"I feel like such a jackass," Stephen said. He glared at his best friend, willing his attention from some women across the bar.
"Dude, are we still talking about this?" his buddy said. He didn't turn around. A mix of pumping music, muffled conversations and clanking barware surrounded them at their corner table. "Yes!" Stephen nudged the table causing a mini tremor to roll across their beers.
"Hey!"
"Joe, I'm trying to talk to you," Stephen said.
Joe spun around and faced his long-time friend. "Look, man. You've got two choices. Either do it or make it work. What's there to talk about?"
"I know. It's just that Melissa is such a sweet girl."
"Yeah and totally delusional."
"I know. She has this whole Christmas thing planned. Wants me to go to her parents' house." Stephen searched the crowd of flirtatious singles for an answer.
"All the more reason to break up now," Joe said. He lifted his beer to a toast position. "Or, maybe you should wait until Christmas dinner and raise your glass to her family." He took a quick sip. "Then declare your undying boredom with their daughter."
"Don't be a smart ass!"
"All I'm saying is that if you don't have it with her, cut her loose before she gets too attached."
"That's the problem. It's too late. She thinks she's in love with me."
"Yeah, man. That's always the problem with you." Joe slapped a hand on Stephen's shoulder. "I feel your pain."
A woman in a black dress passed in front of them hijacking Joe's attention. Conversation over. Stephen knew Joe was right. At least if he broke up with her now, at least she would have time to recoup before Christmas. Stephen sat back in his chair rehearsing in his mind how to tell Melissa. In a trance, he rocked his chair back to stretch his long legs. After a moment of perfect balance, his chair tipped too far back and he began the terrifying free fall. Then, before he could steady himself, a figure stood over his head as he lay back suspended in mid-air. Stephen stared up at the woman holding the back of his chair. Wavy, dark hair hung around her face and past her low-cut black t-shirt. A glowing smile spread across her face as she flipped him back to a sitting position.
"Didn't your mom ever tell you not to lean back in your chair?" Her voice came from behind him. When she walked around to face him he realized it was his waitress. Why hadn't he noticed her angelic face before? She must have read embarrassment in his awkward smile because she reached over and touched his arm. Then she smiled again, broader this time and he spotted a tiny dimple on her left cheek.
"Yeah, nice one," Joe said. He got up from the table shaking his head. "Two more, huh?" he asked Stephen. He didn't get a reply, but turned to the waitress. "Two more beers, please." Then he walked off in the direction of the men's room.
Stephen watched her watching Joe. What the hell was the matter with him? Had he turned mute? He couldn't take his eyes off her, and when she looked back with her big brown eyes, all he could do was smile.
"So two more, then?" she said.
Adrenaline finally kicked in and his voice barely surfaced. "Uh, sure, thanks…" Panicked, he executed a quick scan of her chest for a name tag.
Just before she turned to leave he spotted it. Bingo! "Ali."
Without turning around, she glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Thanks…I mean for catching me." He memorized her face as if it were the last time he would see it. The fact that she would be back in two minutes with their drinks had not even entered his brain.
********
Stephen read the first line of the press release for the fifth time. The final version was expected an hour ago, but he couldn't get a handle on his day. Was it the two-hour break up with Melissa that had him off his game? He was relieved and knew it was the right choice. It was crazy, but he had never felt for Melissa the way he felt for that split second he looked into Ali's eyes. It was as though he had downed a pint of Jack Daniels, the heat flowing through him and taking over his body.
Stephen refocused his attention on the release and began to read it aloud when his cell rang.
"Hey, man. What's up?" Stephen said.
“Why don’t you stop by tonight?” Joe said.
"Actually…you want to meet at Gary's?" Stephen asked. He cringed, waiting for the inevitable reply.
"On a Tuesday?" Joe said. Then he let out a breathy laugh. "You gotta be kidding me."
"What? I just thought we'd get a beer."
"On the slowest, most boring night there?" Joe paused. "You just want to go back and check out that hot waitress…Ali, right?"
"Look, I'm gonna say this once because we're on the phone. But if you bring it up in front of me I'll kick your ass." Stephen gave one last thought to what he was about to say. "I felt a connection with her and I just want to see if it happens again."
"A connection? Oh, yeah, I felt that too."
"I don't have time for this crap right now, Joe. Do you want to go or not?"
"Sure. Text me when you're on your way, and I'll meet you there."
"All right. Later."
Stephen couldn't help but laugh at himself and Joe's reaction.
********
As Stephen trailed behind Joe walking to the pub, his attention was drawn to the enormous Christmas tree that adorned the middle of the square. He pondered what it would have been like to spend Christmas with Melissa. It had been years since he experienced any kind of Christmas at all. When his father re-married within a year of his mother's death, Stephen couldn't handle being around family. Christmas became a reminder of losing his mother and the betrayal of his father.
Joe pulled the door open and held it. "What are you doing?"
Stephen was still entranced by the tree. "Nothing. Just a sec."
"Don't be a chicken shit. You wanted to see if she likes you…oh, I mean if you still have a connection." Joe smirked but quickly tried to bury it.
"What'd I tell you about that, man?"
"Sorry. I'm just messin' with you. Seriously though, come here." He grabbed Stephen's arm and leaned toward him as if looking behind his back.
Stephen yanked his arm away. "What are you doing?"
"I was looking for your purse! You're starting to act like a chick. Now let's go."
At first, they just stood huddled in the corner as if on a special mission. Stephen scanned the quiet scene. Then Joe thumped him across the chest. "Check it out," he said, pointing across the room. Stephen followed his gaze to where Ali stood talking with another waitress.
"She seems upset," Stephen said. Heading toward the bar, he didn't take his eyes off Ali. He took a seat and then saw Joe still standing off to the side. "Come on."
"I wonder what they're talking about," Joe said. He ordered beers for both of them.
Stephen turned his back to the bar and studied Ali's expression. He could tell something was wrong. The two waitresses hugged and over the woman's shoulder, Ali spotted Stephen. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she headed toward him.
Stephen's heartbeat quickened as he swung back around on his barstool. Seconds later, he felt a gentle tapping on his shoulder.
"Hey, aren't you the guy from the other night?" she asked as he turned to face her.
Before he could open his mouth, Joe chimed in. "Yeah…the one that almost fell off his chair."
They both shot Joe an incensed look.
"Sorry, I have to make a call," Joe said. He held up his phone and shrugged.
Ali’s eyes were as perfect as Stephen remembered but held a glistening sadness he hadn't noticed.
"Good to see you again." Stephen said.
"Yeah, you too. I was just on my way out, but can I give you something?"
I'll take anything you've got, he thought. But he said, "Sure."
She pulled a paper from her apron that looked like an event flier. She handed it to him and said with a sweet smile, "Hope you can make it."
His mouth was still hanging open when she walked off. In her presence, he could barely breathe. Did she feel it too? The difference tonight was an unnerving feeling of sadness. He had to find out what was causing her pain.
"Chrissy, can you take Ali's section?" The bartender said behind him.
Just hearing her name caused a stir in the depths of his gut.
"Sure," a young woman said. She stood at the end of the bar. When the bartender walked away, she waved another girl over. "She's been here two weeks, and she just takes off in the middle of her shift."
Stephen took a sip from his beer, pretending not to be listening.
"Chrissy, give her a break," the other girl said. "I heard her husband's dying or something. That's why she had to leave."
"Oh my God, sorry. I didn't know."
Stephen glanced at the flier in his hand. It was a blood drive for a local hospital. His whole body sank and he felt sick. Reaching for his beer, he wondered how he could have been so wrong. Was this whole thing so one-sided? Something wasn't right.
********
"Promise me something," he said. His face was drained of color but his eyes spoke to her.
"Anything," Ali said.
"No matter what happens, I want to be home for Christmas."
She smiled and nodded. "Of course, Harry."
"I mean it. I wouldn't be able to stand being in here. You know that."
"I know."
"And…when this thing's all over…"
"Don't—" Why did he say things like that?
"Please, let me say this." Harry placed a bony hand on hers as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"You know I hate it when you use that word. We don't know anything for sure."
"When this is over, I'm hoping you'll finally be able to move on with your life."
She tried to speak but couldn’t.
"All these years, you've wasted so much time being by my side," he said.
"How can you say that? I love you and the amount of time with you are moments I treasure. Moments I'll always treasure. Now c'mon. Let's make plans for Christmas. Should we have a party?"
Harry let out a chuckle that turned into a cough. Ali grabbed a glass of water from the side table and transferred it to his hand. "Thanks," he said. "So, who can we invite to a party?"
"How about Phil and Taylor?"
"Yeah, that would be fun. I just love when Phil gets hammered and tells me how much he's going to miss me."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, yeah. Sorry I forgot about that. Well, we'll figure out something. And, I'll roast the turkey with the bacon on top."
"That sounds perfect," he said.
They sat in silence for a few minutes. When she saw his eyelids fighting to stay open, she stood up and looked over him.
"It's okay," he said. "I'll see you later."
********
"Why are we here?" Joe asked. "You said she was married, right?"
"So what, it's for a good cause anyway. You didn't have to come, you know." Stephen filled out the form he was given upon arrival.
"Oh, yeah? Did you forget what happened when we were juniors?"
Stephen hoped that was long forgotten. "That was a fluke. I hadn't eaten all day."
"Right."
"Make yourself useful and go sign up. I'm going to turn this in." Stephen headed down the hall. A small, white-haired woman took him back to a room and told him to have a seat in the comfy chair. Attempting to distract himself, Stephen studied a poster on the wall that read “Perseverance.” Two things tried to creep into his consciousness. He was not chasing a married woman. Donating blood was a worthy cause, and that was the only reason he was there; and he could handle this. All I have to do is have some blood sucked out of my arm. The door opened and a bottom-heavy woman walked in. "We all set?" she asked.
"Guess so."
The woman pulled up a chair and he turned his eyes back to the poster.
"It's okay, hon. I'm just taking your blood pressure."
"Yeah, I know. Just thought…that's a great message up there."
"Sure is. Reminds me of Ali," she said. "Now that one is persistent."
His head snapped back, eyes glued to the woman.
"That's why you're here, right?" she asked.
"How'd you know?"
"Most of the people here usually come because of Harry and Ali."
"Oh, really?"
"Those two are like family round here. I think it makes Ali feel better to give back. Keep busy, ya know?"
"So…how is Harry doing?" Stephen asked.
"He's a fighter, that one. Been real tough on Ali though, now that he's back in the hospital."
"I bet." A prick in his arm startled him and he drew in a breath. He had been so distracted trying to find out about Ali, he hadn't noticed that she had prepared his arm for the draw. This would be a piece of cake. Is it getting darker in here?
"She's an angel, that one," the woman said. "All the time she spends helping others even with Harry not working and all. But, I'm sure—"
********
"You're an angel," the man whispered.
Ali looked down on the tall, dark-haired man who was coming to. After a few blinks of his deep blue eyes, he tried to focus in on her. "Hey," she whispered back. "You feeling okay?"
"What?" He crinkled his brow like a little boy trying to get the math right. "What happened?"
"It's okay, you just passed out. No worries. It happens all the time. Do you remember me? I'm Ali from Gary's Bar."
"Yeah, of course I remember you." When he reached for the side of the chair to pull himself upright, he grabbed hold of her arm instead.
Ali felt a surge of heat travel up her arm and land on her face. "Well…I just wanted to make sure, since you just called me an angel." A smirk spread across her face.
"Shit, are you serious?" He eased himself up further and leaned his elbows on his knees. Each time she had seen him he was seated, but it was easy to see that he was tall and solid. "You must think I'm a complete loser."
"Yeah, sure. Any guy that gives blood for total strangers has to be a jerk right?"
"Well, I didn't say jerk," he said.
"Then, what shall I call you?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm Stephen." He stood and reached out to shake her hand.
His touch felt familiar. Life had been so different the past few years, so routine if that was possible. There was no room for connections with people. But now something stirred inside her, making her come to life. "Listen, Stephen. This happens more than you know. Why don't we get you something to drink, maybe a snack? There's a coffee shop down the hall."
"Are you sure? I don't want to take you away." His pleading eyes contradicted his words.
She felt locked in his sights, not being able to speak or turn away. When he took a step toward her, she shifted her gaze. "It's the least I can do." Ali convinced herself that this was the right thing; that this guy with the rugged good looks, who seemed to keep popping into her life had no effect on her. "Besides it's winding down now. They can handle it."
********
"Here you go." Ali set down a muffin and a glass of orange juice in front of Stephen.
"Thank you. But you didn't have to serve me." He didn't hide that he enjoyed the attention. "Don't you do enough of that at the bar?"
"Yeah, but I like it sometimes." She shrugged and a gave a little grin. "It's kind of nice being around people that are happy and having a good time."
"I'm sure it is. That nurse told me about Harry."
"Oh…she's a sweetheart."
"She said the same about you, called you an angel…" he trailed off.
"Ohhhh," she said, "So that's why you called me that." A giggle escaped and she caught herself.
"From what I can see, she's right," Stephen said. "But, when you're all things to all people, it's tough to be there for yourself." He studied her hoping she might open up.
"I'm all right," she said.
"Yeah? So when do you get to have fun?" Stephen tilted his head trying to gain her attention.
"Well, fun's not exactly a priority these days."
Stephen debated what to say next. How could he make her see he wanted to help her without sounding too pushy? Even though they saw each other only a few times, the connection was magnetic. She had to feel it too. Before he could say anything, she sucked in a huge breath.
"Oh my gosh! I can't believe this," she said.
"What's wrong?"
"I have to be at work in less than an hour. By the time I grab the bus, get home for my uniform then bus it back over there, I'll be late." Ali rose from the table with a sense of urgency. "Sorry to cut this short, but I've got to run. Thanks so much for coming." She turned to walk away.
"Wait!" Stephen stood up. "Let me give you a ride?"
"No…I already feel bad enough. I can't ask you to do that."
"You're not asking. I'm offering. Please, let me do this. I'll wait in the car while you get your stuff, and we'll be on our way."
The car felt like a long elevator ride without the awkwardness. A feeling of comfort swept over Stephen and he relaxed, enjoying the closeness. He felt her eyes on him a few times as he drove.
The house was close to the hospital. As promised, Stephen waited in the car. He checked his messages and replayed waking to the sight of her face. Her smiles evoked such a range of emotions it baffled him. And the eyes; there was a hidden sadness that made Stephen want to take her into his arms and will that pain from her. Somehow he would give Ali some happiness. Whether her heart was spoken for or not, she deserved it.
A text alert pulled him from his trance as Ali hopped back in the car. He burst out laughing as he read it.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"My friend Joe is still at the hospital. He wants to know where the hell I am?"
"Oops."
********
As Christmas drew nearer, Stephen became more desperate to spend time with Ali. He wondered if the loneliness of the holidays was the reason for wanting companionship. He decided to stay away from Gary's for a while, but one day after work he found himself driving to the bar on the way home.
When he stepped inside, the music was pumping. It was karaoke night which tended to bring in a rowdier crowd. When it was clear she wasn't there, he parked himself at the bar and ordered a beer.
As he sat, Stephen ignored the buzzing in his pocket. What if it was work? He had mentioned he might stop off at Gary's. At this point he didn't want to think about work either. He had done way too much of that lately. Like many people do at this time of year, he had buried himself in work to avoid the holidays.
Steven heard a loud outburst from a table behind him. He turned and saw two men and a woman drinking and talking. They had obviously been there a while.
One of the men stood up and yelled, "There she is! Where ya been, honey?"
Stephen followed the man's gaze to the entrance of the bar, where Ali was walking toward the group. Instinctively he smiled like she had smiled at him first; but Ali hadn't seen Stephen and was focused on the man that just yelled to her. Only, her expression was not that of greeting friends.
Ali squeezed out a grin and nodded but continued to walk past the man.
"Hey," he said, grabbing her arm. "We've been waiting for you, girl." Lanky and sporting a crew cut, the guy looked like he just got off a shift, pumping gas.
"I'm not working today." Her voice was calm, determined. She pulled her arm from his grip. "I just came in—"
"Good!" he cut in and jumped in front of her, blocking Stephen's view of Ali. "Sit down and have a drink."
Stephen's face fueled with rage. He stood and hesitated for a second, but not being able to see her face, to see if she was afraid, was too much to handle. He commanded long strides toward the two and stopped inches from the man. "Move it!" he said to the back of the guy's head.
"What the— " He turned and eyed Stephen. "Mind your own damn business, ass wipe!"
Ali stepped back and to the side. Their eyes met for a brief moment before his shot back at his enemy. In those few seconds, they had read each other's mind. His look asked, Are you okay? While hers seemed to say, yes, thank you.
"I'll tell you what," Stephen said without blinking. "I'm gonna let you walk back to your friends with some dignity left." From the smell of the guy's breath and the obvious poundage he had on him, Stephen knew it would be an easy take-down. The guy shot out a gravelly laugh. "Whatever, man." He slowly turned toward his friends, but then snapped back with a swinging fist right toward Stephen's head. Stephen caught his fist before it connected, swung the guy around with his own arm, wrenching it behind his back and then railroaded him toward the table of friends. In an instant, the man was bent over, face down in a plate of nachos.
"What the hell, man?" the other guy shouted. He and the woman jumped up from the table. Stephen leaned over, ignoring the friends and whispered in the drunk's ear. "I'm gonna let go, and then you and your friends are outta here…okay?"
"Screw you!"
"Listen," Stephen said. "We can end—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Stephen felt a sudden slam against the side of his head. He turned to find the woman holding the other half of a beer bottle that had just shattered against his head. He reared up, letting go of the man.
"Tommy! Get out here," Ali shouted. She rushed toward the bar. A man with long dark hair was heading toward her.
"All of you, get your asses out of here before I call the cops!" he said. He held up his cell phone. The drunken guy used his shirt to wipe his face.
"Stephen, oh my God! Are you okay?" The voice came from behind him, and he felt someone grab his arm. Melissa reached up and locked her arms around his neck. He wasn't bleeding, but a red welt appeared on the right side of his forehead. "I've been looking all over for you."
Stephen watched Ali over Melissa's shoulder. She was still standing next to the manager, but her eyes locked in on him. She watched as Melissa poured her drama over him. "I'm fine," he said. Then he took her hands from around his neck.
"Let's go. Now!" Tommy said.
"C'mon, Stephen," Melissa said. "Let's get you home and put some ice on that."
The two crept back from the group and left the bar. Outside, he convinced Melissa he was fine and didn't need her to accompany him home.
After she left, Stephen sat in his car wondering what he read in Ali's eyes when Melissa arrived. It wasn't fear or even guilt for what happened. She looked hurt. How could that be? Could she really have been jealous to see him with Melissa?
********
Ali headed up Third Street, hoping her directions were accurate. Though she was having second thoughts, she pressed on. Face to face was what was needed and she wouldn't mind seeing his face again. Up ahead, she saw the building.
Once inside, she paused in the lobby to admire the holiday decorations. A beautifully decorated tree and lights strung all along the windows. She sighed and thought of her own home and how un-Christmassy it was at the moment. She promised Harry he would be home for Christmas, but what was the point if he didn't have a traditional festive atmosphere. She hopped in the elevator and hoped she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself. As each floor passed, her heart rate increased. Maybe this was a mistake, she thought as the door dinged open. Unable to summon the courage, she reached for the button to close the door, but a woman stuck her hand against the door. She held it there as three other people entered the elevator, the last one was Stephen. When their eyes met, she froze, mortified.
"Hey," Stephen said. His face lit up in delight and surprise.
"Hi," she said. The awkward elevator cliché was bad enough, but this was even worse. For a few seconds they both just stared and smiled.
"Were you coming to see me?" He asked.
"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you for a sec." She glanced at the others.
The elevator doors opened and they all stepped out. While the three walked toward the exit, Stephen stepped to the side. "Tracey, I'll be right there." The woman turned and gave a head nod. Ali and Stephen moved to a corner and stood next to a decorated palm tree.
"I just wanted to come by and say I'm sorry about what happened."
Stephen smiled.
"Actually…I guess I really wanted to say thank you."
"That guy was an ass. Do you know him?"
"Not really. Guess that stuff just comes with the territory. I'll get used to it."
Stephen sighed. "You shouldn't have to." He looked past Ali to check on his co-workers. One of them pointed to his watch.
"So how's your head?" Ali resisted the urge to touch him in that very spot.
"It's—" Stephen's attention was pulled away by the same guy pointing to his watch. He was mouthing Let's go.
"It's fine. Listen, I'm late for a meeting, but can we get together later and finish this conversation?"
"Oh sorry, I can't. Later this afternoon I'm going to get Harry discharged and then bring him home for Christmas. Gosh, I haven't even picked up a tree yet. So much to do…"
"That's great news. I'm sure you're very excited to get him back."
Stephen took a few steps toward the door and Ali followed. "Ali, I'm not sure why I'm telling you this. But, I just wanted you to know…that girl that showed up last night. That was my ex-girlfriend. She was just worried about me."
"Oh, uh, that was nice of her." Ali couldn't help a smile from taking over her face, hoping she didn't look like an idiot. "Well, good luck with your meeting." Heading toward the door, she looked back to see if he was watching.
Stephen smiled and waved. "Ali…I'm happy you're able to bring Harry home and Merry Christmas."
'I hope it will be,' she said to herself.
********
Stephen leaned against his car and gazed up at his work in pride. He couldn't have done it without Joe's help. As he breathed heavily, a mist formed beyond his lips. A mix of emotions swarmed his body and mind: excitement, anxiety, fear, longing.
After twenty minutes a car finally pulled into the driveway. Ali was driving and a man with sandy-colored hair was in the passenger seat. Stephen's heart raced as he waited for Ali to get out. She gaped at the house before her as she opened her door.
"Oh my God, Stephen! Did you do all this?" Her mouth hung open, her eyes glistened.
"I had a little help."
The whole house was covered with lights, including the huge tree on the front grass. A freshly cut Christmas tree leaned up against the garage.
Ali shut the door and took a step toward Stephen. The other man opened his door and stood, leaning on the open door.
"But…I don't understand," she said. "Why did you do all this?"
Stephen paused searching for the answer. He couldn't be totally honest. He wanted to make her happy. If that meant providing a nice Christmas for her and Harry, then that's what he needed to do.
"Isn't it obvious?" the other man said.
The three waited out an uncomfortable silence before the man spoke again. "He's obviously one of those do-gooder types." He flashed a wry smile and reached his hand out to Stephen. "Hi, I'm Harry."
"Great to meet you. I'm Stephen." Strangely, there didn't seem to be any suspicion or animosity lurking.
"I figured," Harry said. He struggled to close his door before Ali noticed and ran over.
"Oh my gosh, Harry. I'm sorry. Let's get you out of this cold."
Stephen followed and the two guided Harry up the walk. "I'll come back for the tree," Stephen said.
"This looks awesome, man! I can't thank you enough," Harry said.
Inside, they got Harry into a chair and Ali pushed a footstool over to him.
"I think this calls for a toast," she said. "You two get acquainted, and I'll go get some wine." Ali walked across a small carpeted area and around a corner.
Acquainted? Stephen was stunned. He hadn't thought that far into his little plan. What the heck were they supposed to talk about?
"So," Harry said. He nodded at Stephen. "This must be kind of awkward for you, huh?"
Crap! He didn't expect to be instantly put on the spot and couldn't think of what to say except, "Uh…"
"I mean who wants to sit around at Christmas time with some strange guy that's dying, right?"
"Oh!" Stephen let out a breath that sounded too close to a laugh. "I mean, no. I just—"
"Hey, don't sweat it. But, I am going to give you a warning about Ali."
Here it comes. Stephen braced himself for the inevitable threats to back off.
"I love Ali, with all my heart. She's sacrificed everything to care for me over the last few years."
Stephen nodded.
"All I'm saying is that when I'm gone you better treat my sister right."
Instantly, Stephen's throat became constricted and he struggled to breathe. He didn't just hear what he thought he heard. He held up a finger and shook his head. "What…what, what did you just call her?"
"My sister, man. Don't hurt my sister." He must have noticed the stunned look on Stephen's face because he began to laugh. "Shit! You didn't think…?"
Stephen grinned and chuckled, shook his head again and stood up.
"You did, didn't you? Now that's funny." Harry laughed again; this time harder and he began coughing.
Stephen went over to him. "Harry? You all right?" Harry continued coughing and pointed to the direction of the kitchen. Stephen took off. "Ali, Harry's choking," he said as he entered. Ali grabbed a glass of water and headed to the living room, leaving Stephen bracing himself against the counter. What the hell was he going to do now?
He stared at the back door and thought about escaping. Then, he finished opening the wine and took a giant drink. Ali walked back in just as he finished the glass. The look on her face said it all.
"Sister, huh?"
Stephen finally got to see that glowing angelic smile, and though it was at his expense, he reveled in it.
"There were some girls…at Gary's that day you ran out. They said your husband was dying?"
Ali stepped toward Stephen, their faces inches from each other. "I haven't been working there long. Most of those little twits don't even know me."
"I’m such an idiot," he said.
"Are you kidding? You did all this thinking you were doing it for me and my husband? Let's just say you made a Christmas wish come true." Then, she reached up and grabbed his face, pulling his head down to her. "Thank you, Stephen."
A long and gentle kiss washed away all of his doubt, all of his embarrassment and uncertainty. For the first time, being around Ali felt perfect. It felt right.
********
Harry died two days after Christmas and was buried on New Year's Day. Ali said that Harry probably hung on to make sure she was taken care of, and Stephen vowed to keep his promise to do just that.
