83: Oh Christmas Tree….
Luci
“Luci, tomorrow is big right?” Cole asks me from his bed. I pause putting his books away. I thought he was almost asleep and had switched his monitor on with the lamp. Barrett and Sydney had just left. The guys were still at hockey practice. Mr. Jason ate with us tonight.
“Which part?” I move to sit on the side of his bed again. “The play? Meeting your mom? The hockey game? Or the slumber party?”
“All of them. I’m scared.” His voice shakes.
“Are you scared of the hockey game, Coco?”
“No.”
“What about Barrett snoring tomorrow night?”
He giggles. “He not snore Luci!”
“Must be his stuffed shark, Toothless. Are you scared of saying your lines?”
“No.”
JE
“You’re scared to meet your mom?” I run my fingers through his hair.
“Yes.” His voice is very small.
“What scares you sweetie?”
“That I won’t like what she says. Or she won’t see me.”
I pause a minute. “She will see you because your daddy told her that you are the one asking
for her. Your daddy won’t be there, remember?” He nods. “What do you think she might say
that you won’t like?”
“Daddy be mad.” He whispers.
“Coco, has Daddy gotten mad about anything with your mom? Besides her not knocking on
the door.”
He thinks that over. “Noooo.”
“He won’t get mad at you. You are Daddy’s greatest treasure remember? His star in the sky
that he follows home.” He smiles at that. I haven’t used that one for him yet.
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83; Oh Christmas Tree….
“I scared she’ll say she didn’t want me so she left him.” I pause, my heart cracking as it
pounds.
“Coco, where did you get an idea like that?” I keep my voice calm.
“Winnie at school, her mommy left because she didn’t like Winnie. Maybe my mom too. She
saw Daddy when she came here. But not me.” He looks very sad. And thanks so much
whoever shared that kind of heavy load of guilt on poor Winnie.
“Coco, grown ups don’t always do smart things. And sometimes, we do things that we wish
we could change once we think about it. We aren’t smart just because we are older and
bigger. We think we are. Some days I think you and Barrett are lots smarter than the people
around me. Here, come sit.”
He climbs into my lap facing me. “Coco, I can’t make you a promise that you’ll get nice
answers tomorrow. Are you ok with that? You don’t have to go.”
“I’m ok with not nice. Barrett helped me with my questions.” Oh dear….
“Coco, listen really good. We hear not nice answers a lot of times growing up. They are the truth which sometimes hurts our hearts. Truth is important though. Even if the truth is dark and scary like a bad storm, there’s light behind it. Because we need the dark storm to help us watch for the rainbow. So even if your mom says she left for that reason, you know that your daddy is even more special and loves you the most. Because he picked Cole. Took care of you and loves you with all his heart. I think he likes you more than tacos too.” I whisper and he
laughs.
“Of course he does, Luci.”
“Coco, no matter what your mom says tomorrow, you have people. People who love you to the moon and back. Are you sure you want to go?”
“Yes. I has things I need to ask. I need truth. Very portent. I need to know before Christmas.”
“Ok. Uncle Kingston will be there to help you.”
“You not leave me, right Luci? Daddy says he loves you lots and lots. Like more than cookies.”
He grips my fingers.
“Well that’s a lot. I’m not leaving you. How would you know what silly things to dream about?”
He smiles, relieved.
“Why do you need to know before Christmas?” I worry about this one.
“I made a wish to Santa and I scared he got it wrong. I might need to see him again. I told him
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a name but he might have messed up. Barrett says he sees lots and lots of kids.”
“He does. Anything else you are scared of or want to tell me?”
“No. I sleepy.”
“Sleep sweet Coco. Dream about starfish that turn into real stars if someone rescues them from the sand before they dry up.” I tuck him back under the covers. “I love you little coconut.” I kiss his cheek and shut the lamp off.
Thirty minutes later, someone taps on my door. I open it only to be lifted off my feet by Easton.
He kisses me before I can speak. When he ends it, I stare at him bemused. “I swear I don’t
know what Cole and I would do without you. The way you talk to him and explain things, Luci.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Becker bought a new monitor and it links to my phone. I got to listen to you. We all did.” His
eyes hold mine and I see the sadness there.
“Oh…I’ll behave myself then.” I tease.
“Wish you wouldn’t. One of my favorite things to do is punish you, sweetness. Though you
need a damn good reward for the things you said about me tonight.” He ends very
thoughtfully.
“All true. You do love him more than tacos.”
He chuckles. “I’m more than willing to eat my weight in tacos right now. Come, keep us
company.” I take his hand. Dinner is fairly quiet with everyone thinking about tomorrow.
We arrive early to the school. Sydney, Stormi, Banning and Barrett are already there. I laugh seeing the huge reserved two row section for us. Mrs. Hutchins understood today is big for
Cole.
We take our seats with Easton putting me in the middle with him on my left, Sydney, Stormi
and Banning on my right.
Lorelei sweeps in with only five minutes to go. Mrs. Hutchins was watching. I nod and she heads her off as her eyes land on Easton and she steps our way. The seasoned teacher leads her firmly to a back row farthest away from us.
Everyone keeps a close watch on her until the play begins. “Where is he….” Easton keeps scanning the stage. The play is about Christmas traditions as a comedy. The first act is about how hard it is to make a gingerbread house from scratch. The two gingerbread cookies come to life and begin lamenting to the audience about being given happy facial expressions and
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83: Oh Christmas Tree….
then being torn limb from limb. I made their costumes and one appears like he’s lost a leg.” And we don’t have a house because it’s not smucturalty sound.” We all laugh at that.
Becker narrows his eyes at me as the scene changes. “Not fair everyone to the right of you
knows what he is.”
“You need better bribery.” I taunt him. As I do, Easton whispers in my ear. “I offered up some very…earth shattering bribes and was denied.”
“Maybe next time.” I grin but it falters seeing Lorelei glare at me. Syd has caught on and she
points toward the stage while staring her down.
The final act is him. The two turkey hunters from the last play step out. “Can’t we just go to a
tree lot and get a tree, Dad?”
“No, no, no son. Then we miss out on the experiment. It just isn’t the same. Smell that forestry
air.” I laugh.
“It’s too cold to smell anything. Let’s find a tree fast.”
Cue Cole Reed. Becker chuckles. “Of course he’s the tree.” He faces the audience as a spotlight hits him. His eyes are closed. He’s covered in snow with the bits of his greenery visible. I found fabric that looked like a real tree covered with snowy layers. I turned it into a
giant triangle with a circle cut out for his face near the top.
“How about this one Dad?”
“Beautiful son. Let me chop it down.”
They begin to saw near Cole’s feet. He slowly yawns. “Momma bark can’t I sleep longer.” His eyes pop open though as they finish sawing and he begins to fall. “Noooo! Where did my leg go? Help. I’m being treenapped! Why do you want me? I’m covered in snow and I smell like bird poop not a pretty smell.”
The audience laughs as they drag him by his arms across the stage. He’s muttering about tree homicide and calling for help. They hold up the lights they plan to decorate him with as he pretends to faint and the stage goes dark. When the lights come back on, he’s turned his costume around and it’s covered in decorations, tinsel and real lights. He’s all lit up. His eyes slowly open. “Momma I had the silliest scariest dream.” His eyes look down and he screams. I’ve been decorated.” He says and then pretends to cry. The tree choppers come in pretending to drink eggnog and admiring their tree. Cole’s tree is beside himself until he hears a voice. Psstt. Mr. Lights… over here.”
Cole glances around as another kid comes out dressed up like a fruitcake. “What are you?”
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“Something that’s been passed around for five years…no one wants me. They’ve been using me as a brick on the hole in the chimney for the last two years.”
“They cut me down and put hot lights on me.” Cole whines.
“Just wait until you see what they do with you after the holiday.”
“What?” Cole asks scared.
“You’ll be next year’s mule log.” We’re all in tears with the mispronunciations at this point.
“What’s that?”
“Firewood.” He says.
Cole looks comically scared. He begins hopping away once the choppers leave the room.”
Shhhh.” He tells the audience. “I’m going to leaf.”
That’s the end and I clap loudly for him standing up along with the rest of our two rows.
“Merry Christmas to all and to all good luck.” He proclaims and I laugh harder.
“Perfection.” Becker chuckles.
“Don’t look now but RT is clapping like the dutiful audience member. She didn’t enjoy that one bit.” Syd says angrily.
“Not surprising.” I add sadly.
“He’s hilarious. I love that kid.” Stormi says.
I head for the stage to take pictures. Vaguely, I catch her voice.
“Easton, baby I brought him a gift.” She holds up some white bear.
Luckily Cole doesn’t hear her as it’s very noisy on the stage. She begins to approach Easton
who isn’t watching. But Banning is. He puts his arm out blocking her path. “I’m sorry Miss
Winters but that is a restricted man. You’ll need to head back toward your seat.” He says with
steel. Easton is watching now.
She stares imploringly at Easton who shakes his head and points to the exit for her. Security moves in and escorts her out. Hopefully, Cole missed that.
Ivory Row
Some laughs in the middle of all the seriousness.
