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“What did she say?” Theron asked as he eyed a cedar tree.
“She said for me to enjoy the time I have with you and Lucas while we’re picking out a Christmas tree,” Vada said.
Theron eyed her carefully, “How did she know we were picking out a tree today?”
“She didn’t, but I just figured since she used to tell me to enjoy the day, that she would want me to have a good time today,” she answered. “Are you having a good time?”
“Yes, I am,” Theron answered. “I think this tree would be just right. It’s about four feet tall, and not too big around.”
“How do you know how tall it is?” Lucas asked.
“The sun is right there,” Theron pointed, “and the tree is throwing a shadow over there,” he moved his finger, “so if you do the math, then the tree is four feet tall and about two and a half feet across. That’s unusual for a cedar because they are most usually kind of round.”
Lucas set his tool bag down and removed a small chainsaw. “This will get noisy, but it won’t take long.”
“You should leave as much trunk on as you can, and then we have to put it in a container that will hold water,” Theron said.
Vada still had trouble believing that this child was her son.
Lucas fired up the chain saw and cut down the tree in a matter of minutes. When it had fallen away from Theron and Vada, he put the saw back into the bag. “You want to help me take this to the truck, Theron?” he asked. “You grab up the end and I’ll take the trunk.”
“I can do that,” Theron said. “I’ve never decorated a tree before, and I forgot to do research last night before we went to bed.”
“You didn’t help your mama trim the tree?” Lucas asked as they started back toward the vehicle.
“No, sir, I did not,” Theron answered. “I’m not really religious, and I don’t believe in Santa Claus. It’s hard to believe in something I can’t see.”
“What changed this year?” Lucas asked.
“Buttercup did,” he answered. “I talked to her and figured out that this can just be a holiday where families get together. It doesn’t have to have a lot of meaning, and Buttercup and you and Tex and now the alpacas, especially Dixie, are like family to me. I want to share this holiday with all of them. Can we put a tree in the barn?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lucas pointed toward a small cedar only a few feet from the truck, and asked, “Is that one big enough?”
“I think so,” Theron answered. “They will like having a tree of their own, and I will tell them all the stories about Christmas, from Jesus to Santa Claus.”
“That’s a good reason, and I’m sure they’ll like having a tree of their own in the barn,” Lucas said as he dropped his tool bag and took out the saw.
Vada’s eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back.
When both trees were in the back of the truck, Theron hopped into the back seat and fastened his seat belt and began to hum. Vada cocked her head to one side and tried to pick up the tune. She’d never heard him hum or sing, either one. His first therapist suggested having soft classic music playing in the house, but that seemed to agitate him even more than normal. Vada loved country music, so she listened to it with her earphones as she worked most days.
“What song you got going in your head?” Lucas asked.
Theron stopped humming and said, “That will be ‘Everything’s Gonna be Alright,” by David Lee Murphy. When we drove to the barn it was on the radio, so I looked it up, and found out that I like country music, so I’ve been listening to it on my phone. I let Buttercup listen to a couple of songs and she seems to like it, too.”
“So do I,” Lucas said.
“And me, too,” Vada chimed in.
“That’s interesting,” Theron said. “Three people in a car, and we all like the same kind of music. Very unusual.”
Lucas glanced over at Vada and winked. A surge of happiness filled her breast. These feelings were crazy, she thought. Sure, she’d known Lucas in high school, and she had felt some chemistry last night when he kissed her on the forehead, but she had been around him only a week this time around. Was it even possible to feel the way she did in such a short time?
She remembered a plaque she’d seen several years ago that said, “The heart knows. Listen to it.”
“Penny for your thoughts,” Lucas whispered.
She told him about the plaque and what was written on it.
