December 22
When Rosalind woke on the morning of December 22, she noticed that the winter wonderland had vanished, leaving behind a black slush, but her cheerful mood was not dampened. On the contrary, as she got dressed for work, she hummed an upbeat Christmas carol.
At the office, she greeted everyone with a warm smile. Some of her coworkers suspected her improved mood was more than simple holiday spirit; they correctly attributed her happiness to a romance, but no one dreamed the man in question was Brett McCord, one of Hobson and Rowe's top-selling authors.
After Rosalind hung her coat up, she took the time to read the Christmas cards Sara had lined up on the credenza. Every author she worked with, including the non-Christians, had sent Rosalind a holiday greeting card—all except Brett McCord, that is.
Did he send me one last year?
It wasn't that she couldn't remember. She had never taken the time to read the cards she received each year. They appeared opened on her credenza each December and disappeared the first week of January, as though by magic.
There were relatively few calls from authors that day since most of them were already in a holiday frame of mind. Rosalind wished the next few days were over and Christmas would arrive. With each passing moment, her anticipation heightened. At one point during the day, she calculated how many hours there were until Friday morning.
She also found herself absentmindedly practicing writing the names Rosalind McCord and Mrs. Brett McCord on her appointment calendar. When she realized what she was doing, she tore out the page.
That evening, after eating the Italian sub she bought at the corner deli, she took the Advent calendar down from the mantel. Only four drawers were left. She opened Number 22 and removed a piece of high-quality bond paper. Printed on it, in a Gothic font that so often appears on diplomas, deeds and various legal documents, were two words: divorce decree.
She felt a sudden surge of excitement race through her nervous system. Was it true? Was Brett free? Was there someone she could ask or a website she could visit that listed divorces in New York State?
I have to wait. Brett is bound to come forward within the next few days. Don't ruin the surprise for him.
