"Never Say Die" It figured that the phone would ring just as she was about to rush out the door. Ginger debated for a moment about whether she should answer it or not. Jeff and her parents had already been at the Kahns since morning, but she had insisted on staying behind to make the sugar cookies she had promised Anne. She was not about to let her mother-in-law down, even if she had had her hands full in the last week. The phone stopped ringing for a second, making Ginger think she could finally make a quick getaway, but as soon as she opened the door it blared again. With a sigh, she closed the door with her hip and set down the two baskets full of cookies on the floor. It must have been important for the person to try again so soon after calling the first time. "Metcalf residence..." "Oh, Mrs. Metcalf! I'm so glad you're home!" No, this couldn't be happening now. Ginger groaned, grateful that she remembered to cover up the mouthpiece before she did--it seemed the sound of Miss Wescott's voice always had that effect on her. "Actually, I was just on my way out-" "Mr. Melon needs to talk to you urgently, let me just transfer you over to him-" "No, Miss Wescott, I really do need to get going-" "One moment, please." Ginger considered simply hanging up, but figured it wouldn't hurt to humor the man now. He couldn't keep her on the phone for too long, could he? After all, it was Christmas Eve, for heaven's sake. "Mrs. Metcalf?" "Yes, Mr. Melon... I'm sorry, but I'm really in a rush-" "No, no, please, don't go--we need to talk about this. This is very important." She looked at the time and sighed. Looks like she had no choice but to hear him out. "All right, Mr. Melon..." "Mrs. Metcalf, I just received a very disturbing phone call from Richard Francis at WCLV. He seems to be under the impression that you will be joining them there at the start of the year. I told him he must be mistaken, but he told me to ask you..." He laughed nervously, sounding almost like a man on the verge of a breakdown. Good Lord, this was not how it was supposed to be. She had fully planned to tell Mr. Melon in person--despite of the way she was let go from the station, she felt it was only right to tell him face to face--but now things were out in the open and she would need to find a way to smooth this over with him. She could practically feel his agitation on the other end of the line, and she almost felt sorry for him. "Oh sir, I wanted to tell you myself-" "You mean it's true?? You are leaving WREQ?" Ginger took the earpiece away from her ear and waited for him to calm down. "Mr. Melon," she said, hoping to find the right words to assuage him, "you fired me, remember? You made it perfectly clear that I wasn't wanted at the station, and this is a wonderful opportunity for me. You can't expect me to pass this up..." "But you're under contract!" "WCLV is willing to buy out my contract there. Sir, I am grateful for everything that WREQ has done for me, but this is too good to say no to... I hope you understand..." She couldn't even believe she was apologizing now, after everything that had gone on, but she truly did feel bad for leaving. Oddly enough, despite it all, she was going to miss him in a way. "We tried our best, Mrs. Metcalf," he said. "I had really hoped you'd consider this offer--your husband was convinced you'd be thrilled with it." Ginger wrinkled her brow in curiosity. Did he just mention Jeff? "What... what offer, Mr. Melon?" There was a pause on the other line. "Didn't your husband tell you?" "Tell me what?" "He was here the other day. He felt that we may have been hasty in letting you go, and he convinced us that we should try to make this up to you in some way." Ginger was speechless. So that's where he was! She flashed back to his sly grin the other night and his mysterious hints of a surprise for her, and now it all started to make sense. Tears began to form in her eyes as she realized what he must have done. "Are you still there, Mrs. Metcalf?" "Y-yes, I am," she managed to get out, despite the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't know anything about this, Mr. Melon..." "Oh... Oh no, did I spoil his surprise? Oh dear, he did say he wanted to surprise you with this, and now I've ruined it-" "Mr. Melon, what exactly did you and Jeff talk about?" "We don't want you to leave, Mrs. Metcalf... Despite the unfortunate incident with the Fine Foods Family Hour, you remain very popular here with the viewers, and we would hate to lose you... We were fully prepared to offer you your own show again." She blinked back in shock. "My own show? Y-you want me to have my own show again?" "The Ginger Metcalf Show. It'll be a variety show just like the old Lemo Tomato Juice Hour, but you won't be just a voice on the radio, Mrs. Metcalf, you'll be in everybody's living room! Now I know you'd be going to a larger market with WCLV, but just think--you won't just be showing housewives how to bake a cake or knit a sweater. You'll be singing and performing, again, just as you were meant to do... What do you say, Mrs. Metcalf?" She couldn't say anything. This was her dream!! This was her dream, and it was finally coming true... And she owed it all to Jeff. "Hello?" "I'm here," she said, laughing and crying at the same time. "Now I want you to think about this long and hard... Don't rush back with an answer. Really take you-" "Yes." Silence on the other end. "Did you just say yes?" She laughed and answered him. "Yes, Mr. Melon! And... thank you... I don't know how to thank you..." "Oh Mrs. Metcalf, it's your husband that should get the thanks. If he hadn't made me see the error of my ways..." She smiled to herself and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I am a lucky woman to have such a husband," she said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to him and throw my arms around him and thank him in my own way." "Of course, of course," he laughed. "And Mrs. Metcalf... Merry Christmas." "Merry Christmas, Mr. Melon." She hung up the phone and turned to head towards the door but was stopped by the phone ringing again. "Oh no," she said, guessing that it must be Jeff calling to see why she was so late. "Hello?" "Mrs. Metcalf? This is Nurse Kelly, from Dr. Garrison's office. We have some good news for you." "Did I do good, or what?" Jeff said, beaming with pride as he pulled Ginger towards him. "I'm going to kill Mr. Melon for stealing my thunder, but I'm glad you know now. Were you surprised?" Ginger smiled and nodded, then stood on her toes to kiss him. "Very surprised," she said. "But if you ever keep anything like that from me again, you'll be sorry buster." She punched him playfully in the stomach and he retaliated by tickling her. "Oh no," Hank said as he emerged from the kitchen. "Here they go again." Linda followed behind him and gave the couple a wide grin. "Leave them alone, Hank. They're kind of cute that way." "Cute?" Jeff pretended to shudder, but Ginger tapped his arm lightly. "I meant... thanks, sis." Ginger spied her mother giving her a look of disapproval, but she ignored it. She knew her mother frowned upon public displays of affection, but she was too happy to care at the moment, so she kissed her husband again. He smiled at her, and after throwing a few cautious glances at her mother, led her to the bottom of the stairs. "This might be more private," he whispered. "Just slightly," she said, giggling. "So don't think I've forgotten that you were supposed to have a surprise for me to." She smiled at him, remembering now how she had wanted to tell him about her job offer at WCLV, but now it seemed so inconsequential to what she wanted to surprise him with now. "I did promise you a surprise, didn't I?" she said. She took him by the hand and led him to the dining table where everyone had begun to help themselves to the eggnog and Ginger's sugar cookies. "This is something your whole family's going to want to hear," she told him. He gave her a look of curiosity, as did everyone when she cleared her throat to get their attention. "This is my second Christmas here with all of you," she began, making sure to make eye contact with her mother, to assure her that she had not forgotten her parents. "You've made me feel so welcome in your family, from the time I first stepped on your porch seventeen years ago. And every year I fret about what to get everyone for Christmas because I can never think of anything good enough to give to the folks who've loved me as much as you have." She reached over to hold Jeff's hand. "But this year I think I finally have the perfect gift to give you." Anne was the first to gasp, followed by her own mother. "Ginger, are you..." She turned to Jeff who stared at her speechless, and suddenly she saw tears begin to form in his eyes. "Gin," he whispered, cupping her face in his hands. "you're... you're..." She nodded, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, so she did both, and she kissed him. "I'm going to have a baby, Jeff!" she said, and she wasn't prepared for the tide of emotion that washed over her as soon as she said the words. "A baby," he said, with wonder and awe in his voice. "You're going to have my baby... Did you all hear that? She's... She's going to have a baby!" He laughed again, and took her in his arms, spinning her around, until he must have realized that might not be such a good idea and set her back down. But Ginger didn't care. She was laughing and crying along with him, and she finally noticed that they were standing underneath the mistletoe. She tilted his head to show him, and they exchanged smiles. "Merry Christmas, Jeff," she said. "Merry Christmas, Ginger." |Previous | Home| Kyle| Tammy| History| Transcripts| Quotes| Milestones| Episodes| Pictures| Fanfic| Links| Email List