Free The Christmas Light by Donna VanLiere

to wait for their soup, she looks for something hidden and unreachable at the bottom of her purse. She pretends not to see Gabrielle and Ryan sit at the booth together where she and Michael sat years ago and convinces herself she can’t hear Gabrielle’s steady laugh or smell her perfume, wafting throughout the restaurant.
    She reaches for Avery’s hand. “Let’s go home, VV. I’m tired.”
    “She’s pretty. Don’t you think, Mom?”
    Jen reaches for the white bag on the counter filled with their order. “Yes. Gabrielle’s very pretty.” She means it. The last three and a half years have taught her that she’s never more in touch with life than when so much of it hurts.

 
    EIGHT
    God asks no man whether he will accept life. This is not the choice. You must take it. The only question is how.
    —H ENRY W ARD B EECHER
    Lily and her husband, Stephen, sit in a booth at Betty’s Bakery. Large plastic ornaments hang from the ceiling and a decorated Christmas tree sits in the corner of the restaurant. The windows have all been etched with fake snow, with electric candles glowing on each sill. Stephen opens a manila folder, looking over the paperwork one final time. The two met in college where Lily was attracted to his sense of purpose and quiet character, not unlike her dad’s. It didn’t hurt that he loved bicycling and hiking. His hair is just as thick and dark as it was in college but his goatee is flecked with gray. Lily thinks it makes him look distinguished for his work at the bank. For the first four years of their marriage, Lily and Stephen lived in Louisiana, where he worked in sales and Lily for a nonprofit. Although they enjoyed the work, the heat and humidity was, in Lily’s words, devastating. That and the distance from each of their families compelled them to find work closer.
    “Lily?”
    Lily turns and smiles at Kaylee. “Hey, Kaylee!” she says, getting up and hugging her. “This is my husband, Stephen.”
    Stephen stands and reaches his hand out for Kaylee. “Kaylee from the other night, right? Nice to meet you. Lily told me all about you. Meeting you ended up being the highlight of her week.” Kaylee smiles and tucks strands of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know what you talked about but she came home in a great mood, so feel free to talk with her anytime because I like it when she comes home that way.”
    “You say that as if I always come home in a bad mood!”
    “Those are your words, not mine,” Stephen says.
    Lily laughs and rolls her eyes. “Are you here for lunch?” she says, looking at Kaylee.
    “I’m meeting my mom here. She’s getting off work at lunchtime so we can go to an appointment.”
    Stephen indicates the side of the booth next to Lily. “Feel free to sit with us while you wait,” he says, gathering the paperwork and sliding it back into the folder. “Would you like a pastry? I can get one for you.”
    “No, you don’t! You are not going to use Kaylee to get yourself a pastry,” Lily says.
    “That was not my intention,” Stephen says. “Honest.”
    Lily laughs. “Honest! Right! We just had a huge conversation about food choices,” she says, looking at Kaylee. “I said that just because we’re at Betty’s, doesn’t mean we have to eat a pastry.”
    Stephen slaps his hand on the table. “And I said, why didn’t we just go to the grain and sprout restaurant for the meeting?”
    Lily laughs harder, pointing her finger in the air. “Number one, there isn’t a grain and sprout restaurant. Number two, I didn’t choose the meeting place. Dorothy did.”
    Stephen growls, leaning his head in his hands. “So what can I order? A big bowl of grass? Maybe a handful of berries and twigs?”
    Lily shakes her head. “He has it so rough. I’d like to keep him around for a few years, so I encourage healthy eating. But what do I get from him?”
    “Anything you want!” Stephen blurts out. Lily leans onto the table, laughing, and Kaylee smiles listening to