BLURB:
As the holiday season approaches, Lillian holds a secret that will change the lives of her four closest friends forever. She invites them to spend Christmas with her, seeking strength in their unwavering bond of three decades.
United by laughter, tears, faith, and an unbreakable friendship, each woman brings her unique spirit to the table. Determined to make this season the most memorable yet, they rally around Lillian, and their differences melt away.
Lillian' s quiet plea echoes in their hearts— to cherish every moment, to savor every laugh, and to hold onto their shared memories. Little do they know, this holiday season carries with it a bittersweet farewell, as Lillian yearns for one last week in their company.
In this story of faith, loss, and the enduring power of friendship, will Lillian' s final wish be granted, guiding them all toward a heavenly reunion?
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EXCERPT:
Lillian sipped from her mug, her hands shaking as she nearly splashed tea down the front of her blouse. Maria was quick to take the mug from her.
“Are you nervous about your friends coming?”
Lillian gave her a wan smile. “I am. What if they don’t all come?”
“They will. For you, they will. What friends wouldn’t come in this situation?”
Lillian pushed away her plate. “I didn’t tell them why I needed them here.”
Maria pushed the plate back towards Lillian. “You need to eat. You’ve already lost too much weight. Why didn’t you tell them?”
Lillian sighed. “Because I didn’t want them to come because they felt sorry for me. I wanted them to come simply because I asked them. Because they’re my dear friends.” She took another bite of her lunch and set down the fork. “I’m not hungry.”
Maria fixed her patient gaze on Lillian. “I understand. But you’ll need your strength for this week. You want to be at your best for your friends, don’t you?”
“Yes, you’re right. You’re always right. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“I’m here for the long haul. As long as you need me. You’re certainly paying me enough.”
Lillian laughed. “True. But you deserve it, for all I’m asking of you to do around here.”
“You’re not much trouble. You’re wonderful company, and since you eat like a bird, you’re very easy to feed.”
“Ahh, but we’ll have four guests arriving this afternoon. Are you sure you can handle the meals for everyone while still taking care of me?”
Maria patted Lillian’s hand. “You seem to forget. I raised five children while working full time as a nurse. This is a vacation for me. Having one patient—one good natured patient at that, and preparing meals for five adults for a week? No problem. When are your friends supposed to arrive?”
Lillian turned her gaze to the front window. “I’m not exactly sure. But they said they’d be here today. I hope they follow through.”
“I’m sure they will. Tell me about them. It will keep your mind occupied while you wait.”
Lillian turned back to Maria. “Yes. I’d love to tell you about them. But let’s move to the parlor where it’s more comfortable.”
Maria frowned. “Take two more bites, and then you can leave the table.”
Warmth flooded through Lillian. Having Maria take care of her was the right choice. God knew she needed someone like her. She raised her eyebrows. “My mother has been gone for quite some time. And even when she was alive, she hadn’t told me what to do in many years. But for you, Maria, I will do my best.” She forced down the food and pushed away from the table.
Maria whisked away the dishes. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Lillian took slow, careful steps as she made her way into the parlor, stopping to glance at her reflection in the mirror over the loveseat. She’d applied foundation to cover the dark circles under her eyes and brighten her pale complexion. It appeared to be doing the trick. Satisfied, she settled on the loveseat and waited for Maria to finish with the dishes.
Maria entered the room with a fresh cup of coffee and settled her ample frame into the chair opposite the loveseat. “Now. Tell me about all of your friends.”
Where to start? “That could take a while.”
Maria chuckled. “I have all day. Well, at least until I need to prepare food for these ladies. But please indulge me, so I know what I’m in for this week.”
Lillian settled back against the loveseat. “We all met in college. We lived together in the dorm freshman year. Heidi was my roommate, Rachel and Triya were roommates, and April lived with another girl who transferred to another school at the end of freshman year. After that year, we got an off-campus house and the five of us lived together for the next three years. We were inseparable. We called ourselves the Fabulous Five.”
Maria’s lips curved upward. “The Fabulous Five. I like it. Did you all have similar interests?”
“Oh, no. We were so different. Heidi was the wild one. She had a new boyfriend almost every month. She’s the one who I was closest to. Because her home life was challenging, she came home with me many times on breaks. She loves this house.”
“As do you, I believe.”
Lillian smiled. “Yes. There’s nowhere I’d rather be. Especially now.” Lillian lifted a blanket from beside her and draped it over her lap. She rubbed the gooseflesh on her arms. It was hard to stay warm, even with the fire burning hot in the fireplace. Maria stood and stoked the fire.
“Let’s see. Who’s next?” Lillian chewed on her lower lip. “Triya is a first-generation American. She studied all the time. Education was very important to her parents because they sacrificed a lot to bring the family to this country. She obsessed about grades, but Rachel helped her loosen up.”
“Rachel was the prankster. She continually played jokes on the rest of us. Good-natured jokes. Never anything hurtful or dangerous. Just funny.”
“What sort of jokes?”
“Once, she filled Triya’s closet completely with packing peanuts. She waited for over an hour for Triya to open the closet, but when she did, she captured the moment on film. That’s still one of my favorite pictures from college. Poor Triya, with packing peanuts showering her. And then the picture of her whirling around and throwing handfuls of the peanuts at Rachel. The day Rachel got her film developed, I never laughed so hard.” Lillian adjusted the blanket. “Another time, she took every single writing implement from the house and hid them. The only thing we had to write with was crayons. I remember borrowing pens and pencils from the neighbors because I didn’t want to hand in my physics homework in brown crayon. But it wasn’t just pranks. She came up with the most exciting things to do.”
“What sort of things?”
“Like mattress racing.”
Maria raised her eyebrows. “What?”
Maria’s expression caused a bubble of laughter to burst out of Lillian. “She pulled the mattress off her bed in the dorm and rode it down the stairs. She turned it into a competition, timing everyone to see who could get down the stairs the fastest.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“No, it was harmless. Rachel always wanted everyone to have fun.”
“What about the last girl?”
“Rounding out the bunch was April. She was the diplomat. With our distinct personalities, someone was always upset with someone else. April’s parents divorced when she was young, so I think she was sensitive to conflict. She stepped between Rachel and Triya more than once. She never married and travels extensively for her career. I wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it, but she assured me she’d be here.”
“It sounds like you ladies have quite the history. It’s wonderful you’ve kept in touch so well all these years.”
Lillian tucked her hands under the blanket. “I don’t think they have. I’ve kept up with all of them, but they’re not always in touch with one another. That’s one reason I want to bring them all together this one last time. I want to remind them of what a special bond we had.”
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