Chapter 19
“That is by far the ugliest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen,” Ray said when he entered the apartment with bags of gifts, a bottle of wine, and a potted red poinsettia that afternoon. The tree was lopsided—bent to the left. There were also broken and missing branches. Its one completely flat side was against the wall. The top drooped.
“I told you, remember I told you. I said, ‘Wait’ll you see what she does next’,” Br’er said with a chuckle as he walked over to give Ray a kiss. “We go all over the city looking for the perfect tree. Then Mazie finds one that no one else will buy, feels sorry for it being left out in the cold lot on Christmas Eve, all alone with nothing to look forward to but being chipped up for mulch, and she ‘saves’ it.”
Ray shook his head. “She’s a heart of gol
