A Texas Holiday Miracle

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING on the way to school Emma said, “Don’t be late today.”

“I’m never late,” Lacey replied as she pulled into the parking lot of the Horseshoe school. Since the town was small, grades one through twelve were housed in one big building shaped like a horseshoe. There were portable buildings to the side for pre-K and kindergarten. A gym and cafeteria were situated at the end of the horseshoe. The metal buildings with the half-brick front had been there for years. Green shrubs enhanced the front. In the spring, colorful flowers would be blooming in the flowerbeds, planted by the agriculture teacher, Mr. Schuldt.

Kids ran to the front door so they could make it to their classrooms before the bell rang. Emma climbed out and so did Lacey.

“Be good today and be nice to your playmates.” She kissed her sister.

Emma fidgeted.

“Everything will be fine. I’ll be here early if that will make you feel better.”

“’Kay. Love you.” Emma followed the children into the school, her black-and-purple backpack flopping on her back.

Lacey got in the car and drove home, hoping Emma wouldn’t dwell on Pepper too much today. She seemed to be okay with what was happening, and Lacey wanted it to stay that way.

As she pulled into her driveway, she noticed everything was quiet at Gabe’s. No banging or sounds anywhere, which was unusual. He was usually outside by now working on something.

She made her way into her house, put her purse on the table and walked over to his deck. He wasn’t there. She knocked and got no answer. Everything was quiet inside. Where was he?

She went back to her house and across the yard to his front door. Again, she got no answer. She knew she was trespassing, but she didn’t care. Her only thought was of Gabe and his mental state. Without thinking it to death, she opened the double gates by the garage. That was when she heard the sound. A saw or a drill. She didn’t know which, but Gabe was working in his garage.

When she tried the garage’s side door, it opened easily and the sound was much louder. She stepped inside and saw Gabe working on a large box. Was that a coffin? Yes, there was no mistaking it. He’d made a coffin for Pepper. Her chest ached at the sadness of it all.

He turned off the sander and set it on the floor. As he did, he noticed her. She expected him to be startled or surprised, but he was neither. He just went back to working on the box.

Walking closer, she said, “I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”

He rubbed the plywood with a rag. “Did you want something?”

She curled her hands into fists. He was acting as if they hadn’t talked yesterday, as if they hadn’t shared something special, as if he wanted her out of his garage. That wasn’t happening. He was putting up every defense he could to keep her away so he could keep feeling the pain. That wasn’t happening, either.

“You’ve made a coffin for Pepper.”

“Yes. I’m not just going to throw her in the ground.”

The whole attitude thing had resurfaced, but she was good at kicking attitude.

“Did you call the vet?”

“Uh...”

She held up a hand. “Please, let’s not go back to the old animosity. Did you call the vet?”

He stopped rubbing the wood. “I was feeling down last night, but today I have everything under control.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” She glanced at his appearance. He had on the same clothes as yesterday and he hadn’t shaved. “Have you been to bed at all?”

He went back to fiddling with the wood. “I don’t sleep much.”

“Because that’s when you dream.”

He stared at her. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I don’t have to. I know you’re barely hanging on emotionally, and you don’t sleep because that’s when you dream about your son. I’ve been there and I’m still there, and I’m still trying to cope. And I have to because I have a little girl who needs me.”

“Well, I don’t have anyone, so would you please leave me alone?”

She stepped closer to him. “No, sorry. I can’t do that. I promised you I would be here to help you with Pepper.”

Their eyes locked. His eyes were cold and dark, emitting a message that she received all too well, but it still didn’t deter her.

“I relieve you of that promise.”

She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“This is my house, and I’m asking you to leave.” Anger flashed in his eyes. Her first instinct was to turn and walk away and let him live in all the pain he had created. But something beyond her control made her lay her hand on the box.

“This is really nice. Zack would be very proud of his father.”

Gabe froze, just as she had expected. She’d said Zack’s name on purpose, because it was the only thing that caught his attention.

“Are you dense? Get out of my garage.”

A tremor ran through her, and she knew she couldn’t continue to be stronger than she was. It was taking everything she had to stand her ground. She didn’t know what would have happened next if Pepper hadn’t come into the garage.

“Oh, Pepper is better.” She went to the dog and stroked her.

Gabe glared at Lacey and she continued to pet the dog.

“The medication helps,” he said so low that she barely caught it.

“Did you call the vet?” she asked one more time.

“Yes. And he said he will come to the house in the morning at ten and do the procedure here.”

“That would be much better and less stressful on Pepper. And you.”

“I’m not worried about me,” he snapped.

“I’m well aware of that.”

Pepper whimpered.

Lacey hugged her. “Are you in pain, girl?”

“She wants to go outside.” He wiped his hands on a rag. “Come on, Pep. We’ll go outside.” Gabe walked past Lacey through a door into a utility room. Pepper trailed behind, but she wobbled. It was clear she was very weak.

Lacey had the choice either to walk out the garage door and retreat to her house or to follow them. She did the latter. In the kitchen, Pepper’s strength gave way and she sank to the floor. Gabe picked her up as if she weighed no more than a feather and carried her out the back door.

Lacey was dumbstruck by the scene before her. The kitchen had a table and one chair. The counters were bare; nothing was on them. It looked as if no one lived there, except for the dog dishes on the floor. She gasped as she saw the wall.

Photos of a brown-haired little boy covered it, from the day he was born until the day he’d died. Zack in a crib, crawling, walking and holding on to Gabe’s fingers, on a tricycle, then a bicycle, a skateboard and doing numerous other activities. Zack’s life was on this wall.

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