{"id":1564,"date":"2013-12-22T15:45:34","date_gmt":"2013-12-22T15:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/karyngood.com\/blog\/?p=1564"},"modified":"2014-01-23T23:08:52","modified_gmt":"2014-01-23T23:08:52","slug":"a-christmas-story-open-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/karyngood.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/a-christmas-story-open-hearts\/","title":{"rendered":"A Christmas Story – Open Hearts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"004\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Merry Christmas! Here’s a sweet story I wrote one year as a Gift of Writing for my writing\u00a0group, The Saskatchewan Romance\u00a0Writers. This year I’m sharing it here on my blog. I hope you enjoy it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Open Hearts<\/p>\n

For Abigail Kelley working retail at Christmas equaled worst job ever. Small talk? With\u00a0strangers? Not her strong suit. Even on a good day and good days were harder to\u00a0find than Waldo. But a girl had to eat and she\u2019d already proven she was a glutton for punishment. Besides it worked nicely with the whole \u2018sucker\u2019 theme she had going on this year. Broke, adrift, and one blinking engine light away from over and done.<\/p>\n

She glanced at her watch. Ten minutes until closing time on December 23rd<\/sup>. The supersized big box store across the street was crammed to the rafters with late night shoppers. Not a soul crossed the street to browse at Adornments and Jewels <\/i>with its swaying antique sign and out-dated window display. No one crossed the threshold where the dusty tiny bell waited to announce eager shoppers, or any shopper, and the scarred counters shined in preparation for inquisitive customers. Indeed, it was quiet as a mouse.<\/p>\n

The quiet didn\u2019t bother Abby, in fact, she preferred it. But noise equalled customers and paying customers equalled commissions. A pay check meant no more blinking engine light. No more blinking engine light meant the open road and finding her way back to the place she left her self-respect. She swiped her polishing cloth over the gleaming countertop glass as she leaned in and wondered over all the pretty baubles. Her mom would love the vintage silver locket. Maybe next year\u2026<\/p>\n

The tinkling of the bell startled her and she tripped as she turned to face the door. Clumsy as always. She stuck her dust rag out of sight and shoved a bunch of curls out of her eyes and got her first glimpse of the shoppers.<\/p>\n

Very odd. There was no other way to put it.<\/p>\n

Three men. Two of them in solid black suits with solid black shirts and solid black ties flanked an older, plump sort of gentleman dressed in chocolate brown from head to toe: brown corduroy pants, brown tweed overcoat, and brown wool cap. Except for his cherry red sneakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I help you?\u201d She dredged up a smile and pushed aside any silly misgivings. Shyness was not standing in the way of a decent supper.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. I hope so. I\u2019m looking for a gift for my wife.\u201d The man eyes twinkled from underneath bushy white eyebrows as he shoved his hands into his pockets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026wonderful. How long have you been married?\u201d Clueless husbands were nice to help and this one seemed friendly enough despite his stiff companions.<\/p>\n

He smoothed a hand over his very impressive moustache and down over his equally impressive snowy white beard. \u201cSince-\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the suits pushed forward. \u201cThat\u2019s strictly need-to-know, Ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

The flush of embarrassment heated Abby\u2019s cheeks. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean anything by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to worry.\u201d The older gentleman held up a hand. \u201cNow, Murray, no need to be like that. We talked about this, remember? We have a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plan?<\/i><\/p>\n

Abby stared as the other suit tapped his right ear and whispered into the black leather glove covering his left hand, which set off her inner crap-on-a-stick-I\u2019m-alone-here alarm bells.<\/p>\n

Undaunted the man\u2013in-black kept talking. \u201cYes, I do remember. But I\u2019m in charge of security on this mission and you agreed to follow the rules. That means no personal information. Need I remind you of the Wal-Mart debacle of \u201903?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mission? Debacle?<\/i><\/p>\n

She smiled again, in a hurry up and leave kind of way. \u201cI\u2019m just about to close the shop and my boss, who\u2019s happens to be in the back, doesn\u2019t like me to close late.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man dressed in brown dismissed the other two men with a wave. \u201cIgnore these two. I\u2019ve been married for\u2026well, forever. And my name is Nick.\u201d With a wink in her direction he held out his hand to her.<\/p>\n

The introduction did not sit well with Murray but the huge amount of throat clearing in the background didn\u2019t deter Nick. She stretched out a reluctant hand. Nick\u2019s warmth spread from her fingertips across her palm and up her arm, and for no good reason some of her anxiety evaporated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi. Um, I\u2019m Abby. It\u2019s nice to meet you, Nick.\u201d He gave her hand a friendly squeeze and let go.<\/p>\n

\u201cI assure you the pleasure\u2019s all mine.\u201d He dipped his head and stepped up to the counter. The second suit spoke into his glove again and Abby looked from him to the other guy and back to Nick who appeared oblivious to everything as he peered through the glass counter into the black velvet cases below.<\/p>\n

Murray risked another step forward. \u201cSir, time is of the essence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which could mean all kinds of things, most of them bad, in a CSI or Law and Order kind of way.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThat one right there.\u201d Nick tapped the glass over a beautiful cameo brooch that was paired with tiny cameo earrings.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lovely choice.\u201d She wrestled the keys off her belt and opened the case to draw them out.<\/p>\n

Murray coughed out a warning and at Nick\u2019s, \u201cWhat now, Murray?\u201d leaned over and stated, \u201cSir, you can\u2019t get those.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick frowned. \u201cWhy ever not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray stepped closer and whispered in Nick\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

\u201c1932, you say. Perhaps not then.\u201d He turned back to Abby. \u201cYou don\u2019t by any chance have something unique in amongst your cases? Something not too modern.\u201d He leaned over the counter and pretended to whisper, \u201cMy wife\u2019s more a 19th<\/sup> century sort of woman. Kind of old fashioned if you know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abby nodded even though she didn\u2019t have a clue what to do with him or for him. She\u2019d been in the jewellery business for seven days. But due to sheer boredom she\u2019d inspected every item and there was one piece\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, I must object!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRelax, Murray. Besides, I\u2019m sure our lovely, young Abby understands what I looking for perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n

She understood things were going from bizarre to crazy right before her wondering eyes. A large bang overhead had them all looking up. More frantic whispering ensued and more talking into gloves and more trying to usher her commission out the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta\u2019s come early, I guess.\u201d Abbey laughed in spite of herself and the whole of the strange little group stopped conferring to stare at her. Abby resisted the urge to back up a step. \u201cReally. Ignore it. It happens all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murray gaped at Suit Two who whispered into his glove again. Nick clutched his belly and chortled. \u201cSee, nothing to worry about boys. So, my dear Abby, do you have something? Unique, I mean? If it would help I could show you a pic-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Absolutely no showing of photographs. I forbid it.\u201d Murray all but stamped his foot.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I suppose you\u2019re right.\u201d Nick sighed as he turned from Murray and winked at her again and flashed a mischievous grin. \u201cEven though she looks nothing like you\u2019d expect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Right.<\/i><\/p>\n

She blinked her eyes a couple of times and tried to focus. There was a piece if she was brave enough to show it. \u201cUnique. Let\u2019s see. There is this one piece I think you might find interesting. It\u2019s an antique with an airy type of charm and delicate grace to it. A gentle reminder \u03bff a bygone era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick rubbed his hands together in anticipation. \u201cIt sounds perfect, Abby.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled in relief and inserted her key into a case further down the counter and pulled out a tray of brooches. \u201cThis lovely dragonfly with its diamond crusted wings, each set with a ruby, sounds like the perfect thing.\u201d She set a tray on the counter and pointed to the beautiful dragonfly as it sparkled under the soft lights. \u201cDo you think she\u2019d like something like this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll love it.\u201d Nick clapped his hands together in glee and turned to his security detail. \u201cSee, didn\u2019t I tell you this was the right place to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s rather expensive. The most expensive piece in the shop as a matter of fact, so I understand if you want to think it over.\u201d Stop talking, she should just stop talking. Now. Before she blew the sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know the perfect thing when I see it. How much do I owe you?\u201d He pulled out a roll of cash that caused Abby\u2019s eyes to glaze over and started peeling off hundred dollar bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be $1,599.00 plus tax. Please. And thank you.\u201d And everything in between. She took his money, found a box and a pretty ribbon to go with it and handed it back to him with a hand that shook the tiniest little bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you again for your assistance. You\u2019ve been so helpful. I\u2019d like to return the favour.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men in black stepped forward. \u201cNo. No way. Absolutely not. I mean it this time. We can\u2019t go around granting-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOut. Both of you. Or I\u2019ll have you both demoted to stable duty faster than you can blink.\u201d He pointed to the door. They shuffled out clearly unhappy with the turn events. \u201cI\u2019m a firm believer in one good turn deserving another. There must be something I can do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe? What could you do for me? You don\u2019t even know me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019d be surprised. For instance, I know you\u2019re tidy, you care about people, and your right handed. I bet you love the color yellow and miss your family. But more than that, I suspect you\u2019ve lost your way. It\u2019s in the eyes, you see. There\u2019s just no hiding it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate the\u2026assessment. But I\u2019m fine. Everything is fine.\u201d She held out her hand in dismissal. \u201cThank you for shopping at Adornments and Jewels<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u201d Nick dipped his head in what was hopefully surrender. \u201cWell then, thank you for making my shopping experience a memorable one.\u201d Nick clasped her hand and the same warmth as before enveloped her hand and spread up her arm. She nodded once before meeting his eyes. Gosh, he had the strangest eyes. They almost seemed to glow for a second. Couldn\u2019t be. Could it? No, not possible. She pulled her hand back. The walk to the door was short and his people were waiting outside stomping their feet and blowing warm air into their black gloves. The blast of frigid air had her tugging her worn, faded yellow sweater tight around her middle.<\/p>\n

\u201cOff we go then, boys.\u201d Nick turned back to Abby. \u201cDo me one thing, Abby. Remember to keep the faith and make your own magic.\u201d He tapped the side of his nose.<\/p>\n

She waved before shutting the door, engaging the locks and flipping the OPEN sign to CLOSED. Another bang came from the roof of the building and Abby glanced back at the closed door, saw nothing then up again to the ceiling as dust specks floated down from the light fixtures and shrugged.<\/p>\n

She set the alarm, dropped off the night deposit bag and made her way home. Her one room apartment in the middle of the poorest part of the city reeked of loneliness, of hard times and of someone who\u2019d given up. It shamed her. She was made of sterner stuff then this. Her parents saw to it she knew how to take care of herself. She\u2019d been too humiliated to let them know her true circumstances. They hadn\u2019t wanted her to leave with Cole. Turned out they were right. And she didn\u2019t want to hear that either.<\/p>\n

Now she was alone and all but destitute after Cole had taken off with everything but her car which had been out of gas. And it was Christmas. She blinked back tears and thought of Nick. The little bit of warmth and kindness he\u2019d shown her crept back in and pushed some of the loneliness away.<\/p>\n

Christmas came whether you wanted it to or not and sometimes you just had to make do with what you had even if it was very little. She fixed a bowl of soup, grabbed some crackers and sat down. Besides, there was a beautiful old church one block over. On her way to work tomorrow she\u2019d check out the times for services tomorrow night. No need to be alone, at least for a couple of hours.<\/p>\n

Christmas Eve night she showed up for the 7:00 pm service. When she\u2019d called to check on times the receptionist had mentioned the supper they served to the community after service and before she could change her mind Abby had offered to help.<\/p>\n

The cathedral glowed with promise, the message of hope pushed out through the doors and windows and into the street. \u00a0Inside, Abby was surrounded by music, fellow worshippers, candles and noise. The supper afterwards was a huge hit and enjoyed by many. All shapes and sizes, ages and backgrounds. After everyone else had eaten the servers sat down together and dined on leftovers. Abby kept close to the gracious lady she spent the evening mashing potatoes with and they laughed over a note one of the guests had jotted down on the white paper tablecloth. They spent the next couple of minutes reading over the other thank you\u2019s and stories the minister had encouraged the supper guests to write down. Until she came to one that read: Abigail, Remember, keep the faith and make your own magic. Nick.<\/i><\/p>\n

Okay, that was beyond weird.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you mind if I sit here?\u201d<\/p>\n

She blushed, thought of the note, and shook her head as much to clear it as give her consent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d He was about her age. Mid-twenties, dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, the cuffs rolled up. Short cropped black hair, blue eyes, and some very attractive scruff. Earlier, she\u2019d noticed him chopping vegetables. Tall and lean he\u2019d grinned at her over a mountain of carrots.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled again now.<\/p>\n

She pushed the shyness back, smiled and stuck out her hand before she could change her mind. \u201cHi, I\u2019m Abby.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wrapped long warm fingers around hers and held them for an extra couple of seconds. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to meet you, Abby. I\u2019m Ryan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0I hope you enjoyed reading Open Hearts as much as I enjoyed writing it. Remember to create a little of your own magic this holiday season.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Under the canopy of crisp blue prairie skies I read books. Lots and lots of books. Occasionally, I picked up a pen and paper or tapped out a few meagre pages of a story on a keyboard and dreamed of becoming a writer when I grew up. One day the inevitable happened and I knew without question the time was right. 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