A Season to Celebrate Read online

  He winced slightly as he climbed over his drowsy seat partner. His leg was aching a bit, and he needed to walk the aisle. Noticing his slight limp, and the cramped situation he was in, the flight attendant touched his forearm, and whispered, “Follow me.” She guided him into first class, where there was an unoccupied, sumptuous seat. Being aware his flight was gratis due to his military status, he immediately began to protest. “Ma’am, I do very much appreciate the gesture, but I’m fine.” The words poured easily from his lips.

  “It’s the least we can do for our brave soldiers. The seat is empty, and I am sure you have more than earned it.” Again, the beaming, gleaming white teeth, as she flirted with him. “Can I get you something to drink? Headphones? A snack?”

  “I do appreciate your kindness, but I should be just fine.” Kevin was almost embarrassed by her doting.

  “Surely, you could use something?” She looked at him with puppy-dog eyes.

  “Well, if you insist. I don’t suppose you could wrestle up a very cold beer?” Kevin was beginning to fall into his easy Texas style.

  “I think I could find something to your liking.” Allison stared into his dreamy pools of azure blue and hoped she would be to his liking. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag containing earbuds. “Here. There are a dozen music channels you can listen to, or you can watch one of the in-flight movies.”

  “Well, thank you very much, ma’am. I sure do appreciate your kindness. And this comfort is heavenly.”

  Allison headed toward the galley and reappeared minutes later with an icy cold beer and a platter of sandwiches.

  Kevin was by no means a virgin, but he was unaccustomed to this kind of attention—even with his strapping good looks, he was surprisingly shy and unassuming. Noticing her name tag, he addressed her by name: “Allison. Thank you for making my journey home enjoyable. A man could get used to this! Don’t you go spoiling me, now!”

  Thinking she could get used to a few more passengers like Kevin, she lightly touched his arm and lowered her voice. “If you need anything, just ring that bell.” She winked and turned her attention to the other passengers, who were noticeably antsy waiting for their unlimited supply of cocktails.

  Reminding himself that this was “starting over” number three, perhaps it was time to begin looking at women from a different perspective instead of as heartbreakers. Even though the split with Melissa gave him the second start-over of his life, his subconscious continued to protect him from any sort of emotional entanglement. Allison’s kindness struck a chord. This was the next new beginning, and maybe, just maybe, there was someone out there for him. Someone. Obviously, not Allison. She was, after all, the first pretty woman he had encountered in a while, but he wasn’t going all gaga. No, she was there to remind him that there was hope. He laughed, and wryly observed to himself, Yes, old boy. You got a lot of catching up to do.

  He settled into the lush leather seat, stretched his leg to a comfortable position, inserted the earbuds, and searched for a country music station. Contentment was beginning to envelop him, and he easily let it wrap him in its arms.

  His long-overdue nap was interrupted by the flight attendant’s announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our final approach into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Please turn off all electronic devices, make sure your seat back is in an upright position and your seat belt is securely fastened. We should be on the ground shortly.”

  This had been the longest part of his journey home. Almost ten hours. He had made his way to London via Germany, and before that from Istanbul. Four flights in almost twenty-four hours. It would be good to be on terra firma again. And this time in his home state.

  As the plane touched down, the captain’s voice came over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Dallas, Texas—the United States of America.” The cabin burst with applause as the captain continued: “And we would personally like to thank our military personnel for their service.”

  Kevin was surprised at his own reaction of getting a little teary eyed. It had been a long journey—emotionally and geographically. He could barely keep himself from salivating, just thinking about his mom’s home cooking. When he had written to his family informing them he would be coming home, not just for the holidays, but for good, he jokingly said, “No parades, please.”

  Once the FASTEN SEAT BELT sign dimmed, he walked back to his original seat to fetch his duffel. His drowsy seatmate had commandeered both seats and was sloppily draped across the armrest, still snoring, and drooling on his Avengers T-shirt, which was about three sizes too small.

  Now Kevin was grateful to Allison for two things: reminding him there was an entire gender with which he could become reacquainted and for saving him from having some strange dude inadvertently snuggle with him.

  As he stepped off the Jetway, he headed toward the baggage claim area, where his father had said he would meet him. Looking for the carousel that would be hurling his duffel bag, he heard shouts and cheers: “Kevin Matthews, you are great! Welcome home to the Lone Star State! Kevin Matthews, you are great! Welcome home to the Lone Star State!” There must have been over twenty people surrounding his mom and dad, both of whom were sporting handkerchiefs soaking up the tears of joy and relief. He hurried toward his mom, picked her up, and in good old-fashioned Texas style, gave her a spin that almost knocked his father over!

  His mother clung to him as if she would never let go, until his dad had to pry her off so he could give his son the bear hug he had been longing for.

  As Kevin steadied himself, he noticed the banner with his name on it, KEVIN MATTHEWS , OUR HERO . He was trying hard not to be overwhelmed by this welcome, but the accolades mixed with holiday decorations were almost too much. He recalled his training, gained his composure, stood erect, smiled, and waved to the onlookers.

  “Holy smoke! What a homecoming! Wow! I’m . . . I’m . . . blown away. Okay, maybe not the best choice of words.” Shrieks of laughter came from the bunch. “Who knew I was this popular!”

  When he was able to focus beyond his tear-filled eyes, he recognized friends of his parents and folks from the church. “Okay, Dad. Mom. Now that you have thoroughly humiliated me, can we please get home to some of that corn bread I’ve been dreaming about? Let me grab my bag, and let’s get outta here!”

  “Sure, son! The car is just outside. They let me leave it there because I told them I was picking up my son who had just served six years in the military.” Kevin’s dad beamed with pride as they exited the airport. A security guard standing next to the vehicle saluted, and remarked: “Thank you for your service.” Kevin saluted back and wiped away the tears he had been trying to quell. Yes, this was a new, new beginning and his heart filled with joy and hope.

  They piled into the car and jumped on the interstate, I-35, for the three-hour ride home. Kevin could have flown from Dallas to Austin, but his parents insisted on picking him up, and another plane ride would have been more than Kevin could tolerate. Even though it was a haul to Cedar Park, they could stop along the way and grab a bite to eat, stretch their legs, and catch up. “How did everyone else get here, Dad?”

  “Well, it just so happened that there is a Christmas festival in Dallas tonight, and the pastor offered to bring people on the church bus.”

  “Remind me to put some extra coins in the basket next time I’m there.” Kevin was still reeling from the welcome home he had just received.

  “Coins? Maybe a few greenbacks would do! And by the way, speaking of green, we need to get the trees over to the church pronto. We’re almost a week late.”

  “Home five minutes, and you’re already putting me to work?” Kevin teased, but in reality he was thrilled to be working among the cedar trees again. Dust had become the only thing he had inhaled for a long time. The fresh green scent of the trees would be heavenly.

  “How’s that leg of yours? Will you be all right to cut, wrap, and carry the trees to people’s cars?” Kevin�
��s mom said with concern.

  “I couldn’t be better. Just a little stiff, but otherwise, I’m good to go!”

  “Well, you better not be going anywhere anytime soon. The last time you were thinking about reevaluating your life, you ended up in the Air Force!”

  “I learned a lot, Mom. A lot about discipline, a lot about loyalty, and a lot about family.

  “When you’re as far away from home as I was, and for as long as I was, the people you share life-and-death experiences with become part of a family. And it helped me appreciate my own family. Before I left, I was just going through the motions, living from one day to the next, not fully realizing what I had and what I could do with my life. Now I understand how important it is to be grounded. Be a part of something. The loyalty. The love. The unwavering attention you give to each other. Everyone needs to learn to love just a little more and learn to accept it.”

  “Oh, Kevin, you sound so grown-up! And philosophical!” His mother began tearing up again.

  “Okay. Let’s focus on the tasks at hand,” his father calmly interrupted. “We have a lot of holiday cheer to spread. So Mr. Philosophical, I hope you’re up to it! We’re going to have to get up very early tomorrow to bring the trees to the church before Sunday school starts. Otherwise, there will be too many people around for us to get anything done.”

  “Roger that!” Kevin replied with an enthusiastic laugh. “How much longer before I can sink my teeth into some home cooking?”

  “I’m driving as fast as I can. I may have been able to talk my way into a parking spot, but not sure if I’d be able to talk my way out of a speeding ticket!” his dad said, peering into the rearview mirror.

  Kevin mentally shifted gears, which he soon realized was something that would continue to happen for quite some time, something he was going to have to get used to. He had to remember where he was, not where he had been. He was back home now. He could relax. He might not have changed the world, but he could say that he had tried. And in the case of many of those he had helped rescue, he had succeeded.

  Once they were out of the airport traffic confusion and on the highway, Mrs. Matthews leaned over and pulled something out of a tote bag. A plastic container. Turning around, she handed it to Kevin. “Is this what you’re hankering for?”

  Opening the Tupperware tub, he was surprised to see that the corn bread was still warm, and the savory smell was divine. And that was the moment Kevin fully realized that he really was home again.

  Chapter Two

  Thirty-year-old Kate Stafford, recently divorced, and her five-year-old daughter Emma were finally moving into their own little cottage in a small town outside Austin. Kate had secured a job at the Cedar Park Medical Center, which was about twenty minutes from their new home—something Kate could afford on her salary and the modest child support she received. She and Roger Martin had dated for several years and gotten married right after Kate finished her internship at Baylor. Much to Roger’s chagrin, she kept her maiden name since all of her education records were under Stafford. She had thought it was sweet that he had a little bit of the old-fashioned stuff in him and wanted her to be Mrs. Kate Martin. It had never occurred to her that he was competitive. But occasionally a little bit of a chauvinistic streak would emerge. She was too busy with her studies and adored Roger, so even the thought of it would not have occurred to her. Sometimes a hint of jealousy would surface, especially when Kate would attract the attention of other men. Not only was she bright, but she was stunning, with her shoulder-length, rich chestnut hair and green eyes. Kate would explain about the transference syndrome—in which patients thought they were falling in love with their doctors—to quell Roger’s annoyance. But much to her dismay, rather than allaying his jealousy, it often would fuel the argument. She didn’t get it. At least not at first. But after several years, the resentment was becoming obvious. She was coming into her own, and Roger didn’t like it.

  Shortly after they were married, her pregnancy came as a big surprise. They had been extra careful, knowing it would be several years before Kate would be eligible for a full-time job, but she was among the two percent for whom birth control didn’t work. Even though she was pro-choice, abortion was out of the question. She was going to keep the baby. She still had four years of residency to complete at Joseph Barnhart, and there would be a lot of juggling involved, but Kate was bright and determined to make all of it work: her marriage, her career, and her baby. She was adamant. She would be wife, mother, and doctor. After all, weren’t women encouraged to “do it all”?

  Things really started to go downhill when an argument arose about Emma’s last name. Kate suggested hyphenating to Stafford-Martin, but Roger was vehemently opposed to any name but Martin. “My kid is going to have my name!”

  That was the first time Kate really put some thought into what her husband’s view of marriage was. The looming economic burdens and her husband’s on-again, off-again employment began to take its toll, both financially and emotionally. Roger couldn’t find enough work in Houston—at least that was his excuse—and being a stay-at-home dad wasn’t going to cut it financially. When Kate would make suggestions about different employment opportunities, he would respond with bitter remarks. Could he be talking his way out of a job rather than into one?

  It was becoming obvious that his ego was being bruised by his wife’s success. There had been other early warning signs that she and Roger weren’t compatible, but they were eighteen when they had met, and who knew anything about love and relationships? Didn’t all teenagers think they knew everything, especially when it came to matters of the heart?

  As the months dragged on, Roger’s opportunities for obtaining and keeping a steady job seemed to dwindle. Then one day he announced that he had heard there were a lot of opportunities in Vancouver, British Columbia, for people in Roger’s line of work. That would have definitely created a problem with Kate’s progress toward a career in medicine. Not all of her credits and time spent would count, and she would lose an entire year repeating some of her residency. Furthermore, Canada wasn’t eager to employ people from other countries, even if that other country was just across the border.

  At that point, Kate had the horrible thought that maybe keeping her from a successful career in medicine was Roger’s plan. If they moved to Canada and he got a good job, then Kate might have to give up her aspirations and let him wear the pants in the family. No. That was not the answer. She had put too much into her studies and her career. She couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t want to become a doctor. A pediatric orthopedist. Helping kids get their limbs working again. It was time she faced the ugly truth. The marriage was over.

  Kate was thinking back to when she first told her mother the news of the divorce. “Teenage love is so naive. Why don’t kids listen to their parents?” Kate smiled a wry grin.

  “But Roger is a good egg, and he deserves to be happy. At least we’re grown up enough to realize we’re young enough to have a chance at happiness—even if it isn’t with each other!”

  “You both deserve to be happy, sweetie. I’m glad you didn’t take the other road and walk away from your career. You put so much time into your education, and you still have a bit left on your student loans!” Kate’s mom was very proud of her daughter’s drive and success and bragged incessantly about her “daughter the doctor.”

  Fortunately, the divorce was amicable. Roger almost seemed relieved. As they parted ways, Roger agreed to send her two hundred dollars a month in child support. Not a lot to go on, but it was better than nothing. He promised to send more when things got better, but four years later, it looked as if things were never going to get better for Roger.

  The year that followed the divorce, Kate had Emma’s last name changed to Stafford. It was hard enough being a kid with only one parent; at the very least they should have the same name. Roger raised a bit of a fuss but backed down after the second argument over the phone. “I don’t want Emma, or anyone else for that matte
r, to be confused as to who her mother is, particularly with an absent father. End of story—unless you want to pay a lawyer to try to stop me.” He acquiesced, and Kate sent him the paperwork—with a prepaid return FedEx envelope.

  Four years had passed since she had broken the news of the divorce, and the latest change—the big move to Cedar Park—was not about to sit well with her mother. When she met with her mother to break the news, her mom was very excited about the upcoming holidays. “Santa will be coming in a few weeks, and this year Emma should really get a kick out of it. She is such a joy.”

  Kate became quiet as she began to find the words to explain to her mother that she and Emma were moving to Cedar Park. Not too far, but not last-minute babysitting or dinner several times a week proximity. It would be at least a two-and-a-half-hour drive.

  “Mom. I’ve been looking into permanent positions at hospitals that have orthopedic specialty clinics.”

  “Of course, dear. That’s something you’ve always wanted.”

  “Well, there is a wonderful opportunity for me at Cedar Park, and—”

  “Cedar Park? Near Austin?” Kate’s mother sounded horrified. “You’ll be so far away! And what about our Emma? We won’t be able to watch her grow up!” She began to cry.

  “Oh, Mom. Don’t cry. It’s only about two hours away. We’ll visit on weekends. You can visit us. We’ll spend all the holidays together. I promise! It won’t be all that bad!”

  “Kate, honey, your daddy and I live for the two of you. I don’t know what we’re going to do if you leave!” Mrs. Stafford was beside herself.

  “Mom, it’s not ‘if,’ it’s ‘when.’” Kate was determined. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for me. They have day care, and after Emma starts school, they will work around my schedule. Besides, Houston is getting so expensive. My other option was Boston, and I’m sure you would agree that was totally out of the question.”