Page 38 of Cooped Up for Christmas

“Any idea when they’ll be ready?”

“They’re coming.” Probably not a lie?

He grinned and leaned in. “So’s Christmas.”

We both smiled at the old so’s Christmas chestnut, but Jed said, “Technically, it is Christmas. I mean, it’s the 24th.”

Ah, the logic of Generation Z.

“Right!” I said, because I’m a leader who supports her people. And Jed was my people.

The point, however, became moot as Whit and his people tromped down the stairs.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Are we ready to go?” Coop asked.

“Not yet,” Whit said. “We can’t find Farley.” He stepped closer and said under his breath, “She really upset about that last fight with Jamison.”

I nodded. “I see. All right. Why don’t you all relax in the great room, and I’ll send the staff out to look for Farley?”

Since his response was a relieved smile before heading for the bar, I assumed this was a yes.

* * *

I was the one who found Farley. She was in the library, which was a small room set in the back of the east wing. It hadn’t been used much this Visit. Probably because it was filled with books. Not that I’m judgey, but this group didn’t exactly scream bookworms! She was in the chair by the cold fireplace, curled into a ball.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

She snuffled and said, “No.”

“The others are ready to leave.”

“Oh, let them wait.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I had in mind lighting the fire or having a nice cup of tea and digestive biscuits sent over.

“Oh yes, please.” She grabbed my hand. Hers was damp. “I’d love to have someone to talk to, you know, someone who doesn’t know me. Kind of like…a therapist?”

“Sure.” I allowed myself to be drawn to the other chair. And I sat. Yes, everyone was waiting for her. Yes, it was in my best interest to get them all out of the house so we could prepare the evening’s festivities. But I knew, on a cellular level, that if she didn’t get whatever this was off her chest, nobody was going anywhere.

Still, as I settled beside her, alarm bells went off in my head. Lord love a duck. What had I done? Keep your distance from the clients! It was the cardinal rule. I folded my hands in my lap as a representation of that maxim. I hoped it helped. “So…what do you want to talk about?”

She began seizing, gasping and jerking in great spasms. I nearly called 911, but then I realized she was just crying. It was not a pretty cry. “It’s…J-J-Jamison.”

Ah. Young love.

“Something happened, I take it?” Didn’t something always?

“Something happened?” She threw up her arms and unleashed a keening howl. “Something happened? Yes. Something happened.” You would have thought I was her worst enemy, the way she talked to me.

“I’m sorry.”

That took her aback. Maybe she’d never heard those words before. She stared at me. Then she shook her head, looked away, and forgot I existed as anything other than as a please-stay-mute sounding board. “I love Jamison so much. I do. I mean, we started out together on Kidz Will Be Kidz— Remember that show?”

“I do.” Yeah. I had no idea what she was talking about, but, whatever.

“We’ve always been together. Since then. He’s always been there for me. But now…” She began to dissolve again.

“Now?”