of curls like a young boy in a hurry to see what Santa brought. I wanted to throw myself in his arms and forget all our starts and stops. The big old ring hung off my married finger.
“What you doing, Nellie girl?”
“It’s a secret. Now, go on.”
He smiled, looking even more like a boy, erasing those mean thoughts I had. “What you got?”
“Go on and don’t spoil my surprise.” I smiled.
Outside the window fell thick fluffy flakes.
“Look at that snow falling. It’s all too damn sweet, ain’t it?”
I ignored him.
Aunt Ida’s house smelled like Mama’s on Christmas Day. Jack had a big fire burning in the fireplace. He smiled and looked right at me when we came in. “Don’t you look like a picture?” Delight lit up his face.
Hobbs noticed my clothes for the first time. “Where’d you get that dress?”
Had I been smart, I would have lied and told him my dresswas old. He sure didn’t keep up with what I wore. Instead, I twirled around. “I made it.”
Hobbs’s eyes narrowed. “Where’d you get the cloth?”
“I found a old dress out in the barn. It was way too big to be one of your mama’s.”
“It’s one of my mama’s old dresses.” Jack smiled. “And I know she’d be thrilled you used it in such a pretty way. You know she loved to sew?”
I could have kissed him, but I held out my hand. “Did you see my Christmas present from Hobbs?”
Hobbs puffed up. “Put that up, Nellie.”
Aunt Ida took my hand and jerked it toward her. “It’s a bit big.”
“Yes ma’am, but it don’t matter. Hobbs gave me a wedding band. That means more than anything.”
“Shut up, Nellie!”
Silence filled up all the space in the room. I could have scratched Hobbs’s eyes out, but I didn’t let one tear fall, not one.
“Don’t you have some silly gifts to hand out?”
I didn’t even care anymore. I was dying from the inside out.
“Presents?” It was Jack’s sweet voice. “I love presents.”
I turned around, avoiding Hobbs’s stare.
“What you got for me?” Hobbs pointed the words at my back.
I reached in my old feed sack and handed him the gift wrapped in tissue paper. He tore into it like a greedy child. His name was stitched into the cuff of the stocking with some gold thread I found in a drawer. The gingerbread man, with blond hair and blue eyes like his, peeked from the top.
“Ain’t that so cute.” His words were twisted like the bitterroot plant that grew out in Mama’s yard. It had the prettiest white flowers, but it was the thick roots that was usedto doctor. He tossed his gift in one of the chairs and walked toward the kitchen. “You got some dressing ready, Aunt Ida?”
“Don’t go digging in my food.” Aunt Ida followed him but not before she glared at me.
I stood there with that big heavy ring hanging from my finger, holding the other two gifts, lost, lost as a child in some dark woods.
“Is one of them for me?” Jack asked. He had to be the best person ever, but he was as hard to read as Hobbs—different, mind you, but hard to think on just the same.
I passed him his present.
“The gingerbread man has my hat. I don’t think I could ever eat it.” He smiled.
“You got to cause it’ll ruin.”
“It’s too nice. The stocking is perfect. Where’d you find my old quilt?”
My stomach twisted. “I’m sorry. I found it down in the barn too. It was with the dress.”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. That stuff was packed up when Mama died. Henry James couldn’t stand to look at it. I’m proud to have it as a stocking, Nellie. You found part of Mama for me.”
My heart flipped over.
Hobbs came walking into the room. “Did you make him one?”
I twisted the band around my finger and didn’t look at him. “I made one for Aunt Ida too.”
“Come on, Aunt Ida. You got you a cookie too. Nellie is too sweet.”
I studied on him, trying to figure out what was so special about this man. What had I seen down in Asheville?
* *
“What you doing, Nellie girl?”
“It’s a secret. Now, go on.”
He smiled, looking even more like a boy, erasing those mean thoughts I had. “What you got?”
“Go on and don’t spoil my surprise.” I smiled.
Outside the window fell thick fluffy flakes.
“Look at that snow falling. It’s all too damn sweet, ain’t it?”
I ignored him.
Aunt Ida’s house smelled like Mama’s on Christmas Day. Jack had a big fire burning in the fireplace. He smiled and looked right at me when we came in. “Don’t you look like a picture?” Delight lit up his face.
Hobbs noticed my clothes for the first time. “Where’d you get that dress?”
Had I been smart, I would have lied and told him my dresswas old. He sure didn’t keep up with what I wore. Instead, I twirled around. “I made it.”
Hobbs’s eyes narrowed. “Where’d you get the cloth?”
“I found a old dress out in the barn. It was way too big to be one of your mama’s.”
“It’s one of my mama’s old dresses.” Jack smiled. “And I know she’d be thrilled you used it in such a pretty way. You know she loved to sew?”
I could have kissed him, but I held out my hand. “Did you see my Christmas present from Hobbs?”
Hobbs puffed up. “Put that up, Nellie.”
Aunt Ida took my hand and jerked it toward her. “It’s a bit big.”
“Yes ma’am, but it don’t matter. Hobbs gave me a wedding band. That means more than anything.”
“Shut up, Nellie!”
Silence filled up all the space in the room. I could have scratched Hobbs’s eyes out, but I didn’t let one tear fall, not one.
“Don’t you have some silly gifts to hand out?”
I didn’t even care anymore. I was dying from the inside out.
“Presents?” It was Jack’s sweet voice. “I love presents.”
I turned around, avoiding Hobbs’s stare.
“What you got for me?” Hobbs pointed the words at my back.
I reached in my old feed sack and handed him the gift wrapped in tissue paper. He tore into it like a greedy child. His name was stitched into the cuff of the stocking with some gold thread I found in a drawer. The gingerbread man, with blond hair and blue eyes like his, peeked from the top.
“Ain’t that so cute.” His words were twisted like the bitterroot plant that grew out in Mama’s yard. It had the prettiest white flowers, but it was the thick roots that was usedto doctor. He tossed his gift in one of the chairs and walked toward the kitchen. “You got some dressing ready, Aunt Ida?”
“Don’t go digging in my food.” Aunt Ida followed him but not before she glared at me.
I stood there with that big heavy ring hanging from my finger, holding the other two gifts, lost, lost as a child in some dark woods.
“Is one of them for me?” Jack asked. He had to be the best person ever, but he was as hard to read as Hobbs—different, mind you, but hard to think on just the same.
I passed him his present.
“The gingerbread man has my hat. I don’t think I could ever eat it.” He smiled.
“You got to cause it’ll ruin.”
“It’s too nice. The stocking is perfect. Where’d you find my old quilt?”
My stomach twisted. “I’m sorry. I found it down in the barn too. It was with the dress.”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. That stuff was packed up when Mama died. Henry James couldn’t stand to look at it. I’m proud to have it as a stocking, Nellie. You found part of Mama for me.”
My heart flipped over.
Hobbs came walking into the room. “Did you make him one?”
I twisted the band around my finger and didn’t look at him. “I made one for Aunt Ida too.”
“Come on, Aunt Ida. You got you a cookie too. Nellie is too sweet.”
I studied on him, trying to figure out what was so special about this man. What had I seen down in Asheville?
* *
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