Christmas with Marita

 It's been a while since I put my characters in the spotlight. Here's a throwback to 2018 and some behind-the-scenes (and on-the-page) details about one of the protagonists of my Christmas-themed book, Chasing a Second Chance.

Marita's earliest memories of Christmas are of piles of presents under the tree and itchy dresses worn to Christmas Eve services. As she got older, the piles grew only slightly smaller, despite the fact that the price tags were steeper, but the arguments about church grew louder and more intense. Her parents liked to drag her to the midnight service -- the one that began with caroling at 11:30 which meant arriving promptly at 11:00 to "get a good seat." Even as a child, Marita was mystified that one seat was better than another at church. Couldn't God see and hear them equally well no matter where they sat? 

As a young teen, Marita began to resent spending the night before Christmas in church and longed to spend it as some of her friends did, wrapping gifts, drinking hot cocoa and watching Christmas movies in their pjs. The Christmas before she was pregnant with Charli, Marita snuck out on Christmas Eve to be with her friends and indulge in a different kind of Christmas cheer, infuriating her parents and creating a Christmas to remember -- and not in a good way. After Charli was born, Marita skipped out on church and began creating the Christmas Eves she'd wanted all along. Marita's parents saw to it that the pile of presents awaiting Charli on Christmas morning was ridiculously extravagant, but Christmas Eves belonged to Marita and Charli.

geralt via Pixabay

Bets gently directed Marita’s arm downward until her margarita was back on the bar. “That’s enough for now, sweetie.” She unwrapped Marita’s fingers from the stem of the glass and took hold of her hands. “I’m so sorry.”

“Charli accused me of not wanting her to have a relationship with her father. Right after she blamed me for this whole custody mess, which followed pretty closely on the heels of her telling me she doesn’t like me dating Lukas, who wants me to join the church when I’m barely ready to go to church. Merry Christmas to me.” She moved to reach for her drink again, but Bets still had a hold of her hands.

“I think I see the problem here.”

“Well, good for you.” Marita pulled her hand free and grabbed a pretzel from the bowl on the bar.

“Ri-Ri, you have a teenager.”

“Oh, Bets, that’s bull. This is Jim’s fault. Everything’s Jim’s fault.”