A Wish for Christmas Read Free

the world in my day.”
    “Or I mentioned the date and you remembered. It’s marked right on my kitchen calendar,” Lillian chided him.
    Ezra shrugged and winked at Jessica. “That’s possible, too,” he admitted.
    “Two months, I can’t believe it. It’s going to pass so quickly,” Emily said.
    “Not fast enough for me.” Jessica sighed and pushed back from the table. “The last few weeks are the hardest part.”
    “I’m sorry we won’t be here when the baby is born, Aunt Jess,” Sara said. “But we’ll come up as soon as we hear.”
    “Sara, how sweet. Don’t worry about it. You’ll see the baby when you can,” Jessica said. “We’re having Christmas Eve at our house. I hope you guys can make it.”
    Lillian sat back and sniffed. “She’s moving to Boston, not the moon. Of course, she’ll return for Christmas. That’s a full month away. I expect she’ll come back even sooner.”
    Emily understood what her mother was hinting at. Sara might stay in Boston with Luke’s family for Christmas. Or go down to Maryland to her adoptive parents.
    “We’ll see, Mother,” she said, running interference for her daughter. “They haven’t even moved yet. I’m sure they don’t know where they plan to be for the holidays.”
    “A lot will depend on how much time we get off at our new jobs,” Sara explained. “I might have to work over Christmas, being low man on the totem pole and all.”
    “I don’t see why a person would bother making a big move for a new job if they weren’t going to get some preferential treatment,” Lillian mused aloud. “It makes little sense to me. But that’s none of my business, I suppose.”
    “It’s the Boston Globe , Mother. It’s a great opportunity for Sara.” Emily knew she was stating the obvious. “Of course she’ll pay her dues for a while. That’s only fair.”
    At least Sara knew she understood. Emily had been ecstatic about Sara’s new job and totally supportive of the move. Much as she wanted her to be here, she would never insist that Sara come back for Christmas. Emily knew that decision was Sara’s. She also knew she had to share her daughter with Luke’s family and with Sara’s adoptive parents in Maryland.
    Emily, her birth mother, had given Sara up when she was just a few days old. Emily had been barely nineteen when her husband, a commercial fisherman only a few years older, had died in a car accident just days before Sara was born. Emily’s parents never approved of the match, and so she had eloped, leaving Cape Light.
    After the accident, her mother appeared at her bedside to help her recuperate and take her home. It was Lillian’s idea to put the child up for adoption, and Emily finally agreed, believing she was making the best decision for her baby. But she had never gotten over the loss. She hadn’t remarried or had another child. Her heart remained frozen in grief.
    Until Sara came to Cape Light and found her. And Emily’s life began again.
    Of everyone at this table, Emily knew she would miss Sara the most. But the real question was not how often Sara and Luke would be back to visit. The real question was, what would happen to her mother once they were gone? How would she manage alone in this big mausoleum of a house? That’s what everyone at the table should have been discussing, Emily thought. Instead, it seemed as though they had all made a silent pact not to talk about it, especially on the holiday.
    As if honoring the pact, Jessica got to her feet and picked up a few plates. “Why don’t we clear the dishes and bring out dessert? I made some beautiful pies.”
    “Yes, one for each of us,” Lillian grumbled. “It’s a regular smorgasbord. Though I did suggest that one or two would be plenty.”
    Ezra sighed wistfully and adjusted his bow tie. “Bring it on, young lady. Real whipped cream on top, I hope?”
    Jessica smiled. “Yes, real cream, Ezra. As soon as we whip it up. We’ll be right back.”
    Sara, Emily, and