A Daughter for Christmas by Margaret Daley

physical separation to pull himself together. He’d worked over the years to keep his feelings under control. It had helped him deal with his difficult job.
    When he entered the room, he found Taylor studying a medal with a bronze star dangling from a red ribbon with a blue stripe. “Is this yours?”
    â€œYes.” He watched her face carefully, seeing a play of emotions flash in and out of her features.
    â€œMy dad had a Bronze Star, too. He kept it on the wall in his office. He was very proud of it.”
    Whereas he didn’t display his. It brought back too many memories of the war he didn’t want to remember or discuss. He hadn’t put it away yet, and it had still been on the top of his cluttered desk.
    â€œSo you were a soldier?”
    â€œYeah, in the army.”
    â€œMy dad was in the air force. Once a year he would get together with some of his buddies. He was supposed to leave to meet them right before he had a heart attack. I’d asked my dad if I could go this time, but…”
    Each time she said “dad” a stab of pain pierced his heart. He took a step toward her, not sure what to say.
    Tears shone in her eyes. Averting her head, she laid the medal back on the walnut desk. She covered the few feet between them and held out her hand. “I’ll take your bowl back to the kitchen.”
    Numbly, he placed it in her grasp and watched her rush from the room, flying past her mother in the doorway.
    Rachel gave him a puzzled look. “What happened?”
    Glimpsing the medal, Max fingered it for a second then snatched it up and walked around the desk to put it in the top drawer. Memories of mangled bodies in a building after a bomb explosion took over his thoughts. He shook them away and lifted his gaze to Rachel. “She told me about her father being in the air force.”
    â€œWas that the Bronze Star?” Rachel gestured toward the desk.
    â€œYes. She mentioned her father had one, too.”
    â€œNow I understand why she was upset when she left. She used to have her dad tell her about how he got the medal. I imagine he told her at least a hundred times over the years.”
    â€œShould I say something to her?”
    She shook her head. “I will. I need to put my dish in the kitchen, anyway.”
    As Rachel left, Max sank back against the still-empty bookshelf behind him. This wasn’t going to be easy. Would Taylor even accept him in the end? What would he do if she didn’t? The very thought swelled the tightness in his chest until he could hardly breathe.
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    â€œI’ll handle the food at Granny’s reception. You and Mom can do everything else.” A few days later, Jordan sat at the table in Rachel’s kitchen jotting down the plans for their grandmother’s reception in two and a half weeks.
    â€œIn other words, I’ll do everything else.” Rachel eased into the chair across from her sister. “You know Mom isgoing to be worthless. Throwing parties has never been her forte and she isn’t exactly into Granny’s marriage.”
    â€œGranny doesn’t want a fuss.”
    â€œToo bad. I want to fuss over her. She’s always been there for us. I’m glad she’s only moving across the street.”
    â€œSpeaking of across the street. How did Sunday afternoon go with your new neighbor?”
    An image of Max popped into her mind. After Taylor asked about the medal, he’d been quiet. Even her daughter had commented on it when they left his house later. “What do you think about Sarah Johnson?”
    â€œConcerning what?”
    â€œIntroducing Max to her.”
    â€œWhy?” Jordan narrowed her eyes. “Never mind. I know why. You’re afraid.”
    â€œOf what?” Rachel dropped her gaze from her sister’s and stared at the wedding list she’d written.
    â€œOh, let’s see. One, meeting a nice man who interests you. Two, starting to have