Christmas Cake by Lynne Hinton Read Free Book Online Page A

back to Goodlett for the funeral, but Margaret had stayed with her cousin in North Carolina. Sometimes over the years her sisters and brothers would go to Goodlett, visit cousins, visit the grave; but not Margaret. For some reason she had never named, never considered, she never went back.
    It was, she thought as she poured herself a glass of tea and sat down at the table, something she hadn’t thought of in years. But somehow, seeing the photograph of Charlotte, that look of perfect peace, she remembered how she felt the Christmas of her tenth year and how shehad never managed to feel that way again. She thought of Goodlett, Texas, and how she had never gone to say good-bye to her mother.
    And now, she sighed deeply, it was too late to do anything about any of it. Cancer in her liver, chemotherapy, maybe radiation; she was old and she was sick. She had waited too long to see if she could find that kind of peace again, have that feeling again that she had when she was ten and sitting next to her mother. She had waited too long to sort through all the things she had felt about her mother and about her death.
    â€œMiss Margaret, are you home?” The voice came from the back porch.
    The kitchen door was opened and Margaret could see Lana Jenkins, Jessie’s granddaughter-in-law, standing at the steps with her little girl, Hope, resting on her hip.
    â€œLana, hello, come in,” Margaret said as she stood up from the table and opened the door.
    The young mother and her child walked up the steps and headed into the house.
    â€œGood gracious, but she’s too big for you to carry.”
    â€œI know,” Lana responded. “But she’s not feeling well today so…” She looked down at her daughter.
    â€œSo, you carry her,” Margaret finished the sentence.
    â€œRight.”
    The little girl dropped her head on her mother’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with her?” Margaret asked, studying the little girl to try to figure out the problem.
    â€œI think it’s just a virus. She was sick during the night and then woke up with a little bit of fever.” Lana smoothed the hair across herlittle girl’s brow. She glanced back up at Margaret. “I tried to call Miss Jessie because Wallace is out of town, but I can’t reach her and I’ve got to get to the school for a class this morning.” She seemed a bit distraught. “I’ve got a test.”
    Margaret nodded. She knew that Lana was in nursing school and that Hope was in kindergarten. She understood the predicament and already knew what the young mother was asking. Hope had stayed with Margaret lots of times.
    â€œIt’s fine for her to stay here,” she said, reaching out her arms to take the child.
    Hope held out her arms and went to the older woman.
    â€œI’m really sorry about this. I’ve called everybody I know and everybody’s gone. I tried to call Miss Jessie’s cell phone but she never turns the thing on. Mr. Jenkins is not answering the house phone. And my family is all out of town at my great-aunt’s funeral. I just didn’t know who else to ask. I feel like such a bad mother, leaving her with somebody else.”
    Margaret was shaking her head. “It’s fine. I don’t mind. And Lana, you are not a bad mother. You’re a student and you need to finish your classes. You are doing a very responsible thing to leave her with a friend.”
    â€œI just didn’t think I should send her to school with a fever,” Lana added.
    â€œYou were right. And this is a perfect solution. I don’t have anything planned for today, so I’m happy to stay with her.”
    Lana smiled, and Margaret nodded at her. She studied the young woman. She figured that Lana hadn’t heard about her prognosis because if she had, Margaret knew Lana would never have asked for help. And actually Margaret was glad to be treated as if nothing