thought I’d find out what Grandma wants for Christmas, but no such luck.”

“What happened?” Gregg asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her a little closer.

“I suggested we browse through the Emporium and daydream about what we’d buy if we had tons of money. Grandma just laughed and said she already had everything she wanted.”

“Maybe that’s honestly how she feels.”

Suzanna gave a thoughtful nod. “You’re probably right, but all the same I was hoping she’d stop to admire something special so I’d have an idea of what to get her for Christmas.”

“I take it she didn’t.”

“Oh, she looked at plenty of things, but they were just trinkets or things for Annie. I swear, she spent a half-hour looking through the Christmas shop at the Emporium.”

At the corner of Mulberry, they crossed over, entered the coffee shop, and slid into the back booth.

“When we walked through the ladies’ wear section, I pointed out one thing and another: a cashmere sweater, a comfy bathrobe, a silk blouse. She barely gave those things a nod, but when we passed through the Christmas shop she started oohing and aahing over every little thing.”

When the waitress came over, Gregg ordered two coffees, then glanced across at Suzanna. “Would you like some pie? Or a piece of cake?”

She shook her head and went right back to the story. “There was this snow globe with a little ice skater, and Grandma played with it for a full five minutes.” She continued on telling of how Ida had insisted on buying the Easy Bake Oven for Annie, despite her objections that it was far too much money to be spending on a gift.

A knowing smile lifted the corner of Gregg’s mouth. “I know you want to get Ida something special, but perhaps you need to look at this through her eyes.”

“Meaning what?”

“She’s up in years, she’s got a house full of things, a closet full of clothes, and most likely a jewelry box full of pieces that she doesn’t bother to wear. Maybe she’s got all she needs of those things, and all she really wants is a special Christmas with you and Annie.”

“Well, of course, we’ll spend Christmas with her, but that’s not exactly a gift.”

“To her, it probably is. You and Annie are family; having you here makes her happier than any gift ever would.” He lifted her hand and dropped a kiss into her palm. “I know, because I feel the same way.”

The coffee grew cold as she listened to him tell of the emptiness he’d felt after his parents were gone. Suzanna remembered having that same sense of aloneness after her mama’s death. She’d cried herself to sleep for three nights straight, then gone to her daddy looking for comfort. He’d called her a whiny-ass kid and said she’d better learn to suck it up, because nobody wanted to listen to a sob story. That was when she learned to hide her heartache behind a wall of lies.

Sleep was a long time in coming that night. Suzanna tried closing her eyes, but even in the darkness she could see the memory as fresh and raw as it had been all those years ago.

That Christmas had been the worst of her life. She’d wished for a tree and a midnight church service with candles and carols, but her daddy would have none of it. Instead, he’d handed her a ten-dollar bill and said to go buy something for herself. She’d hated him for that, so much so that she’d taken his ten-dollar bill and stuffed it into the poor box at the church. If he didn’t have love to give, she didn’t want his money. That night she’d not even stayed for the service, just put the money in the box and walked home in the drizzling rain.

It was nearing dawn when Suzanna finally decided what she would get Ida for Christmas. She scribbled a quick note, put it into an envelope, and slid it under Gregg’s door.

With a plan now in place, she went back to her room and finally fell asleep.

——————

FRIDAY WAS THEIR BUSY DAY at Cavalier’s, but despite a steady flow of customers the hours seemed to drag by.

It was close to five o’clock when the store quieted down and Colette turned to her.

“You seem preoccupied, Darla Jean. Is there something on your mind?”

Suzanna gave a slightly embarrassed nod, then explained her plan.

Colette listened, then shooed her out of the shop with a laugh.

“Go,” she said. “You’ve got a busy evening ahead, and I don’t mind closing up.”

More than happy to accept the offer, Suzanna darted out of the store and headed back to the Emporium. She spent nearly three hours searching for the things she had in mind, then carried the packages to the car, loaded them into the trunk, and headed home.

Ida had supper ready when Suzanna walked in.

“You’re later than usual,” she said as she bent and pulled a tray of potatoes from the oven.

“Sorry,” Suzanna replied. “The shop was busy today.” Seeing Gregg at the table, she glanced over and mouthed, Did you get it?

He gave a wink and nodded.

Annie caught the motion. “Grandma says it’s bad manners to tell secrets in front of other people.”

“Grandma’s right, but I wasn’t actually telling secrets. I was just saying something I didn’t want you to hear, and when it’s this close to Christmas that’s permissible.”

“Was it about a present for me?”

Suzanna laughed. “You’ll find out in due time.”

Still curious, Annie continued to pry for a few minutes then eventually gave up. As soon as she could, Suzanna changed the subject.

“What are you planning to do this evening?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t know about anyone else,” Ida said, “but I’m going to bed early. I’ve got a bunch of cookies to bake tomorrow and need a good night’s rest.”

Annie groaned. “No TV?”

“Not tonight. I let you stay up late last night so you could watch The Real McCoys, but tonight you’re going to have to get

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