“No!” the smaller of the two kids shouted. “No! No! No!” He picked up his apple juice and flung it across the empty dance floor—directly in Miranda’s path. The assembled guests gasped. Miranda stumbled, glasses clanking as her tray wobbled.
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the crowd as she righted herself.
But then the toddler burst into tears at the loss of the drink he’d tantrum-tossed. He shoved his body away from his mother’s hold. Miranda had dodged the hurled glass, but she couldn’t elude the tiny body leaping across the patio in front of her. She tripped over her own feet to avoid running into him.
And launched the tray out of her hands.
“Nonononononono!” Miranda cried, reaching out futilely to stop the inevitable.
Partygoers watched in slow motion as the champagne went flying, glasses tipping mid-flight, soaking the glittery runner as they landed sideways on the table, rolling onto the ground.
Everyone seated at the head table jumped up, splashed with various amounts of liquid. Marley appeared to have taken the brunt of it, her entire torso soaked.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhh!” Connor’s piercing screech cut the air like a blade, drowning out the Christmas standard blaring over the speaker. He slapped at his clothing. “Wet! Wet! Wet!” He looked at his parents beseechingly, face flushing crimson. “Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!” Scarlett burst into tears at her brother’s reaction, less so at the wet spots blooming across her own jacket.
Mild pandemonium ensued as every guest somehow manifested napkins and began passing them to the head table. Maureen got on top of the situation quickly, directing Leo into the kitchen for paper towels and clean dish rags.
Katy scooped up her son. The young mother wore an understandably chagrined expression while the tiny boy seemed to sense the part he’d played in the chaos. He buried his face inhis mom’s chest, along with his sibling, and began to cry, their wails eclipsing Connor’s.
Maureen cleared a path for Travis and Vivienne to take Connor and Scarlett into her bedroom to give them a quiet place to regroup. “Don’t worry, I’ve got an eye on the older two,” Maureen assured them, although the tweens still sitting at the table seemed mercifully unaffected. “There are fresh towels in the linen closet by the bathroom,” she added.
Vivienne nodded gratefully. “Don’t worry. We always travel with spare clothes, and we’ll get him calmed down quick enough. His behavioral therapy has been working wonders with these types of situations, and once he’s dry, I’m sure he’ll be alright.”
“All good. Whatever you need.”
Katy managed to calm her children before peering glumly at Marley. “I’m really sorry, Marls. He’s been so defiant lately.” Her voice wavered.
“Hey, don’t even worry about it,” Marley said, dabbing her sweater with a dishrag. “I know you’re doing your best, and don’t forget, I’m a teacher. I understand better than most how kids can be unpredictable.”
Marley patted Katy’s arm. I helped James and a few other folks clear the table while Leo picked up the plastic flutes scattered across the ground. Maureen stood waiting with a fresh tablecloth.
While soaking up the last of the mess from the concrete patio, I noticed Miranda standing listlessly near a potted Christmas tree, eyes downcast. I tapped Maureen on the shoulder and gestured toward her youngest sister.
“Miranda, are you alright?” Maureen asked as we both walked over.
“I’m okay.” Miranda sniffed. “I can’t believe I dropped the tray.”
“You didn’t drop it on purpose,” I reassured her, encouraged by Maureen’s approving glance. “I saw it all happen. That kid ran in front of you. What else were you supposed to do? It was an accident.”
“Well, it feels like my fault,” Miranda insisted. “And now the party is ruined.”
“What?” Marley joined our discussion. “Nothing is ruined. Like Will said, it was an accident. We’re going to let everyone get cleaned up a bit, and then it’ll be right back to toasts and cutting the cake.”
Leo returned from the kitchen, carrying more glasses and two bottles of champagne. “Don’t worry, Miranda. We still have enough for everyone.” He stood tall and used his booming voice to announce, “We hope you enjoyed the excitement, folks. Just give us a few minutes to get dry and re-pour, and we’ll be right back to the party. I didn’t drive that beautiful cake all the way from Seattle for nothing. We’re going to eat that sucker, and it’s gonna be worth the wait!” He chuckled.
His affable declaration put the crowd at ease, and the low hum of conversation and laughter resumed. The guests politely avoided drinking from their flutes, waiting for the formal champagne toast.
“See that,” Leo said to Miranda. “All taken care of.” She still looked somewhat doubtful, but as she straightened her shoulders and smiled, her natural optimism pushed to the surface.
“Great,” Marley said, clapping her hands together. “I’m going to my room real fast to switch out this Santa sweater for a different Santa sweater. Back in a jiffy.” She leaned over to say something in James’s ear, giving him a peck on the cheek before retreating.
“Exactly how many Santa sweaters does your sister have?” I whispered to Maureen.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” She grinned, and I watched as she intently scanned the room, determining that everything had been handled as well as could be. I admired the quiet way she’d taken control of the situation. Although her temper ran a little hot, and her words could be as sharp as an ax, her actions were always decidedly cool. She handled business, that was for sure. Maureen shocked me from my thoughts by reaching down to squeeze my hand for an electric beat before letting go. “Thanks for helping, Will.”
“Thanks for letting me.”
Chapter fourteen
