Dana Corbit - A Family for Christmas - The Gift of Family / Child in a Manger

“Hi, Wendy.” Evan’s cheerful voice came across the miles. “Sorry I wasn’t in when you called before. I’m missing you.”

Wendy’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t sound angry.

“I’m glad your father is recovering.”

“But it’s as I told you before—he won’t be able to take over the farm interests for several months.”

“I should have been more understanding, Evan. I know you’re doing what you think is best. Considering the circumstances, maybe it was the best decision to forget our engagement.”

With a sinking heart, she heard his answer. “You’re probably right, at least for the time being. But I still wish you’d come to visit us during your break. I’ll send you a plane ticket if you’ll arrange to come.”

“My mother—” she started, and Evan interrupted.

“Wendy, you can’t seem to understand why I feel it’s necessary for me to sacrifice my plans for my family. Don’t you see that you’re doing the same thing with your mother? Every decision you’ve made, since I’ve known you, has been tempered by how it would affect her.”

Rather than making her angry, Evan’s comment opened Wendy’s eyes to the truth. She was tied to her mother’s apron strings.

For the rest of the week, Wendy mulled over the invitation to visit the Kesslers. When she went home for the weekend, she’d made up her mind. If she was ever going to get married and have a home of her own, she couldn’t be held back by her mother’s manipulation. In the years since her divorce, Emmalee could have made a life of her own, instead of depending solely on Wendy’s presence to give her life meaning.

Wendy had allowed her mother to dominate her life simply because she wanted to avoid conflict. Would she have the courage to make her own decision now? As she planned how to break the news to her mother, Wendy sensed an extra strength that she hadn’t possessed before. What had generated this unusual surge of willpower?

During her annual visits to her paternal grandparents when she was younger, Wendy had gone to church, and she’d heard people pray, but she didn’t have a personal knowledge of the power of prayer.

Prayer seemed to be an integral part of Evan’s life, not something he did only on Sunday. He prayed before they ate, even in a restaurant. He prayed for help with his exams. He prayed that God would help him make the right decisions. He didn’t start a day without asking for God’s direction.

As she waited for Emmalee to come home from work, Wendy wondered if the strange new courage she possessed today was a result of Evan’s prayers. Was he praying for her now? It was a comforting thought.

After they’d eaten dinner, and Emmalee had changed into lounging clothes, Wendy pasted a smile on her face, took a deep breath and flexed her fingers in an effort to relax. She couldn’t delay any longer.

“Evan and his mother have invited me to visit them during my Christmas break. I intend to go.”

“So you’ve made up with him.”

“Yes.”

An obstinate expression crossed Emmalee’s face. “You aren’t going anywhere without me. You have no idea what kind of people they are.”

Determined that she wouldn’t bend to her mother’s will, Wendy said, “I am going, Mother. I’m twenty-two. If I’m not old enough to make some decisions now, I never will be.”

“Obviously it doesn’t bother you that I’ll be spending Christmas alone.”

Wendy bit her lip nervously, her resolve wavering. Are you praying, Evan?

“You have single friends at the store who’d be glad to share Christmas Day with you. You’ll be working the rest of the time. I’d like to meet Evan’s family. I want to see why he loves his family so much that he’ll give up, not only me, but his career to take care of them. And Christmas Eve is very important to the Kesslers. I want to experience that part of the holidays with them.”

Emmalee was in no mood to listen to reason. “I’ve slaved for years to give you a home. Now that you’re about to graduate and be on your own, when you could relieve me of some of my financial burdens, you’re through with me.”

Tears pricked at Wendy’s eyelids. She felt like she was ten again, but she clenched her fists. She focused on Evan’s strong features, his loving ways and his prayer life as a lodestar to keep her on the right course.

“I am going to visit the Kesslers during the holidays.”

If she didn’t keep repeating those words, she’d weaken. She had to keep that goal in her mind.

“Very well!” Emmalee said at last. “As much as I’ve tried to change you, you’re just like your father. When you have an opportunity to work for two weeks and help with the expenses, you skip out and leave me holding the bag just as he did.”

Wendy considered reminding Emmalee that she’d refused to accept alimony from her husband or any financial help from his family. Instead, Wendy repeated, “I’m going to visit the Kesslers during the holidays.”

Perhaps sensing Wendy’s determination, Emmalee said no more. With some dignity, she went to her bedroom and closed the door, leaving Wendy with heaviness in her chest and tears in her eyes.

She had always tried to avoid conflict. When she’d enjoyed a visit with her paternal grandparents, she hadn’t told her mother about the good times she had, because Emmalee resented her in-laws. When Emmalee had protested that she was going out too much at night, Wendy had stopped dating and had spent the nights at home studying. Actually, that had been a blessing in disguise, for she’d made the honor roll all through high school and had won a full scholarship to college.

She’d initiated conflict with Evan, and now that they’d reconciled, she was at odds with her mother. What was wrong with her that she seemed to plant discord no matter what she did? But since she’d won the battle, she knew she must move forward before her mother planned a counterattack. She went into her bedroom and dialed Evan’s number.

Happiness was evident in Evan’s voice when she told him she intended to come to Ohio for Christmas.

“You’ll be finished with classes by the fifteenth, won’t you?”

“Yes. My last final is on December twelve.”

“Good. That will give me time to arrange for an electronic ticket and send your receipt by express mail. Have you ever flown before?”

“No,” she said, “and I’m a little worried about it.”

“You can get a plane in Jacksonville, and you’ll be flying into the Columbus International Airport. There will be one change, either in Atlanta or Charlotte. I’ll choose the easiest route for you.”

“Thanks, Evan.”

“Since I can’t return to Florida for a while, thank you for coming to see me. I can’t wait to see you.”

He wanted to ask how her mother had reacted to the visit, but Evan thought he might be happier if he didn’t know. He settled down to a week of waiting before he could see Wendy again.

Considering his eagerness to be reunited with Wendy, Evan couldn’t understand why he took his youngest sister, Olivia, with him when he went to the airport to meet her. Olivia had pestered him for days, wanting to go with him, but he’d resisted her entreaties until the morning he was preparing to leave for the airport.

Overcome with shyness about seeing Wendy, and with the memory of her harsh words still in his mind, he was uncertain of what they’d talk about. Deciding it might be better to introduce Wendy to his family gradually, he told Olivia she could go with him.

His little sister was a special gift to Evan, since she’d been born seventeen years ago on his eighth birthday. The fact that they always celebrated their birthdays together had been a bonding factor. But Olivia’s personality made it impossible not to love her because she was as affectionate as a half-grown puppy.