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Mary’s Number

12/10/2024

Sarah pulled her phone out, looked at it and stuffed it back into her pocket. Last night’s dishes were beckoning. ‘Can’t let those sit forever.’

As she stood at the sink, drying a mixing bowl, she spotted the note paper she’d stuck to her refrigerator door with a snowman magnet. It hung there like an unanswered dare.

She put the bowl away and continued tidying up. ‘Don’t want to call too early and wake her.’ There was a peculiar stillness this morning.

‘Silly me. Should have put the radio on.’ She scanned her tiny apartment for something else to do. ‘Hmm, put on the radio and do some decorating?’ The note on the fridge danced in her peripheral view.

“I need a Christmas tree. That’s what’s missing here.” She tapped her chin for a moment and dismissed the idea. She turned on her radio and listened for a moment. She recognized the tune but couldn’t place the title.

“Fear not, said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind.” Sarah hummed along and still couldn’t place it.

She grabbed a bowl and a box of Christmas Crunchies. The only tree she needed at the moment was the generous helping of green marshmallow trees in with the festive cereal. She poured herself a bowl and turned for the milk.

Mary’s note hung there like a challenge. Sarah poured milk over her cereal and returned it to the fridge. That note hovered in plain sight when she closed the door.

Her chest was tightening. Mary had been all smiles and hugs at the Maslov’s, but she had been at the Maslov’s. She had dropped the invitation to call.

Sarah wanted to call Leo, but this was her hill to climb. ‘If it’s as innocent as she claims, we’ll chitchat and everything will be fine. If not…’ Even the sugar rush from her Christmas Crunchies wasn’t enough to push down the dread she was feeling.

To make matters worse, she didn’t even get to talk to him yesterday. ‘You can’t keep him if you smother him to death.’ Even so, she’d rather have talked for a moment than not at all.

He had texted her something about being wrapped up in their Light Fight preparation and she didn’t want to bother him and seem too clingy. It was better than nothing, but not by much.

‘So, you had an evening off to reflect.’ She stirred her cereal and looked out at the rooftops, trees and streets beyond her window. ‘Do you still want to pursue this?’

An evening off. She couldn’t get hold of Leo or Grace. ‘At least he had an excuse. She just left me hanging.’

Sarah stirred her cereal. The tree marshmallows were turning the milk green. Not a pretty hazel-green like Leo’s eyes. ‘Well, there’s more to a relationship than a guy’s eyes.’

She thought back to Friday afternoon. Working the line at Maslov’s was exhilarating and exhausting. That was pretty much what she had in mind. Pass the time. Take the pictures. Go home with a sense of accomplishment.

All good in theory, but she’d almost demolished her face on Santa’s throne.

Suddenly, there’s Leo. Some random guy swooping in like a fairy-tale prince to rescue her. Those eyes. Strong, gentle hands lifting her back to her feet. She’d never seen him before and never expected to see him again.

Along comes Grace with his business card. ‘What is this? Some kind of setup? Is this a long con? Is Grace really a psychology student at all?’

She jammed a spoonful of cereal in her mouth and chewed furiously. ‘Is he real? Nobody’s that nice. I mean, everybody puts on a good face for the first few dates. Right? That’s what Dr. Hu was saying about the stuff we hide. What’s he actually like?’

Sarah glared at the note on her fridge. ‘Nobody would know him better than his own mother, but what if she’s part of the grift?’ Her back and shoulders tensed up. Her chest was already as tight as a Victorian corset and she was struggling for breath.

‘Why would they target me? I don’t have anything they want.’ She clenched her eyes tight and counted down slowly. ‘They couldn’t have known I was going to trip. Why should I be a mark for them? They don’t know me. I’m just a department store photographer to them.’

Sarah slowed her breathing and found her center. The radio was playing an instrumental version of Jingle Bells. She finished her cereal and washed her bowl. She stared at the note on her fridge as she dried her spoon and slid it back into her silverware drawer.

‘Okay, get a grip. There’s no conspiracy to bilk you. Leo is just a guy who fell in love with you because you almost demolished Santa’s throne with your face. Grace gave you his card because…’ She went and crashed on her sofa. ‘Why did she do that? Give me some hand-me-down boyfriend? What’s her deal?’

She looked around at the decorations she’d already hung. They were sparse. She’d been too focused on her baking to bother much with decorating. ‘Not like anybody but me will see the place.’

‘Why did Grace come all the way out to Maslov’s to give me Leo’s card?’ She glanced back at her fridge. ‘Would Mary know? Would she tell me if she did?’

She pulled her phone out and marched to the fridge. ‘Contact before or after?’ She sighed and created a contact entry on her phone. She could always delete it.

Mary was sitting in her easy chair, listening to an audiobook, when her phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mary. I hope I haven’t called too early.”

“Not at all, dear. I’ve been up for hours. I’m pleased to hear from you.”

“Thank you.”

“What’s your schedule like?”

“My schedule?”

“Joan and I have some shopping to do. I wondered if you’d care to join us.”

‘Hmm, shopping. What’s that about?’ Sarah squirmed on her sofa and pulled a blanket up over her legs. “Christmas shopping?”

“Why, yes. Joan’s mother is sitting with the children so we can find some last-minute treats for them. If you’d like, we can help you find something for Leo.”

‘Baiting the trap?’ She shook her head. “That sounds marvelous. Where can I meet you?”

“There’s a darling little toy store on Vistula. Are you familiar with it?”

“Next to the craft store? Yes, I think I know the one you’re referring to.”

“That’s the one. Meet you at eleven?”

“See you then.” Sarah hung up. ‘A toy store? What kind of trap can she be setting in a toy store? Joan will be with her.’ She performed a mental inventory of her closet. ‘Sunday best is one thing, but I don’t have a thing to wear that will match whatever they show up in.’

She charged into her bedroom. ‘Eleven?’ That wouldn’t give her time to stop at the boutique and get some classy casual wear. ‘I’m going to be the poor relation.’ She slid hangers back and forth, trying to figure out how to dress up her usual hobo attire. ‘That’s how you set a trap in a toy store. Oh, she’s absolutely insidious.’

She looked at the navy dress and green cardigan Grace had suggested for church. That ought to be up to Joan’s standard, if not Mary’s. There was still the matter of her bare legs against the single-digit temperatures outside.

She had discarded all of her work clothes when she left Laurel Ridge. There were a few pairs of slacks that would have been suitable, but she was feeling very minimalist when she sold off the family house and took this little apartment.

Sarah glared at her closet. “Jeans it is. Everybody wears jeans. Well, maybe not Mary.” She grabbed a pair of jeans and shimmied into them. The tight fit might appeal to Leo, but less so for Mary and Joan. “Well, what am I supposed to do? Show up in my jammies? Everybody wears jeans. I’m wearing jeans.”

The cardigan was still under consideration, but she didn’t have a normal blouse to wear under it. “It would look odd over a sweatshirt. Wouldn’t it?” No cardigan.

Sweatshirt and jeans. That’s what she wore everywhere these days. That’s who she was. Might as well let Mary process that. Her wreath sweatshirt was as festive as it was warm. The deep cranberry fleece made the wreath pop and contrasted with her fiery hair.

To ensure that she stayed warm, she slipped on her sheepskin boots, her winter coat and a thick knit cap. “Let them see the real you.” She told the mirror as she clicked on her Ryde app.

Mary watched from the toy store’s front window as Sarah emerged from a car. ‘She is a pretty little thing. We’ll have to see if we can get her sold on joining the church.’ She turned to find Joan examining a handful of Fifteen Puzzles. “Sarah is here.”

Joan smiled and followed Mary to the door. “Hi, honey. Nice to see you again.”

Sarah hugged her and then Mary. “Good morning. Did we find anything the kids would like?”

“I was thinking these little sliding puzzles would make marvelous stocking stuffers.” Joan led her to the shelves. “Jenn loves ponies, and this candy cane is perfect for Jim.”

“He does love his sweets, but you’ll be frequent flyers at the dentist’s office if you indulge him.” Mary picked up a pocket-size coloring book. “These seem ideal to bring to church.”

Sarah noticed her quick glance when she mentioned church. ‘Come on, Mary. I can’t commit to joining your church until I know Leo will commit to me.’ She looked at the little booklets. “Just the right size for his hands and they won’t take up a whole seat in the pews.”

“Mary said you were interested in gifts for the kids? That’s so kind. You don’t have to.”

“They’re such sweet little munchkins.” Sarah smiled. “I can’t imagine how you could say no to them about anything.”

“I’ll have to have you and Leo over to babysit sometime. You’ll figure it out fairly quick.” Joan laughed.

‘Okay, Joan’s on board with the whole Leo and me thing.’ She turned to look for something for the kids. “Ooh, I love these things. Do they have any of these?”

Mary looked at the little cube in her hands. “That’s intriguing. What is it?”

“It’s a 3D maze. You get this tiny bead to roll through the maze and it drops to the next level.”

“Ah, it has four levels. I think Jim would find that engaging. Don’t you, Joan?”

“He’d probably enjoy it if he can get it away from his dad. John would be obsessed with this thing.”

“Now that you mention it, I believe all five of our Murray men would be captivated with these, let alone Jim. See? I’m glad you were able to come.”

“Oh, if you really want a nerd trap, you need to see these.” Sarah headed over to a stack of boxes. ‘Oh, snap. You actually said that out loud.’

Joan suppressed a giggle as she and Mary followed Sarah.

“Behold.” She handed a box to each of her potential In-Laws. “If you want some peace and quiet, turn them loose on these.”

Mary studied the pathways in the plastic sphere. “Goodness, yes. I could lose Murray for days if he had this.”

“John, too.” Joan gasped as she turned it until the bead fell off the path. “Drat.”

“It must be interesting being friends with an elf.” Mary glanced at Sarah as she rolled the bead through an obstacle on the path.

“Elf?”

“Mom said you’re friends with Mary Christmas?” Joan looked at the different designs on the stack of puzzle balls. “Oh, look. This one has green paths. John prefers green.”

“Meirhe spent a little vacation time in Laurel Ridge last year. She was very kind to me.”

“Of all places. Why wouldn’t she just go back to the North Pole for R&R?” Mary smiled.

“That’s not where she’s really from. People assume she is. It used to really annoy her, but she’s gotten used to it.”

“With a name like–”

“That was a clerical error. Her proper name is Meirhe Kryzthnyz. The detective who caught her case typed it up as Mary Christmas, and it just stuck.”

“How extraordinary. Let’s find some more things for the children and we’ll go grab some lunch. How does that sound?”

‘Absolutely harrowing.’ Sarah smiled. “Sounds wonderful. Anybody up for Indian?”