9
Christie
“I’m going to invite Peter Reynolds for Thanksgiving dinner,” Christie said to her mother as they were finishing the dinner dishes.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Christie. You know how your father feels.”
“Then I’ll have Thanksgiving dinner with Peter and Mr. Greeley,” she stated.
“Your father won’t allow it,” Martha said.
“I’m not asking, Mom. I’m telling you. Either Peter comes here for Thanksgiving, or I’ll go there.”
“This isn’t like you, Christie.” She looked into her daughter’s unflinching eyes.
Christie stared back stubbornly.
“I’ll talk to your father.” She perched her hand on Christie’s arm and smiled.
Christie hugged her and said, “Thanks, Mom. You’ll see. You and Dad both will see. Peter can’t talk, but he’s not dumb.”
Martha turned to Josh.
He held up a hand. “Don’t bother, Martha. I know Christie is still seeing that boy.”
Christie interrupted, “That boy—”
“Okay, Peter. I know you two are still seeing each other. Apparently how I feel doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.”
Christie started to interrupt again.
He stopped her. “Let me finish. You can invite that boy—I mean Peter—for Thanksgiving if you insist.”
Christie jumped up, ran around the table, and hugged her dad. “Wait and see, dad. You can’t help but like him as much as I do.”
“I seriously doubt that,” he said, “but we’ll see.”
10
Peter
Your father does not like me. Peter signed. I have heard him talking.
“He doesn’t know you, Peter,” she said and signed back.
Since the first of November, they had started talking back and forth in sign language. They both found they could learn faster this way. It was quickly becoming as easy as talking.
They were in Peter’s room above the store. Christie helped him with his tie. She said she had watched her dad on several occasions and it looked easy. It turned out to be not so easy. Last week George had sent Pete to the shoe store for a new pair of dress shoes. They pinched his toes. He felt ridiculous in the new clothes his uncle had purchased for him when he heard about the invitation.
I do not know, Christie, he signed.
“Will you shut up and be still,” she said and signed by tapped the back of her left hand, her index finger raised slightly. She finished straightening his tie and said, “There. You’re about as ready as you’re going to get.”
Peter was a head taller than Christie. She giggled and stood on her toes to kiss him lightly on the lips.
Peter put his arms around her and started to kiss her back, but she pulled away. Do not start that. She quickly signed. We are already late.
As they were leaving, Christie saw George Greeley in the kitchen.
Downstairs, she saw George behind the counter and asked, “Why don’t you come with us, Mr. Greeley?”
“Thanks, hon,” he said. “But Maggie O’Connell has already invited me to have dinner with her.”
Christie smiled knowingly. George blushed, his face turning slightly pink.
