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When the phone rang late Sunday morning, Craig cringed. He was certain it would be someone he didn't want to talk to and the list was growing everyday. Mandie had gone out for a newspaper so Craig answered the phone himself.
"I thought you were going to call me today Craig." Mom said. Craig sighed.
"Mom, it's only after 11. I was going to call you. How can I call you if you always call me first?" Mom clicked her tongue.
"Don't get smart with me. You know it's late in the day already for me." He nodded.
"That's right, Mom, sorry. What's Dad doing?" Craig changed the subject hoping to avoid the one he absolutely didn't want to discuss.
"He's out in the garage tinkering. Have you spoken to Brent lately?"
"Yeah, a little. He's been busy getting engaged." He surely didn't want to tell his mother that Brent was all worked up about having dinner with Andrea's sister that very night. Mom sighed.
"It's about time. That boy is always a day late and a dollar short." Craig laughed.
"This is true, Mom. Hey, I'm surprised he even asked her to marry him at all. He just doesn't seem like the 'settled down' type. I hope that he is happy and doesn't get the urge to stray." He thought about the conversation he'd had with Brent the other day about Andrea's sister and how 'hot' Brent thought she was.
"Well, Craig, if I were you I wouldn't talk. You've had your fair share of relationships and I'm quite sure some of them weren't about having meaningful conversations or long walks in the woods." Craig was surprised at his mother.
"Mom! How can you say that about me? You know I'm the romantic son who gives his heart to every girl and usually gets walked on!"
"Hmmm, it wasn't your heart I was thinking you gave them Craig. Now, lets talk about Charlotte and this baby." Craig felt his bowels turn to water at the mere mention of her name.
"Do we have to?" He whined.
"Yes, we do. I want to see this baby. Bring him here tomorrow."
"I can't do that, Mom." Craig said.
"Why can't you?"
"Because I don't know the first thing about babies and Charlotte isn't just going to let me go and get Charles and take him somewhere and I sure as hell am NOT going to bring her to your house. She'll get it in her foolish head that this is some sort of 'family reunion' and I won't have it." He heard his Mom take in air through her mouth.
"Charles?" She asked incredulous. "She named the baby after your father??" Craig sighed and covered his eyes with his hand.
"Yes, she did." He said quietly.
"Bring that baby here tomorrow, Craig. Call Charlotte and arrange it. I don't care if you have to bring her with. I want to see that baby! I will be able to tell right then whether or not he is yours." Craig was silent a moment. His nerves were tingling. Not only did he not want to call Charlotte but he did not want to take the baby to his Mom's and he didn't want to know whether or not he was Charles' father. He was scared of the answer. "Talk to me son." Mom said loudly.
"I heard you." Craig said slowly. "Mom, I don't want to do this."
"I know you don't but Craig, if that baby is yours and he is my grandchild I want to do right by him."
"But ... Charlotte ..."
"I don't care about that woman. I care if that baby is related to me through you. If that baby is your son I will love him like he should be loved." Craig felt a stinging in his nose and heaviness in his heart. He felt like he wanted to cry. He didn't want this baby to be his. His mother was talking like she knew he already was. It hurt him to think that his first child may have been with someone who ripped his heart out and stomped on it and now wanted to be close because of his high sperm count. He thought about Mandie. He loved her so much and he had been thrilled to death when she told him she was having his baby. How must she feel knowing that their first child isn't Craig's first child? Craig swallowed hard the lump that was in his throat. "Craig," Mom said softly as though she could feel his pain through the telephone wires. "Just bring the baby over here and let's get it over with. I know you want to do the right thing, son, you've always been that kind of person. If I don't' think the baby is yours then you can be done with Charlotte and her baby for good. But if he is then we want him to have the best he deserves. And the most love we can give him. Isn't that right?" She heard Craig sniffle on the other end. The tears had come. He held the phone away from his head and wiped his face with the sleeve. Mom's heart went out to him. She knew this was a difficult position for Craig to be in. She knew his heart, he would do the right thing and it would be hurtful but he wouldn't let his own child down. He may look more like his Dad but inside he was much more like her.
"Okay, Mom. I'll arrange to bring the baby to you tomorrow. Just make sure you are fair when you decided whether or not he is my baby." Craig finally said quietly.
"Oh don't you worry, dear. I will certainly be fair." She said adamantly. He sniffled again and walked to the bathroom to get a tissue. "Call me when you're on your way here, okay?" Craig wiped his nose with the tissue and nodded.
"Okay."
"I love you, Craig." Mom said kindly.
"I love you too, Mom." He replied. When they hung up, Craig sat on the couch, took a deep breath and slumped his shoulders. He sat for what seemed like a long time but was only actually minutes. He glanced over at the clock and hurriedly dialed Charlotte's number. Mandie was due back any second now and he wanted to get this phone call done and over with. While it was ringing, he wondered what was taking Mandie so long anyway. It didn't take that long to run to the gas station and get a newspaper ... There was no answer at Charlotte's.
"Charlotte, it's Craig. I wanted to know if I could take Charles for a few hours tomorrow. Thanks to you my Mom wants to see him. I don't know why you do this shit. It's getting to be a real thorn in my side. Anyway, don't call me back today. I, uh, I'm going to be out all day. Call me tomorrow morning before you go to the restaurant. You heard me, right? Call me tomorr ..." He was cut off by the answering machine which stopped recording. At that very moment, Mandie walked through the door, newspaper in hand. Her cheeks were pink from the cold and he could feel the breeze as she closed the door. He hung up the phone and got up.
"Hey, babe! What took you so long?" He asked approaching her and taking the paper from her. He set it down on the table and then helped her off with her coat.
"I decided to fill up my car while I was there and saw Mike and we chatted for a while." Craig nodded. Mike is the drummer for Craig's band, Forest Fire.
"What did he have to say? Anything interesting?" Mandie put her hand on her hip and made a face.
"Does he ever have anything interesting to say to me, Craig? He is always trying to hit on me!" Craig laughed.
"That's the truth! Hey!! I had an idea ... do you want to go and get some Christmas lights and put up some decorations today?" He sidled up to her and put his arms around her shoulders. She slipped hers around his waist and thought a moment.
"That sounds like fun. Let's do that!" Mandie said, smiling brightly. He leaned down and kissed her.
"I want you to know Mandie, how much I love you and how special this Christmas is going to be to me now that I have you."
"Well, the same goes for me to Craig. Everyday could be Christmas and it wouldn't mean a thing if I didn't have you." He searched her face, he saw love. "And our baby." Mandie added. He pulled her tightly to himself and hugged her. When she finally pulled away he was hesitant to let her go.
Craig and Mandie went out shopping for Christmas lights and decorations. Two-and-a-half hours, six stores and $200 later they got back in the truck and were headed for home.
"Let's stop and have a bite." Mandie suggested after her stomach growled in protest of the lack of food in it. Craig looked quickly over at her. The last time they had gone out to lunch together they accidentally bumped into Charlotte. He didn't want another repeat of that day ... They chose a quaint little Mexican restaurant, ate their lunch and arrived home, finally. They emptied the bags of lights and decorations they bought and Craig glanced up at the clock. It was almost three o'clock. He grabbed the phone and called Brent real quick. He wanted to find out when Andrea's sister and her boyfriend were due to arrive. He could hear in Brent's voice that he was distracted and when Brent stated that Taylor had arrived and hung up on him, Craig just stared at the phone a moment. After hanging up, Craig joined Mandie in the living room. She had turned on Christmas music and poured them a glass of wine. They opened all the lights and Craig plugged them into the outlet one by one to make sure they worked. Mandie grabbed a step stool and a roll of tape and while Craig taped the lights into the corners of the room, Mandie pulled out the snowflake "cling" decorations they bought and stuck them all over the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. When she was done, she grabbed her sweater, threw it on, then went out onto the balcony and strung lights and garland over the railing of the balcony. When she was done she plugged it in. She stuck her head in the door and excitedly called Craig over.
"Come look! It's beautiful!" He stepped down off the ladder and walked out onto the balcony. Darkness had settled all around and the little portico they called their own was bathed in colored lights that twinkled like the stars on a clear, black night. Craig pulled Mandie back inside.
"Let's go downstairs and look up at it." He said as they made their way to the parking lot. They stood next to Craig's truck and gazed up at the lights. Craig put his arm around Mandie and pulled her to him. "Look at that." He said with a sigh. "I've never seen such a fantastic job of decorating in all my life." He teased. Mandie giggled.
"Come on you goof, let's finish up." She said pulling him by the hand back into the apartment. When they finished putting up all the lights and decorations they'd bought, changed into lounging pajamas, turned off all the lights, refilled their wine, built a fire in the fireplace and lay on the floor together. The whole aura the lights and the fire gave was mesmerizing. Craig felt suddenly filled with emotion. He looked over at Mandie who was staring into the fire. She felt him looking at her and glanced over into his eyes. He held her there. He wished he could convey to her in words how much she meant to him and how his whole life took on meaning when she became part of it. The recording contract wasn't even as meaningful to him as she was. She made him feel whole. Up until he'd fallen in love with her his life was filled with gaps. Mandie filled those gaps nicely. And the baby she carried was the icing on the cake. He watched as a tear slid down her cheek and dripped off her chin. He reached out to her and wiped it away.
"Why do you cry?" He whispered, not sure if he really wanted to know. She blinked a few times before speaking.
"Because this whole day with you has been beautiful. We've had some problems lately and if I could have ordered a day that would have been perfect, this would have been it." He smiled at her before leaning down and kissing her lightly. He pulled her close and held her there.
"I couldn't agree more." He said softly and kissed the top of her head. And that is where they stayed until the fire died out and they crawled into bed feeling chilly and needing each other for warmth.
