You may have to use your imagination for certain things to make sense, but this is a Christmas story, after all, even if Christmas is over.
By the way, locals in the area often refer to Oklahoma City as 'the City'.
Surprised to get only a noncommittal shrug from Father Ed, Sheriff Clymer shifted nervously from one foot to the other as he stammered out an explanation. "So…um…you see…" He pointed over his shoulder to the young man standing behind him. "This is Sam Nelson, and that's his wife and their three kids in my truck. They left Ninnekah today…" Seeing Booth's confusion, he quickly added, "Ninnekah is a little bitty town south of the City. Anyway, they left early this morning, and were on their way to Wichita so Sam can look into getting a better job, but the fuel pump went out on their SUV, and so they were stranded on I-35 North a few miles outside of town. A snowplow driver spotted their car stalled on the highway's shoulder and called me since they were near the Highway 77 exit, so I went out to check on them. I couldn't just leave them out there in the cold, so I gave them a ride to town. We've made arrangements to have their car and the trailer they were hauling towed over to Branch's Service Station, and Vernon says he can fix the SUV easily, but he won't be able to get the new part until after Christmas…on the 26th, at the earliest…but with the holidays and the weather, most likely it'll be a day or two later than that…"
"Hmm…I see." Ed nodded slightly, trying to hide his grin. "But what does that have to do with me doin' you a favor?"
"Well…you know, it should've been just a one day trip from Ninnekah up to Kansas, so they didn't bring a lot of cash with them. They didn't think they'd need it." Billy Don sighed in frustration before he continued. "And it seems they've already reached their daily limit on their debit card since they had to pay for towing the truck and trailer into town, and then they had to purchase the new fuel pump in advance so Vernon could order it…and so now, because they don't have enough cash and no way to get any more, they're stuck with no place to stay the night, even if there was a room available in the area."
Glancing at the sheriff, Sam Nelson looked sheepish as he jammed his hands in his pockets. "Look, I know I didn't plan for our trip too well, but things changed in a hurry back home…things happened that were outta my control, so when my cousin called with some ideas about where I could get work in Wichita, I had to take the chance on it. I had to try to do right by my wife and kids, so we kinda packed up and left on the spur of the moment. It may have been a crazy thing to do, but I need to find some work fast so I can provide for my family."
Determined to plead his case, the young man continued in a fervent tone, hoping to convince the priest to take a chance on him. Sam was a slightly built man in his middle twenties, dressed only in jeans and a thin sweatshirt in spite of the frigid temperatures, but he spoke boldly, squaring his shoulders as he regarded Father Ed intently. "Listen…if it was just me, Father, I wouldn't care where I slept tonight…I mean, I'd sleep in the jail if I had to…but I don't want my wife and kids to spend Christmas in a jail cell just because my plans went to Hell." He exhaled slowly as if gathering his thoughts. "It's true that I ain't got no cash on me right now, but I don't mean to take any charity from you, okay, Father? I'm a plumber by trade, and my cousin gave me some leads on a couple of good jobs in Wichita, so once I'm hired on someplace and we're settled in, I'll send you some money to repay you for your kindness…and you won't have to worry about feeding us, either. We've still got some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches left over from lunch…"
"Anyway, Ed…" The sheriff interrupted the younger man to explain his idea on how to help out the stranded family. "I figure we can get Sam and Alice and their kids set up in the parish hall for a couple of days, you know? I borrowed some cots and some privacy screens from the County Emergency Management office…even after we set up some beds, there'll be plenty of room for the kids to run around in there, and we can easily move stuff out of the way for the coffee time after tomorrow night's services and then get it set back up in a flash…"
Booth shook his head at that idea. "Why don't you just let them use my room in the rectory? I can crash on the couch in the parlor…"
"Oh, no, sir!" Sam was adamant as he dismissed that idea. "We don't wanna cause nobody any trouble, and we damn sure don't wanna push anyone outta their bed…especially not an older fella like you, sir!"
Missing Booth's annoyed grimace, the young man continued earnestly. "Anyway, Father, my three kids can be ornery, and I think me and Alice would feel better if we stay outta your way so they don't bother you all with their runnin' around and yellin' and such…and since the Sheriff says the parish hall is separate from the main house, that'd be a good thing for all of us, I think." Studying his shoes for a few seconds, Sam shrugged before leveling an intense gaze at Ed. "Hell, I ain't too proud to ask for help if it's for my family's benefit, so…please, Father? It'll only be for a couple of nights, and I promise, I'm good for it…"
"I don't want your money, son. Besides…if you stay, you'd actually be doing us a favor. I mean, what's Christmas without having little kids running around to enjoy the fun?" Smiling cheerfully, Father Ed pushed himself up out of his rocker and pointed a thumb at Booth. "I tell you what…if this 'older' fella can help the sheriff get things set up in the parish hall for you all to use this evenin', then my wife and I'd be glad to let you all stay as long as you need to…"
"Thank you! Thank you, Father!" Grinning in relief, Sam turned and called to his wife. "C'mon, Honey. We're gonna get to stay here tonight!"
Alice quickly scrambled out of the truck's cab and then helped her children climb out. Soon a set of twin boys, who looked to be about six years old, were romping around in the snow, throwing tiny snowballs at their four year old baby sister, who wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about the cold white stuff as her brothers were.
"Josh! Jake! That's enough, you two! Mind your manners, and quit teasing Janie!," Alice scolded softly. "Here…come get your things out of the sheriff's truck…" She handed the children their coats and some well loved stuffed animals, and then brushed the snow from her brood as best she could before marching them up to the porch. "Now you all tell this nice man 'thank you'...he's gonna let us stay here tonight. Isn't that nice?"
"Does he have a TV, Mama? We wanna watch Paw Patrol!," one of the boys announced.
Sam gave his son a stern look. "You hush now, Josh. It ain't polite to ask questions like that when someone's trying to help ya out!"
"Yes, Daddy…"
"Now…what do you all say to the nice man?," Alice prompted.
"Thank you!," the children said in singsong voices.
"You're welcome." Laughing softly, Father Ed winked at the kids. "I tell you what…we have a portable DVD player you all can borrow, and we may not have Paw Patrol videos, but I know we've got some Roadrunner cartoons. If your daddy doesn't care, maybe you can watch them for a while…"
Jake gave his father a hopeful grin. "Can we, Daddy? Please?"
"Yeah…I s'pose so…" Sam smiled as he nodded at his sons. "Well? What do you say, boys?"
"Thank you!"
Ed nodded in satisfaction. "There we go. Now, I'm gonna turn in for the evenin'. Billy Don, why don't you and Booth go get things set up for the Nelsons while they get the rest of their things from the truck?"
Booth smiled as he rose from his seat and jogged down the porch steps. "Sure thing, Ed. Let's get to work, Sheriff…let's make this family feel at home!"
Oooooooooo
December 24 (Both an eve and a day!)
Looking up at the cloudless blue sky, Booth smiled happily as he strode down an uneven concrete sidewalk the next morning. Even though it was 10:30 and the sun was shining brightly, it was still bitterly cold, and several inches of glittering snow covered the lawns bordering his route, but at the moment, he didn't care about the temperature or the snow. He was perfectly content with everything he encountered that morning, because tomorrow would be Christmas, and he'd be spending the whole day with his Bones.
Feeling restless after breakfast, he'd decided to walk a few short blocks over to St. Mary's Catholic Church to inquire about the times for the Christmas Eve masses. He knew he could've called the church instead, or even looked up the information on the internet, but he felt like taking a stroll, and it was a lovely winter's day, so why not?
He'd found the altar guild already hard at work when he arrived at St. Mary's. They were laughing and talking as they got the nave ready for services, and Booth found their cheerfulness delightful. He'd struck up a conversation with them as he watched them work and soon gathered enough information to rival any of Bones' internet fact finding missions.
Built in the 1920s, it was a beautiful little church, both inside and out, with a vaulted ceiling over the altar that was marked by dark wooden arches, and several glorious stained glass windows placed at intervals on either side of the nave. As they chatted, the guild members were more than happy to share the building's history with him while they arranged bright red poinsettias and snowy white candles around the ornately carved and gilded white altar.
After waving to the guild members as they left, he silently took in the nave's peaceful ambience as he gazed at the crucifix hanging over the altar. This little church looks nice now, but it'll really be beautiful this evening when all the candles are lit. I'm glad I walked down there to see the church for myself this morning...before it was all dressed up, that is. It's so pretty just the way it was, but they were enjoying themselves as they got it ready, weren't they…it was a labor of love, and anyway, talking to real people about an actual place is a lot better than looking stuff up on the computer…it gives you a feel for the congregation, too. They must love their little church…you can feel the history here…and they like being a part of it…
As he left the nave and stepped outside, he admired the bright blue sky again, chuckling to himself as he recalled the conversation he'd had with Bones over their oatmeal and fruit that morning. She was trying to explain to him that the weather phenomena they were presently experiencing was due to a massive high pressure system that was currently parked over the area, but he couldn't concentrate on the day's science lesson because he'd had other things on his mind. He was far too distracted when he noticed how the dark blue of her sweatshirt enhanced the color of her eyes to care anything about high pressure, cold temperatures, and cirrus clouds.
"I guess I'd be a failure as a weather guy. I don't care why the sky is so blue…as long as it is…and right now, it's as blue as her eyes, isn't it?," he said to himself, smirking as he walked along. "But it's fun trying to get Bones to explain stuff to me, even if I do have to act really dumb sometimes to get her started…and I think she likes trying to teach me shit like that…"
He'd asked her if she wanted to go with him on his walk to the church, but for some reason, she had politely demurred. "Hmm…that surprised me. I wonder why she said no? Normally, she likes to go on walks like this…she likes to explore new places." Smiling, he nodded as he thought over the situation. "Maybe she wanted to wrap my Christmas gifts while I was gone. I wonder what she got for me…"
As he neared the rectory, he was surprised to hear a minor commotion coming from the old home's front lawn. Picking up his pace, he eventually stopped behind a large snow covered cedar on the edge of the yard next door, positioning himself in such a way so he could see what Brennan was doing, but she wouldn't notice him. Peeking through the branches, he laughed to himself. "I'll be damned…"
Brennan was busy supervising the Nelson children as they made a snowman. "Alright now…," she stated briskly. "...I believe we have enough snow accumulated in this area to begin construction on our snowy hominid. However, in my opinion, the base of its body needs to be more ovoid…"
"Huh? Ov…olive…what?" Looking confused, Jake stood with his hands on his hips. "What does that mean?"
"Oh…I'm sorry. I've forgotten that I should adjust my vocabulary for your age level." She pointed to the large snowball before them. "Instead of being perfectly round, it needs to be more squashed…kind of like an egg…so it won't be prone to falling over…"
The two boys and their baby sister got busy patting the mound with mittened hands so they could 'squash' it into the appropriate shape. As they worked, Brennan explained how snow formed. "Sometimes, because of the amount of moisture available during formation, snow is light and powdery, almost like sugar, and at other times it's heavy and wet. Heavy, wet snow is better for construction purposes. And did you know that scientists think that no two snowflakes are alike?"
"How do they know that?," Josh asked, shaking his head at that silly notion. "They can't look at every single one…"
"That's a good question. Perhaps we can look up the answer later this afternoon."
Finally, after a few minutes, she was satisfied that the base was ready. "Very good." Brennan pointed to a second ball of snow. "Okay, now let's put this one up there, boys…very good…and then we'll make a smaller orb for his head. Can you help me with that, Janie?"
Picking up a handful of snow, the little girl laughed with glee at the suggestion. "Okay!"
After several attempts to get the snowy mounds arranged and smoothed to her satisfaction, Brennan smiled, pleased with their efforts. "I think we did very well…it was excellent teamwork! Now for the decorations! Mrs. Bledsoe has lent us lots of things to use…some charcoal to make his face and some pretend buttons down the front…a carrot for his nose…an old hat and scarf…oh, and we need some long, sturdy branches for his arms…"
The boys jostled with each other as they tried to line up the charcoal for the snowman's buttons and his face, but finally that was done. Turning to Janie, Brennan handed her the carrot. "Do you want to add his nose!"
Giggling as Brennan picked her up, the little girl stuck the carrot in the center of the snowman's face. "He's funny…"
"He is funny, Janie! Okay…let's see how he looks with this hat and scarf. Oh, those are good branches, boys…here we go…we'll put them here for his arms. There…what do you think?"
"Yay!," the children cheered. "He looks like Frosty on TV!"
As he watched them put the finishing touches on their project, Booth sighed contentedly. "Bones is gonna be such a great mom…"
He stepped out from behind the tree and casually made his way up the sidewalk before stopping to inspect their work. "Wow! Look at that, will ya? That's a great snowman!"
Jake nodded happily. "Yeah, and we made it all by ourselves."
"Nah…" Josh elbowed his brother. "The lady helped us…"
Jake shrugged at his brother. "Yeah, I guess she did…kinda…"
"Will you take our picture, Booth?" Brennan gave him her phone and aligned the children around their creation. "Come on…let's all get in the picture. Put Janie in front where we can see her…okay, smile, everyone…"
"There we go…" After taking the picture, Booth grinned as he showed it to Brennan and the kids. "It looks great. I didn't know you were such an expert on snowman construction, Bones…"
"I have expertise in many areas, Booth…" She shrugged slightly as she pocketed her phone, watching as the boys showed their sister how to make snow angels. "I remember making snowmen with my father when I was a child. Russ and I were always so excited when it first started snowing. We always wanted to make the biggest snowman we could…at least bigger than the previous attempt…and my dad would always help us put it together…and while doing so, he'd explain about how snow formed and about how the different types of weather systems interacted…" She paused, puffing out a sigh. "I suppose I'm just passing along something he taught me…"
"Well, when you helped those kids build that snowman, you gave them a wonderful memory, Bones. I bet they'll talk about today for years to come." Booth smiled as he put his arm around her. "That's a wonderful gift! I'm sure it's something they'll cherish for a long time…"
"I hope so…" She smiled sadly as she gazed into his warm brown eyes. "And maybe I'll feel better about my dad if I know something he taught me will benefit someone else…"
"Listen, Bones…you benefit other people just by being you, okay? You're a wonderful person…"
She was so close…so beautiful…and Booth's heart was pounding in response to her nearness. He took her hand, hoping to pull her close so he could kiss her, when suddenly Alice appeared on the front porch.
"Lunchtime, everybody! Come wash up!"
Seeing the faraway look in Booth's eyes, Brennan tugged on his hand. "Are you okay, Booth?"
The moment had passed, and who knew when another chance would happen…when the stars would align correctly again…when he'd had another chance to give in to his heart's desire…
Maybe someday…but not today, I guess… Sighing softly, he tried to smile. "Yeah, Bones…I'm fine. Let's go have lunch."
Oooooooooo
Lunch was over, and the last of the dishes had been stacked in the sink. After he poured himself a cup of coffee, Booth checked a text alert on his phone. "Hmm…" Stirring some sugar into the mug, he pursed his lips slightly. "Listen, Bones…I've got to run some errands this afternoon, so I'm gonna go take care of them…"
"What kind of errands?"
"Aw, you know…I need to gas up the car…pick up some milk and a few extra things for dinner tomorrow, since we're having more people than we originally thought…stuff like that. I'll only be gone for a couple of hours. Do you need anything while I'm out?"
"No." Smiling as Phyllis joined her at the kitchen table, Brennan pointed at a stack of sugar cookies. "We're going to decorate cookies for tonight's dessert…"
"My favorite!" He grinned as he snagged a plain cookie as Phyllis pretended to slap his hand. "Okay…Mass at St. Mary's is at five this evening, so I'll come home, get cleaned up, go to the service and then be back in time for dinner. You'll save me some chili, right?"
"I suppose…" Brennan grinned at his pretend pout. "Yes, of course we will."
"Okay…you'd better. See you later…"
He left the house and walked down the little path to the parking lot. He paused before unlocking the car, noticing that Ed and Sam seemed to be having an intense conversation. That's none of my business…so I'll just get lost…
"Hey, Booth…wait a minute." Waving, Father Ed quickly strode over to the car as Sam walked back inside the parish hall. "Did Billy Don get ahold of you?"
"Yeah…I was just getting ready to go take care of it." Glancing in Sam's direction, Booth raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah…Sam's just fretting about stuff…you know, money and work…Christmas for his kids...things like that. He's had a rough time here lately. The guy he was working for wrote him a hot check for his pay and then skipped town. Sam contacted the police, but it may be hard to find that damn crook, and in the meantime, the boy's pretty much flat broke." Ed sighed quietly. "He insisted on shoveling the church steps and the sidewalk around the church to 'pay me back' for helping his family…and he's also checked all the faucets and toilets on site here to make sure they're working right, since that's what he does for a livin'. I think he's an honest fella...you know, he's a good guy who just happened to get caught in a bad situation."
"Sounds like it…and I think he and his family could use some help." Booth grinned at the priest. "And after talking to Sheriff Clymer about things, I think he seems like a good guy, too…"
"Yeah, his heart's in the right place, even if he's kinda squirrelly from time to time." Ed laughed as he scratched the back of his neck. "His mama says he's always brought home strays…you know, puppies, kittens…and people who could use a friend. Can't fault a fella for that."
"I guess not." Booth nodded towards his SUV. "Hey, I gotta get going…I need to get back by four…"
"Okay. See ya later."
Father Ed smiled as he watched Booth drive away. "Yep…between the sheriff and the fed, I think the Nelsons are gonna be well taken care of this Christmas…"
Oooooooooo
Phyllis set several bowls of colored icing between herself and Brennan, and then brought over several shakers of multicolored sprinkles along with plastic containers of nonpareils and small candies. "These are my children's favorite cookies," she said as she sat down across from Brennan. "I usually bake them ahead of time, freeze them, and then decorate them right before the holidays." She shrugged a shoulder as she picked up a star shaped cookie. "I wasn't going to bother with decorating them this year, since the kids can't make it, but I think the Nelson children will enjoy them…and so will Agent Booth…"
Brennan nodded as she spread some red frosting on a bell shaped cookie. "He definitely will enjoy them. He has quite a sweet tooth."
Eying her companion, Phyllis smiled to herself as she continued. "He seems like a fine man…"
"He is…he's one of the best men I've ever known." Concentrating on the task at hand, Brennan spooned some sprinkles onto the newly frosted cookie. "He's good at his job, and he's an even better person."
"I can see why you're fond of him." Smirking, Phyllis set the star aside and picked up an angel cookie. "He's also very handsome…"
"He is that!," Brennan agreed. "His features are quite symmetrical, and I find him most pleasing to look at." She paused a few seconds. "And as far as being fond of him…we've been partners for several years, so, of course, we're on very friendly terms. I believe that's the natural consequence of working together so closely."
"Of course…" Phyllis bit her lip to keep from giggling at Brennan's bland assessment of her relationship with Agent Booth. "I'm sure that's true…and of course he feels the same way…"
"Of course. He often tells me how much he enjoys our friendship…"
I bet he does…but I'm also sure he wants more than friendship… Phyllis sprinkled some colored sugar on the angel's wings. "It sounds like the perfect relationship…"
"As perfect as any relationship can be, I suppose." Brennan shrugged as she picked up another cookie. "I'm not very good at maintaining long term relationships, but Booth has helped me…he's taught me so much…about friendship..."
And he wants to teach her more. "It's a wonderful blessing to have such a caring friend." Phyllis smiled to herself again as she glanced furtively at Brennan. So they're in love with each other…although I'm not sure she realizes that yet…
They chatted quietly about nothing in particular for a few minutes as they continued to decorate the cookies. Engrossed in adding silver nonpareils to the points of a yellow star, Phyllis looked up at Brennan with satisfaction. "There…what do you think, Temperance?" She was shocked to see a tear rolling down her companion's cheek. "Oh dear…what's wrong?"
Sniffling, Brennan shook her head in embarrassment as she brushed away the offending droplet. "I don't know, but…" She sighed, sitting back in her chair. "...perhaps I'm being overly emotional because I have vague memories of helping my mother make cookies. She made snickerdoodles a lot…they're my father's favorite…and peanut butter cookies as well. I loved making those…she'd roll them into little balls and then I'd squash them flat with a fork. I was only about five or six, but I felt so grownup, being able to help her bake like that…"
"Those are wonderful memories." Phyllis got up and retrieved a box of tissues before continuing quietly. "Is your mother still living?"
"No…she died several years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps you're simply feeling wistful." Phyllis sat down and patted Brennan's hand. "You miss her…so that's only natural…"
"But it's not natural or rational…not at all." Sighing softly, Brennan groaned in frustration. I don't want to talk about this right now… However, seeing Phyllis' kind demeanor, it seemed she couldn't help herself, and her words came tumbling out before she could stop them. "My parents abandoned my brother and me right before Christmas in 1991. I was fifteen at the time, and my brother was nineteen. He wasn't able to care for me, so I went into foster care for the next three years before going to college…"
"I see. How sad. What an unfortunate situation. I can't imagine how you managed..." Phyllis nodded, studying Brennan intently. "And it'd be perfectly normal to feel angry with your parents over that…"
"Booth has told me that many times…and I've come to accept that feeling that way is...normal." Wiping away her tears, she puffed out a sigh. "For many years I assumed they had died, since we hadn't heard from them, and I thought I'd accepted that, but about four years ago, my mother's remains were identified. She'd died from a blow to the head circa 1993, and was buried in a makeshift grave at the edge of a cemetery…a situation very similar to the one that brought us here to Oklahoma in the first place…"
"That's terrible…" Phyllis cringed in horror. "...and I'm sure it stirred up all sorts of memories for you…both good and bad..."
"It would seem so." Brennan picked up another star cookie and spread some blue icing on it. "Booth says that grief isn't linear…that it ebbs and flows…and it would seem that he's correct. My grief had been at an ebb for almost a year…but now it's flowing through me like a raging river…"
Booth says this…Booth says that…she mentions him a lot, doesn't she? Phyllis nodded sadly. "Booth is a very wise man."
"He is. That's part of what makes him such a good friend. I don't always understand my own emotional state, but he helps me work through it…he helps me process what I'm feeling…without judging me. Most people wouldn't have the patience to do that."
They sat in silence for a few minutes…the only sound was the hum of the refrigerator. Finally, Phyllis cleared her throat softly. "Temperance…may I share something with you?"
Studying Phyllis cautiously, Brennan nodded. "Of course…"
The older woman nervously tapped the table with her fingers as she continued. "When I was eighteen, my mother was killed in an accident right before Christmas. She'd gone out to lunch with friends…she'd had a couple of martinis…and as she was leaving the restaurant, she stepped off the curb and into the path of a fast moving car. She was killed instantly."
"I'm so sorry…"
"It was devastating, of course…and we all grieved, but then I realized I was also very angry at her…in fact, I actually hated her. Even though I knew it was an accident, in my view, she'd ruined my life with her carelessness. I had to drop out of college to help my father take care of my younger siblings…I had to give up my dreams of being a music teacher…I had to make so many changes in the plans I had for my life, and I blamed her for upending everything I'd worked for…everything I thought I wanted." Anticipating Brennan's statement, Phyllis wore a faint smile. "No, it wasn't rational to feel that way…but it's what I felt, and it was eating at me, so I was constantly miserable…and I pushed away everyone. I refused to make friends…I didn't want to interact with people…not even my own father. In fact, I clung to my anger and my grief like a security blanket. I lived like that for years…making everyone unhappy. It was a very sad existence."
Seeing that Brennan understood, Phyllis laughed softly. "Then one day my life changed. I met a man who refused to accept that I could stay that angry...that unhappy...for the rest of my life."
"What happened?" Interested in the story, Brennan leaned forward in her chair. "How did he help you?"
"After we got to know each other over a month or so, he told me that I'd spent so much time being angry at my mother that I'd forgotten anything good about her…that I'd tried to bury all my happy memories of her…so that I wouldn't have to finish grieving for her. He said it seemed like all I had left of her was grief, and until I got over it, my life would be locked in misery. I didn't agree with him, of course. I was sure I was right…that there was nothing worth remembering about her, but then he challenged me to tell him something good about my mother…like a happy memory or a funny story…and it took me a while to come up with something, but he wouldn't let it go, so eventually I did come up with a silly story about how she wore her hats. Since he was the one who'd won the argument, he gloated, naturally, which irked me to no end! I hadn't wanted to remember her that way! I wanted to stay angry at her, but he wouldn't let me! It was so annoying, because every time he saw me, he'd ask me to tell him something pleasant about my mother…one of her funny habits or something…and I often found myself laughing in spite of myself. We'd laugh together about it…and after several months I realized that I wasn't as angry at her. I wasn't completely over my grief, but I no longer hated her like I once did…and after more time passed, I could think of her with love, and I was more at peace than I had been for years…"
"He sounds like a wise man, too." Brennan allowed herself a faint smile. "So what happened to that man?"
Phyllis giggled softly. "I married him." She picked up another cookie and began to frost it. "That was fifty years ago, and he still makes me smile." Glancing up at Brennan, she shrugged. "You've already shared a good memory of your mother with me, Temperance. Tell me something else that makes you happy when you think of her…"
Sighing softly as she put some sprinkles on a frosted cookie, Brennan began slowly. "She…she loved dolphins. She said they always looked like they were smiling, no matter what was going on. Of course, that's not true…it's the shape of their rostrum that makes them look like that, but she didn't care. She also liked how sleek and playful they were. She collected dolphin figurines...and dolphin jewelry. She even had a dolphin belt buckle…my father had it custom made for her...and I borrowed it without her permission so I could wear it on the first day of high school, but she wasn't really too angry…she said she was glad we could enjoy our love of dolphins together as mother and daughter…she'd often point out the constellation of Delphinus...the dolphin...swimming in the sky if we were outside at night..."
The women continued to chat as they frosted the cookies. Glancing at the clock, Brennan was surprised that it was so late in the afternoon. "Oh...it's already 3:30!" She wiped her hands on a paper towel. "I need to go wrap Booth's Christmas presents before he returns…but let me help you clean up first…"
"Never mind…you go take care of that. I'll have this cleaned up in just a few minutes." Phyllis picked up the empty bowls and carried them to the sink. "Temperance…thanks for spending the afternoon with me. I think the cookies turned out really well…"
"I enjoyed it, too." Exhaling slowly, Brennan nodded. "And thanks to listening to me ramble on about my mother. For some reason I feel a lot better."
"I'm glad." As she watched Brennan leave the room, Phyllis smiled, remembering how her Ed had listened to her fifty years ago. "And I bet that's what Agent Booth does for her, right? He listens to her…and that's why she loves him so much…"
Piling the sticky bowls in the dishwasher, the elderly woman chuckled happily. "It is Christmas, isn't it? Maybe all they need is a little nudge…and maybe some mistletoe might be in order after all…"
More soon. Laura.
