Chapter 7 Nora
NORA
Nora sat beside River in his truck that afternoon, feeling lighthearted about their activity.
Of course Pixie and John-John were overjoyed at the idea of building a bird feeder just like Farmer Bear’s. They were looking forward to feeding the cardinals, and Nora surely hoped that the birds would come when the project was done.
Right now, the two children were gazing out the windows looking very relaxed after their big breakfast and busy morning visiting with the horses.
I’ll have to get some lunch in them at some point, Nora thought to herself.
She found herself thinking about sitting at the table this morning, sipping coffee while River cooked with the kids.
She’d spent so much time worrying about helping the kids feel safe, taking care of their needs, and paying the bills these last few months that she hadn’t really noticed that she was getting worn down herself.
Having a moment to sit and relax had been lovely. And being given the space to notice how awesome the children were, without simultaneously making sure they didn’t fall off that crate or fling biscuit dough on the ceiling, was a gift she wouldn’t soon forget.
How did you do it, Alma?
Alma had made motherhood look easy, even though she had done it alone since shortly after John-John was born.
Some nights, after a particularly trying day, Nora would stare at the ceiling and wish she had done more to support her sister when she was alive and well.
Alma’s last gift to Nora had been the daily inspirational quote calendar she had handed to her on her birthday back in April. Sometimes, Nora felt like those quotes were her sister’s encouragement from heaven.
She had tucked the calendar in her bag before leaving the city, not wanting to go the weekend without it.
Today’s quote said:
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” - George Eliot
Which, for some reason, made her think about this morning with River and the kids again.
“Those are decorations,” John-John squeaked from the back seat, snapping her out of her thoughts.
River had turned onto Ambler, and they were passing a row of big stone houses with holly boughs along the porch railings and twinkly lights cascading down from the roof.
“People in Trinity Falls love to decorate for Christmas,” River said with a smile.
“We can build a snow bear,” Pixie said. “That’s a good decoration.”
Nora smiled. Farmer Bear and his family made snow bears in the storybook.
It was nice that the kids had a reference point for all the things they were seeing out here.
The city was decorated too, but mostly with tinsel and advertisements.
The fresh greenery and unevenly hung lights felt so real and genuine in comparison.
Out on the sidewalk, people were waving to each other, some were walking their dogs or pushing strollers, and everyone was bundled up in their colorful coats.
The sight of it warmed her heart. No one seemed to be in a terrible hurry like everyone always was in the city.
People made time here to say hello and check in.
It occurred to her that River could have gone anywhere he wanted after serving in the Army. But he had chosen to come right back to this sweet little town. It said a lot about him. Maybe he had changed in some ways, but his heart was still here, in this wholesome place.
She glanced over at him and was surprised to see that his jaw was tight. He looked uncomfortable all over again, almost like he had when he came to see her.
He doesn’t want to be seen in town with me, she realized suddenly. It’s too strange when people know I used to be married to his brother.
She would have tried to laugh it off, except for the odd little ache she felt in her chest sometimes when she looked into his eyes. The kind of ache a woman wouldn’t expect to feel when looking at her ex-brother-in-law.
“River,” she said, hearing the tightness in her own voice and forcing herself to relax. “I’m so sorry to ask, but is there any way you could drop us off at the bookshop while you’re at the hardware store? I need to grab something there, and I think the kids might enjoy it.”
“Sure,” he said, glancing over at her with a warm smile. “That’s a great idea. The hardware store gets kind of crowded, and it can be a little noisy.”
“What do you think, kids?” Nora asked. “Would you like to visit the bookshop with me while River gets a few things at the hardware store?”
“Yay,” Pixie cried, and John-John joined her in cheering.
Nora didn’t have the heart to warn them that they were only going to look.
She had never exactly been paid lavishly as a vet tech, but it hadn’t mattered much.
She loved her job, and she wouldn’t have minded living simply.
Of course, Edward had more expensive tastes, but he also had a salary that made it easy to afford the luxuries he liked.
On her own, she would have lived within her modest means without another thought.
Now, though, all she wanted was to buy the kids books and treats, and take them places.
They’ll be ready soon, she reminded herself. One of these days John-John will be ready for preschool, and I’ll just know it. Then I can go back to work, and we’ll be able to afford some small luxuries like new books once in a while, or a trip to the zoo.
As River turned onto Park Avenue, Nora had to admire all the shops. There were a few new ones now, but for the most part the town still felt the same as it had back when she lived in Tarker County.
She had poked around online before turning in last night, and seen that the old bookshop she remembered seemed to have been turned into a real bookstore. It would be so much fun to browse, and maybe get an idea for a few books for the kids for Christmas.
I’m not just getting us out of his hair, she told herself firmly. This will be nice.
The bookshop was all the way down at the end of the shops, near where the village melted into residential housing again. River pulled up and got out of the truck, ruining Nora’s opportunity to let him get away without a chance of being seen with her.
His face was so serious and thoughtful as he helped her get the kids out of the back seat and onto the sidewalk.
“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes or so,” he told them, turning and heading back up Park Avenue.
“Are you ready?” Nora asked the children.
But the two of them were already gazing in the window of the bookshop, looking half-hypnotized with delight at all the beautiful children’s holiday books on display among a forest of miniature Christmas trees.
“Let’s talk for a second before we go in,” she said, crouching down a bit.
The kids turned to her obediently, and Pixie grabbed John-John’s hand as if to remind him to be good.
“Christmas is coming,” Nora reminded them with a smile. “So, we’re just here to look. It’s not a shopping day.”
“Okay,” Pixie said.
John-John looked disappointed, but he nodded his head.
“But if there are books you especially like you can tell me,” Nora said. “That way I can take a picture of them with my phone, and we’ll remember them when we are having a shopping day. And who knows, maybe some of them will even end up under the tree on Christmas morning.”
That idea visibly cheered both kids, and Nora found herself swallowing over a lump in her throat. They were such good children. She would buy them every book in the place if she could afford it.
“Now, this is a fancy shop,” she went on after a moment. “So, we don’t want to go around touching everything. If there’s a book you want to look at, you tell me, and I’ll get it down so we can look at it together. Okay?”
“Okay,” Pixie said.
John-John nodded again, and they headed inside.
“Now, show me your hands,” she told them.
They held out their cute little hands, which were nice and clean since they had all washed up before heading out to town.
“Those are absolutely perfect hands for looking at nice new books,” she told them. “Good job.”
That earned her two happy smiles. The cold breeze picked up, and they hurried into the shop.
The interior was bright and so pretty, with wooden bookshelves filling the space. While most displayed books, some held handmade cards and various crafts, as well as copies of the farmer’s almanac, local maps, and other useful items.
“Hi there,” a young woman with long, dark hair said as she approached. “I’m Sarah. Can I help you find something special?”
“We’re just looking today,” Nora told her. “But we’re interested in children’s books.”
“Wonderful,” Sarah said. “It’s a perfect day for window shopping, isn’t it? Follow me.”
She led them back to a beautifully stocked children’s section.
“I’ve pulled a few of my favorites for the kids to browse,” she said, pointing to a big stack of books at the center of a little table with two small chairs.
“We can hold them?” Pixie asked politely as they all watched her brother make a beeline for the table.
“Of course,” Sarah said. “Thank you so much for asking.”
“Don’t worry,” Pixie said, holding up her palms. “We have perfect book-looking hands.”
She darted off after her brother before Sarah could ask what that meant.
“They washed up before coming,” Nora explained with a smile. “We were playing outside this morning.”
“That sounds like a fun day,” Sarah said.
Pixie and John-John had already pulled out chairs and begun looking through the stack of books Sarah had set out.
“This is so nice,” Nora said. “What a thoughtful thing to have for the kids.”
“Children are my favorite customers,” Sarah confided. “Are you guys new to town?”
“We’re just here for a visit,” Nora confided. “We normally live in the city. They’re really enjoying their country adventure. They got to see horses today, and cardinals. We’re going to try and make a bird feeder this afternoon.”
“Wow,” Sarah said. “That reminds me of a book we have about bears at Christmastime.”
“Farmer Bear’s Christmas,” Nora said, impressed. “It’s their favorite. So you can imagine what a hit this trip has turned out to be.”