Page 32 of A Curvy Carol

What would happen once the Christmas season was over? All of this had started because my parents had wanted me to make a friend here in Garland.

I’d gotten way more than I’d bargained for with Carolynn. She was perfect, and I didn’t want things to end or change between us.

The sound of my parents laughing brought me back down to Earth.

They seemed to remember that I was in the room.

“How was your first Christmas season in Garland, hon?” Mom asked.

She sat down at the breakfast table in the kitchen, and Dad and I followed suit.

“Good,” I replied. “I’ve enjoyed it more than you know.”

Dad put his arm around Mom. “Well, Carolynn’s dad said he’ll have the rest of the payment for you tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll want to make plans to see your friends soon.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” I replied. “I don’t want the money. It doesn’t feel right anymore. Carolynn’s become a real friend to me.”

Dad nodded. “Okay, if that’s the way you feel. I’ll let him know.”

19

CAROLYNN

The next day was Christmas morning, and this year, it was Dad’s turn to spend it with me.

So I’d packed up my things after I’d gotten home yesterday and headed to his house.

While his house was in Garland, too, and it was nice enough, I still missed my bed and my room at Mom’s house. That’s where I stayed throughout the week, while I spent most weekends with Dad.

This was the part of the holidays I hated the most. I couldn’t just stay in one place. I had to be traded back and forth every single year like a library book being shared between patrons.

But I tried to focus on what I was grateful for, like how hard my dad tried to make Christmas morning special, even though I wasn’t a little kid anymore. He had several presents under the tree for me. So I went to get a box cutter while he waited in the living room on the couch with a cup of coffee.

I dug through the junk drawer in the kitchen, wondering what Dad had gotten me. I was hoping for more cross-stitching and crochet supplies, but really, I had gotten everything I wished for this Christmas: to enjoy myself. It hadn’t happened the way I imagined… Spending it with Whit was even better.

I kept rummaging, taking out a large envelope and setting it on the counter so I could see where the box cutter was hiding. That’s when I noticed Whit’s name in a messy scrawl on the front of the envelope.

I picked it up. Had I read that right? Then again, not a ton of names started with a W.

Yeah, it definitely said Whit.

I froze for a second, wondering what an envelope with his name on it was doing in my dad’s house.

Without even thinking about it, I peeked inside the unsealed envelope, pulling out the flap. There was a significant stack of cash in there.

Now I was even more confused.

What did this mean?

With the box cutter completely forgotten and hardly feeling my legs, I made my way to the living room.

“Dad?” I said, holding up the envelope. “What’s this?”

Dad quickly sat up from the couch. “Oh, that,” he said.

“Yeah,” I replied. “What’s this about?”

Right away, I could tell he didn’t want to answer the question, which only made the pit in my stomach grow larger.