decided to get out of bed,” said Marianne. She was standing at the sink filling a large coffee urn with water, her warm smile contrasting her reproachful tone. “We were going to sneak in and take turns poking you with a stick in another half an hour.”
“You should have woken me.”
Gwen, Kelly and Julie sat at the table, working on something small with their hands. Julie stood up, flashing Hank a bright smile. “Merry Christmas Eve, sweetie,” she said, leaning in for a quick peck on the lips. Hank’s jaw dropped open. “Want some coffee?”
“That’d be great.”
She walked to the counter and poured coffee from a Thermos. Hank watched as she put in one scoop of sugar and a small splash of milk. Someone had been paying attention when they stopped for coffee yesterday.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the cup from her. He could get used to this.
“Gwen’s making wedding bands for the ceremony today,” said Julie.
“Just temporaries,” said Gwen. “I don’t think the bride and groom want to wear jewelry made out of paperclips forever.”
“They’re so beautiful, we just might,” said Kelly. “Look, Hank.”
She walked to him, holding something out for him to see. It was an intricate weaving of silver metal, strung with what appeared to be shining blue gemstones and glittering diamonds.
“That’s incredible. You made that out of paperclips? What did you use for stones?”
“The colored ones are beads from Gwen’s necklace, and the diamond-like ones are tiny crystals.”
Hank eyed Gwen incredulously. “You just happened to have those things with you?”
“It was the strangest thing,” said Gwen. “I was packing for our adventure and I stopped short as I was about to head downstairs. I forgot my beaded blue topaz necklace, I thought to myself. I hadn’t intended to bring it, mind you. But after years of these kinds of thoughts you know when to listen.”
She threaded a tiny blue bead onto a thick wire. “So I grabbed the necklace out of my jewelry box and asked the universe,” she said dramatically, raising her head up high, “Is there anything else I need to bring? Then I thought about those crystals in my studio. So I grabbed those, too.”
A chill ran up Hank’s spine.
“Does that happen to you a lot?” asked Kelly, sitting back down.
Gwen touched the younger woman’s hand on the table. “It does.”
Next to Hank, Julie stepped on her tip toes and whispered in his ear. “Can opener.” At his quizzical look, she nodded in Gwen’s direction.
“The first time it ever happened, I was in college,” said Gwen. “I was leaving my dorm room to go to class when I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve forgotten my can opener.’ I didn’t need a can opener for class, of course.” She took a sip of her coffee. “That day at lunch, a friend pulled out a can of soup, but had forgotten to bring a can opener. I said, ‘That would explain why I brought this.’”
“That’s amazing,” said Kelly.
“It is. Very helpful, too,” she said with a wink.
Hank turned thoughtful eyes to Julie, remembering her concerns for their safety here at the house. “Does that ever happen to you?”
“Never.”
“I’m afraid the universe lacks a large enough sledge hammer with which to hit my niece over the head,” said Gwen.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Julie.
“It means you know more than you are willing to admit, even to yourself.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Turning to Hank, she smiled and slipped her arm around his waist. “Can I help with anything today?”
He nearly spit coffee all over himself. “I have no idea.” Just to see what she would do, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, dumbfounded when she settled pleasantly at his side. He shook his head. “What needs to be done, Ma?”
“More than you can possibly imagine. I have a list for you,” she said, reaching to the bulletin board on the side of the
“You should have woken me.”
Gwen, Kelly and Julie sat at the table, working on something small with their hands. Julie stood up, flashing Hank a bright smile. “Merry Christmas Eve, sweetie,” she said, leaning in for a quick peck on the lips. Hank’s jaw dropped open. “Want some coffee?”
“That’d be great.”
She walked to the counter and poured coffee from a Thermos. Hank watched as she put in one scoop of sugar and a small splash of milk. Someone had been paying attention when they stopped for coffee yesterday.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the cup from her. He could get used to this.
“Gwen’s making wedding bands for the ceremony today,” said Julie.
“Just temporaries,” said Gwen. “I don’t think the bride and groom want to wear jewelry made out of paperclips forever.”
“They’re so beautiful, we just might,” said Kelly. “Look, Hank.”
She walked to him, holding something out for him to see. It was an intricate weaving of silver metal, strung with what appeared to be shining blue gemstones and glittering diamonds.
“That’s incredible. You made that out of paperclips? What did you use for stones?”
“The colored ones are beads from Gwen’s necklace, and the diamond-like ones are tiny crystals.”
Hank eyed Gwen incredulously. “You just happened to have those things with you?”
“It was the strangest thing,” said Gwen. “I was packing for our adventure and I stopped short as I was about to head downstairs. I forgot my beaded blue topaz necklace, I thought to myself. I hadn’t intended to bring it, mind you. But after years of these kinds of thoughts you know when to listen.”
She threaded a tiny blue bead onto a thick wire. “So I grabbed the necklace out of my jewelry box and asked the universe,” she said dramatically, raising her head up high, “Is there anything else I need to bring? Then I thought about those crystals in my studio. So I grabbed those, too.”
A chill ran up Hank’s spine.
“Does that happen to you a lot?” asked Kelly, sitting back down.
Gwen touched the younger woman’s hand on the table. “It does.”
Next to Hank, Julie stepped on her tip toes and whispered in his ear. “Can opener.” At his quizzical look, she nodded in Gwen’s direction.
“The first time it ever happened, I was in college,” said Gwen. “I was leaving my dorm room to go to class when I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve forgotten my can opener.’ I didn’t need a can opener for class, of course.” She took a sip of her coffee. “That day at lunch, a friend pulled out a can of soup, but had forgotten to bring a can opener. I said, ‘That would explain why I brought this.’”
“That’s amazing,” said Kelly.
“It is. Very helpful, too,” she said with a wink.
Hank turned thoughtful eyes to Julie, remembering her concerns for their safety here at the house. “Does that ever happen to you?”
“Never.”
“I’m afraid the universe lacks a large enough sledge hammer with which to hit my niece over the head,” said Gwen.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Julie.
“It means you know more than you are willing to admit, even to yourself.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Turning to Hank, she smiled and slipped her arm around his waist. “Can I help with anything today?”
He nearly spit coffee all over himself. “I have no idea.” Just to see what she would do, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, dumbfounded when she settled pleasantly at his side. He shook his head. “What needs to be done, Ma?”
“More than you can possibly imagine. I have a list for you,” she said, reaching to the bulletin board on the side of the
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