The Christmas List: A Novel

It had been more than nine years since Linda’s husband, Max, had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It had progressed relatively slowly manifesting itself mostly in numbness and general weakness, until six years later when he was confined to a wheelchair and the disease had progressed more rapidly. For nearly two and a half years Linda had taken her lunch break at home so she could take care of her husband. It was noon and she was about to leave the office when the phone rang. “Kier Company. Linda Nash speaking.”

“Linda? It’s Sara.”

Linda smiled. “Sara, it’s so good to hear from you.” When she first started working for James Kier, she spoke with Sara nearly every day, but it had been a long time since Sara had called the office. “How are you doing?”

“I’m still here, thank you. And how is Max?”

She sighed a little. “Not so well. He had another MRI last week. They found three more lesions on his spinal cord.”

“Tell him he’s in my prayers.”

“Thank you, I will. And you’re in our prayers, Sara. Are you calling for Mr. Kier? Because he’s not in right now.”

“Actually, I’m calling to talk to you. I need to know what’s going on with Jim.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s acting peculiarly. Last week he told me that he doesn’t want to sign the divorce papers, then yesterday he flew to Boston to see Jimmy. He even tried to make amends to a former friend of mine he was in business with years ago.”

“Estelle Wyss?”

“Yes. You knew?”

“Mr. Kier’s been trying to make amends with a number of people.”

“Amends? Why?”

“It started with that obituary. He was pretty shaken up by what he read in the online comments. He decided he wanted to change.”

Sara thought this over. “Change himself or change what they thought of him?”

“I don’t know.”

“Will you let me know when you do? It’s very important.”

“Yes. I promise.”

“Thank you, Linda. And if you don’t mind, I’d prefer that Jim not know that I called.”

“I understand. And it’s good to hear from you. Take care of yourself.”

“You too. Give Max and Mason my love.”

Linda slowly returned the phone to its cradle, thinking how much she missed Sara’s calls. She thought over Sara’s question. Was he trying to change himself or just what people thought of him. She wondered if her boss even knew the answer himself.