructed. He was out of the car before Maggie could object, and a few moments later she and Jimmy were safely tucked into the cab of the warm truck.

"Everybody buckled in?" Matt inquired, as he revved the engine with a mischievous grin – he knew that his son loved the sound of the big engine.

"Yes, sir!" Jimmy had already picked up his father's good manners. Sitting between his parents in the tall vehicle, snug and dry on this special night, he felt that there could be nothing better than this ride across town. As Matt put the car in reverse to back out of the lot, he looked across at Maggie and they exchanged a smile over their son's head. At this moment, everything was perfect.

Just like the tree-cutting expedition, The O'Leary family Christmas eve ritual had been unchanged for several generations. The family gathered at around 5, everyone decked out in their holiday finery. Maggie noticed with amusement that Ashley was particularly resplendent this year in a ruffled dress of green and red taffeta, with full skirts and a huge bow at the waist. The little girl was already ensconced on a stool, preening like little Miss Muffet while casting longing glances at the mountain of presents under the ceiling-high tree.

Maggie herself was wearing an outfit she had picked up at the after-holiday sales last year, and was only now wearing for the first time. It consisted of a long, wine-red velvet skirt, worn with a  low-cut sweater. Her silky hair surrounded her face in soft, shiny waves, and the deep red lipstick outlined the sweet, full curve of her lips. As he helped her take off her coat, Matt thought that he had never seen her look more lovely. He knew that she viewed her own appearance as simply average, but the admiration and desire in his eyes was unmistakable, and as his glance met hers Maggie flushed with pleasure.

It was, Matt thought, as he accepted a glass of egg nog and a holiday kiss from June, like something out of a Christmas movie. A fire blazed merrily in the large old fireplace, with a long row of stockings hung from the mangle. Garlands of fresh fir decorated the staircase, and arrangements of holly and other greens decked the side tables. There was even a sprig of mistletoe in the doorway between living room and dining room. The house was full of the smells of baking ham, spices, chocolate and peppermint. Somewhere Christmas carols were playing softly, almost but not quite drowned out by the babble of happy voices. Jimmy and his cousins were on their hands and knees around the Christmas tree, trying to find the packages with their own names on them. Family rule dictated that they could look but could not touch or move anything, and the boys contorted their bodies into strange shapes as they craned their necks for a view of the large items stacked in the back. With Maggie at his side, Matt knew that there was nowhere else he wanted to be.