Chapter 11 Charlie #2
Martha shook her head. "Not the big ones.
They'll have a nice Christmas dinner in the restaurant, I'm sure.
Isabella always does. But nothing like it used to be.
" She smiled, but it was tinged with melancholy.
"Still, it's worth staying there just to see the place.
It's got history in every floorboard. And the Christmas family, they're good people.
They've been through a lot, but they're survivors. "
The conversation shifted to other topics as they continued working, but Charlie's mind stayed on what Martha had said. The inn struggling. The Christmas family was just hanging on.
They finished their ornaments and let them dry while they got coffee from the station set up near the back. Trinity clutched her snowflake carefully, already planning where she'd pack it so it would stay safe until she could give it to her father.
"What do you think?" Holly asked quietly, standing close to Charlie near the coffee urn.
“I think that I need an updated art class.” Charlie laughed, glancing at her ornament on the table.
“No… well, okay, so I’ve seen you do better decorating an ornament,” Holly laughed.
“Thanks, big sis,” Charlie scoffed, sipping the coffee.
“I meant about what Martha said.” Holly glanced to where Trinity was, indulging in a big, brightly iced Christmas cookie.
"I think that place needs help," Charlie said, keeping her voice low. "Real help."
Holly nodded slowly. "I was thinking the same thing."
They collected their dried ornaments and thanked Martha, who waved them off with promises to see them around the island. Outside, the day had grown warmer, and Charlie shed her light jacket as they walked back to the car.
"Where to next?" Trinity asked, carefully placing her ornament in a small box Holly had brought.
Holly consulted the brochure again. "There's a gingerbread house competition in the park near the beach. It starts at noon. We could head that way, maybe explore some of the shops on the way?"
"Sounds perfect," Charlie said, sliding back behind the wheel.
They drove slowly through the island, stopping at a few shops that caught their eye.
A bookstore with a cat sleeping in the window.
A surf shop advertising holiday sales on wetsuits.
A small gallery showcasing local artists.
Trinity dragged them into a candy shop where they emerged with bags of saltwater taffy and chocolate seashells.
By the time they reached the park, it was almost noon. The gingerbread competition was set up under a large pavilion strung with lights and garland. Artificial snow had been spread around the area, and several stations were set up with tables and signs indicating where participants should register.
"Can we enter?" Trinity asked, practically vibrating with excitement. "Please?"
Holly laughed. "Of course. That's why we're here."
They headed toward the registration table, but Charlie's attention was caught by something else.
A supply store across the street, its windows full of baking supplies and holiday decorations.
And standing near the entrance, loading bags into her arms, was a woman with long dark hair and an easy smile.
Isabella. The chef from the inn.
"Hold on," Charlie said, touching Holly's arm. "Isn't that Isabella?"
Holly looked up and smiled. "It is. Should we say hello?"
They crossed the street, Trinity leading the way. As they got closer, Charlie could see Isabella was with a young girl about Trinity's age. Beautiful, with the same dark hair and olive complexion as her mother.
"Isabella!" Trinity called out, waving.
Isabella turned, her face lighting up with recognition. "Holly! Charlie! And Trinity!" She shifted the bags in her arms, waving as they walked toward each other. "What are you all doing here?"
"We’re entering the gingerbread house competition," Trinity said, pointing back toward the park. "Are you entering?"
"Not this year." Isabella glanced at the bags in her arms. "I'm just getting supplies for the inn. We're hosting a private dinner party tonight, and I need a few specialty items." She turned to the girl beside her. "Everyone, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Maddy."
"Hi," Maddy said shyly, but her eyes were bright with curiosity as she looked at Trinity.
"Hi," Trinity echoed, and Charlie watched something click between the two girls. That instant recognition kids sometimes had, like they'd known each other in another life and were just remembering now.
"How old are you?" Maddy asked.
"Twelve. You?"
"Twelve too." Maddy's shyness evaporated. "Are you staying at the inn?"
"Yeah, for three weeks! It's so cool. Have you been inside? There's this huge ballroom on the third floor and—"
"I know!" Maddy bounced slightly. "My mom works there, so I'm there all the time. The ballroom is amazing. Did you see the chandelier?"
The girls stepped off to one side, chattering like old friends, and Charlie felt herself relax even more. This was good for Trinity. She needed friends, needed normalcy, needed something other than worrying about her father and navigating the aftermath of her grandparents' divorce.
"Kids seem to click so fast," Isabella said, smiling as she watched the girls.
"They really do," Holly agreed. "It's nice to see."
"So you're doing the gingerbread competition?" Isabella glanced at the bags in her arms. "Actually, I need to pick up a few more things from this store. Mind if we join you? I can help you pick out the best supplies."
"We'd love that," Charlie said before Holly could protest.
“Actually, we need to register first,” Holly pointed out, smiling. “Why don’t I go do that and I’ll meet you all back in the shop?”
“That’s the best idea,” Isabella told them. “Once you register, they send you here to get some supplies, and you want to get here before the best freebies that go with your registration are snatched up.”
“Can you buy other decorations?” Charlie asked.
“Sure, but the ones that come with your entrance fee are just as good as the bought ones.” She led Charlie and Trinity into the supply store, the girls still talking a mile a minute.
Isabella proved to be an excellent guide, steering them toward the best royal icing and pointing out which candy decorations held up better than others.
"Trust me on the gumdrops," she said, loading several bags into their basket. "The cheap ones melt. These ones are perfect."
By the time Holly joined them. They had everything they needed and started to head back to the park, and to Charlie’s surprise, her somewhat quiet, shy, and reserved niece was still chattering excitedly with her new friend. They walked together, heads bent close, sharing secrets and giggling.
Isabella stopped at the side of the park and checked her watch.
"I really should get back," she said reluctantly. "I have prep work for tonight."
Maddy's face fell. "But Mom—"
"Can Maddy stay?" Trinity blurted out, looking between Isabella and Holly. "Can she help us with our gingerbread house? Please?"
Isabella hesitated, her eyes moving from her daughter to the three of them. "I don't want to impose..."
"You're not imposing," Holly said warmly. "We'd love to have her. The girls clearly get along, and honestly, we could use someone who knows what they're doing."
"Please, Mom?" Maddy's eyes were huge and pleading.
Isabella wavered, and Charlie could see the war playing out on her face. She was a single mother, probably accustomed to arranging childcare and navigating the logistics, which were often complicated. But there was also relief there, barely hidden. Relief at having help, at not having to scramble.
"Are you sure?" Isabella asked, directing the question at all three of them.
"Positive," Charlie said firmly. "We're happy to keep her for the afternoon. And honestly, this day is on me. My treat."
Isabella started to reach for her purse. "Let me at least—"
"Nope." Charlie held up a hand. "My vacation, my rules. We'll take good care of her, I promise."
Isabella's eyes glistened slightly, and she nodded. "Okay. Thank you. Really." She turned to Maddy. "You behave, understand? And call me if you need anything."
"I will!" Maddy was already pulling Trinity toward their assigned station, the two of them lost in plans and ideas.
Isabella called out her thanks again as she hurried off, and Charlie, Holly, and Trinity, along with Maddy, settled at their building station. The whistle blew to start, and chaos erupted.
Charlie had expected it to be simple. Cute. How hard could building a gingerbread house be?
Turned out, very hard.
Their walls kept sliding apart. The icing was either too thick or too thin. Trinity kept eating the gumdrops they were supposed to use for decoration.
But the girls were amazing, and Charlie couldn’t remember when she’d last laughed so hard. Her heart warmed seeing both her sister and niece also having so much fun. Moments of reprieve from their haunting grief.
Luckily Maddy came to their rescue once she’d contained her laughter.
And as it turned out, the girl had inherited her mother's talent.
She directed them with the confidence of a seasoned architect, showing them how to reinforce the walls and create perfect mortar for the icing.
Trinity, organized and methodical, kept everything running smoothly, handing over supplies before they were even asked for.
As they worked, Charlie learned bits and pieces about Maddy's life.
Her father wasn't in the picture and had left her mother before she was born in London. They had returned to Anastasia Island, where her mother was from, and moved in with Isabella’s grandmother, who had passed away a few years ago.
They still lived in her great-grandmother's old house, which her mom had inherited, but Maddy still called it Grandma's.
The loneliness in the girl's voice when she talked about her great-grandmother made Charlie's chest ache. She caught Holly's eye and knew her sister heard it too.
By the time judging rolled around, their gingerbread house was impressive. Not perfect, but charming. Maddy and Trinity had created a winter wonderland scene, complete with candy cane fencing and a gumdrop path.
When the judges announced third place, the girls screamed and jumped up and down, hugging each other. Their prize was a small trophy and a gift certificate to the candy store, which they immediately decided to split.
"That was so much fun!" Trinity said, still bouncing as they cleaned up their station.
"Can we do more stuff?" Maddy asked hopefully. "There's a snowman building competition starting in like twenty minutes."
Charlie exchanged a look with Holly, and in that moment, something passed between them. An understanding. An agreement.
They weren't ready to go back to the inn yet. They weren't ready to let this perfect day end.
This place, these people, were already becoming important.
And Charlie realized with a start that the three weeks she’d thought were going to be long suddenly seemed too short for this vacation.