"Dee, we are headed out now. You coming?" one of her co-workers blurted as the end of day bustle meandered down the hall.
Still on a telephone call and gazing intently as figures on her laptop, Deandra did a quick thumbs up gesture and returned to the task at hand. She was finalizing her first assignment where she was project lead since her arrival in Philadelphia six months earlier and she wanted to make a good impression.
"Actually, we came in under projected costs which allowed us to apply our project surplus to a secondary project in that neighborhood. I feel very strongly that by contributing to the park re-modeling with the money and the volunteer hours by several of our staff members the community is beginning to trust our motives in rebuilding," she said. Glancing at her watch, she was calculating her walk time to city hall for the ceremony.
"Mr. Henderson, I hate to rush off, but I need to take this other call. If you have any further questions, I know my project analysis will answer them. "
She shut down her laptop and began packing her stuff when she heard her cell phone ringing in her bag.
"I look forward to seeing you at the dedication in February. Have a wonderful Christmas, Mr. Henderson," she concluded and hung up the phone. In one swift move, she pulled her arm into her coat and then grabbed her phone out of her bag. It was her oldest daughter Claire back in Texas.
"Claire!! How are you? I only have a few minutes as I walk to a ceremony but can call you back."
"Mom, I was just calling to see if you would mind if I came there for Christmas."
Deandra paused. She had not considered Claire not being in Philly. "Well honey, of course. I guess I thought you had already decided since we cannot be back in Texas for more than a couple days."
Doing a quick mental calculation of her schedule, Deandra continued, "the only day I cannot possibly pick you up would be the 17th; and of course, I don't have to come pick you up. You won't need to rent a car, and taking a taxi would be ok."
Claire interrupted, "mom!! We can work out details later; I just wanted to make sure you weren't making other plans. My last class ends on the 14th. I'll check flights."
"Of course, ok.......let me know and I'll be happy to pay for your ticket. I have plenty of miles."
"Great! I'll let you git, and we can talk later. Gimme a call when you have a free moment. And hey, I miss y'all."
"We miss you, too, honey. We'll talk later."
Her mind raced back through time and space to her first year in Austin when she had taken her daughters to see the lighting of the tree at the capitol. So many things had gone wrong...
"Honesty, Steph, I don't think things could've been any worse. I am just glad we got there in time to actually see the tree lighting, but I betcha the girls will never want to go again."
"Come on, Dee, it couldn't have been that bad!"
"I had this whole plan........hot chocolate at Starbucks which is about half a block away and then just a quick stroll over to the lawn. I really had planned for traffic. I researched several places to park and was prepared."
"I am sure things were better than you thought. You tend to have higher expectations than you can possibly realize."
"Damn, Steph, I think I am hurt," Deandra sighed. They both laughed. This self-pity and condescending friend routine was a familiar one with them.
"I seriously hate finding parking downtown, and of course, the girls always have their own idea of how things should happen. Those two were more intrigued with rolling down the hillside than with the Christmas music. They were ok with getting a snack at McDonald's after since Starbucks was closed when we got there."
"Your pictures were adorable! I know it was fine; stop being so hard on yourself."
"Dee!! Over here!"
Suddenly thrust back to reality, she fought to focus on her friends. The differences in the two scenes now playing in her mind amused her. It was not too difficult to add a third scene into the mix, the scene from her small central Texas hometown, her home. She was a long way from where she started out several years ago, and she was just getting started.
Finally, she spotted her friends, waved back to them and headed through the crowd. A light mist was falling already, and the promise of new snow on the forecast. She continued to utter her "scuse me's" as she pushed through the crowd, and stopped only once when she thought she spotted Jay.
Not today, she willed. Go away!
She did not want her thoughts to drift again to her heartbreak.
"We are all headed to the pub after this before going to the Christmas Village."
Deandra shook her head. "I am passing on the village; I am bringing Sofia this weekend."
"Come on, Dee.......you need to loosen up. She's a teenager; she will probably hate it."
"That's not the point, though. It's spending time together, her and me. She's pretty homesick right now. There'll be plenty of time for me to hang with y'all."
"Such the devoted mommie!"
As the city councilman concluded the dedication speech and a group of carolers in colonial attire began signing "O Christmas Tree", Deandra looked upward into the fog and drizzle and made a wish for prosperity and peace. She joined the chorus and watched as the beautiful grand tree shook off the darkness and wrapped itself in a glow of moistened light.
"Claire!! How are you? I only have a few minutes as I walk to a ceremony but can call you back."
"Mom, I was just calling to see if you would mind if I came there for Christmas."
Deandra paused. She had not considered Claire not being in Philly. "Well honey, of course. I guess I thought you had already decided since we cannot be back in Texas for more than a couple days."
Doing a quick mental calculation of her schedule, Deandra continued, "the only day I cannot possibly pick you up would be the 17th; and of course, I don't have to come pick you up. You won't need to rent a car, and taking a taxi would be ok."
Claire interrupted, "mom!! We can work out details later; I just wanted to make sure you weren't making other plans. My last class ends on the 14th. I'll check flights."
"Of course, ok.......let me know and I'll be happy to pay for your ticket. I have plenty of miles."
"Great! I'll let you git, and we can talk later. Gimme a call when you have a free moment. And hey, I miss y'all."
"We miss you, too, honey. We'll talk later."
Her mind raced back through time and space to her first year in Austin when she had taken her daughters to see the lighting of the tree at the capitol. So many things had gone wrong...
"Honesty, Steph, I don't think things could've been any worse. I am just glad we got there in time to actually see the tree lighting, but I betcha the girls will never want to go again."
"Come on, Dee, it couldn't have been that bad!"
"I had this whole plan........hot chocolate at Starbucks which is about half a block away and then just a quick stroll over to the lawn. I really had planned for traffic. I researched several places to park and was prepared."
"I am sure things were better than you thought. You tend to have higher expectations than you can possibly realize."
"Damn, Steph, I think I am hurt," Deandra sighed. They both laughed. This self-pity and condescending friend routine was a familiar one with them.
"I seriously hate finding parking downtown, and of course, the girls always have their own idea of how things should happen. Those two were more intrigued with rolling down the hillside than with the Christmas music. They were ok with getting a snack at McDonald's after since Starbucks was closed when we got there."
"Your pictures were adorable! I know it was fine; stop being so hard on yourself."
"Dee!! Over here!"
Suddenly thrust back to reality, she fought to focus on her friends. The differences in the two scenes now playing in her mind amused her. It was not too difficult to add a third scene into the mix, the scene from her small central Texas hometown, her home. She was a long way from where she started out several years ago, and she was just getting started.
Finally, she spotted her friends, waved back to them and headed through the crowd. A light mist was falling already, and the promise of new snow on the forecast. She continued to utter her "scuse me's" as she pushed through the crowd, and stopped only once when she thought she spotted Jay.
Not today, she willed. Go away!
She did not want her thoughts to drift again to her heartbreak.
"We are all headed to the pub after this before going to the Christmas Village."
Deandra shook her head. "I am passing on the village; I am bringing Sofia this weekend."
"Come on, Dee.......you need to loosen up. She's a teenager; she will probably hate it."
"That's not the point, though. It's spending time together, her and me. She's pretty homesick right now. There'll be plenty of time for me to hang with y'all."
"Such the devoted mommie!"
As the city councilman concluded the dedication speech and a group of carolers in colonial attire began signing "O Christmas Tree", Deandra looked upward into the fog and drizzle and made a wish for prosperity and peace. She joined the chorus and watched as the beautiful grand tree shook off the darkness and wrapped itself in a glow of moistened light.
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