Read Online The Christmas Light by Donna VanLiere - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donna VanLiere
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clattering metal pans.
“Makes sense to me,” Ryan says.
Gabrielle smiles and Jen catches Ryan smiling back. She feels foolish for getting her hopes up. Gabrielle’s face is always shining, her clothes freshly laundered, modern, and cute. Jen’s face often looks tired and her clothes are always three to five years behind modern and rarely have that freshly laundered look. She’s not opposed to wearing something two days in a row. Jen feels that Gabrielle is the fresh catch of the day and she’s like the day-old bread that sits on the counter of Betty’s Bakery—still good but just not as fresh.
“We have to go back and eat at Maggio’s again. That was fun,” Gabrielle says.
Ryan and Ed hoist a wall into place. “It was great,” Ryan says.
“I’ll have to take you to Perk’s, too,” Gabrielle says. “It’s a hip coffee shop. They don’t have all the homemade stuff like Betty’s but it’s a younger crowd. I go there a lot and just read after a stressful day or listen to the live music. You’ll love it!”
Jen smiles but has the sickening sensation of being back in high school. Gabrielle has done nothing to her but she finds herself envying Gabrielle’s “stressful day” kind of life and the ordinariness of just sitting down and reading a book. She’s angry about having crushlike feelings for Ryan, a man she barely knows, and feels she’s somehow dishonoring Michael.
She is ready to go home at the end of Avery’s rehearsal but Avery is hungry. “How about a bowl of cereal when we get home?” Jen says.
“Can I get soup to go from Betty’s?” Jen begins to shake her head. “Please, Mom? We haven’t gotten soup there in so long!”
It’s on the way home and the line is short so maybe it won’t take long. Jen looks around the bakery-restaurant and sees lots of older faces and families with kids. It looks like Gabrielle is right. All the young, hip adults must be at Perk’s. This had been a favorite spot of hers and Michael’s. She looks behind her at the corner booth where they sat just eight years ago, two years before Avery entered their lives.
“That new coffee shop has opened across town,” Jen said to him. “It’s called Perk’s.”
“I know,” Michael said. “I was driving by last week and stopped in.” He was wearing a black sweatshirt and a ball cap was pulled down over his mass of brown waves.
“Was it good?”
“Yeah, it’s real vibey. Live music. Lots of young college guys. I felt like an old dude among all those hip cats. If you ever get tired of me you can have your pick at Perk’s!”
Jennifer laughed. “Have your pick at Perk’s! An awesome slogan.” She reached over the table and grabbed his hand. “But what if I like the old guys at Betty’s? I’d take a good-old-fashioned-burger-and-piece-of-apple-caramel-pie guy any day over a decaf-pumpkin-latte guy.”
Michael grabbed hold of his stomach. “Well, if it’s a burger body you want, you’ve come to the right place.”
She leaned toward him. “And if anything happened to me, would you come here to find a raspberry-cream-cheese-pastry girl?”
He shook his head. “Oh, no! I’d be over at Perk’s checking out their skinny soy-Frappuccino girls.” She smacked his hand but couldn’t help laughing.
“How fun seeing you here!”
Jen turns and forces her face to smile at Gabrielle and Ryan, in line behind them.
“Would you like to eat with us?” Ryan asks.
She feels Avery looking up at her. “Thanks, but we were just grabbing some soup to go.”
“And a chocolate chip scone,” Avery says. “Dad’s favorite.”
Jen sighs. “And a chocolate chip scone,” she says, too tired to argue.
“Is this your daughter?” Gabrielle asks. “She’s so cute! I see your eyes but the rest of her must look like her dad.”
Jen looks at Avery and smiles. “She does look like her dad.”
She’s grateful that it’s her turn to order, and when she and Avery move to the end of the counter
“Makes sense to me,” Ryan says.
Gabrielle smiles and Jen catches Ryan smiling back. She feels foolish for getting her hopes up. Gabrielle’s face is always shining, her clothes freshly laundered, modern, and cute. Jen’s face often looks tired and her clothes are always three to five years behind modern and rarely have that freshly laundered look. She’s not opposed to wearing something two days in a row. Jen feels that Gabrielle is the fresh catch of the day and she’s like the day-old bread that sits on the counter of Betty’s Bakery—still good but just not as fresh.
“We have to go back and eat at Maggio’s again. That was fun,” Gabrielle says.
Ryan and Ed hoist a wall into place. “It was great,” Ryan says.
“I’ll have to take you to Perk’s, too,” Gabrielle says. “It’s a hip coffee shop. They don’t have all the homemade stuff like Betty’s but it’s a younger crowd. I go there a lot and just read after a stressful day or listen to the live music. You’ll love it!”
Jen smiles but has the sickening sensation of being back in high school. Gabrielle has done nothing to her but she finds herself envying Gabrielle’s “stressful day” kind of life and the ordinariness of just sitting down and reading a book. She’s angry about having crushlike feelings for Ryan, a man she barely knows, and feels she’s somehow dishonoring Michael.
She is ready to go home at the end of Avery’s rehearsal but Avery is hungry. “How about a bowl of cereal when we get home?” Jen says.
“Can I get soup to go from Betty’s?” Jen begins to shake her head. “Please, Mom? We haven’t gotten soup there in so long!”
It’s on the way home and the line is short so maybe it won’t take long. Jen looks around the bakery-restaurant and sees lots of older faces and families with kids. It looks like Gabrielle is right. All the young, hip adults must be at Perk’s. This had been a favorite spot of hers and Michael’s. She looks behind her at the corner booth where they sat just eight years ago, two years before Avery entered their lives.
“That new coffee shop has opened across town,” Jen said to him. “It’s called Perk’s.”
“I know,” Michael said. “I was driving by last week and stopped in.” He was wearing a black sweatshirt and a ball cap was pulled down over his mass of brown waves.
“Was it good?”
“Yeah, it’s real vibey. Live music. Lots of young college guys. I felt like an old dude among all those hip cats. If you ever get tired of me you can have your pick at Perk’s!”
Jennifer laughed. “Have your pick at Perk’s! An awesome slogan.” She reached over the table and grabbed his hand. “But what if I like the old guys at Betty’s? I’d take a good-old-fashioned-burger-and-piece-of-apple-caramel-pie guy any day over a decaf-pumpkin-latte guy.”
Michael grabbed hold of his stomach. “Well, if it’s a burger body you want, you’ve come to the right place.”
She leaned toward him. “And if anything happened to me, would you come here to find a raspberry-cream-cheese-pastry girl?”
He shook his head. “Oh, no! I’d be over at Perk’s checking out their skinny soy-Frappuccino girls.” She smacked his hand but couldn’t help laughing.
“How fun seeing you here!”
Jen turns and forces her face to smile at Gabrielle and Ryan, in line behind them.
“Would you like to eat with us?” Ryan asks.
She feels Avery looking up at her. “Thanks, but we were just grabbing some soup to go.”
“And a chocolate chip scone,” Avery says. “Dad’s favorite.”
Jen sighs. “And a chocolate chip scone,” she says, too tired to argue.
“Is this your daughter?” Gabrielle asks. “She’s so cute! I see your eyes but the rest of her must look like her dad.”
Jen looks at Avery and smiles. “She does look like her dad.”
She’s grateful that it’s her turn to order, and when she and Avery move to the end of the counter
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