A Time To Love

Chapter 12: "The Gift"

Audrey sat on the window seat outlooking the street they lived on, watching as the snow fell to the ground in large flakes. There was a certain beauty to the white world
outside, one that Audrey couldn't deny, but despite the happiness that the freshly fallen December snow gave her, there was a certain looming cloud of emotional weariness over her.
It had been nearly a month since she had last seen Daniel. It was the day that she had said that they were friends that she had seen him last. Audrey didn't quite know what to make of the situation. She knew Daniel wasn't in the best place, and perhaps something she didn't know about had triggered it. She supposed it was only normal for his battle with addiction to be an up and down one. If she were to expect him to be perfect and good all the time, she'd be expecting too much from him. Even for herself, it would be too much to ask.
Normally, Audrey would be reaching out to him to see how she could help, but she felt God saying to her,'Not yet. Be still and wait', so she intended to do just that. She had waited before
in her life, but it would seem that this time was even harder than the others. She longed for the day when God would finally say to her, 'Now'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Henry sat reading the paper in his recliner, while Katherine went around the living room with the featherduster, ready to attack even the smallest particle of dust.
Henry spoke up, "Kat, I'm worried about Audrey."
She looked over at him, with an inquisitive brow raised, "Why's that?"
"She just doesn't seem like herself. I'm sure you've noticed it, too."
Katherine agreed with Henry for once, "I suppose you're right. She has seemed a bit down lately."
Henry placed the newspaper down as he let out a sigh, "I wonder if it has to do with Daniel?"
"What? Why?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Katherine placed her hand on her hip and pointed at him with the featherduster in hand, "It's not nothing, and you're going to tell me right this instant what it is."
Henry didn't figure it was wise to argue with her, especially when she was armed with a plausible weapon, "Daniel's been frequenting the bar a lot lately." He confessed solemnly before adding, "It's really too bad. He was doing so good before."
"Oh, is that so?"
Katherine had learned to tolerate the idea of her sister being friends with the town drunk, but she felt as though she had tolerated it too long, for it didn't take another second before she was marching up to Audrey's room to tell her what she thought.
"Audrey?" Katherine greeted as she welcomed herself in. "I have to talk to you."
"What is it, Katherine?" Audrey swiveled out of her chair to face her sister.
"I think..." Katherine began, while choosing her words carefully, before continuing, "that maybe it would be best to...give up on this idea of friendship with Mr. Bouchard."
Audrey looked at her with a furrowed brow, "Why all of a sudden?"
"I tolerated it for a while for your sake. I really did, Audrey. But, if you keep up with this... someone's going to get hurt, and I don't want it to be you." Katherine said it in a more gentle tone than usual. Audrey knew she had her best interest at heart, but you see, Katherine had trouble seeing anything from anyone's perspective except from her own. She said she wanted what was best for Audrey, but really, she wanted what she thought in her own mind was best for her.
"I understand that, Katherine, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I can make my own decisions, and if I want to be friends with someone, that's my own choice." Audrey stated firmly.
A deep, frustrated sigh escaped Katherine's lips, "Audrey, I'm sorry,... but I don't want you to see him anymore. I... forbid you from seeing him."
Audrey scoffed in perplexity, "What? You can't-...you can't do that. You can't forbid me."
"As long as you're under my roof, I can!" Her voice raised, and her foot stamped the ground as she said it.
Audrey tried to hold her composure as she began, "Did you ever think that maybe he -"
"He what? Needs you? Audrey, you can't change him. He is not your responsibility. He's a drunk, and you never should've gotten involved with him. The best thing you can do is just to forget about him. You'll find somebody else. Someone more suited for you. Someone good and respectable, just like you deserve."
Audrey held back tears as she bit her quivering lip. She took a deep breath and looked at Katherine and said, "No, he doesn't need me, but maybe...I need him."
Katherine didn't respond but just turned and walked out, although as she closed the door behind her, she stopped for a moment. A tear rolled down her cheek, one that
didn't linger long though, before it was wiped away clean, as though it had never been there to begin with.
~~~~~~~~~
Rachel peered at Audrey, who laid in bed, just staring at the ceiling.
"What's wrong with you?" Rachel finally asked. "Come on, it's Christmas tomorrow. Isn't it like your favourite holiday?"
"It really is." Audrey replied, followed by a long sigh.
Rachel sat up with annoyance, "Honestly, just tell me what's wrong? I know this isn't like you, Audrey. You might think I don't pay attention, but I do."
Audrey's gaze left the ceiling and met Rachel's, which looked surprisingly concerned, "I want to see Daniel. I made him a Christmas present and everything, but Katherine forbids me from seeing him."
Rachel rolled her eyes, "Oh, who cares what Katherine says? If you want to see him, just go and see him."
"But I-"
"No, seriously, Audrey. You've been miserable this last month, and I know it's cause of him," Rachel told her little sister sincerely, "so if you need to go be with him, then go."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"But, Katherine -"
"I'll cover for you." Rachel replied and continued, "They're asleep right now. You can go, and give Daniel his present, and be back before they even knew you were gone. I know you're always good, but maybe you could be bad just for this one time?"
Audrey pondered it before concluding with spirit, "You're right, Rachel. Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The air was cold, and the sky was dark. Audrey had ventured out to find Daniel. She figured he'd be at the bar, but Wilson concurred that Daniel had already headed out for the night. Audrey hoped she wouldn't go through all the trouble for nothing.
She prayed she'd find him.
She had worked up the courage to ask the drunkards that loitered around the premises if they had seen Daniel anywhere. Most of them had no idea who she was even referring to, but there was one man who said he had seen him leave down the back alley right by the pub.
It was an unsettling walk. She had never been in a place like this, and most certainly not in the middle of the night either. She continued to pray with each step she took,
and before she knew it, she saw him, just out of the corner of her eye.
"Danie-" She stopped as she realized. Daniel wasn't alone in that dark alley. He was with a woman, a beautiful woman, whom he pressed up against the side of a building before kissing her affectionately.
Audrey quickly turned her back to it, hiding in a corner so as not to reveal herself. She tried to catch her breath.
She looked down at the gift that had been placed in a box and carefully wrapped for him and wondered to herself why her heart beat the way it did. They were just friends, after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel kissed her on her lips first before moving down to her pale neck. He would've kissed her more if it wasn't for a strange sound coming from the distance, grabbing both of their attentions in an instant.
"What was that?" She asked, to which he replied, "Probably just an animal" before intending to finish where they had left off.
"I'm going to go check." She said abruptly, pushing him away from her.
He followed her around the corner, but nothing was askew, at least at first glance.
"Oh, what's that?"
Daniel watched as she picked up a small box wrapped in evergreen paper and adorned with a gold ribbon.
She chuckled, "It has your name on it, Daniel. I guess Santa thought you were a good boy this year."
Daniel took it from her and observed it carefully. He looked up, out into the distance, wondering where she had gone, and what she had seen, and why she even came all this way for him to begin with. As much as he tried, he couldn't forget her. He couldn't forget Audrey.
"I have to go, Rosalie."
"Alright, I'll come with you." She stated.
He shot her down quickly, "No, I'm going to go home alone. I'll see you again another time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel took a seat on the edge of his bed as he carefully unwrapped the gift dedicated to him.
He pulled out a pair of hand knitted mittens. He just looked at them and took it in.
She had made them for him. He wondered how long it took her.
At the bottom of the box laid a letter, which Daniel lifted out, and read.
"My dear Daniel,
How are you doing? I hope you're well. I must admit, I've missed hearing your laugh lately, and I look forward to hearing it again soon!
I knitted you some mittens cause I couldn't help but notice that you didn't have any last winter. I hope they'll keep you warm in this cold weather. And, don't you worry about getting
me a gift, for you in and of yourself are my gift!
I wanted to tell you that I cherish our friendship more than anything in the world. Your friendship is truly sacred to me, Daniel. I've enjoyed being your companion for the last year, and I hope it will last for much longer than that. You mean a great deal to me, and I thank God for you every day. When I say we're friends, I don't mean it lightly, for I take it very seriously.
I'll love you forever, Daniel, and I'll always be your friend.
Sincerely, Audrey
P.S. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!"
Daniel took a breath, trying to gain composure, but it was no use. He broke. The tears fell without warning, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold them back.
He called out her name as he sobbed. Wishing she was there. Wishing he could hold her close and tell her how much he loved her. His heart groaned for her, and he figured it would till the day he died. He just wished hers would do the same.