CHAPTER 59
Leah POV:
Christmas was coming fast. Too fast! It was two weeks away already. I always loved this time as a kid. The anticipation, and all of the activities that lead to Christmas morning. This year would be so much more festive. Last year was our first without Dad and it was really hard. He and Seth always went and cut us a tree, and last year, we couldn't bring ourselves to do it, so we put up this little fake tree on the table in the living room. This year, Seth announced to Mom that he and Embry would be cutting the tree and she should have all of the stuff ready by Saturday. She smiled at me and said, "Well, the man of the house has spoken!"
Saturday arrived and Embry picked up Seth in the truck and Seth showed him where he and Dad used to go. They picked out a tree and cut it down then brought it home. They had picked up Abby on the way back. She was so excited! She joined Mom and I in watching them try to get the tree into the house and set in the tree stand. It took them forever to get it straight. But maybe that's because Mom and I were having way too much fun telling them, "A little more to the left." Then I would say, "No, to the right." We kept at it way too long, but it was so entertaining!
We finally had the tree up and the lights on then we decided to take a break for lunch. Mom made us soup and sandwiches and we all sat down at the table and ate. Abby was very chatty. She had never done this before. She told us when she was little her mom used to put up a little fake tree. But she quit doing that years ago. Mom just shook her head as Abby talked. She, too, wanted to kick the crap out of Abby's mom. Emily was determined that she would never go back there again. I think we would all make sure that never happened.
After lunch, I put on the Christmas music and we added all of the decorations to the tree. Then we lit the tree and all oohed and aahed over it. It really was beautiful. We always put it in the front window so you could see it as soon as you drove up to the house. Mom asked Seth to light a fire in the fireplace while we set up some of the other decorations. She had a special little table that we always set the Nativity Scene on. I was getting it out of the box when Embry came up to see what I was doing.
I took out the stable and started setting the figures into it. "I used to like to play with these figures when I was little," I told him. "One year, I insisted on taking Baby Jesus to bed with me every night. For some reason, I thought he might get stolen if I didn't." Embry smiled at that. He picked up the Baby Jesus figure and looked at it.
"We never had one of these. Mom wasn't a religious type of person, so we didn't go to church. I never knew Christmas was about anything other than Santa Claus. But, I remember Jake's mom took us to church one year and they had a Christmas program with Mary and Joseph and a little doll for Jesus. His mom told us the story again in the car on the way home." I watched his face as he talked. It was like he was reliving the memory as he told it. "I remember when she said that the baby was very special, Jake asked, 'like Batman?' and she laughed. She said he was more special than Batman. That got our attention!" He smiled. "When she took me home that night, she hugged me. That's my strongest memory of her. She was a really nice lady. It really hurt when she got killed." He looked down at the stable and put Baby Jesus down in front of Mary and Joseph.
"I'm sorry," I said as I put my arms around him. "I don't remember her very well at all. I know she used to come to school sometimes for Rachel and Rebecca, but I can just barely remember what she looked like."
"Just look at Rachel," he said with a smile. "The older she gets, the more she looks like her mom."
"OK, I found the stockings," Mom announced as she walked down the stairs carrying a box. "The box was pushed to the back of the attic for some reason." She opened it and took out a stocking that had Seth's name on it and one with mine.
"We're getting a little old for this, aren't we, Mom?" I asked her.
"Speak for yourself, old lady!" Seth interjected. "I like the candy and junk that I get in my stocking!" He went over to the fireplace and hung it up. Embry laughed and I just shook my head.
"OK, give it here," I said to Mom. I walked over and hung mine next to Seth's. I noticed that there were two more nails put into the mantle. I turned and looked as she held out two more stockings. One had Embry's name on it and one had Abby's. I smiled at her. She's the best. She winked at me and smiled back.
Abby took it from her and held it like it was going to break. "I've never had a stocking with my name on it. My grandma used to have a small one at her house for me, but . . . this is really, really cool." She looked up at Mom and said, "Thank you so much."
Mom reached out and hugged her. "You are very welcome. You hang it up so Santa can fill it, OK?"
She smiled and nodded. She walked over and hung it next to Seth's.
Embry took his and hugged my mom. "Thanks, Sue. This is awesome. I've never had a stocking with my name on it either. Or a fireplace to hang it on. I always laid mine on the table beside the cookies and milk for Santa." He walked over and hung it next to mine. I smiled at him.
"OK, let's get all of these boxes put away," Mom said. We all helped her put things away and then she said, "Now, who wants to help decorate cookies?"
"Oh yea, I'm in," Embry said.
"I said, 'decorate,' not eat," Mom teased.
"Aw, man," he whined. "Not even one? Just for me?" he said with his 'I'm so cute you can't say no' face.
She laughed and took his arm and pulled him along with her. "OK, if you're a good boy, you can have one."
"Yes!" I heard him say as they disappeared into the kitchen.
"Come on, Abby. My mom's cookies are the best," Seth said. Abby excitedly nodded her head and then she asked, "Aren't you coming, Leah?"
I was standing at the Nativity scene holding Baby Jesus in my hand. I looked at it and smiled then placed it back into the stable. "I wouldn't miss out on Mom's cookies," I said as I walked with them to the kitchen.
Embry POV:
Business had picked up which was really good because I wanted to get Leah something really special for Christmas. At first I was saving to buy her a ring. But Mom took care of that, so now I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to give her. I thought I might still like to give her jewelry, because I wanted it to be special. This was our first Christmas of what I hoped would be many Christmases, and I wanted this gift to be one she would always remember.
Jake and I were working in the garage the week before Christmas talking about when we might get a chance to go shopping. We were planning a trip to Port Angeles with Seth and Sam so we could all shop together. "Friday is good for me. You guys are out of school then, right?" Jake asked.
"Yes! And I have to go back after the holiday break for one week to take my finals and I am done with school. I am so ready!" He held up his hand and I gave him a high five.
"That's awesome, bro. I'm proud of you for going back."
"Hey, when is your GED test?"
"It's scheduled for Dec. 28th. Bella has been helping me study for it, but it seems pretty easy. I'm not worried about passing it."
"That's good. Then I can be in here full-time, and we can get closer to buying the shop."
Jake just nodded. He was kind of quiet today and I wondered out loud what was bugging him.
He looked at me and sunk down onto the stool. "Bella's mom wants her to go to Florida for Christmas. I don't want her to go. It's our fist Christmas together, you know? I mean, I don't want to be selfish. I know she misses her mom, but I really wanted to spend it together. And, I was kind of thinking of giving her an engagement ring."
"Really? I thought you were going to wait on that because of the whole Edward engagement thing."
"Yea, I know. I shouldn't be in a hurry, but man, when I watched you propose to Leah, it just really made me want that. I want her to wear my ring. My dad saved my mom's ring and he gave it to me when I was like 15 or something. He told me to put it in a safe place and save it for the girl I wanted to marry. I already knew then I was saving it for Bella. I guess I figure I've held onto long enough. I love her and I know I want to marry her. She already knows that. We've even talked a little about getting married. She seems to be warming up to the idea."
"Good! I knew she would. I mean, who could resist you, right?"
He laughed and said, "I know, right?"
"So is she definitely going to Florida?" I asked.
He shook his head. "She hasn't decided. She is torn. She wants to see her mom, but she doesn't want to leave me and Charlie. She told me she had to decide by today, but I haven't heard from her yet."
"Man, what a rotten girlfriend you have to keep you wondering so long," Bella said as she walked into the garage.
He stood up and said quickly, "No, I wasn't complaining, I was just . . ." She cut him off by kissing him. "It's OK. I'm not going. I told Mom it wasn't fair to make me pick between her and Charlie and you. So, she's coming here."
He picked her up in a hug and twirled her around. "That's great, Bells. Thank you so much. I didn't want to say anything. I wanted this to be your decision. I know you miss your mom. But I'm really happy we will be together for Christmas." He smiled and kissed her.
"Yea, me too," she said.
"Well, I think I will get out of here and let you two celebrate. All this kissing is making me miss my woman," I told them. Jake laughed and Bella just shook her head at me. "I'll tell Sam that Friday is OK with you?" Jake nodded. "We'll leave at eleven and catch lunch then shop and come home. Sound good?"
"Yep, I'm in."
"See you guys," I said as I walked out to the truck. I hope Jake gives her the ring and she accepts it. They were so good together. I wanted them to be as happy as Leah and me.
Friday arrived and I was getting dressed to go pick up Seth. Leah was letting me take the Jeep today so all four of us could ride together. I don't think we had ever been on a road trip together. This could be fun.
I walked out to find Mom at the kitchen table with her head in her hands. There was a can of 7 Up and a couple of crackers sitting on the table beside her. I felt so bad for her. This morning sickness was still getting to her. "Hey, Mom."
She lifted her head and looked at me. "Morning, Embry."
"Can I get you anything?" I asked. I noticed there was no coffee. Mom couldn't take the smell in the morning anymore. I would pick some up in town.
"No. I got one cracker down and I'm feeling a little better," she said.
"When is this supposed to end?" I asked. It had already been a couple of months.
"The doctor told me that I should feel better by the end of the third month. That's coming up in about a week from now. When I was pregnant with you, I didn't get this sick. Maybe it's because I was only 18 and I could handle it better. What am I thinking getting pregnant at my age? Maybe I'm too old for this."
I had sat down beside her and now I took her hand. "Mom, you're not too old for this. And besides, it's a little late for that now!"
She smiled at that. "I know. I want this baby so much. I always wanted another baby after you were born. I just didn't think it would take so long to find Josh again!"
I laughed. "Speaking of Dad, where is he?"
"He left for work early today. He wants to finish this job before Christmas. He gave Sam the day off today to go shopping with you."
I nodded. "Will you be OK here alone today?"
"Yes. Once I get this other cracker down and shower, I'll be fine. I have some wrapping to do today while you two are gone."
"Yea? You have presents here in this house that I don't know about? Hmm, I must be getting rusty."
"You always were a peeker," she said with a smile. There were some Christmases that Mom could only afford to get me maybe one or two presents, but she always managed something. I would usually nose around and try to find where she had them hidden. One year, she got me walkie-talkies and I unwrapped them and played with them then wrapped them up again before Christmas! The last couple of years, I told her not to get me anything because I didn't believe in Santa anymore and it was kind of silly. But she insisted.
"Alright. I gotta get going. Take care of yourself and little sissy," I told her as I kissed her on the head and walked to the door.
"Must you really call this baby 'little sissy?' I know you and your dad want a girl, but it might be a boy, you know," Mom called after me.
"Bye, Mom!" I called back as I shut the door. I smiled. I really did want a little sister, but I wouldn't mind a brother either. I jumped into the truck and headed over to pick up Seth.
I pulled up and parked and got out. Leah was right. The tree did look really good in the window. I walked into the house and closed the door and hollered, "Seth! Let's go!"
Leah walked out of the kitchen. "Hey, baby," she said as she put her arms around me. I bent down and kissed her. It had been way too long since we had any alone time and I was really missing her. I had been working more and she was working more, and she had just finished her finals and signed up for classes at the community college outside of Port Angeles. It seemed we had less time together than ever. I kissed her a little longer and she leaned against me. I teased her with my tongue and she opened her mouth to me and teased back. We were just getting into it when Seth came down the stairs.
"Hey, I thought you were ready to go and you still got your lips all over my sister!"
I pulled back and said, "Yea, that's where I like them." Leah smiled.
"Go on. Have fun with the guys today, but don't get into any trouble," she said.
"Fine. Here that Seth? You have to stay out of trouble," I said as I pointed at him.
"Me? She was talking to you, bro," he shot back with a grin. He opened the door as Leah said, "I was talking to both of you!" He just laughed and walked out to the Jeep.
She handed me the keys and kissed me. "We need some time alone, soon! I miss you, and I think you know what I mean." She reached around and grabbed my ass.
I grinned and said, "Oh baby, don't go there. I had to take a cold shower this morning because I had the best dream about you." I kissed her again and then Seth honked the horn. I pulled back and said, "I can't wait until we get to Sam's and he has his lips all over Abby."
Leah laughed and shoved me toward the door. "Go on. Get out of here!" I kissed her one more time then turned and ran for the Jeep. I got into the driver's seat and started it up. We waved at Leah and took off for Sam's.
"Do you know what you want to get Abby?" I asked Seth.
"Um, kind of, but I'm not sure."
I glanced at him and said, "What kind of answer is that?"
He smiled. "Well, you know the chain that my dad gave me with the wolf charm on it?" I nodded and he went on, "She really likes that. She knows that the wolf is the symbol of our tribe and she said she wished she had something like that to wear. So, that's what I want to get. I thought about asking Billy to carve me a charm like what Bella wears, but Jake did that and I didn't want to copy."
"Cool. That's good, bro. You listened to something she said. Girls love that."
He smiled and nodded at that. "So, what are you getting Leah?"
I looked over at him and said, "I'm not sure. I have a couple of ideas."
"Yea, that means you don't have a clue," he said with a laugh.
I laughed and said, "OK, you caught me. But, I have a couple of ideas, and I figure, I'll know it when I see it."
We pulled up to pick up Sam. Seth jumped out before I even had the Jeep at a full stop! He ran inside and I parked and got out. I walked up the front steps and inside the house and closed the door. "Hey little brother," Emily called out from the kitchen.
"Oh man, Em. What are you baking? It smells so good in here!" I told her as I made my way over to the counter.
"Gingerbread men. I used to make them with my grandmother when I was a little girl. Quil is bringing Claire over in a few minutes to help decorate them."
I grabbed one off of the counter and bit off the head. "These are good," I said with my mouth full. Just then I heard little feet hit the floor as Quil put Claire down just inside the door. She came running over and grabbed my leg. "Embwy!" she called out as she ran.
I reached down and picked her up. "Hey Claire-Bear! Give me a kiss," I told her. She gave me a smoochy kiss on the cheek.
"Now me!" she said. I gave her a smoochy kiss on her cheek and she giggled.
"Look what Aunt Emily made for you today," Emily said. "Gingerbread men! Do you want to help put frosting on them?"
She nodded and I put her down. Quil came up and grabbed a cookie and bit it's head off. "OK, you two, step away from the cookies. If you keep biting their heads off, we won't have any to decorate!" Emily scolded.
Sam walked out and grabbed jacket off of the peg in the hall. "Hey, bro, Quil. Where's Claire-Bear?"
"Here I am!" she said as she ran out from behind the counter and hugged his leg. He picked her up and gave her a kiss.
"How are you? Are you going to be a good girl for your Aunt Emily today?" he asked. She nodded. "Good, because I told Santa to bring you something extra special cause you were such a good girl." Her eyes got wide and she smiled and clapped her little hands. He put her back down and said, "We going, or what?"
I nodded over to where Seth and Abby were talking. "Yo, Seth. Let's go!" Sam called. Seth took Abby's hand and they walked to the front door. Sam walked into the kitchen to kiss Em goodbye. I turned to Quil and said, "Have fun, bro."
"I will. Claire is so excited, and I bet she'll be done after two cookies," he said with a smile.
I walked over to the front door. Seth and Abby were kissing. I stood behind them and said, "Make out time is over kids. We gotta go."
They broke apart and Abby said, "I'll see you tonight, OK?" Seth nodded and kissed her again. I shook my head and walked out the door. As I stepped off of the porch I heard Seth say, "Hey!" and I turned around to see Sam carrying Seth over his shoulder to the Jeep. I cracked up. He set him on his feet and Seth yanked open the door and climbed into the back and crossed his arms across his chest to pout. I looked at Sam and he just grinned.
We got in and went to pick up Jake. He climbed into the back with Seth and we set out for Port Angeles. Jake got Seth to quit his pouting by talking to him about cars. We cranked the music and enjoyed the ride. "I'm hungry, dude. Where do you want to eat?" I asked Sam.
He shrugged and said, "Wherever, bro." I pulled into a local burger joint Dad had told me about. I told everyone that Dad said they had the best burger in town, so I thought we should try it. Everyone agreed so we got out and went in. It was a little local place, but it looked clean and there were a lot of people eating, so I figured it must be good. We found a table and shocked the waitress by ordering a huge amount of food. There was a table of girls that kept checking us out and giggling.
"What is it about girls that makes them giggle so much?" Sam asked.
"Well, they just can't handle this much sexiness at one table, I guess," I answered. He just rolled his eyes as Jake laughed. "Hey Jake. Pull up your shirt and show them the abs. I bet they'd faint!" Seth laughed as Jake turned red. "Oh come on, Jake. You know you're hot. Hell, I'm a guy and I even think you're hot!" That made us all crack up.
It took the waitress three trips to bring us all of our food. It hardly fit on the table! We ate and talked and laughed. It was awesome hanging out. I loved these guys. I was happy to spend time with them.
We finished our lunch and I gave the girls one of my stellar smiles as we got up to leave. Jake even flexed his muscles a little for them as we walked to the door. That really drove them crazy! We laughed all the way to the Jeep. Everyone climbed in and I drove into town. While I was driving I called Dad.
"Hey, Dad. It's Embry. We just ate burgers for lunch. Thanks for the tip! They were great."
"Good. I knew you'd like it. Where you headed to now?"
"Um, we are heading into town and we are looking for a good jewelry store, and maybe somewhere that specializes in Indian jewelry. Seth has something particular he is looking for."
"Sure. Downtown, there is an antique store that has a little of everything. I used to love to go in there and just look around. Try there. Iit's right next to the Java Café on Main Street. There is also the jewelry store where I got your mom's ring on the other side of the street."
"OK. Thanks, Dad. Talk to you later."
"Yep. Have fun." I hung up and turned onto Main Street. I found the coffee shop and parked in front of it. We all climbed out and went into the antique store first. It was much bigger than I thought it might be, and Dad was right. There had all kinds of stuff in here. Sam and Seth went for the jewelry and Jake and I just wondered around.
I was walking down an aisle, browsing through things when it caught my eye. I stopped and turned and there it was. The perfect gift for Leah. I picked up each piece and examined them. They looked hand painted, and in such good condition. Then I picked up the Baby Jesus figure and smiled. It was beautifully crafted and the face . . . it was so angelic. I knew that she would love this Nativity Scene. I put all of the pieces into the stable and carried it to the counter.
There was an older woman sitting there who stood up as I set the stable onto the counter. She had gray hair that was pulled back into a bun and she had glasses hanging on a chain around her neck. She smiled at me and said, "I saw you looking at this. You've picked this out for someone very special, haven't you?"
I smiled back. "Yea, my fiancé. As she was putting out the one at her mom's, she told me how much she loved it as a child. And I thought she might like to have one for our own home for next Christmas."
"What a lovely idea! You are a very thoughtful young man. She's a lucky girl."
"Thanks. Um, I didn't see a price on it. Can you tell me how much it is?" I asked.
"Well, it is handmade – one of a kind. I know because my husband is the one that made it." She ran her hand along the top of the stable. "He loved to make things." She glanced up at me and added, "He's gone now."
"I'm sorry," I said.
She smiled. "It's been almost 10 years now, but I still miss him."
"Are you sure you want to sell this? Maybe you should keep it," I told her.
"There is no price on it because I had it out just for the season, you know? But, when I saw how delicately you handled each piece, especially the Baby Jesus, I knew if you asked, I would let you have it. It will have a good home." She smiled and patted my hand then she picked up the Baby Jesus figure. "And maybe someday you will have a little girl who will love it as much as your fiancé loved hers. I have no child to pass it onto." She put the figure down and said, "I'll get a box for it. I'll be right back." She turned and went into the back room.
Jake walked up and said, "What's this? Is this for Leah?"
I nodded and told him about the older lady and what she told me. "Cool. This is all hand carved and hand painted, dude. Billy would love to see this. How much is it? Has to be a lot."
"I don't know. She hasn't told me yet."
Just then she came back with a box and some tissue paper. She smiled at Jake who said, "This is really nice craftsmanship. My dad carves wood. Mostly Indian things."
"Thank you, young man," she said. She picked up the first figure and wrapped it in tissue paper. It was almost like she was saying goodbye to each figure as she wrapped it lovingly in the paper. I hated to ask, but I had to know if I had enough money with me to pay for it.
"Um, you never gave me a price. I have to know if I have enough money to pay you for it," I asked anxiously.
She looked up and smiled. "Young man, there isn't enough money in the world to pay for something like this. It is a gift. I want you to have it and give it to your young lady, and every Christmas when you take it out and set it up, I want you to give a little thought to the old lady that gave it to you. My Henry would want that. He would want to know that it is bringing joy to a nice young family."
I was speechless! I looked at Jake and couldn't think of a thing to say. She didn't even know me, and yet, she was giving me something that meant so much to her. "I don't think I can accept this as a gift, ma'am. It's too special to you. I . . . "
She looked at me and said, "Now you listen here. I've lived a lot longer than you have and I can tell you that you can't hang on to things forever. Something like this is meant to be passed on. If you don't take this as a gift, you will be hurting an old lay's feelings, and that's just not right."
I smiled at her. "Well, I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings. You're a very nice lady. But at least let me give you something. I wouldn't be able to give it to my girl in good conscience if I didn't pay something for it. How about if I give you fifty dollars? Please? I know it's worth much more than that."
She had put the stable into the box and was adding the figures. She finally looked up at me and said, "Well, I guess I could use the money to help pay a few bills. Henry wouldn't be mad at me for that."
I smiled and said, "Good." I pulled out my wallet and put fifty dollars on the counter. She took it and put it into the cash register. Then she walked around the counter and handed me the box. "Take good care of it," she said. I nodded and took the box. Then I handed it to Jake and said to her, "Would it be alright if I gave you a hug?"
She beamed and said, "I think that would be wonderful." I put my arms around her and hugged her. She patted my back and then stepped back. "It's been a long time since I had a hug from such a handsome young man. Thank you."
I laughed. "Well, thank you for the beautiful gift. After Christmas, I promise to bring Leah here to meet you."
"Leah. What a beautiful name. I look forward to that."
"I'm Embry, by the way," I said.
She held out her hand and said, "I'm Ruth. It's very nice to meet you Embry. What an unusual name. It suits you though." I had taken her hand and she held it for a moment then let it go.
"Thanks. This is my best friend, Jake. And that over there is my brother, Sam, and Leah's brother, Seth. We are all out shopping for our girls."
"Well, maybe I should see what other goodies I can pass on," she said with a twinkle in her eye. Jake looked at me and laughed.
"What about you, young man? Do you need something for your girl?" she asked Jake.
He handed the box back to me and said to Ruth, "Actually, I already have something for her. I am going to give her my mother's ring and ask her to marry me."
"Oh, how wonderful! My you boys seem so young to be thinking about marriage. It seems nowadays, people wait a lot longer to get married. But Henry and I were 19 when we married. He was being shipped out to Japan during the war, and we ran off and got married three days before he left. I didn't see him again for two years. But he came home to me," she added with a far away smile.
Seth had joined our little circle and she looked over at him and asked, "Please tell me you aren't engaged? You're just a baby!"
Jake and I cracked up at that one. Seth's face was priceless! "Um, I'm 16, and no, I'm not engaged. But I do have a girlfriend."
"Well, come with me, Seth, and tell me what you're looking for. I will help you find it." Ruth led him back to the jewelry counter and I could see Seth showing her his charm that hung around his neck.
I looked over at Jake and smiled. We spent an hour and a half in that store with Ruth, and she helped each one of us find exactly the perfect gift. Even Jake.
"Now I know you don't need a gift for your girl, but you mentioned that your father was a wood carver. I wonder if he would like these. She pulled out a case with some tools in it.
"Wow, these are really nice. They belonged to your husband, didn't they?" Jake asked.
She nodded. "Yes. And they have been sitting here forever. No one has even looked at them. But, I think your father would appreciate them, and I know that Henry would be happy they were being used again. Please take them. It would make me so happy."
He looked at me and I nodded. He smiled and said to her, "OK. Only because it will make you happy. But I insist on giving you some money for them. You have to pay your bills, you know." She grinned and Jake reached out and hugged her. "Oh, what a happy day this is! Two hugs! I can't remember the last time I got two hugs from such nice young boys in one day!"
Seth smiled and said, "How about one more?" She laughed and held out her arms. Seth hugged her and then stepped back. She had helped him find exactly what he wanted for Abby. It was a small silver wolf charm on a silver chain. I knew she would really like it.
But I think Sam's was the best. She took us into the back room and pulled a sheet back to reveal a beautifully crafted wooden cradle. We all gasped when we saw it. It was solidly made and there was an angel carved into it looking down as if it were protecting the baby who slept in it. I looked at Ruth's face and could see how special this had been to her. Then I remembered that she said she had no children to pass the Nativity set onto.
She said, "Henry made this after he came home from the war. We always wanted children, and so he made this for me in hopes that we would . . ." She stopped and ran her hand lovingly along the cradle. I could see tears in her eyes as she said, "But it was not to be. No babies ever came." I put my arm around her shoulder and for a second, she rested her head against me.
Then she straightened up and took a deep breath and said, "I want you to have it Sam. This cradle has sat here empty for way too long. It needs a baby, and you will have one soon. Please, take it. I know your wife will love it."
"I don't know. I mean it's beautiful, but . . ."
"No buts! I won't take no for an answer. It's yours." Then she looked at me and said, "Embry, make him take it."
I laughed and said, "Like I could make him do anything! He's my big brother, and he thinks he's always right."
"Well, this is your chance to give him an order," she said.
I looked over at Sam and said, "You have no choice, bro. You have to take it."
He laughed at me and walked over to Ruth. "Thank you, Ruth. Very much." He bent down and pulled her in for a hug. He let her go and she wiped the tears from her eyes. "OK, then. That's settled," she said.
"I don't think it will fit into the Jeep. We should have brought the truck. Um, I'll call Dad and see where he is with work. Maybe he can run up here and pick it up." I pulled out my phone and called him.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Dad. Where are you, work wise? You think you could take a break and come up here? Sam found a great cradle to give Emily for Christmas, but I brought the Jeep and I don't think we can get it in there to bring it home."
"Yea, OK. I actually just finished the job and was on my way home. I'll turn towards Port Angeles and be there in just a bit. Where are you?"
I told him we were at the little shop that he had suggested and he asked, "How's Ruth?"
"Oh, so you sent us here on purpose, didn't you? You know Ruth?"
"Yea. I found that shop a couple of years ago. She's a sweetheart, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is. She's helped all of us find just what we were looking for."
"OK, tell her Joshua is on the way."
"Thanks, Dad." I hung up and walked back to Ruth and told her what Dad said.
"Joshua is your father? Oh my goodness. I haven't seen him in quite awhile. I'm glad he's coming. While we are waiting, I'm going to go and get you boys some of my Christmas cookies. I'll be right back."
We ended up sitting at a little table in the store, eating cookies and listening to her tell us stories about her and Henry and all their travels. When they realized they weren't going to have children, they decided to travel the world. It was amazing listening to all of the places they had visited over the years. Time seemed to fly and suddenly, Dad walked through the door.
She smiled as he walked over and put his arm around her shoulder and put a kiss on her head. "I hear you've been taking good care of my boys here," he said to her.
"Yes, I have, Joshua. How are you? It's been too long since you've been by to talk."
"Well, I got married and moved to LaPush to be with my family. I promise I'll bring Angie here to meet you. We just got married last month."
"Well, congratulations. This is the girl you told me about, isn't it? All those years. I'm so happy for you." He smiled and put his hand on my shoulder.
"So, where is this cradle? I'll be it's beautiful. Henry did nice work, didn't he?" he said to us.
"Wait til you see the Nativity Scene I'm giving Leah, Dad. It's is really something," I told him.
He smiled as Ruth stood up to show him to the back to get the cradle. I noticed Sam took some money out of his wallet and laid it on the cash register. I smiled at him and he winked then walked to the back. Dad and Sam carried the cradle out and put it into Dad's truck. She made them take the sheet to keep it covered and protected on the way home. We all gave her another hug and promised to come back and see her.
Everyone headed out the door and I turned to look back one more time. She smiled and blew me a kiss. I smiled and waved and walked out to the Jeep. Dad was standing there on the sidewalk and I looked at him and said, "You sent me there on purpose to meet her, didn't you?"
He nodded. "Yes, I did. She's a wonderful lady, and she's lonely. She only keeps this shop so she can talk to people. I used to stop by once a month or so and talk. She kind of reminded me of my grandmother. Look at this," he said as he took a small piece of tissue paper out of his pocket. "She gave me this to give to Angie." He unfolded the paper and showed me a really nice silver heart-shaped locket. He snapped it open and it had a place to put two pictures in it. "I told her Angie was pregnant, and she told me she should have this to put a picture of her two babies in. I think she'll like that, don't you?"
I nodded. She would. "Ruth is amazing. How does she know exactly what someone would want?"
"Because it's what she would want." Oh, yea. I could see that now. "Come on, son. We better get home. It's getting late."
Sam decided to ride back with Dad, so Jake climbed in front with me. Seth stretched out as much as he could in the back and declared he was taking a nap. As I drove, I thought about Ruth and her Henry. They were married for 50 years. I wonder what that's like, being with someone for that long. I found myself hoping that I would get to find out.