Read Online Emilie's Christmas Love by James Lavene, Joyce Lavene - Free Book Online
Authors: James Lavene, Joyce Lavene
Tags: Mystery
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and her children and their mortgage payments as they tied lights to strings and wrapped prizes.
"My husband says we may have to quit our jobs teaching," she explained as they worked together putting up posters on the walls. Her husband was a middle school teacher in the county.
"Why?" Emilie wondered. "He loves that school."
"Money." Julie shrugged. "We can barely make it on what the state pays. Both of us have our Masters degrees and it still isn't enough."
"I'm sure it's hard to have enough with three children," Emilie answered.
"That's why I took the second job teaching at the college at night," Julie explained. "It's a college prep class, you know? For people who finished high school, but didn't get enough credits or didn't understand the classes. Bill hates me doing it. What can I say, it makes the car payments."
"I'll bet the kids hate you being gone at night, too," Emilie sympathized.
"I don't know." Julie sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm spinning my wheels. Sometimes I wonder why I had kids!"
Emilie stared at her. "You don't realize how blessed you are! I would give anything—" She paused and snapped two more staples into the poster Julie held up on the wall.
Julie looked at her friend. "You'll find a child, Emilie. Then you can suffer like the rest of us!"
She laughed and Emilie lightened up as well. It was going to be Christmas break in a week. Maybe a miracle would happen and she would find a child to share Christmas with that year. Sometimes, adoptions came up quickly. Sometimes, it was a phone call in the middle of the night and the next day, you were a mother.
That was her Christmas wish, she considered, as she finished stapling about a hundred posters that lined the walls of the school corridors in preparation for the festival. Someone to share Christmas with that year.
Last year, she and Joda hadn't even bothered to put up a tree in the foyer, as her parents had always done. They had shared a quiet supper on Christmas Eve, exchanged their few presents, and gone to bed.
She looked for the first star she could find when she stepped out into the dark parking lot. Maybe things would be different this year. She made her wish on the evening star, as her father had taught her when she was a child. Then she drove home and got Joda. They went out for dinner and drank too much wine, at least Joda did. Emilie had to drive.
They stopped by the high school to watch a production of As You Like It . Joda raved about the sets and the actors. She went backstage after it was over and pressed a thousand dollars into the drama teacher's hand.
The teacher, Mrs. Dilworth, looked stunned when the tall woman dressed in red velvet, her long white hair flowing around her like a cape, told her that the play had been magnificent and gave her the cash.
"My aunt is a little eccentric." Emilie followed Joda's stunning act with a smile and a sane presence. "She means well and she does want you to have the money for the kids."
"Thank you," Mrs. Dilworth exclaimed. "What's her favorite play?"
Emilie shrugged. "Probably A Midsummer's Night's Dream ."
"We'll do it next semester," the teacher promised. "Maybe she'll want to see it too."
Emilie smiled and waved knowing she couldn't promise what Joda's mood would be next semester. She might as easily drop that thousand dollars into a waiter's hand for his tip.
"That was wonderful," Joda breathed on the frosty night air as they walked back to the car.
"It was," Emilie agreed. "The drama teacher said they'd do a Midsummer's Night's Dream if you'll come back next semester."
Joda looked at her pointedly. "When is the next semester, Emilie, petite ?"
"Probably February or March."
Her aunt nodded, satisfied. "Then we shall return."
They drank the rest of the bottle of wine together when they reached the house, sitting in the dark in her mother's music room. The dim light from the hallway glazed the surface of the grand piano that dominated the room.
"Your mother's presence is
"My husband says we may have to quit our jobs teaching," she explained as they worked together putting up posters on the walls. Her husband was a middle school teacher in the county.
"Why?" Emilie wondered. "He loves that school."
"Money." Julie shrugged. "We can barely make it on what the state pays. Both of us have our Masters degrees and it still isn't enough."
"I'm sure it's hard to have enough with three children," Emilie answered.
"That's why I took the second job teaching at the college at night," Julie explained. "It's a college prep class, you know? For people who finished high school, but didn't get enough credits or didn't understand the classes. Bill hates me doing it. What can I say, it makes the car payments."
"I'll bet the kids hate you being gone at night, too," Emilie sympathized.
"I don't know." Julie sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm spinning my wheels. Sometimes I wonder why I had kids!"
Emilie stared at her. "You don't realize how blessed you are! I would give anything—" She paused and snapped two more staples into the poster Julie held up on the wall.
Julie looked at her friend. "You'll find a child, Emilie. Then you can suffer like the rest of us!"
She laughed and Emilie lightened up as well. It was going to be Christmas break in a week. Maybe a miracle would happen and she would find a child to share Christmas with that year. Sometimes, adoptions came up quickly. Sometimes, it was a phone call in the middle of the night and the next day, you were a mother.
That was her Christmas wish, she considered, as she finished stapling about a hundred posters that lined the walls of the school corridors in preparation for the festival. Someone to share Christmas with that year.
Last year, she and Joda hadn't even bothered to put up a tree in the foyer, as her parents had always done. They had shared a quiet supper on Christmas Eve, exchanged their few presents, and gone to bed.
She looked for the first star she could find when she stepped out into the dark parking lot. Maybe things would be different this year. She made her wish on the evening star, as her father had taught her when she was a child. Then she drove home and got Joda. They went out for dinner and drank too much wine, at least Joda did. Emilie had to drive.
They stopped by the high school to watch a production of As You Like It . Joda raved about the sets and the actors. She went backstage after it was over and pressed a thousand dollars into the drama teacher's hand.
The teacher, Mrs. Dilworth, looked stunned when the tall woman dressed in red velvet, her long white hair flowing around her like a cape, told her that the play had been magnificent and gave her the cash.
"My aunt is a little eccentric." Emilie followed Joda's stunning act with a smile and a sane presence. "She means well and she does want you to have the money for the kids."
"Thank you," Mrs. Dilworth exclaimed. "What's her favorite play?"
Emilie shrugged. "Probably A Midsummer's Night's Dream ."
"We'll do it next semester," the teacher promised. "Maybe she'll want to see it too."
Emilie smiled and waved knowing she couldn't promise what Joda's mood would be next semester. She might as easily drop that thousand dollars into a waiter's hand for his tip.
"That was wonderful," Joda breathed on the frosty night air as they walked back to the car.
"It was," Emilie agreed. "The drama teacher said they'd do a Midsummer's Night's Dream if you'll come back next semester."
Joda looked at her pointedly. "When is the next semester, Emilie, petite ?"
"Probably February or March."
Her aunt nodded, satisfied. "Then we shall return."
They drank the rest of the bottle of wine together when they reached the house, sitting in the dark in her mother's music room. The dim light from the hallway glazed the surface of the grand piano that dominated the room.
"Your mother's presence is
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