Disclaimer: In first chapter.

Chapter 10

When Josh walked out the door, Sarah turned on her heels and ran up the steps to her room.  She ignored her father’s voice as she slammed the door.  Feeling exhaustion taking over, she leaned against the door and slowly slid down, becoming a tumbled heap on the floor. 

God, why did she have to say those awful things to her mother?  Even she knew it was a cheap shot, but she couldn’t stop herself.  It hurt when her mother called her stupid, especially right in front of her brother and father.  It was so embarrassing.  Feeling self preservation kicking in, she felt it was only right to return some of that hurt back, only ten times worse, and what better way than by blaming her mother for her grandmother’s suicide. Feeling disgusted with herself, she was becoming the one person she despised the most, Grandpa Parker.

Her and her grandfather always had a love/hate relationship, which was now starting to turn into a hate/hate relationship, especially since her parents divorce.  He was the reason for her parent’s recent predicament.  Her father tried to turn a deaf ear to the old man, but eventually her father had enough of his constant put downs and lies. 

A month before her parents separated, her grandfather paid them a late night visit.  Curiosity getting the best of her, she got out of bed and snuck out to the top of the steps to eavesdrop.  She could hear them arguing downstairs, but she had a hard time deciphering their words since they were in the study.  Just when she took a step down the stairs, she heard the door slam open.  Seconds later, her grandfather stormed out of the house, anger radiating from him.  She could still hear the tires squealing as her parents walked out into the foyer.  Afraid she might be caught snooping, she stepped back into the shadows to listen.

“See, what did I tell you?  I knew this new evidence about Catherine’s death would spook him.  Your father is definitely hiding something, that’s for sure,” said Jarod.

Folding her arms across her chest, Parker glared at him.  “I know what you’re thinking Jarod, so stop it.  Why can’t you let my mother rest in peace?”

Jarod took a step back, putting his hands on his hips as he gave her an incredulous look.  “I can’t believe this.  After everything I’ve showed you, you still believe him?”

Parker started pacing back and forth as she rubbed the back of her neck.  “Jarod, even I know this new evidence won’t hold up in court.  It’s circumstantial.”  Looking over at the stairs she said, “I’m going to bed.”   With that, she climbed the stairs.

The next morning when Sarah woke up, she found a pillow and blanket neatly folded on the couch.  Obviously, her father slept there that night.  When they sat at the table for breakfast, neither of her parents said a word to each other.  Even when they went to work they didn’t say good-bye or kiss each other like they usually did, so she knew whatever happened the night before was bad.

Whenever Sarah asked about this new evidence her father had, he would remain tight lipped about it, saying he had no idea what she was talking about.  Of course, she knew he was lying.  What was her father trying to protect her and her brothers from?  Hearing a knock on the door broke her from her thoughts.

“Sarah?”

Quickly getting up, Sarah grabbed a few tissues to wipe off some of the tear stained makeup from her face.  “Just a minute.”  Satisfied with her appearance, she walked over to the door and let her father inside.  While her father sat down in her desk chair, she went over to the bay window to sit.  Grabbing a small pillow, she held it to her chest as she stared up into the night sky.

She could hear her father clearing his throat as he started.  “Sarah, what you said downstairs was uncalled for.”

Looking down at her hands she replied softly, “I know.”  Looking over at her father she could see he was somewhat stunned by her words.  He must’ve been expecting her to be defensive.

Resting his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward clasping his hands together as he asked, “Then why did you say it?”

“Dad, she’s not the only one that got hurt.  Do you know what it’s like having your mother calling you stupid in front of everyone?”  She paused, then continued, “Well, it doesn’t feel all that great.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jarod leaned back against the chair.  Looking up at the ceiling he commented, “Women.”  Shaking his head, he let his gaze fall back on his daughter.  “Sarah, you know your mother didn’t mean it.  She was angry and caught up in the moment.  I know that’s no excuse, but you have to give your mother a break.”

Sarah’s eyes got wider.  “Are you kidding?  What about me?  You know, my life isn’t all that glamorous right now either.”

“Sarah, stop playing the victim in all of this,” Jarod said evenly.  “With the divorce, her father, and now this amnesia, your mother has a lot on her plate right now, and the last thing she needs is you starting trouble with her.” 

Crossing her arms she commented, “Whatever.”  Meeting her father’s eyes she asked, “Are we done?”

“No, we’re not.”

“Great, just what I need, another lecture on why I’m the bad seed,” she commented sarcastically.

Becoming frustrated, Jarod bolted up from his chair, and briskly walked over to Sarah.  Standing in front of her, he pointed his finger at her and said, “Young lady, don’t use that tone with me.  Always remember, I’m your father and I deserve respect, got it?”  When Sarah meekly nodded to him he continued, “Now, you’re going to apologize to your mother when she comes back in.  As for your punishment, you’re grounded for two weeks.  No television, no phone, and no internet.  Plus, you’ll have extra chores to do around the house.”

“What!  Are you crazy?  That’s so unfair.  I…”

Jarod interrupted her.  “Fair?  You want to talk about fair?  Well, do you think it’s fair that we’ve been out all night searching for you?  Having no clue as to where you might be.  Having to make arrangements for your brother Brandon.  Do you know how worried we were about you?”

“I…I,” was all Sarah could mumble out, as her eyes burned with unshed tears.

Jarod’s face softened a bit.  “Listen Sarah, I know I may be coming off harsh, but it’s only because I love you so much.  You’re our child, a precious asset that can never be replaced.  I just hate seeing you throwing your life away for this boy.  I know he’s not right for you.”  Taking a seat beside her he asked, “Why are you dating him?”

“Dad,” she sighed.  “I know you mean well, but I don’t feel comfortable talking about this with you.”

“Well, do you feel more comfortable talking with your mother about…”

“No,” she interjected.  “She’s the last person I want to speak to right now.”  Leaning her head against the window she said gently, “Dad, I just want to be by myself right now.”

She could see the hesitancy in her father as he contemplated her words.   “Okay,” he whispered out.  “We’ll continue this tomorrow since it’s getting late.”  With reluctance, he finally stood up.  Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead.  “Get some sleep.”  With that, he walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Throwing the pillow aside, she got up and changed into her pajamas.  Once she was done, she pulled down the covers and got into bed.  Turning on her side, her eyes fell onto a picture of her and her mother from a year ago during Thanksgiving.  They looked so happy, what happened to change all that?  Reaching out her hand, she ran her fingers down her mother’s face and whispered out, “I’m sorry.”

XXXXXXX

“Mom?” called out Josh.  “Mom, where are you?”  Hearing no answer, he walked over to his car, grabbing a flashlight out of the glove compartment.  Making his way through the backyard, he headed towards the woods on the other side of the creek.  He had a feeling he knew where she was.  Crossing the bridge, he turned on the flashlight following the path to the lake. 

After fifteen minutes of walking he reached the clearing.  Scanning the area with his flashlight he found her sitting on a log, staring off into the distance.  Keeping the light on the ground, he jogged over to her.  “Mom, are you all right?”

He watched as she turned her head away, wiping away the few remaining tears from her face.  Taking in a shaky breath she replied, “I’m fine.”  Looking over at him she commented,  “You shouldn’t be out here.”

Ignoring her comment, he took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.  She was about to say something, but he cut her off.  “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.  Besides, I’m not going to sit back and watch you freeze to death.”  She gave him a weak smile as he sat down beside her.

“Thank you, Josh.”

“No problem.”  Both remained in silence as they stared out over the lake.  Feeling hunger starting to kick in, he reached into his pockets looking for his favorite candy.

“What are you looking for?” asked his mother.

“Some Pez.”

Looking over at his mom, he could see her smiling to herself as she rolled her eyes.  “Figures.  Like father, like son.”

“I’m nothing like him,” he said in disgust.  Feeling uncomfortable with his mother’s scrutiny, he let his gaze fall to the ground.

With a sympathetic voice, she replied, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”  She paused, an added, “You should be proud to call him your father.”

“Yeah right, some father,” he scoffed.  “What kind of man would give up on his family?”

Tilting her head, she looked at him thoughtfully.  “To tell you the truth, that’s what I’ve been wondering myself,” she pondered.  Glancing over at Josh she said, “One thing I do know about your father is that it has to be something big.  I know family is the most important thing to him.  Do you know what it is?”

“To tell you the truth, I really don’t know.  I always felt you guys were hiding something from us kids.”  Peeling his eyes away from the ground, he looked over at her.  “From what Sarah has told me, she thinks it has something to do with Grandma and Grandpa Parker.  She said something about new evidence coming up about Grandma’s death.  She’s tried to pry it out of the both of you, but everyone is closed mouthed about it, so I have no idea on what to believe anymore.”

He watched as his mother suddenly perked up.  Laying a hand on his arm she asked, “Does Jarod think that my mother was murdered?”

“I…I don’t know.  I mean, I’ve heard rumors around town.  People saying someone was running from the house when she died, but seeing no evidence, the cops wrote the story off, calling it hogwash.”

Letting out a defeated sigh, she let go of his arm, and tucked her hands into her pockets.  Seconds later, she pulled out a Pez dispenser; also tumbling out was Josh’s wallet.  Handing the dispenser to Josh, she picked up the wallet, perusing through the pictures.  She found pictures of Josh, Sarah, and Brandon from not long ago.  There was a picture of Emily and Sarah together.  One thing was for sure; Sarah bore a close resemblance to Emily.  The next picture she flipped over, she couldn’t stop the smile that graced her lips.  It was a picture of Debbie and Josh, smiling like goofballs at the camera.  Looking over at Josh she asked, “So tell me, are you and Debbie dating each other?”

She couldn’t stop the soft chuckle that came from her, as Josh’s eyes grew wide, while he coughed out some of the candy.  “What?” he choked out.

“You heard me.”

“Mom,” he whined.  “As I’ve said before, me and Debbie are just friends.  That’s it, nothing more and nothing less.”  Letting out a frustrated sigh, he commented to the dark night, “Man, why does everyone think we’re a couple?”

Raising an eyebrow she commented, “Bit defensive are we?”

He smiled at her.  “What is it with you and Sarah embarrassing me all the time about this?”  He popped another Pez into his mouth.  “Want one?” he offered her.

She grimaced at the candy.  “No thank you.  I’ve had enough of that candy to last me a lifetime.”

Josh shrugged his shoulders.  “Suit yourself.”  Glancing down at his mother’s hands, he saw her stop on the last picture in his wallet.  “You know, that’s probably my favorite picture of our family.”

“I’m pregnant in this,” she gasped.

Josh rolled his eyes at her playfully.  “Well duh?” he teased.

“Don’t be a smartass,” she answered back in the same tone.

“Well, I learn from the best,” he grinned at her.

Smiling to herself, she shook her head.  “I’m guessing you and Sarah had to be about five or six years old in this picture.”

“We were five.  It was Christmas Eve and you were six months pregnant with Brandon when this was taken.”  Glancing up into her eyes he said, “I guess you can say, this was our first family picture together with all of us, including Brandon.”  Seeing tears building up in her eyes he asked, “Mom, are you okay?  Did I say something wrong?”

She smiled at him.  “No, it’s not that, it’s just that…that…you know what, never mind.”  Handing his wallet to him she asked,  “Tell me about that night, there has to be a reason as to why it’s your favorite picture.”

Looking down at the picture he started, “Well, here goes…”

XXXXXXXX

Try as he might, he just couldn’t fall asleep.  He was too excited about Santa coming tonight, and dropping off their presents.  Josh looked out the window expecting any moment to see Santa and his reindeers, but they were still nowhere to be seen.  He did write a letter to Santa, hopefully he knew where his family lived.

Flopping on his back, he stared up at the ceiling, being extra quiet so he would be able to hear the reindeer landing on the rooftop.  The only noise that greeted him was silence.  Where was Santa?  As if on cue, his sister came busting through his bedroom door.  Running over to him, she climbed up on the bed and started jumping up and down.

“Sarah, be quiet.  You’re going to get us in trouble!” he whispered out in panic.

“He’s coming,” she replied with excitement.

Josh gave her a puzzled look.  “Who’s coming?”

“Well duh, stupid, who do you think?”  Reaching into her pocket, she brought out a small radio.  “Santa’s coming.  The radio man said he was just spotted at the airport.”

Josh stood up on his bed, eyes wide with excitement.  Grabbing the radio from his sister, he turned up the volume.

“Well kids, it looks like Santa is making his way into Delaware.  Looks like his next stops will be Wilmington, Dover, and Blue Cove,” said the disc jockey.  Clicking the radio off, he started jumping up and down on the bed with his sister.

“He’s coming, he’s coming,” Josh repeated with delight. 

“You know what?  We need to tell mom and dad.”  Before she could jump off the bed, Josh grabbed her arm.

“Wait; don’t you remember what they said?  They told us we had to stay in bed or else Santa wouldn’t come, “ he commented with a worried tone.

Sarah rolled her eyes at him, and then started tapping her chin with her index finger.  “How about this, we could sneak downstairs and hide before he gets here,” she suggested.  “You know, mom and dad don’t have to know.  Once we see him, we can sneak back upstairs as if nothing ever happened.” 

Josh gave her a hesitant look.  “I…I don’t know.  If we get caught, Santa might not give us presents this year.”

“Don’t be a baby,” she teased.  Reaching out, she grabbed his hand.  “Come on.”  With reluctance, he followed his sister out the door.  Out in the hallway, Sarah turned around, bringing her index finger up to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet.  After a minute of standing still, they slowly tiptoed their way down the carpeted hallway.

“Do you hear that?” asked Sarah, as she concentrated on listening.

“Hear what?”

“That.”  Turning back around, Sarah started down the steps.  When she was third of the way down she looked up to the top of the steps to find Josh frozen in place.  “What’s the matter?” she whispered out.

Being ever so cautious, he looked back over his shoulder.  “We shouldn’t be doing this.  We’re going to get in trouble.   I don’t want Santa to think I’m a bad kid.”  He paused an added, “I don’t want to be checked off his name list.”

“We won’t, long as we don’t get caught,” she reminded him.  Turning around, she headed down the stairs.  Looking back over his shoulder one last time, he let out a deep sigh and followed his sister down the stairs.

Once they reached the downstairs, they edged themselves over to the living room entranceway.  Knowing someone was in there, they stayed hidden behind the wall and listened.  They only thing they heard was some shuffling noises and the stereo playing.  Being the braver one out of the two, Sarah squatted down and peeked into the room.

The Christmas tree lights were still on, casting the room in a soft golden light.  Hearing a crackling sound, she could see the fireplace was lit up.  “Oh no,” she whispered to herself.

“What’s wrong?” Josh asked with concern.

Ducking behind the wall, she looked up at her brother.  “There’s a fire in the fireplace, how is Santa going to get down the chimney now?”

Standing beside his sister, he peeked in.  Sure enough, there was a fire burning.  “I don’t know,” he mumbled out.  Looking at his sister he asked, “If mom and dad are asleep, then why is the stereo still on?”  Before Sarah could answer, they heard laughter coming from the room.  Both craning their necks, they let their eyes roam around, trying to find the laughing source.  Seconds later, Josh found it.  It was their parents.  Acting on instinct, he took a step back, pulling his sister along with him.

“Hey! What are you doing?” she whispered out angrily.

He shook his left thumb towards the living room.  “Mom and dad are in there.  See, I told you this was a bad idea, now we’re going to get into trouble.”

He watched as a mischievous smile graced Sarah’s lips.  “Would you stop worrying.  If we were in trouble, they would already be out here by now.  Sheesh.”

Josh couldn’t help but feel anxious as he fidgeted on his feet.  They were going to get in so much trouble, and it was all because of Sarah.  Letting out a deep breath, he rested his hands on his knees as he stared back into the room

He couldn’t stop the grin that appeared on his face as he looked upon his parents.  He never knew two people who loved each other so much as they did at this very moment, slow dancing to a Christmas song.  It was the one with chestnuts roasting on an open fire.  He never could get the name of the song right, so he just called it the chestnut song.

Josh couldn’t help but be mesmerized by them as they swayed gracefully across the floor.  He watched as his dad bent down, whispering something in his mother’s ear.  Josh’s grin got bigger as his mother’s eyes lit up with delight; she let out a throaty laugh, and then playfully swatted him on the arm.  Shrugging his shoulders, his father slowly dipped his mother causing her to shriek.  Below him, Josh could hear Sarah giggling to herself.

“Sshh! Be quiet,” he scolded lightly.

“Shut up, you can’t boss me around,” she replied back, smacking him lightly on the leg.

“Ouch,” he growled out.  While rubbing his leg, he looked up to see if their parents knew they were out here.  Apparently, everything seemed to be okay because they were still dancing, gazing adorningly at each other.

“Hey Stupid, you’re in my space, scoot over,” commented Sarah with annoyance.

“Be quiet.”

Ignoring his sister’s protests, he continued to watch his parents as they wrapped themselves within each other.  His mother let out a contented sigh as she closed her eyes, resting her head on his father’s shoulder.  Dad held her more closely, nuzzling his face close to hers, closing his eyes as he basked in her warmth.  If someone asked him what love was, all he had to do was point his finger in the direction of his parents.  Their love was pure, trusting, undying, for all eternity.  His happiness was short lived as he [-premembered Debbie from a couple of days ago.

Debbie’s mother left her and her father in the middle of the night.  No good-bye.  Nothing.  While Mr. Broots went searching for his wife, Debbie stayed with them.  At night, he could hear her crying in the guest room, calling out for her mother, but her pleas went unanswered.  But, at least his mother was there to comfort her and wipe away the tears.  He couldn’t even imagine a life without his mom.  Just the thought of it sent a shiver down his spine.

When the song came to an end, his mother reached up, gently running the back of her hand down his father’s cheek.  Even from where he was standing, Josh could tell what his mother said to his father, “I love you, Jarod.”

Josh watched as his father leaned his face into his mother’s hand, reveling in her touch.  Opening his eyes, his father flashed her a warm smile.  Grabbing the hand that was now resting on his cheek, he brought it up to his lips; placing a gentle kiss on top of her fingers as he whispered the same words his mother said only moments before.  “I love you too, Parker.”  Jarod then went down on one knee, placing a kiss on Parker’s abdomen.  “I love you too, kiddo,” he mumbled against her swollen waist.

Josh let his eyes wonder up to his mother’s face.  He could see tears glistening in the soft light as his mother smiled down at his father.  Quickly standing back up, his Dad cupped his mother’s cheeks, and kissed her passionately.  Feeling embarrassed, he brought his right hand up, covering his eyes.  He shouldn’t be seeing this.  Keeping his eyes shielded, he looked down at his sister.  

Sarah wrinkled her nose in slight disgust.  “Eww, they’re kissing,” she whined.  “Gross.”

“Come on, let’s go.  With mom and dad down here, there’s no way we’re going to see Santa tonight.”

She sighed.  “I think you’re right, but just this one time,” she reminded him.  Standing back up, she dusted her knees off.  However, as she did this, she began backing up.  Josh’s eyes grew wide, preparing himself for the inevitable to happen.  “Sarah,” was all he could fumble out.

The warning came too late as Sarah backed up against the small table, knocking the candy bowl to the ground.  Both dived for it, trying to prevent it from making any noise, but to no avail.  The bowl fell to the ground, shattering into a hundred different pieces.  Seconds later, both of their parents were standing in front of them.

“She did it—“

“—he did it,” they both said in unison, as they pointed fingers at each other.  Josh closed his eyes, preparing himself for the scolding that was about to happen, but he was surprised when he heard his parents actually laughing.  Opening up his eyes again, he gave them bewildered looks.

His dad knelt down in front of him, ruffling his hair.  “What are we going to do with you two?” he asked jovially.  Opening up his arms he said, “Come here you two.  I don’t want you guys to cut your feet on the glass.”

His dad picked him and Sarah up as if they weighed nothing, and carried them into the living room, setting them down on the couch.  Turning back around, he walked over to his mother who had a broom and dustpan in her hand.  Reaching out, he took the items from her.  “Here let me.  Besides, Lucy and Ethel might need to be checked out to make sure there aren’t any hidden cuts on them.”

Once Josh and Sarah were checked out, his dad came in with a camera.  Holding it up in his hand he suggested, “You know what, I think it’s time for a new family picture.”  When Jarod was done setting up the camera, he quickly ran back to the couch, lifting Josh onto his lap.  As Parker pulled Sarah more closely to her, Jarod wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  “Say cheese.”

“Cheese.”  Seconds later, the light flashed.  Once his eyes readjusted, Josh looked over at his mom and sister.  Sarah let out a soft yawn as she closed her eyes, snuggling more closely to their mother.  Reaching across Sarah, his mother grabbed the blanket sitting beside her and draped it across them.  On the stereo he could hear a new song playing, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” 

Feeling exhausted himself; he closed his eyes, leaning back against his father’s chest.  A few moments later, he felt the blanket being draped over him also.  With drowsy eyes, he looked up at his mother’s smiling face.  “Merry Christmas, sweetie,” she whispered with warmth.

He gave her a sleepy smile.  “Merry Christmas…mom,” he yawned.  Losing his battle with Mr. Sandman, he closed his eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Josh stood up, digging his hands into his jean pockets as he stared out across the lake.  “I…it’s just a night I will never forget.”  He turned around, looking back at his mother.  “It felt like we were the only people left in the world.  I’ve never felt more loved, protected, and happy than I did that Christmas Eve.  It’s a memory I’ll always hold dear in my heart.”  He let out a soft chuckle.  “God, if my teammates ever found out I was talking like this…” he trailed off.

Miss Parker smiled at him.  “Josh, it’s suffice to say that I think your secret is safe with me,” she reassured him.

“Yeah, well…” Shrugging his shoulders, he bent down grabbing some rocks and pebbles.  Turning around, he threw his arm back, throwing the rock into the lake. 

As Josh continued to throw rocks, Miss Parker felt another jolt of pain in her abdomen.  The last thing she wanted to do was worry Josh.  Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes, taking deep, calming breaths.  However, try as she might, the pain continued to grow.  Even though she was freezing, she could feel beads of sweat gathering on her forehead.

When Josh threw the last remaining rock he turned back around to find his mother doubled over.  Taking three long strides, he was by his mother’s side in an instant.  “Mom, are you okay?  What’s wrong?” he asked with panic.  The only answer he got in return was a painful moan.  Reaching up, he rested his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature.  “Mom, you’re burning up.”  He paused.  “Do you think you can walk, or do you want me to carry you back?  Maybe I should go get Dad.”

“I…I’m fine.  Just…a little…stomachache,” she said through clenched teeth.  Slowly, she got up, leaning on Josh for support.

“You haven’t taken your medication today have you?” he asked, as he wrapped an arm around his mother’s back, trying to help her anyway he can.

“Medication?”

“Yeah, for your ulcer, but how could you remember that with everything that’s happened today,” he answered in a sympathetic voice.  Josh knew he had to hurry.  He could already feel his mom becoming slack in his arms. 

“Josh, I…” she trailed off as she fell to the ground.

Josh knelt down beside her, patting her gently on the cheeks.  “Mom, wake up!  Come on mom, don’t do this now!” he cried out.  “Please, wake up!”  Panic setting in, he did the only thing he could, he screamed out to the darkened woods for help.

XXXXXXXX

To Be Continued…