Mistletoe Reunion. Anna Schmidt

tried to persuade her that voice mail was ever so much more efficient. “But we have the machine and it’s paid for,” Norah had explained according to Izzy, “so why would I incur a monthly expense to switch to voice mail?”

      Tom smiled as he recalled Bella’s growl of frustration at her mother’s well-known practicality and maddening logic. For his part he had always admired Norah’s determination not to jump on the technology bandwagon, although he couldn’t help believing that as time went by and technology continued to advance, it was at least partly her stubbornness that had made her avoid such conveniences. Norah could be very stubborn.

      “Norah?” he said when he realized the beep had sounded. “Tom here.” Like she wouldn’t recognize your voice? “In case Bella forgot to pass the message, just letting you know—well, Clare called and you know my sister. She had this brainstorm for us to celebrate Mom and Dad’s fiftieth this weekend instead of for their actual anniversary in January, so I’ll be in Wisconsin if you need to reach me. I’ll be back late Sunday night. Bella was a little vague on your plans for the holiday, but I hope it’s a good one.” As always when he left messages for her, he paused. It seemed as if he wanted to say something more, but in five years he had not been able to figure out what. “Bye,” he added quickly and hung up.

      He picked up messages his assistant had left him as he walked to his connecting gate, then called back to answer her questions. The plane from California had spent several precious minutes circling the airport and now he just hoped he wouldn’t miss the flight to Chicago.

      As he hung up, the gate was in sight and packed with people waiting. He scanned the rows of chairs for a place to drop his luggage and spotted an empty one right next to a girl waving wildly at him.

      Bella? Here? In Denver?

      “Dad!” Isabella stood on the chair. “Dad! Over here.”

      Tom eased his way through the disorganized parade of people, his smile meeting Isabella’s while his eyes searched for Norah.

      “Dad,” Isabella cried for the third time as she catapulted her way into his arms. “Surprise! How cool is this?”

      Tom laughed and eased his daughter back to a standing position. “What are you doing here?” He glanced around again. “Where’s your mother?”

      “Bathroom. She is going to seriously freak,” Isabella predicted.

      “Where are you two headed?” Tom was pretty sure he knew. Norah rarely took time off and when she did, it was to go to Wisconsin to see her parents.

      “To see the grands.” The response was muffled and Isabella was looking somewhere over his left shoulder.

      “Bella, you didn’t tell your mom that I was also going to Normal?”

      Isabella had the good sense to look slightly abashed. “I kind of forgot.”

      Tom raised his eyebrows.

      “Look at it this way—now we can all celebrate Thanksgiving and the anniversary together. How cool is that?”

      “What do you think your mom will have to say about this?”

      Isabella’s expression tightened and she sighed dramatically. “Did it ever occur to you guys that the longer you keep up this thing of never seeing each other like up close and personal, the harder it’s going to be when it actually happens?”

      Tom considered the best response to that, but Isabella was on a roll.

      “I mean the very fact that neither one of you has found someone new should prove something,” she added. “Like maybe splitting up was a mistake of astronomical proportions?”

      “I thought you said your mom was dating.”

      “Well, she didn’t join a convent after you two split, Dad.” Isabella rolled her eyes at him. “And you haven’t exactly been without your share of female companionship. What was the last one’s name? Tabitha?” she added.

      “Tamara,” he corrected, “and she was—is a business associate.”

      “Whatever. She’s a lot younger than you. What was that about?”

      “We work together on various projects. Her age has nothing to do with it.”

      Isabella’s smirk said she was not convinced. “You want to know what I think?”

      “Why do I feel you’re going to tell me whether I want to know or not?”

      “I think that you and mom both miss each other, but you’re both too stubborn to admit it and try again. That’s why you’ve spent the last five years finding ways not to see each other.”

      “Bella, it’s been a long time,” Tom explained, hating the fact that he was throwing cold water on her hope for a reconciliation. “We’re different people now.”

      “Ya think?” she said with a dramatic sigh as if grown-ups were just dumber than dirt. “Okay. I didn’t forget,” she admitted, casting her eyes heavenward. “Forgive me,” she whispered, then turned her attention back to her father.

      On the occasion of her twelfth birthday Isabella had joined the church and her passion for her faith had blossomed from there. She sang in the youth choir, provided child care for toddlers for church events and was very active in the social action committee of her youth group.

      “I’m surprised at you, Isabella,” Tom said now. “I thought it was important to you to abide by the rules of your faith.”

      “Our faith, Dad. You used to belong to the same church and Mom still does.”

      “You know what I’m saying. How could you lie to your mother?”

      “I didn’t,” she protested. “Not really.”

      “A lie of omission is still a lie,” Tom reminded her.

      Bella sighed and slumped back in her chair. “But where’s the harm? I mean, how cool is it going to be to surprise Mom with the fact that we’re all going to Normal together? Even I never imagined we’d actually be able to hook up here—though I have to admit I hoped we might.”

      “As I recall, your mom is not overly fond of surprises,” Tom reminded her as he set his carry-on and computer bag on the small table next to her chair and tried to figure out the next steps in the farce his only child had created.

      Isabella blinked. “Yeah, well…Too late now—she’ll be back any minute.” She eyed Tom warily. “Are you going to like disappear?”

      “No, I’m here. You’re here. Let’s see how it goes.”

      Isabella grinned and stood up to clear a chair for him. “Okay, so come over here and sit down,” she instructed. “Have you got something to read? No, better yet, open your computer—that’s good.” Isabella danced around him choreographing the surprise for Norah. “Here she comes,” she whispered and giggled as she buried her face in a fashion magazine.

      Norah was still several yards away, but he instantly picked her out of the masses and time reversed as he recalled the moment he’d realized he was in love with her. She had been a high school junior and he was a senior. She had lived just down the block from him her entire life. They had waited together at the same bus stop, attended the same church, seen each other countless times in all seasons because their parents were the best of friends. And yet, had he ever really looked at her until that winter’s day when he stood shivering next to his broken-down car waiting for his dad to come and rescue him?

      She’d been with a gang of her girlfriends, laughing and gabbing the way teenaged girls did, when one of them had spotted him. That girl had nudged Norah and nodded in his direction. Norah had peeled away from the others and headed his way.

      “Problem?” The way she said it he thought she was getting a kick out his misery.

      “Not if you’ve got a set of jumper cables in your backpack,”