Bright Haven: An Amberly Novella Read online

  I’d learned the birthday song, so I was game to go along with whatever traditions he wanted to show me.

  I picked up all the food we ordered, everything else we made. We had crackers, a cheese platter, nuts both shelled and unshelled with a nutcracker, if someone wanted a project. I’d ordered several large sandwich rings, shrimp on ice, and made meatballs. I mostly did logistics compared to David who spent countless evening hours in the kitchen this week.

  David went crazy and made all kinds of treats: thin gingerbread cookies, sweet rolls flavored with saffron, spiral sponge cakes, oat rolled truffles and this spiced wine he called glögg. We also had beer, hot chocolate, and ginger soda, a favorite with the kids.

  We didn’t go too fancy, just fun snacks and food. Everyone would come, bring more food, and we’d hang out and have a fun party.

  The unspoken tension stretched across the room between me and David. Would his parents come? How would that be? His dad had already drawn up the paperwork showing intent to follow through, and that relaxed David a lot.

  Still it was going to be weird to have them here, in our home, with them not used to…well…us. But this was our home, our party, and they asked for entrance into our world. We set the terms, not them, and they’d asked to be allowed in. They asked to show they could respect our world.

  So we were cautiously optimistic. Me, I wanted everything to be perfect. Not just for me, but really for David. I had plans for later and wanted everything to be smooth for him so he could have a great Christmas.

  I looked out the window to check the weather. The snow fell softly, and the sky was turning gray as night started to fall. It was time to turn on the playlist and light the candles.

  Just then, the doorbell rang. It was 5:45 p.m., fifteen minutes before the official start time. “That would be Danielle,” David called from the kitchen. She’d cleared an early arrival so she could help out with the girls.

  I opened the door, and David’s ex-wife Danielle stood on the porch next to a tall smiling guy with light brown hair and dimples. I remembered David told me she was bringing someone she’d been dating. Danielle was all winter glam tonight. She wore a red puffy coat coat and red glittery boots that matched her red lips. Her long blonde hair cascaded down to impossible lengths, like she was some kind of snowy mermaid. One glance at her with this guy, and I could tell they were in love. I don’t think they knew it yet though.

  “Hey Danielle!” I said, genuinely happy to see her. David didn’t have supportive parents but he sure lucked out when it came to the rest of his family, especially in his ex-wife.

  “Hi Mike,” she smiled at me. “This is Trent.” She indicated him, and then looked up into his eyes and they both blushed.

  “Come on in, you two.” I extended a hand to Trent as he came in. “Nice to meet you man.”

  He shook my hand. “Thanks,” he said. He looked around cautiously.

  “You can relax here,” I said, clapping him on the back. “Can I offer you a drink?”

  Trent burst into a relieved smile. “Sure,” he said. “I know this is a family party…”

  “Any guest of Danielle’s is a guest of ours,” I said, as I pulled her into my arms and gave her a big hug. Danielle got the big brother treatment from me, and that included impossibly strong bear hugs.

  “Oof, Mike,” Danielle squeaked. “You’re like a mountain! Don’t break me.”

  I laughed, and let her go. “The girls are upstairs. They were sort of ready at one point, but you know how it is.”

  Danielle nodded and pursed her lips. “I’m up to the task.” She held up a bag full of who knows what — curling irons and tubes and bottles.

  David emerged from the kitchen and shook Trent’s hand, and then gave Danielle a brief hug. “Thanks for coming early. Keeping the girls put together is almost impossible, and we are at the level where I am out of my league,” he said.

  “That’s what I’m here for,” she said. “I have a little surprise for them too.” She winked at us, and made her way upstairs. “Where’s my girls?” she called.

  Ava and Chloe squealed and ran to the top of the stairs. “Mama!”

  “Let’s get you fancy,” Danielle said, and they disappeared into the upstairs.

  I looked at David and Trent and clapped my hands. “Let’s see about that drink,” I said.

  Before long Trent and David were laughing in the kitchen like old friends. I went around lighting all the candles, and then I built up the fire so it could run untended for a while.

  Next came my sister Nicole and her son Noah. We had so much food and Nikki brought even more. She’d had a catering business and then ran the restaurant portion of the coffee shop Danielle ran with her dad.

  “Hey Mike,” she said, handing me armfuls of plates and bowls to relive some of her load. Her son Noah also held several dishes in his hands.

  “Come on in,” I said. “I don’t think we’ll starve to death tonight.” I set what she’d given me on one of the buffet tables we’d set up and peeked under the lids. Delicious smells wafted up and my stomach growled.

  “All this food, and you haven’t been snacking?” Nikki teased. Arms free, she pulled herself to me in a big hug. If Danielle got a sister hug, Nikki got an even tighter squeeze.

  Noah had already found his way to the kitchen. “Did you get ginger beer this year?” I heard him ask David.

  I went around and gathered up coats and hung them up on the long rack in the back hallway/mudroom. My stomach growled again. Maybe just one little bite to eat before we officially start the party…

  Like he could read my mind, David appeared in front of me and put a saffron roll in my mouth. I bit down and then took the delectable bun from him. “Mmmm,” I said, as I chewed and swallowed. “How did you know?”

  He laughed and patted my stomach. “You have rock hard abs, but I heard your stomach growling through them anyway.”

  “Aww, David,” I grinned, and pulled him in for a kiss.

  “I take care of my Mike,” he said. Then he pinched my nipples through my shirt and kissed me again.

  I groaned. “I’m going to punish you for that later,” I murmured in his ear.

  “I’m counting on it,” he laughed, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

  The doorbell rang again. This time it was Sarah, David’s coworker when he still worked at the vet clinic here in Amberly, and the new vet Beckett. “Welcome to Christmas!” I said, and welcomed them inside.

  “I brought food,” Sarah said, and then laughed when she saw the tables. “Though I’m not sure why!”

  “More food is always better!” I said, and rearranged everything to make space for her offering.

  Before long, the entryway was littered with boots, and the mitten/hat rack was a riot of squishy colors. David kept anxiously popping into sight and looking out the window.

  “It will be okay,” I reassured him, as I made my way to the back hall hooks with an arm full of coats. “I’ll handle the door, unless you would rather do it.”

  David pressed his eyes closed tightly. “No, you do it, and then I’ll come out. This way I can stay busy in the kitchen.”

  I pulled him close to me with my free arm and kissed him. “We got this,” I reminded him.

  He looked up into my eyes with his anxious baby blues and nodded. “Okay,” he said.

  Not five minutes later the doorbell rang again. David’s parents stood on the porch with their arms full of gifts. The paper on the packages reflected the twinkling Christmas lights on the porch, giving the whole scene an extra glow.

  “Come on in, welcome, welcome.” I flung the door open and ushered them in. “You can put the gifts under the tree, and we have entirely too much food, so help yourself.”

  “Mike,” David’s dad said, giving me perfunctory smile as they came inside.

  David bustled in from the kitchen, his cheeks glowing and his eyes bright. He’d met with his parents a couple of times since the lunch, but he was still nerv
ous to have them over for a social event.

  It didn’t help that everyone there knew what happened before and were trying not to stare. But we’d filled them all in beforehand so there wouldn’t be any moments any more awkward than they needed to be.

  David helped them with their coats and boots and gave them a tour of the table. “It’s lovely,” his mom said. She craned her head around the room. “Where are my granddaughters?”

  They were our last guests to arrive and we had been waiting for them to start the show.

  “Funny you should ask,” Danielle said from the top of the stairs. She nodded at me, and that was my signal. I lowered the lights and switched the music to a sweet and ancient melody. A hush fell on the room. David came and stood beside me, and I put my arm around him. The high clear voices of an all-girls choir filled the air.

  Hark! through the darksome night

  Sounds come a winging:

  All eyes looked upstairs as Chloe and Ava’s voices joined the music, singing along with the song. Both wore long white dresses with red sashes. They each had crowns of glowing (electric) candles and they came down the stairs, singing along with the song.

  Lo! 'tis the Queen of Light

  Joyfully singing.

  Everyone stood transfixed as the little girls who looked very much like angels proceeded down the stairs, confidently singing as they went. Danelle came down behind them, also wearing red and white, hers in the form of a red skirt and a white fluffy sweater. She held a white candle in her hands. The music continued.

  Clad in her garment white,

  Wearing her crown of light,

  Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.

  When they got to the bottom of the stairs they stood in front of the Christmas tree and sang the rest of the song for the guests.

  Deep in the northern sky

  Bright stars are beaming;

  Christmas is drawing nigh

  Candles are gleaming.

  Welcome thou vision rare,

  Lights glowing in thy hair

  Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.

  As soon as they were done the room exploded into applause. I squeezed David’s shoulders. He wiped his eye, and I noticed so did most of everyone else in the room. Nothing says cute like not one, but two, Santa Lucias for your Christmas party.

  “Can I do that next year?” Avery asked, her eyes shining with the wonder of the spectacle. Jessica looked at David, questioning in her eyes.

  “Absolutely,” he said. “The only thing better than two girls for our show would be three.” He looked at me, happiness in his eyes. I knew what he was thinking. People wanted to come again next year.

  We were making traditions together.

  8

  David

  As soon as the girls finished singing, I stood on the stairs and waited for everyone’s attention. “I’d like to welcome you all - friends, family, loved ones. We have a little fun planned for you, but first, let me tempt you with a cup of glögg. We have adults-only glögg and kid-friendly glögg. If you might be the inhibited type, I encourage you to have the former.”

  Everyone laughed at this, and I grinned to myself, a bloom of excitement spreading through me.

  “Daddy! Are we going to sing the ‘juley ooley’ song?” Ava called out.

  This led to puzzled looks from some and animated buzz from others. I nodded. “Yes, we are going to sing the ‘juley ooley’ song. So first, everyone grab a cup of cheer, and then gather around the Christmas tree.”

  Everyone crowded over to the punch bowl and I served up the glögg. My parents were fitting in nicely, talking and mingling with everyone. My mom came up next in line and I handed her a cup of glögg. “The girls look great. Thanks for getting them the dresses,” I said, meaning it.

  She flushed. “It was great fun, and they looked so beautiful.” She looked around for them, and we spied them running spinning around in their dresses in the living room.

  After serving everyone and satisfied all had at least one drink, I took Mike by the hand and we called for the girls, and headed for the Christmas tree.

  Mike had pulled the tree out so it wasn’t against the wall, and we gathered hands in front of it. “Everyone hold hands!” Ava yelled. That girl was going to be in charge of something someday, I was sure of it. Those who knew what we were doing convinced the others to join us, until finally the whole party was around the tree, holding hands. I held Mike’s hand and had my mom’s in the other, so she could make sure the caboose stayed intact. After Mike were Ava and Chloe, though Chloe ran to hold her Gramma’s hand.

  Everyone laughed and talked and looked at me expectantly.

  “You’re going to need to put your drink down so finish it off,” I said, as loudly as I could. “You can have more when we’re done.

  “This song is called ‘Nu är det jul igen’ and it means Christmas is here. Everyone join hands and circle the tree and follow my lead!”

  I felt heady, drunk on the combined energy of all these people I cared about, all gathered together and looking to me with anticipation. Mike grinned at me and then changed to the song on his phone and it played throughout the room on the speakers. It was so old fashioned and corny, and brought back so many holiday memories of so many years of doing just this thing, but with my father or earlier, my grandfather leading the song.

  As the song started, I sang and led everything in toward the tree, and then back out. Then in, and then back out. Then we circled the tree, first one way, and then the other. At first people were half-heartedly going along, but then as the song took off and we went faster, and they knew what we were doing, they got into it. Pretty soon we were all holding hands and skipping around the tree, everyone laughing and enthusiastically singing along.

  At this point I split off and led the chain around the house, in and out of rooms, and everyone followed, the music pushing them faster and faster. The girls laughed hysterically and as I passed back on the chain of friends, I my heart surged with happiness as I saw our guests mixed together, all laughing and singing together, holding hands. Their cheeks were pink from exertion and their eyes shining from the crazy fun of it.

  Yeah, they would come back next year, I was sure of it. Mike squeezed my hand and smiled at me, and I could feel his encouragement.

  “This is a riot!” Mike’s brother Josh called to me as he and his wife Jessica, and their daughter Avery passed us in the chain.

  “Woo hoo!” Sarah yelled, she and Beckett danced by next in line.

  Finally as the song wound down I brought the group back around the tree around and around. By the time the song was over, everyone was exercised, excited, and good friends.

  Best ice breaker ever. I mean, besides the glögg.

  After that, the party kicked it up a notch, and basically ran itself. I got to talk to everyone, lean my head on Mike’s shoulder, and sometimes update the buffet table. Perfect.

  Later, I was in the kitchen and my dad sought me out. “David, I wanted to talk to you about our project.”

  Just out of natural reaction, my heart skipped a beat in worry, and then I remembered that things were on the mend with my parents. Old habits die hard.

  I sat down at a barstool and motioned for him to join me. “I know this is a Christmas party, and I hate to talk business, but I didn’t want to wait any longer to discuss this.”

  I looked at my dad objectively, he seemed so excited. Animated. He had a file folder full of papers, and he was thumbing through them. Some were printed from the internet and some were legal papers.

  “I know you wanted us to create a safe house, but I had an idea, and I want you to hear me out.”

  I frowned. Was he trying to get out of it already? I swallowed, forcing myself to wait before completely reacting.

  “I did some research with that, and I would like to go a little further. There is a program where they have a safe house, but they also have a thrift store where the kids can work and learn job skills. These kids won’t just need somewhe
re to live. They need something to do, and training in order to be successful in their life. I know it’s a little past the scope of what we originally discussed, but I’d like to do something like that.”

  I blinked and stared at my father. Who was this man? He was so into this. He really had changed.

  My father stopped looking through his notes and frowned at me. “Are you okay?”

  Tears sprang to my eyes. “Yes, I’m fine,” I croaked. “I just…wow…this is great.”

  “This is a big project,” my dad admitted. “We are estimating we might be at a year before we are fully functioning, but if we are going to do this, I want to do it right.”

  I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just managed a smile at him.

  My dad wagged his finger in the air, almost at himself. “Oh, another thing.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope and slid it over to me. “The animal shelter. This should be enough to get that going and operating while you solicit more donations. I was thinking maybe right now you focus on getting the shelter done, and I’ll do all this groundwork for the safe house and programs.”

  I put my hand on the envelope and bit my lip. “Thanks dad,” I said. I dragged my eyes to meet his. “You really…you’ve impressed me.”

  He shook his head. “I would have been impressive if I’d not put us through all this.”

  I nodded, unable to argue. I couldn’t hide my smile. “But, since you did, think of all the good we’re going to do.”

  “That’s my hope,” he sighed. “I went home and did a lot of research and…” he put his head in his hands. “My god, I’m so glad we didn’t lose you to the streets.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. The past was heavy and sad, and I was glad he was sorry. But now is now and the future is ahead of us. “Me too,” I managed. “We can save so many kids who would be otherwise.”

  He met my eyes earnestly. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure we do.”

  I pulled him into a hug. “Thanks dad.”

  He patted my back. “You’re welcome. Love you son.”

  I squeezed my eyes tight. “I love you too.” After a beat I whispered, “Merry Christmas.”