Chapter 17 Haven #2
In the time we’ve been talking and Everly’s fussed over, and the drinks have been brought out along with snacks which everyone’s eaten, the twinkle lights have been threaded through the tree, and all the decorations have been laid neatly on six long tables.
There are three tables of filler baubles in red, gold, silver, and white. The next table has dozens and dozens of gold stars, while the final two are laid with the real heart of the tree.
The family baubles, the personal ones, the ones that were made in art class, or passed down through the years. There’s one of a fingerprint with Clementine’s name scrawled on the back.
But the one that really hits is a little gold photo frame of a boy sitting on a man’s knee.
The man looks exactly like a mix of all the boys, and it takes no guessing to know it’s their dad.
But the boy? All I see is Everly’s chubby cheeks, her little cupid bow atop her lip, and the dimples her father has now.
Underneath written in a child’s hand are the words Alex and Daddy.
“I love that one too.”
I turn to find Victoria standing next to me, she’s holding two red boxes—one on top of the other. “I have something for you.”
Inside, I find a beautiful crystal bauble etched with snowflakes resting on a velvet cushion. Everly is written across the middle.
It’s stunning. And I’m speechless.
“The other one is for you too. You’re part of this family now. Not just because you’re Everly’s mother, but because you brought Alex back to us. I can never thank you enough.” Her arms wrap around me, squeezing me tight, hugging me like a mother would.
And I suddenly miss my own mother so profoundly it’s hard to breathe.
I know this much. I’ve never been so emotional decorating a tree before I’ve even placed a goddamn bauble. I wish I’d brought tissues.
“Thank you, Victoria. I will treasure these always and so will Everly.” I smile with a sniff.
“Come on, let’s hang them.”
We do, close to where Max is hanging a glittery Santa’s sleigh, who then returns to the table to grab another.
“Daddy? Can you help me with this?” He holds up a little fire engine to Hendricks.
“Sure, buddy, where d’you want to hang it?”
He groans when Max points at a branch sticking out two-thirds of the way up, but follows him up the ladder anyway, helping him to slide it on. It doesn’t feel right for me to place any of the personal ones, even the pink flamingo I spot, so I help with the generic colored baubles.
Everly’s mesmerized by the twinkle lights, sitting in her bouncer, which Alex fetched, while she holds a little giraffe that Max gave her.
“Hey, did you hear Giles MacIntosh is in the hospital?” Clemmie asks, as she passes a particularly garish pink glitter snowflake to Miles halfway up the other ladder.
He turns his nose up but hangs it anyway. “No way, what happened?”
“Broke his leg shifting the cows last week. Had to get it pinned in two places.”
“Ouch. Shit. Is he okay? We should send something.”
“Mum did already, she went to visit.”
I lean over to Alex. “Who are they talking about?”
“Mr. Giles. He runs the Christmas tree pen in the village,” he whispers back, then turns to Clemmie again. “Wait. Who’s running the stall?”
She pauses, looking around until she has our undivided attention. “Story.”
“What’s a story?”
“His daughter. Actually, her name’s Sophie, but we always called her Story because she loves to tell them. Short for Sophie the Storyteller.” Clemmie chuckles and gets a look in her eye like she’s remembering one of them. “She’s a teacher now.”
“Who’s a teacher?” asks Hendricks, stepping back onto the floor and lifting Max off the final three rungs.
I’m expecting someone to answer, but Alex, Miles, and Clementine all stare at each other, clearly not wanting to deliver the news. For some reason, I get the impression that she didn’t realize Hendricks was on the other side of the tree.
“Story,” Miles says eventually.
For a split second, Hendricks looks broken. “Oh.”
“Clem just told us Mr. Giles is in the hospital—”
“Okay—”
“And Story’s come back to help on the stall.”
There’s silence, and it feels like everyone’s holding their breath.
“She’s back?” Hendricks’s eyes narrow at his sister, and the grief he showed mere moments ago turns thunderous. “In Valentine Nook?”
“You didn’t know?” asks Clemmie.
Hendricks shakes his head. “Why would I?”
She shrugs, turning to Miles, who asks, “Have you seen her?”
“No, of course not. I’d tell you if I had.”
I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t know who any of these people are that they’re talking about. The only thing I can add to this scenario playing out is that I’ve never seen Hendricks look as pissed as he is now. Jaw clenched, shoulders tensed, eyes narrowed.
But after a “good for her,” his mood vanishes as quickly as it appeared, and he picks up another bauble, hanging it on the tree. Story and the Christmas stall aren’t mentioned again.
Morning turns to afternoon. Dogs run in and out, Max tries hanging baubles on Dolly, for them to be shaken off. More snacks are brought. The only time I excuse myself is to feed Everly and put her down for an afternoon nap, laying her in the crib she slept in last week on movie night.
And while we don’t mention any development of our relationship to Alex’s family, it’s obvious that something has happened. We hang baubles like it’s teamwork, never far from each other. He passes them over, along with a kiss. And when I’m up the ladder, Alex is right behind me.
There’s one moment when everyone notices Miles and Max have gone quiet, only to find them on the other side of the tree with Max dressed in twinkle lights with baubles hanging from each ear. It was funny before he was plugged in. After, it became hysterical.
And I realize how happy I am. It’s been a while since I felt this happy, but I do, because of a family I never thought I’d fit in with. But they love just the same, even a bit harder than mine did.
When Everly stirs on the monitor, I go and fetch her.
After making quick work of changing her diaper, I feed her, then take her back down.
It’s quieter when we walk into the hall, and Alex stands by the tree surrounded by his siblings.
Miles’s arm is slung over one shoulder with Clemmie’s on the other.
His head is dipped as his mother is saying something, and I hear him sniff loudly. But Everly’s gurgle is louder.
When Alex turns, I see how bloodshot his eyes are and how wet his face is. How wet everyone’s faces are, and my heart lurches.
I don’t know if this is something I should be interrupting, but then he jogs over.
Using the heel of his palm, he rubs the new tears away and takes a big sniff. “Hey.”
It takes all my willpower to swallow down the lump in my throat. “Do you want to go home?”
He shakes his head and takes Everly, kissing her cheek. “Not yet. I need to do something, but I want Everly. Will you come with me?”
“Of course.” I take his hand, and we walk back to the tree.
Miles hands Alex a box and turns to me. “Do you recognize this?”
I glance down at the gold star laid out on tissue paper. The lights catch the pave stones lining the intricate filigree making up each point, and sparkle brilliantly. Alex paid four hundred dollars for it.
I nod. “The one from my store.”
“Yep, and it’s going on top of the tree.”
My neck cranes back so I can see the top. “You’re taking Everly up there?”
I hope he says no. Please let him say no.
“No.” He chuckles. “I just wanted her to see the star before it went on top.”
Handing her back to me, he takes the star from Miles and climbs up the ladder to the scaffolding. I can see his lips moving, but he’s talking so quietly that none of us can hear what he’s saying before he leans over and places the star on the top of the tree.
“Well done, Al,” yells up Miles, hands cupped around his mouth. “Fucking PhD-level star topping, right there.”
Alex rolls his eyes, and Victoria tuts under her breath at his swearing, but they’re all so happy at the prospect of Alex being here for this that everyone’s grinning maniacally by the time he reaches the ground again.
And finally, the tree is done.
“Okay, are we ready?” Hendricks asks, holding an extension cord in one hand and a plug in the other. “Count down from five . . . four . . . three . . .”
Max counts down the loudest, shouting so loudly his little voice is echoing off the walls, and when we reach one, he hits the switch and the tree lights up.
Clemmie and Miles whoop. Max runs around the base, inspecting every angle, and Alex lets out a sob.
With a sniff, he squeezes my hand before pulling me into his side, with Everly between us. His lips rest against my temple. “Thank you for being here.”
“Thank you for having me here.”
Thank you feels too simple, too small, but today has been so much more than decorating a tree and getting ready for Christmas. It’s been about family and love. Celebrating the good times. All the things my parents instilled in me about this holiday.
It’s what Everly will always have in her future.
But it’s been long and emotional, so when Miles announces it’s time to leave for the lighting of Valentine Nook, Alex and I opt out to take Everly home instead.
The three of us—our little family unit.
While Alex is bathing our daughter, I decide it’s time to take matters into my own hands. After we put her down, I excuse myself for a quick shower. I have zero sexy clothes, but I find something even better. A T-shirt of Alex’s that got mixed in with my laundry.
When I walk into the kitchen, and Alex’s eyes rove up my bare legs, I know I’ve made the right decision.
“Show me how much you missed me.”
“What?” His eyes flick to the door, then the kitchen clock. “You were only gone five minutes.”
I simply wait until he figures it out.
The look he gets in his eyes when he does almost has me running back upstairs.
Almost.