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When Charli was a toddler, Marita and Charli moved out of Marita's parents' house and into a home of their own. Charli's grandparents continued to spoil her, but the piles of presents under the tree at Marita and Charli's house was definitely smaller. Marita Christmas shopped all year so the haul from Santa wouldn't pale in comparison to what Charli was used to, but a single mom's salary didn't cover what Charli's grandparents' expendable income did.
What they lacked in gifts, Marita tried to make up for in atmosphere. Every year, she and Charli would buy a new ornament for their tree and one new decoration to add to their collection since they now had a whole house to fill with Christmas cheer. And, of course, their Christmas Eve tradition of hot cocoa and Christmas movies continued. Church wasn't a part of the package, but this year, things are, once again, a little different.
Marita let go of Lukas’s hand and took the bracelet he held out to her.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“It’s beautiful.” Cubes of emerald green glass, set apart by small silver and gold beads, formed a circle that just fit inside her palm. Dangling from the clasp were a silver crucifix and a silver medal. “Is that Mary?”
Lukas nodded. “It’s a Miraculous Medal.”
“A what?”
“A Miraculous Medal.”
“That sounds like a Catholic thing.”
Lukas nodded. “It is. I was raised Catholic. This is a rosary bracelet. My mom had one, and she used it to teach me the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary. It’s been more than twenty years, but I still find those prayers comforting.”
“But we don’t say the Hail Mary at Holy Redeemer.”
Lukas shook his head. “No, we don’t. But prayer — ”
“Is personal,” Marita finished. “So you’ve told me. The bracelet is beautiful. Please don’t tell me you have one just like it.”
Lukas grinned, and Marita’s heart melted. No macho bluster about boys and bracelets. Just a good-natured —
“Actually, I do.” His grin grew wider, a sure sign that his response was purely for effect.
“Excuse me?”
He took Marita’s hand again. “My mom’s. She passed away two years ago, and my dad gave me the bracelet at her funeral. He told me he hoped it would help me get through the pain.”
“Did it?”
Lukas nodded. “I still miss her. Especially at Christmas. But when I hold that bracelet in
my hand, I can feel her near me.” He cleared his throat. “That sounded weird, didn’t it?”
“Not at all. I’m glad you have something of hers that means so much.”
“Not at all. I’m glad you have something of hers that means so much.”
“Anyway….I’d like to get this for you. If that’s okay. I mean, if I’m not pushing too hard.”
“No. It’s beautiful. But you don’t have to — ”
“I want to. I noticed that you had lots of Santas and snowmen, but nothing — ”
“Churchy?”
Lukas grinned. “Is that the technical term?”
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