* * *

As they reached the threshold of the kitchen, Rose looked up. “Hey, look at that.”


“What?”


“The mistletoe. You’ve left it up there all this time and I didn’t notice.”


“Hmm, guess I have.” Ronnie’s heart began beating faster. They were directly below the green leaves. “Um, would it be okay if…”


“Well, we’re both under the mistletoe and it is Christmas.” Rose swallowed, nervousness creeping in although she wasn’t sure why.“Yes.” She turned her face up to meet the dark head coming down. Their lips touched once…twice before Ronnie pulled back.


“I um…I guess we’d better get dinner started.” She guided them into the kitchen, knowing full well why her heart was pounding like a rocker’s drum. Rose’s lips were soft, so very soft she had almost lost herself in them, stopping just before her tongue could work its way out. Knowing she couldn’t afford another kiss like that one, Ronnie made a mental note to let the young woman wheel herself out of the kitchen.


“Yes,” Rose agreed, turning her head forward and hoping the blush she felt rising to her cheeks wasn’t noticeable to Ronnie. It was soft and sweet and she felt guilty about the way it made her feel. No one had kissed her in a long time and certainly not with as much gentleness and tenderness. She felt warm inside, as if she had swallowed a strong drink. She dimly realized Ronnie was speaking to her. “I’m sorry, what?”


“I asked if you wanted to make some sugar cookies.”


“Oh. Do you like sugar cookies?”


“Well, they’re okay and they are the traditional holiday cookie.” Ronnie opened the refrigerator and smiled. “Of course we do have a roll of chocolate chip cookies here too.” Her tone made it clear which type she preferred.


“Sounds good to me.” She wheeled her way over to the lower cabinet and retrieved a cookie sheet, careful not to let the wheelchair scratch up against Ronnie’s woodwork. The counters were too high for her to easily help with the preparations but Rose did what she could. Ronnie turned on the radio in the corner and soon festive holiday music filled the air, making the perfect setting to prepare dinner. Neither knew the other was thinking about the mistletoe and the kiss.


Rose was confused. Her feelings went beyond friendly affection, but how much beyond, she was not sure. As she watched Ronnie cut the cookie dough, she was struck again by just how beautiful her friend was. Certainly, no one had ever meant as much to her and Rose could not imagine her life without Ronnie in it. The kiss was warm and loving and something she wanted to experience again.


Ronnie had her own internal dilemma. Her mind and body screamed for her to taste the softness one more time, to show Rose just how much she meant to her, to take her beautiful golden haired companion into her arms and never let go. It was torture, plain and simple, and the cool air when she stepped out to go to her sister’s house did nothing to lower the temperature of her fevered soul.



* * *

Rose had just folded up the last pair of panties and put them in the lower drawer of the dresser when Ronnie returned. She entered the room and flopped down on the bed, her long arms folded up behind her head. “It didn’t go well?” Rose queried, noting the somber expression.


“Oh, the kids loved the presents. So did Susan.”


“What happened?” She wheeled herself over to the side of the bed and put her hand on Ronnie’s forearm. “Did Tommy show up or something?”


“No, I guess he’s up in the mountains with his buddies. Everything was fine, it’s just that…” Ronnie turned her gaze away from Rose and glanced at the ceiling. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t the oldest. It’s too much responsibility.”


“What happened?”


Ronnie gave a sigh and looked back at her companion. “Mother called from whatever port her cruise stopped at. She’s not happy with the way I handled the whole thing about Tommy embezzling from the company.”


“How does she know about that? I thought you weren’t going to tell her.”


“There are no secrets in this family, Rose,” she said sadly. “The thing is she isn’t questioning whether or not he did it but how I handled it. She said I should have kept a lid on it until I was completely sure, and then I should have talked to him before removing him from his office.”


Rose’s hand began moving up and down Ronnie’s arm in a comforting motion. “Did Susan at least stick up for you?”


“She didn’t say a word. Not a peep. You know, sometimes I wonder why I don’t just say screw them all and quit. I could move to Chicago or Boston and start my own company.”


“Then why don’t you?”


There was a long silence before Ronnie answered. When she did, it was with quiet resignation.

“Because they need me.” Shaking her head, she gave a resigned sigh and reached for the remote.

“Come on, all those Christmas shows will be starting soon. HBO is rerunning that Rich Little version of A Christmas Carol.”


“I’ve never seen it.”


“Oh, it’s pretty funny. He does all the characters as impersonations of famous celebrities. I saw it when I was a kid. Come on.” Ronnie found the right station and set the remote aside before rising and helping Rose get into bed. Midnight would find them as it always did, the longer one curled up against the side of the smaller one, both sleeping contentedly.



* * *

Rose stared at the screen, concentration causing her brow to furrow. She pressed the mouse button and moved the red seven under the black eight. She was taking a short break from the typing program, having worked on it steadily for almost three hours. She was pleased with her progress after only three weeks of practice. Her speed was improving rapidly while the number of mistakes declined. A flat board resting across the arms of the wheelchair served as a makeshift desktop, the full leg casts making it impossible for Rose to get under the desk far enough to use the keyboard tray.


Maria entered the room with a sandwich and cup of coffee. “You need to take a break.” She waited for Rose to put the mouse and keyboard back on the desk, then handed her the sandwich, setting the cup on the night stand within easy reach. “I swear you’re as bad as she is sometimes. I’ve left some evenings with her on that thing and come back in the morning to find her still sitting in front of it.” The middle aged woman shook her head. “When she was in high school she was the same way.”


“What was she like? When she was younger?” Rose gripped the wheels and turned her chair, silently asking Maria to sit and join her. The housekeeper relaxed into the soft leather of Ronnie’s chair and laced her fingers together.


“So you want to know what she was like?” A friendly smile worked its way across her face.

“Ronnie’s her own person, always has been. She’s always known what she wanted to be and where she was going.”


“No, that’s not I meant.” Rose shook her head, trying to think of how to phrase her request. “Tell me about her. Something she did, something that happened to her, something about.”


“I’m not sure I should. You know it’s the cardinal rule of housekeepers to keep what they see and hear private.”


“Well you don’t have to tell me her deep dark secrets, Maria,” Rose chided. “Ronnie told me herself she was a hell raiser. I’m sure you must have a tale or two you remember. I’m sure she wasn’t the example of a perfect child.”


“Perfect? Hah!” the older woman laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners in a motherly way.

“Veronica was many things growing up but perfect wasn’t one of them. That child had me running around more than her brother and sister put together.”


“Oh, really? Do tell.” Rose’s eyes widened with expectation as she took a bite of her sandwich.


“Wait, let me get something to drink.” Maria left and returned a minute later with a tall glass of soda and a coaster. She settled back into the chair and took a sip before continuing. “I remember a time when she was thirteen and her parents were out of town. Some friends wanted her to go to the mall with them. Now normally it would have been fine, but she had skipped school a few days before and her father grounded her while they were gone.”


“What did she do?”


“What any kid her age would do, she snuck out. She went into her room and climbed out the window. I knew where she went, but there was no way I could go after her with Susan and Tommy in tow. He wasn’t more than five or six at the time and a handful all by himself.”


“So what happened?” Rose was listening intently, imagining a thirteen year old Ronnie slipping out to spend time with friends at the mall.


“She and a couple of friends of hers decided they wanted to try cigarettes. Well of course no store in the mall was going to sell three teenage girls a pack of cigarettes. Ronnie was tall for her age but still…. Anyway, they decided that if they couldn’t buy them that they’d shoplift them.”


“Oooh, did they get caught?”


“Not in the store. The silly girls were walking down Consaul Road smoking and wearing their school jackets. A policeman saw and picked them up.”


“I bet you were furious.”


“At first I was, but then I found out she took all the blame even though the cigarettes were found in one of the other girls’ pockets.”


“You mean she took the blame for someone else?”


Maria nodded and took another sip of her soda. “I didn’t tell her father. I figured that being dragged down to the police station was enough to put a scare into her.”


Rose sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought. It made perfect sense that Ronnie would try to protect others around her. She looked down at her broken legs and nodded., she thought to herself. “Maria, has Ronnie ever done something like this before?” She motioned at herself. “I mean, has she ever taken anyone in who had nowhere else to go?”


“Never,” the housekeeper replied. Rose sensed hesitation on Maria’s part and waited patiently for her to continue. “I was surprised when she brought Tabitha here and even more so when she called to say you would be staying. Ronnie is a very private woman.” She looked like she wanted to say more but decided against it.


“I have a house to clean and you have some lunch to finish up. She’ll be calling again soon.” Maria stood up and retrieved the glass from the desk. “By the way, remind her Tabitha’s appointment is tomorrow. They called today.”


“Oh, that’s right, I forgot.” Rose looked around to make sure the feline wasn’t around. “How long is she supposed to be there?”


“Just overnight,” the housekeeper replied.


“Poor thing.” The young woman’s face took on a sympathetic look. “She won’t even know what’s going on. But I suppose it’s better than letting her suffer through that heat again.”


“Oh, don’t remind me.” Maria shook her head. “I was ready to throw her out in the snowbank with all that yowling.”


“You weren’t the only one. I thought for sure Ronnie was going to do it the night she wouldn’t stop crying.” Just then the subject of conversation sauntered in and jumped on the bed to claim her nap space.


“Enjoy it while you can, Missy,” the housekeeper said to Tabitha, who responded by licking her paws and rubbing her ear.


“She’s so cute,” Rose said, reaching over to give the cat a pet.


“Cute, sure,” Maria scoffed. “You try making dinner with her underfoot and tell me how cute she is.” She leaned over and scratched Tabitha’s head. “If you’re a good kitty and stay in here while I get the mopping done I’ll give you an extra cat treat before I go, how’s that sound?”


“Oh, she likes that idea,” the young woman said when Tabitha began to purr. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”


Once Maria left, Rose set the cordless phone on her lap and waited for Ronnie’s usual after lunch phone call.



* * *

“There goes our bonus,” Susan sighed before tossing the report back on Ronnie’s desk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lower earnings quarter. Do you realize what a banner year it would have been without that?”