Homecoming Day Read online

  Laura shook her head. “That’s what they said, but you heard me. So, I’m sure you’ll agree that while I sound very nice through a wall, I’m not quite ready for the American Idol competition. Simon would rake me over the coals, but hey, I’d get to meet Ellen. I’ve always been a fan.”

  “You’re too old to be on American Idol, anyway. They have age limits.”

  “Ouch.” Laura and Jay used to joke that they’d be in their mid-twenties until they hit twenty-nine, only then would they admit to being in their late twenties. She smiled at that memory, too. “Go ahead, call me old. I refuse to let you dim my happiness. Today’s Jamie’s one month birthday. And it occurred to me that a year ago today, I wasn’t pregnant yet.”

  Suddenly, on the heels of that realization came the thought that a year ago, Jay was here, getting ready for Christmas with her, and her bubble of happiness fizzled.

  Right after Jay had died, the pain had been constant. Unremitting. Now, there were periods of time she forgot. Not forgot Jay, but forgot the pain. And because she went for times without it, when it did hit, it could buckle her knees.

  “You okay?” JT reached out and took her hand. Her short, black fingernails seemed incongruent with the gentleness of her touch.

  “Yes. Sure.” But she wasn’t—not really. She noticed that she’d been happy for hours.

  Jay was gone, and she’d kissed Seth Keller two weeks ago. She was pretty sure he felt as bad about that kiss as she did. He called daily and had stopped in, but only when JT was there. Neither she nor Seth had mentioned the kiss, and she planned to keep it that way. What did that say about her love?

  “So, what about next week?” JT asked. “I mean, we have a half day of school on Monday, then we’re off until after the New Year. I don’t know if you still want to get together, or not.”

  “What do you want? I mean, you certainly deserve time off if you want it.” Laura didn’t relish the quiet afternoons. She missed teaching, and helping JT filled that void.

  Yet it was more than fulfilling her need to work. She felt a special bond with JT.

  “I kinda would like to keep working, but I wasn’t sure if you did. I mean it’s almost Christmas.”

  Laura picked up one of Jamie’s blankets and folded it. “JT, I’m here and would love to keep working, if that’s what you want.”

  JT grinned, as if relieved. “Sounds good.”

  A horn sounded in the driveway. “That’s my mom. Gotta go.” JT gathered all her books and stuffed them in her bag. “See you tomorrow, Ms. Watson.”

  “See you then.”

  After JT had gone, the house seemed quiet. Too quiet. Her happy singing from earlier was gone, as well.

  Jamie fussed, so Laura picked him up and they sat in the rocker. Nursing him now was second nature. And suddenly the silence wasn’t so profound.

  Laura started to hum the song Seth had sung to Jamie. She glanced at the clock. Seth was running late, but he’d be here soon. He had called to say he was stopping over today, if that was okay. It shouldn’t be. She shouldn’t be happy at the thought of seeing him. She was, and the fact that she was brought on a new wave of guilt. What did she want to do about Seth Keller?

  They’d fallen into an easy routine. Laura and Jamie had quiet days together until JT arrived around three-fifteen. They spent the first hour or so on reading. Laura had made flashcards with basic sight words and every day, she added new words to them. When they reached an unfamiliar word, she helped JT sound it out. Cavern. Mechanics.

  JT was still frustrated on occasion, but she was feeling better about herself. And Laura was thrilled with the speed in which she learned.

  After flashcards and reading, they worked on JT’s homework assignments.

  In November, Seth had been on second shift. This month, he was on first and finished up at work between three and four, depending on the day. Most nights he came over and spent the evening. They ate together, watched television together. Occasionally, they went out somewhere and took Jamie.

  It was nice. Comfortable even. She’d started to rely on Seth. Most of the time she didn’t think about it, but now, nursing Jamie in the quiet house, she wondered if she’d become too reliant on him.

  She was still pondering that question when Seth bounded through the front door. “Sorry. It snowed more than I thought and traffic’s brutal.” Then he stopped and sniffed. “Something smells good.”

  “I’ve got some of Tucker’s soup in the Crock-Pot.”

  They ate, played with Jamie and…did things that any normal couple would do on a winter’s evening.

  Only they weren’t a couple.

  They were friends. Friends who spent more time together than apart. Friends who’d shared a kiss that had changed everything. Laura wondered again if she was growing too dependent on Seth.

  “About Christmas…” Seth began.

  Laura looked up but didn’t say anything, mainly because she didn’t know what to say.

  “My mother called with invitations for both of us. Zac and Eli got word that they can bring Ebi home the day before Christmas Eve. It’s her Homecoming Day and you’re invited.” He kept plowing through his invitations. “And there’s Christmas dinner. You’re invited to that, too.”

  Laura didn’t mind being Kellerized. To be honest, it was a very lovely thing. But she wasn’t sure she could spend Christmas with them. “Christmas is a time for family, Seth.”

  “You and Jamie are my family. Sort of. I’d like to spend the holidays with you, but if you don’t want—”

  His comments struck her as too much. “Seth, what exactly is our relationship? Since you kissed me, you’ve been avoiding me. Okay, you stop in for a few minutes, and for the last month, I’ve talked to you almost every day. But we’re not a couple. I don’t know—”

  He cut off her sentence by kissing her. Not some platonic buss on the cheek, or even a friendly kiss on the lips.

  This one spoke of attraction and a hunger that Laura suddenly felt keenly. Or maybe it wasn’t that sudden. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge that she’d felt something more than friendship for Seth for a while. It had been so long since she’d been held like this. Her lips joined to his. A tentative exploration that quickly deepened into something more.

  She twined her arms around his neck, his arms wrapped around her waist. The kiss went on and on, his hands stroking her back, pulling her closer. She touched his short stubbly hair that was surprisingly soft.

  For the first time in so long, Laura felt connected to someone. She felt wanted and cherished.

  It felt good.

  She hadn’t been held like this since…Jay.

  Jay.

  She hadn’t thought about Jay as she’d kissed Seth. That realization made her feel as if she’d cheated. It was crazy, and she knew it. Jay was gone. But she still felt as if she’d betrayed him. She pulled away from Seth. “I can’t do this.”

  “I understand.”

  She nodded, not surprised in the least that Seth would.

  “Everyone says the person you lost would want you to be happy, but—”

  “But. Yes, there’s that great big but. I do know Jay wouldn’t begrudge me happiness, just like I wouldn’t have begrudged it to him, but I can’t. Not yet. I’m not sure when.” Laura reached out and took his hand. “You know, for me to say I can’t because of baggage sounds so utterly boring. I’ve read a lot of romances. The characters have these huge external conflicts to keep them apart. He’s a prince, she’s a serf. She’s a defense attorney—”

  “And he’s the prosecution.”

  “He’s a carnivore, she’s a vegan.”

  “He’s a cop and she’s…?”

  “An international art thief.” He laughed, which had been her intent. She added, “A stymied artist who tried teaching, but now has turned to stealing works of art. You know what they say? Those who can’t teach…or steal.”

  They both laughed together for a few minutes, and finally Seth said, “This i
s where one of us should say, another time, another place.”

  “That needed to be said, because it’s true. You’ve become my best friend, Seth.”

  “And you, mine.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t want to lose your friendship because of a few kisses.”

  “So, we set aside the attraction and be each other’s friend. We’ve got JT and Jamie. That’s enough for now. The rest—well, it’s not something big and external keeping us apart, but I can’t put it aside.” Laura knew it would be easier if they were a cop and an art thief. You could stop being an art thief, but she wasn’t sure how to stop loving Jay.

  “Star-crossed, like Romeo and Juliet,” he murmured.

  Laura nodded. “If we were a Capulet and a Montague, then we’d have a great external conflict. But alas, you’re a Keller and I’m a Watson…and worse still, I like you. I don’t want to lose you.”

  He thrust out his hand. “Friends?”

  “Friends.”

  For a moment, he looked as if he was going to say something more on the subject, but in the end he simply picked up their pre-kiss conversation. “So, about Mom’s invites? I’d love to have you there. You know that things are strained with my parents.”

  “Would you like to talk about it?” Talking about his family wasn’t something Seth did, but she hoped things had changed enough for him to reconsider.

  “No.” His monosyllabic response was definitely to the point.

  Laura didn’t know what to say, but Seth saved her from trying to find something by continuing, as if she’d never asked about his family. “If you came it would be easier. Having a friend by my side.”

  “I’ll come to Ebony’s Homecoming Day. I couldn’t miss that. But Christmas…” She paused, needing him to understand. “I really need to do this one on my own. Just me and Jamie. I need to mourn Jay and figure out how to start this new year without him. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. Better than most. The first Christmas after I lost Allie, I went to Atlantic City.”

  “To gamble?” Seth didn’t seem like someone who’d lose himself in games of chance, but everyone dealt with loss in their own way.

  She wondered what her way was?

  “No, not gambling. I thought maybe, but no. I ended up sitting on the boardwalk and remembering my last Christmas with Allie. It’s amazing how much can change in a period of months. I needed that holiday on my own to…well, process it all. So, I’ll tell Mom we’re on for Ebony’s Homecoming, but not for Christmas.”

  “You should go to Christmas with your family, Seth. I’m not going to nag you about your parents and insist you talk to me about it, but you ought to be with them.”

  He was quiet a moment, then nodded. “Maybe. Things have changed with us…been better. We’ll see.” He stood. “And speaking of going, I’d better go.”

  She didn’t get up to show him out. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” was all she said.

  She sat with Jamie long after the baby had fallen asleep, thinking about kissing Seth. It felt right, and the fact that it did felt oh-so-wrong.

  Friends. They’d be friends.

  SETH COULD HAVE KICKED himself. He’d pushed Laura too hard too fast.

  It had been so long since he’d wanted anyone. To be honest, he wasn’t sure he’d ever wanted anyone the way he wanted Laura.

  With Allie there had been a gentle familiarity. They’d grown up together. He knew everything about her. She knew everything about him. And after he lost her, he hadn’t opened up and shared himself with another woman.

  Until Laura.

  And now this…this feeling for her. He wasn’t sure how to think of it, and he refused to label it. But it was there and it was growing.

  Now, the question was, what to do about it?

  And the only answer was, he’d simply be her friend. For now.

  The type of friendship he was developing with Laura was a rare thing. What she’d said was true, they still had JT and now Jamie. And they had genuine concern for each other.

  That would have to be enough.

  It was either friendship, or losing Laura.

  Which means, friendship was his only option, because Laura had become too important—he couldn’t lose her.

  LAURA HAD WORRIED THAT THINGS would be awkward with Seth after the earth-shattering kiss, but they weren’t. At least not on the surface.

  They fell into a routine.

  But something had altered. It wasn’t a distance, which is what she’d feared. If anything, they become closer. It seemed Seth was forever touching her. A friendly pat on the back. Fingers brushing as they handed Jamie off to each other. Platonic good-night kisses on the cheek at the door.

  She wasn’t sure if the touching was new, or if she was merely more attuned to it. It made her uneasy, but she didn’t tell him to stop, because what made her most uneasy was the fact that she welcomed his touch. She felt guilty, yet craved the physical contact. The duality of her feelings confused her. She tried to tell herself it was simple human contact she needed, but she didn’t crave it with anyone but Seth.

  Laura wanted to back out of the Homecoming celebration at the Keller’s, but couldn’t find a graceful way to do it, which is why she was driving with Seth down I-79 to Whedon on the night before Christmas Eve. They took her car on the short drive since the car seat was tethered into place.

  Laura had gone through Whedon on occasion but hadn’t paid much attention. But as they drove through the town all decorated for the holiday season, she thought it was everything a small town should be. There were wreaths on the streetlights that lined the main street, and a large pine in a park in the center of town that was covered in lights.

  “Every year the kids at the elementary school make decorations,” Seth told her. “There’s a big tree lighting ceremony the weekend after Thanksgiving. Last year, they had a fundraiser to buy new LED lights because they use so much less energy.”

  Seth pulled up in front of a large, rambling-looking house. Laura could pick out what must have been the small, original two-story house amongst the generations of additions and expansions. Electric candles glowed in all the windows. Icicle lights hung from the porch’s eaves.

  Seth turned off the car, reached over and squeezed her hand gently. “This is where I grew up.”

  He took her into the house. The entryway was crowded with boots. Hooks on the wall couldn’t accommodate all the coats, so the overflow was piled on the stair banister.

  “Looks like the gang’s all here,” Seth said. “Every time I turn around, the gang is bigger.”

  Mrs. Keller spotted them.

  “Seth, Laura, you’re here.” Seth picked up Jamie’s carrier and stepped neatly behind Laura, as Mrs. Keller pulled her into a hug. She saw the flash of sadness in Mrs. Keller’s eyes, but then it was gone and she was smiling as she led Laura into the packed living room. “We’re so glad you and Jamie could join us. Come with me.”

  The living room was decorated to the nth degree. Fortunately, for the Kellers it was big enough to hold all their friends and the decorations. The tree in the far corner was so big that the angel on the top bumped against the ceiling. A menorah sat on the fireplace mantel. Candles, evergreen boughs, sprigs of holly and other signs of the season decorated every possible surface. It was chaotic and…well, perfect. People spilled from the living room into the equally decorated dining room. Laura recognized most of Seth’s family this time and their friends. Colm, Tucker, Ariel…

  “Laura, Seth, you’re here,” Eli cried as Laura and Seth entered the room. She hurried toward them and enveloped them both in a hug. “I’m so glad. I’d like you to meet my daughter, Ebony.”

  Zac followed behind Eli, a little girl’s hand firmly clasping his. “Ebony, this is my brother Seth,” he said. “Your uncle Seth now. And this is his friend, Ms. Watson.”

  “I sure got a lot of uncles and aunts,” Ebony said. “But I don’t got no other Ms. Watsons.”

  Laura knelt down to the girl’s eye-level
. She was very petite. Her complexion was a light-brown color, her long, dark hair was gathered into a bow. When she looked at Laura, her eyes were a startling green. “Ebony, all these uncles and aunts mean you are a very lucky girl. You can call me Laura, if you like.”

  Ebony nudged the carrier that Seth had set down between them. “You’ve got a baby in there?”

  Laura nodded, pulled back the blanket and took her son out of his seat. “This is Jamie.”

  Ebony pushed Jamie’s hat aside. “Aw, he’s cute. I like babies. We had ’em at the foster home, and now I got a baby brother of my own. I’m gonna help my new mom and dad with him.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be a great big sister,” Laura assured her.

  Ebony nodded, as if that was a certainty, then hurried back into the sea of Kellers.

  Laura smiled at the two new beaming parents. “She’s beautiful, Zac and Eli.”

  “Yes, she is,” Eli agreed.

  “Oh, here we go,” Zac said.

  Mr. and Mrs. Keller carried trays of fluted drinks and handed them out. “A toast,” Mr. Keller said. “To our new granddaughter. Ebony, we’re very happy to celebrate your Homecoming Day.” The big burly man gave his wife a tender, beseeching look as if he’d used up all the words at his disposal and counted on her to rescue him.

  May called out, “Oh, don’t worry, Dad, I’m sure Mom’s got something to add.”

  Cessy called out, “But no reading things your children wrote today, okay, Mom?”

  Mrs. Keller shook her head with obvious mock-exasperation. “Are you children trying to say I talk too much?”

  “No, Mom,” Dom said. “We figure you talk enough to fill in the blanks for Dad, is all.”

  “And Dad has lots of blanks,” Layla added.

  Laura looked at Mrs. Keller being teased by her family with such love and humor and before Seth’s mother said another word, Laura felt the tears begin to pool in her eyes.

  “We Kellers have always loved celebrations. Homecoming Days are my favorite. From the time a child walks into my home, they’re mine. The missing part of the family. So, Homecoming Days are just that. A day when we bring that missing piece of our family home where they belong. And that is why they’re the best celebrations. And tonight, we’re happy to welcome Ebony home where she’s always belonged.”