“You have dark circles under your eyes.” Rose studied Iris over the top of her teacup. “Were you up all night? Perhaps with a handsome male friend?” She sipped on her tea, but her eyes glimmered. Iris replied, “I had a lot on my mind, so I didn’t […]
“The fun is seeing the surprise in everyone’s face. When someone does something kind for one person, the change is palatable.”
The euphoric feeling carried over to the Christmas program. Either the stage mom was disguised as a tree, or none of the kids needed prompting to remember their lines. The sugar plum fairies pirouetted across the stage without tripping. The Christmas angel boldly proclaimed tidings of joy to all she encountered. Serena, who was sitting beside Iris, snapped pictures like it was the first and last time her daughter was going to be in the holiday production.
“Isn’t that how it is for most of our problems?” Iris prepared herself to let the sisters down gently when they asked about buying the store. She clasped her hands in front of her and poised her chin to seem graceful with her declination.
Iris was trying to give Jordan a chance to change his mind. To think through what happened. The two of them together was so far out of her realm of possibilities.
Whenever Iris struggled with Shannon Shepard, she’d think about her mother, Irene. Irene had a soft touch that won people’s acceptance of her husband’s ideas. When Iris found herself in a Mrs. Santa Clause costume, she was the least bit surprised. Thanks to Irene’s “soft touch,” Iris was […]
December was a month of cookies, cheery songs, and chatter about tidings of comfort and joy. It was the second week after Thanksgiving, and the season was already wearing thin on Jordan. He could not understand how Iris endured the month. The cinnamon from the wax-coated, pine cones […]
The rehearsal of the steps was more of a formality than a necessity. The teachers taught the kids the dance every year from second grade on. The Holly Jolly Christmas line dance was as much a part of their holiday routine as was the play.
Iris gave Jordan and Shannon a look of recognition. Then her face fell into a wistful expression. The way she tipped her head and backed away made Jordan feel like she was saying, “Goodbye.”
Hoping to return to Iris quickly, Jordan snapped several pictures of Shannon. Maybe, he should just say how he felt. He could pretend the holiday atmosphere had softened his usual sarcastic approach to things. Not doing anything was proving to be harder than not knowing of Iris would respond to his change of heart. He handed the phone back to Shannon and took a couple of steps in Iris’s direction.
Merri has a discussion with her students, where she encourages them to take a look at 2020 with a different perspective.