Macon gathered up all the presents for riel's family, and Alexander took his toolbox from the backseat. This was Macon's Christmas present to him - a box full of tools, small enough for a child, but real, with solid wooden handles.
They followed Claire into the house. Mrs Dugan, Muriel's mother, was a small, thin, gray woman. She greeted her daughter and grandson without much enthusiasm, and studied Macon carefully. ‘Pleased to meet you,' she said finally.
Mr Dugan came in, shook Macon's hand, and went out again. ‘He's worried about the pipes in the basement freezing up in this cold weather,’ Mrs Dugan explained.
‘Oh, could I help?' Macon asked, interested.
‘Now, you just sit right where you are, Mr Leary.’
‘Macon,’ he said.
‘Macon. Well, Macon, Muriel tells me you're separated.’
‘Um, yes, I am.’
‘What about the future, then?'
‘Pardon?'
‘I mean, you're not just taking Muriel for a ride, are you?’
‘Ma, stop that,’ Muriel said.
‘Well, l wouldn't have to ask, Muriel, if you had ever had any common sense yourself. This girl was only thirteen years old,’ Mrs Dugan told Macon, ‘when she was running around with all kinds of wild boys. l haven't had a good night's sleep since.’
‘Well, I don't know why not,’ Muriel said. ‘That was years and years ago. Ma, why don't you open your present?'
‘But you never did get it right, did you? There was that Dr Kane from the Meow-Bow. He was single, and a professional man. I had high hopes for him,’ Mrs Dugan said sadly.
'Ma, will you please just open your Christmas present?'
‘Oh, did you bring me a present?
'Muriel fetched her gift from under the Christmas tree and handed it to her mother. Mrs Dugan unwrapped it. It was a photograph in a gold-painted frame. She stared at it.
‘Well, isn't that nice,' she said finally. She turned it toward Macon. The photo was in soft colors and gentle lighting, and showed Muriel seated, with Alexander standing in front of her. Neither of them smiled. They looked watchful and uncertain, and very much alone.
‘Macon said. ‘It's beautiful.'
‘Hmm,’ Mrs Dugan said, and laid the photo on the table. Mr Dugan reappeared for dinner and became quite talkative. He was a car salesman and had firm opinions on what car Macon should be driving. Listening to him and to Muriel and her mother arguing about Alexander's health problems, Macon wondered what Sarah would say if she could see him here. Or Rose and his brothers. He knew what Julian would say. ‘Ha! Accidental Tourist in Timonium.
Back home that evening, they sat in the living room
‘I know what you must be thinking,' Muriel said. ‘You're thinking this Muriel is just on the lookout for anybody in trousers. I expect you want to stop seeing me.
‘Why would I want to stop seeing you?'
‘After how bad Ma made me look.’
‘You didn't look bad. ‘
‘Oh, no?’
‘Last Christmas,’ Macon said, ‘was very hard to get through. It was the first one without Ethan. We didn't know what to do and we got it all wrong. It was a terrible Christmas.’
He smoothed Muriel's hair off her forehead. ‘This one was better,' he said.