Some links may be affiliate links. We get money if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links on our site.
Christmas All The Time is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Abby’s Left Hand
12/21/2025
Abby cuddled Teddy as she made her way forward in line. She could see her dad and Mr. Gajewski at the end of the aisle, dressed up in their suits and wearing their EMHC medallions. Someone brushed against her elbow.
Sarah MacInnes was genuflecting as she stood to join the line for Communion. Abby noticed her hazel-green eyes darting down to look at her hand and back up to greet Abby with a cheerful tight-lipped grin. Chris Murray stepped into line behind her as he rose from genuflection. He gave her a curious glance. She responded with a slight frown and a terse shake that sent her fiery curls tumbling and bouncing.
Abby raised an eyebrow and returned focus to the slowly approaching altar. Teddy rested his head on her chest and studied the slow-moving throng.
She reached into the pocket on her cardigan for the one-handed lip gloss she’d found at Maslov’s. It was a small teardrop-shaped bottle that dispensed a drop of gloss that rolled down the conical spout to aid in spreading it. She preferred those scented lip balm tubes, but carrying Teddy made popping the lid off inconvenient. As she slid it back into her pocket, she noticed Mandy Gajewski returning to her aisle seat.
Her flaxen hair was drawn back in a messy bun with a feathery purple twisty. She lowered the kneeler and crossed herself before sneaking a peek at Abby’s hand and settling into post-Communion prayer.
Abby looked at her hand, front and back. ‘What’s going on here?’
Closer to the front of the church, she found Whitney Maldonado deep in post-Communion prayer. Her massive coal-black mane flowed over and down her shoulders. Strangely, another aisle seat. Her head was tilted slightly as if she was keeping a sly eye on the line. Abby held her hand low and gave a little wave. Whitney tensed and settled back into prayer. Abby’s brows knitted. ‘Something is definitely going on here.’
The previous row of communicants were departing the altar rail as Abby stepped forward with Teddy clinging to her like a baby monkey. Elka smiled in recognition before her eyes darted toward Abby’s hand. Her daughter, Emma, had her baby in a sling and was smiling down at him when her eyes shifted. It was almost imperceptible, but she was looking at Abby’s hand. ‘I almost didn’t catch that. What is wrong with my hand?’ She turned around to find Sarah dragging Chris down the front aisle toward her dad. ‘If Elka and Emma were already up here, why was Sarah lurking until I came past? What is going on in this church?’
She knelt and turned Teddy so he could see the approaching priest and altar server. She recognized the boy attending Fr. Tom, but she couldn’t place his name. Fr. Tom arrived, and the boy held a polished paten under her chin.
“Corpus Christi.” He slid the wafer onto her tongue. The priest smiled and laid a hand over Teddy’s head. “With Christmas fast approaching, may the Prince of Peace watch over this little one, and may His blessings rest upon his mother and father — now and in the joyful days to come.”
She stood and followed the others toward the side aisle, past her dad. He was winking at Teddy as they passed. ‘Even Father Tom thinks something is up? The joyful days to come?’
As she played it back in her head, she realized that the altar server was Zelda’s brother, Herman. Even he had been trying to get a look at her hand. She drew a sharp breath as she made her way back to the pew. ‘Where’s Zelda?’
The Jozsa family stepped up, one by one.
Fr. Dan smiled and said, “The Body of Christ, Gabriel.”
Gabe accepted the wafer on his tongue and moved over to the EMHC with the Communion cup. Jennifer, Ned, Boniface, Matthew, Harold…
Fr. Dan smiled at the pretty girl who appeared from behind Harry. “Good morning. What is your name?”
“I’m Zelda, Father.”
“Have you had First Communion?”
“Father, I’m twenty-two.”
His face reddened as he stood up straighter. “The Body of Christ, Zelda.”. She took it in her tiny hands and stepped away to the EMHC.
Mandy unlocked the gift shop while Abby waited, blowing into her hands. “I think today will be busy. How about you?”
“It was pretty busy at church.” She chafed the sleeves of her coat.
“Well, it’s almost Christmas. Churches all fill up this time of year.” She hung the lock on a hook just inside the door and made room for Abby. Mandy did a chilly dance as she rushed over to the electric fireplace in the far corner. “Do you think Amish people really make these things? I didn’t think they were into electronics.”
“I’ve heard the Ohio Amish are kind of different.” She placed the cash box on a shelf in the sales kiosk and unlocked it. “Speaking of different…”
Mandy stood up from the electric fireplace with a curious smile on her alabaster angel face. “Huh?”
“Why’s everybody so interested in my left hand today, Mandy?”
She took off her coat and hung it on a hook screwed into the back wall. “Were they? That’s kind of odd. I wonder what that’s about.”
“I was going to ask Zelda, but she was missing.” Abby hung her coat and pulled out a red and white apron with the St. Casimir medal and the words Jarmark Kazimierz silkscreened on it.
“Zelda? Why would she know anything about it?”
Abby held her left hand up and wiggled her ring finger. “Even Herman was staring at my hand. You know he wasn’t looking for himself.”
“I don’t know. I could totally see Herman having a crush on you.”
“Mandy!”
“Sorry, can’t help. I know nothing. Nothing!” She dashed to the cash box and took a cylinder of bills secured with a rubber band. “Got to get the change ready.”
“Mandy, everybody was looking at my hand. What’s going on? Did Matt buy my engagement ring from Zelda, and she put it on blast?”
“Whatever can you be talking about?” Mandy cackled like she was about to cry. “Now I have to start counting all over again. Give me a minute. Will you?” She jammed the wad of bills into her back pocket and whipped her phone out.
@CasGrrls_DontTellAbby
#Panic!!!!!
oh
My
WORD!!!
She guessed!
?¿?What do I do?¿?
SugarAngel
How’d she guess?
I was totally low-key
BentoBabe
Don’t look at me
I was stealth
personified
PhotoElf
You’re such a
bunch of nerds
PsychPro
I’m going to brunch
with the fam
BlingDeva
You can ask him
when he’s going to
pop the question!
SugarAngel
‘Oh, my Lord! I can’t ask him that!’ Zelda inhaled an anguished squeal.
“You okay?” Harry asked. “Brunch at the Marbury Inn is epic. You’ll love it.”
“Sure, thanks for inviting me.” She stuffed her phone into her coat pocket. “Is this okay? I’m not too dressed up for brunch?”
“The Marbury is classy, just like you.”
She made a little pouty face. “You’re so sweet, Harry.”
“If anybody is sweet around here, it’s totally you. I can’t believe you just came and joined us for church. That was such a great surprise.”
She bit her lower lip and studied him driving. “Well, you put a down payment on my engagement ring. I figured I’d better see which church we should get married in.”
“Naturally.” He nodded a moment and his eyes bugged. “So, um, like…”
She rolled her eyes. “You speak such subtle poetry, Harry.”
“Ha ha, yeah. Um, are you saying yes to a question I didn’t ask?”
“Didn’t you?”
“Not in so many words.”
“So, why are you making payments on my engagement ring? You’re not going to give it to someone else. Are you?”
“Of course not. I was going to pick my teeth with it. I’m not sure if it will fit on my pinky.”
“If you weren’t driving, I’d punch you.”
“Ho ho! Now I really have to marry you. That’s the most Jozsa thing you’ve said yet.”
“Bet you didn’t know you could get a wife on a payment plan.”
“Well, not from Pine Hollow anyway. Maybe Vietnam or one of the ex-Soviet Stans.”
“Oh, that’s how it is. You think you’re buying me?”
“I foresee serious ROI.”
She feigned anger as she yanked her phone out again.
@CasGrrls_DontTellAbby
#Yeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!
He’s already asked me
in half a dozen ways!
When he asks for real
it’s going to be #EPIC!
BlingDeva
🥰 That’s amazing! 😍
What about Teddy’s dad?
BentoBabe
We’re on the way to brunch
with his family.
BlingDeva
Brunch where?
PhotoElf
Some place called
Marbly Inn
BlingDeva
lol, Marbury Inn
#Swanky
PhotoElf
Ask Teddy’s Dad
when he’s going to
propose, because
she’s onto us…👀
SugarAngel
Zelda’s eyes went wide, and she tucked the phone into her pocket. “So…”
Harry glanced her way.
She watched the storefronts pass by. “Ooh, there’s the Finegold’s.”
“Could you transfer?”
“Not exactly. They’re all family-owned. It’s not a chain store like Burger Heaven. If the same family who owned my store owned that one, I probably could.”
He nodded.
“You’re still in school?”
“Senior year. Industrial Design.”
“So, not a jackhammer driver?” She pictured him in a hard hat and sweat-soaked t-shirt, punching hard through concrete and bedrock. His roped muscles glistening in the summer sun and rippling from the violent undulations of… An embarrassed squeak erupted from between the fingers she’d interlaced across her mouth.
“No, those things weigh more than me. I’m more of a scissor jack and big wrench guy.”
“That sounds interesting. What do you mean?”
“Have you ever seen one of those woodcut dioramas that takes up a whole wall?”
“Those multilayer kind? It looks like a kid’s puzzle but huge?”
He grinned proudly. “Exactly, I’m learning how to design that in CAD and install them.”
‘Scissor jack?’ She pictured herself looking up at his tush as he fastened a massive woodcut installation with a ratchet wrench the size of a crowbar. An excited giggle escaped her efforts to suppress it.
“I take it you approve?”
“That sounds like a great career path, Harry. Will you be able to find work locally?”
“Oh, sure. Ned got me an internship at his firm. Even if they don’t have a slot for me after I graduate, there’s a network I can plug into.”
“Not following Matt into the service?”
“That’s his calling, and God bless him for it. He looks darned sharp in his dress uniform. Have you seen him on EWTN?”
“He’s on TV?”
“They did those video Christmas cards from servicemen. Matt’s is on EWTN. It’s really good.”
“You’re really proud of him.” She smiled.
“Who wouldn’t be? My brother is awesome.”
“So, when’s he going to propose to Abby?” Her eyes grew at the audacity of what had just escaped her lips. She slapped her hands over her mouth and looked out the window at the approaching restaurant.
“I’m not sure. He’s still getting to know her. You can’t really rush a thing like that.”
“I know everything about her if he has questions.”
“That’s cool. There’s also…”
She turned to study him. The sudden shift to sadness broke her heart. “Harry, what’s the matter?”
“He’s worried about Gary.”
“Mr. Light? He’s really nice. Matt shouldn’t worry about him.”
“It’s more like… shame.”
“I don’t get it. What’s the matter?”
“We went to ask him for permission for Matt to ask Abby. You know?”
“That’s so sweet. He’s really old-fashioned and gallant. Huh?”
“Mr. Chivalry, for sure.”
“So…”
“He also wanted to ask permission from Abby’s mom…”
Zelda’s stomach twisted, and her tongue went instantly dry. “Oh…”
“Yeah, so he’s kind of worried about it. I mean, Gary gave his permission and his blessing, but then… that.”
She blew out a tense gust of anxiety. “Okay, let’s not panic. That was probably awkward–”
“Ya think?”
“Yeah, yeah, but it’s not as bad as all that. Mr. Light is really nice, and I’m sure he realizes Matt didn’t rip his heart out and stamp on it on purpose…” She sighed. “We can definitely fix this.”
“Time heals all wounds.” Harry muttered.
“Maybe, but we don’t have a ton of time. Abby’s already been waiting a really long time for Matt to show up.”
“Yeah, the only reason he’s here is because those terrorist guys blew him up.”
“WHAT?”