Chapter Twenty-Six

Pushing back from her desk, Stephanie dropped her pencil and rubbed her temples.  It was nearly seven and she was still at work.  Again.  She really needed to stop staying so late.  She stood and moved to the window, looking out at the gaily decorated city below.  What a day.  She shook her head.  She didn’t expect to miss Richie already, but she did.  She couldn’t stop thinking about Thanksgiving night and how he had just shown up at her house, not expecting anything from her; just wanting to see her,to be with her.  Now here it was two weeks later and she couldn’t stop thinking about the man, thinking about that night.

Sighing she sat back down and pulled out her phone.  Richie had sent her the picture he had snapped of them.  She’d looked at it about a million times now.  Looking at it once more she opened her google mail.  It was way past time to tell her friends what was going on.

To:    The Girls
Subject:  Richie

Hey girls.  I know you all want to know what’s going on and I’m sorry I’ve been less than forthcoming with any details.  It’s all just been so... I don’t even know how to explain it.  Richie is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.  He’s not pressuring me for anything more than I can give right now and he is more than understanding about the difficulty I’m having with moving on.  

I’ve thought a lot about everything and I’ve decided that I am ready to move things along.  I know it’s going to be hard, but I really think I’m ready.

I’m going home for Christmas to see my family and I think I’m going to try to get to a show after the first of the year, so I’ll be back on the east coast again at some point in the new year.  Maybe we can try to get together so I can see you girls then.

Love to you all, happy holidays and watch your mail, Santa’s been busy!!

Q

Shutting down her computer, she gathered her things and headed for home.  It was also time to stop avoiding decorating her home for the holidays.

~

Flipping on the light, Stephanie headed down the stairs.  She paused in front of the storage shelves.  Her Christmas decorations took up three of the four shelves.  For a long moment she just stared at the neatly labeled red and green bins.  Reaching for the first one she nearly rethought her decision about decorating.

Dragging the bins up the stairs she sat in the middle of the red and green forest in the living room.  Tentatively she opened the first one.  The memories nearly overwhelmed her as she came face to face with Ben’s New York Giants ornaments.  She touched each one gently, remembering her little boy’s excitement about hanging each and every one on the tree.  He had loved decorating the tree.  Her eyes burned with unshed tears at the memory of Ben at about two years old, just sitting in front of the tree and staring at it in wonder and awe.   

Taking off her glasses, she wiped her eyes and snapped the lid back on the bin and slid it toward the door.  All the bins with ornaments would have to go back downstairs.  She wasn’t putting up a tree this year.  She wasn’t going to be home and she just wasn’t ready to re-live all those special moments.  It was going to be hard enough to set up the Village and nutcrackers without them, but the tree, there was no way she was going to do that to herself.  Maybe next year.

Dragging all the bins back down the stairs, she got everything back where it belonged and dug around for her wrapping paper.  Finding the right bin, she lugged it up two flights of stairs to her spare room.

Looking around the room she just shook her head.  What the hell had she done?  A little Christmas shopping had turned into an all out shopping spree.  She could open her own store with all that she had bought in the last couple of days.  It’s a good thing she had set aside her entire day for this.  Wrapping all this was going to take her until the new year.

Dropping to her knees, she set the tape and scissors down and dragged her box of wrapping paper, tags and bows close.  She needed to get this done so she could ship everything home and have it get there before she did.  Digging her iPod out of her pocket, she docked it, dialed up her holiday play list and pulled the first box toward her.

Sitting amongst the crackling sacks, boxes and tissue paper Stephanie couldn’t help but remember all the Christmases she and Mark and sat and wrapped gifts for Ben.  Always on Christmas Eve after Ben was in bed they would mix up their hot chocolate, put on the movie White Christmas and sit and wrap all his gifts in special paper bought just for Santa to use.

She sucked in a breath.  She’d might never have the opportunity to play Santa again, but she could certainly spoil her nieces and nephews just a little bit.

She picked up the box from Coach.  She could spoil her sister, sister-in-law mother and friends a little too.

By the time she turned off the iPod her back ached from sitting on the floor for so long.   Glancing around she smiled, pleased with her progress.  There was just a couple things left, for Darcy and Richie, to wrap and those she would get to tomorrow.  

Rolling her shoulders, she headed downstairs.  It was time for a glass of wine and something to eat.

As she heated up her chicken and broccoli, she sipped on her favored Riesling.  She glanced into the living room.  The village glowed softly along the mantle, two nutcrackers stood guard on either side of the fireplace doors.  Picking up the wreath that lay on the couch she headed down the hall and hung it on the front door.  She dusted her hands and headed back to the kitchen.  Her decorating was done.  It wasn’t much, but it was more than she had done the year before.  Maybe next year she could do a little more, maybe it wouldn’t hurt quite so much to see their things by then.

At the ding of the microwave she grabbed a fork and sat at the counter, looking down at her plate, she suddenly didn’t seem as hungry as she had just a little while ago.  Her phone rang as she set her fork down and reached for her wine.  Her hand detoured to the phone by her elbow.

It was Richie.

“Hey you.”  

Richie was sitting on the balcony of his hotel room looking out at the most amazing view.  He decided Stephanie need to see what he was seeing so he dialed her up.  She didn’t sound like she was in a very good place.  “Hi sweetheart.  How are you?”

She took another sip of wine.  “It’s been a rough day, but I’m all right.  How are you and where are you today?”

“We’re in Sydney today.  Can I skype you?  I have something to show you.”

Taking her glasses off she rubbed her eyes and prayed they weren’t as red as they felt.  “Sure.  Just let me get my computer.”  She grabbed her laptop from the office, her wine glass from the kitchen and settled on the couch, her dinner forgotten on the counter.

Once they got a connection and they were face to face he started to turn his laptop to face away from him.  “Look at this sweetheart.”

The view was breathtaking.  She could see the Sydney Harbour, the bridge and the city below.  Then she was looking at Richie’s brown eyes and dimple again.  “That was absolutely beautiful” she said quietly.  “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

Even across the computer screen he could see she had been crying.  “Sweetheart, tell me what’s wrong.  I can see you’re not yourself tonight.”

Taking a fortifying sip of wine she told him about her day.  “I came across Ben’s Christmas ornaments while I was looking for some other decorations.  The memories hit me hard.”  Her eyes stung with tears again and she sniffed them back.  “Sorry, I’m still not quite past it yet.”

“I’m sorry sweetheart.  I wish I could be there with you.”  He couldn’t imagine how hard this time of year must be for her.  Maybe he could brighten her mood just a little.   “What are you doing for New Year’s sweetheart?”

“I get back on the 30th and have no plans for new year’s.  Going to bed early probably.”  She watched him shake his head.  “What?”

“You are not going to sleep through new years.  You’re coming to my house.  I’m having a small get together.”  No.  No way in hell was he going to let her spend new years alone.