Pink Flamingoed Page 29

  Melanie had been a real estate agent long enough to know the emotional ups-and-downs of the business, but she did not expect to face two downs in the same day. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving Melanie received a phone call. The family who expected to buy the Orthmyer house was backing out. When the man told his employer he was leaving and moving away, the company counteroffered with a sizable increase in salary. Since three of the couple’s six children were having difficulty leaving their friends, the couple talked and agreed to take the company’s offer.

  The same day Melanie received a phone call from Brett. Brett’s mother had called him the night before. Brett’s father’s health was declining and Brett’s mother called to beg him to come back to Texas to take over the family business. After mulling it over overnight, Brett felt his commitment to his family precluded any commitments he had to Hopemont, and that included any commitment to Melanie. Just before calling Melanie, Brett called his mother and told her he would be home within a week.

  Neither Brett nor Melanie had mentioned marriage, but they were dating on a regular basis and neither was seeing anyone else. Brett called Melanie and told her what he planned to do. Melanie stood holding the phone, unable to say a word. After a few seconds, Brett broke the silence. He told Melanie that he would like to continue their relationship. If she liked, he could find her a job with a real estate firm in the Dallas area. He would recommend a neighborhood in which she could purchase a house, and they could continue to date. Brett was not proposing marriage, but he did say that if their love for each other continued to grow, there could be wedding bells in their future. He did not ask for an answer from her right away. He asked her to think it over during the holidays, and if she made a decision by then, she could let him know. He would not push her, but he wanted her to know she was special to him. Melanie hung up the phone and called Cora.

  More Reflections

  Most people take time to reflect on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Some people think that a new year does not begin until spring has sprung and cold bones have thawed out. But on Aylesford Place, people think of December 1 as the beginning of a New Year. Pastor Scott says it is because Christ’s birth signifies the beginning, and December 1 signifies the beginning of the anticipation of the Christmas season. Others say anticipation begins on the day after Thanksgiving, but only those who have shopping on their minds think such thoughts. Regardless of how the world thinks, residents of Aylesford Place set aside November 30 of each year and call it Reflection Day. Reflection Day is the time everyone is to think of all that has transpired in the lives of those who live on Aylesford Place since the last Reflection Day.

  +++

  Cora sat in the den reflecting on all that had happened over the past year. Because another night of Christmas caroling was upon them, Cora smiled as she thought of Brad, her conversation with him almost a year before, and what he meant to Amy. While Cora was not as close to Allison and Chuck as she was to Brad and Amy, she did not think of them as quickly, but she did thank God for Allison and the man He had brought into her life. Cora praised God for the baby He brought into the parsonage, and for the old woman he had brought out of hiding. And because Cora took nothing for granted, she thanked God for another year with Frank.

  +++

  Harry smiled at his new tape collection and the computer he received last Christmas. For years, Harry’s life meant working with taxes and figures and very little of relationships with others, other than his wife and daughter. He was beginning to change, although, like most people, change was difficult for him. While Harry enjoyed his new toys immensely, for the first time, he was thankful for his neighbors.

  +++

  Allison was never bitter about her accident, except when she wondered if it would keep her from a relationship with a man. She now knew that it would not. Allison sat in her wheelchair and reflected on what the last year had meant to her. First and foremost, it meant a relationship with a man who looked up to her, not down on her with a pitiful look. But the year meant more than that. It meant another successful year in business, a business she could run from her home. It meant getting to know her neighbors better, sharing in Amy’s joys, sharing her own joys with Amy.

  +++

  Lady Catherine sat quietly while Norman slept. Norman still worked nights at a nearby motel. But no longer did Lady Catherine cringe each time one of her neighbors mentioned Norman’s name. While Norman was still Norman, and like herself much different than the other neighbors, Norman was now a part of the neighborhood, and now joined her for many of the neighborhood functions, and sat next to her in church most Sundays. While Lady Catherine still lived much of her life in the past, a past she remembered as better than it was, she now enjoyed her life in the present.

  +++

  Ethel could begin to see a difference in her husband, but she could see even more of one in her daughter. Rachel still lived a distance from them. She still had a job that occupied a great deal of her time. But she took time to e-mail and talk on the phone with her parents, and Ethel could see that she and Harry were becoming a more important part of their daughter’s life. Both Ethel’s and Harry’s parents and grandparents had lived long lives, but that did not mean that she and Harry were promised the same. Her days could be many. They could be few. But she cherished each one of them, and the time she got to spend with those she loved, even if it was only by phone.

  +++

  Amy did her best thinking in bed, and she lay in bed thinking of what the year had meant to her. She thought back to a year before, and the first time she saw the tall, handsome man next door. She thought of how comfortable each of them had been with the other, even from the beginning. How quickly she had fallen in love. She thought of the many times she and Brad had spent together, both those that included a horse and carriage, and those that constituted a quiet dinner at home. She thought of the joy she felt when she shared about Brad with her friend Allison, and Cora, her mother away from home.

  Thoughts of Cora reminded Amy of how privileged she was to have a family back home, and a surrogate mother right next door. Amy also was thankful for a thriving business, doing what she wanted to do. How many people are able to do the work they want? And how many are willing to try it? God had given her the gift and the belief that she could make it happen. Amy’s thoughts concluded where they began. She felt she knew Brad well enough to know that he was doing the same thing she was, only he had gotten out of bed to do so.

  +++

  Brad sat in his living room starring at the picture Amy had given him just after they met. The beautiful fall scene reminded him of the woman he loved, and the scripture verse inscribed on it reminded him of the God who made it all possible. What were the odds of such a wonderful and beautiful woman buying a house next door to the one his grandparents would one day give him? Brad was not sure how much longer he could stand Amy being as far away as next door. It was hard for him to think of anyone except Amy, but Amy was not the only one on Aylesford Place who meant something to him. Life on Aylesford Place included a church much like the one he left behind. Maybe this one was even better. Aylesford Place meant all these new neighbors who quickly turned into new friends, and new readers. While many might disagree, Brad always thought that a happy writer made a good writer, and Brad knew he was happier than he had ever been.

  +++

  Nancy expected Scott to rise early on Reflection Day, and she knew that he would spend a great deal of his day in his study undisturbed. There was no use in taking him any food. He would come out when he wanted something. And Nancy knew not to interrupt him with phone calls unless there was an emergency.

  Scott sat in his study, the first minutes of daylight brought shadows into the room. He could not remember God blessing him this much in any previous year. Scott began with Nancy and he thanked God for her as she brought another new life into the world. Scott praised God for all the joy his wife had meant to him. He thought of his children, one more this year than last. He wondered what
his newest daughter would be like. Would she be reflective like Jill? Would she be curious and outgoing like Mallory? Surely, there was no way she would be “like snakes and snails and puppy dog tails” like her brother. Scott could have praised God all morning for his family, and he almost did, but it was time to move on.

  The past year brought Scott a new friend out of her darkness. While he had spent a few hours each week with Minerva Peabody, he was elated that she had finally left her cocoon to venture out into the neighborhood and become a part of the church. Minerva had so much to offer others, and others had so much to offer her. Scott was glad the two sides were getting together.

  Not only was Scott thankful that Minerva became a part of the neighborhood and a part of the church, but he was thankful for other people new to the church, too. Not quite in the way Amy did, but Scott took an immediate liking to Brad. Not only was Brad good for Amy, he was good for the neighborhood, and good for the church. While Chuck was not a resident of the neighborhood, Scott enjoyed getting to know him. Scott knew that Chuck was genuine. He saw how Chuck looked at Allison. Chuck did not feel sorry for her. He loved her. And Scott fully believed that Chuck felt something special for those elementary students he taught each day. Many men might feel that teaching in an elementary school would be beneath them. Chuck did not. Chuck liked reaching children at a early age. Scott thought of Brett, too, and was sorry he would be losing him so soon after getting to know him. Scott would still continue to pray for Brett.

  On such a short street as Aylesford Place, Scott was astounded at all the new men the church had added this past year. Ever since Scott had moved to Aylesford Place and began to pastor the church, he wondered how he could find out if there really was a Norman, and if there was, how he could reach out to him. Scott had tried, but Lady Catherine had always been defensive. She knew Norman needed to take the first step, and Scott was glad he was patient enough to let Norman do so, even if it did take a while.

  Scott smiled when he thought of Barney and Bertha and how soon they would be getting married, and of couples who were already married. He knew Jim and Kathy less than the other two couples, but hoped to get to know them better. Scott thought of how much Frank and Cora meant to the church. Either was always ready to do what was needed at a moment’s notice. Every pastor needs someone like them. And Harry was still a piece of work, but a lovable piece of work.

  Scott finished thinking about the year that was almost gone and began to think about the year ahead. He had already been asked to pronounce the vows for Barney and Bertha, but would there be other ceremonies to perform? Would part of his work consist of pre-marital counseling? Would the coming year offer Harry and Ethel more time to visit with Rachel? What would Melanie decide to do? Would Doc finally retire? Would Jim find a way to spend more time at home? In what ways would the people who meant so much to him affect the life of the church? And what crazy idea would Cora come up with for next year’s fund raiser?

  Scott did not know the answers to any of these questions. He also knew there were questions he did not yet comprehend. He knew that he was excited about the next year on Aylesford Place, and that God was still in charge. And for Scott, that was enough.