Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-nine
Kate looked in the mirror. The green makeup was holding up well.
And today she felt she’d gotten her nose to closely resemble a snout.
By the time the market ended, she was going to be a pro.
When she’d gotten out of bed this morning and looked at her reflection, she’d panicked for a second at the pallor of her complexion before she realized a ghost of the green makeup was making her look sickly.
Fortunately, Cathy and her dog Munchie had an appointment today. At first, Kate was surprised that some pet parents wanted to be in the picture with their pet and the Grinch. But at this point, it was almost par for the course.
Kate knew Cathy was well-versed in makeup.
Hopefully, she’d know what Kate should use to get the green completely off her skin.
Kate recalled watching Hannah put on her makeup one morning before she’d left for work, and that memory felt like someone had punched her in the gut.
If Hannah were still in her life, she’d have gotten Kate the perfect makeup remover that not only worked but also added moisture to the skin.
She physically shook herself. There was no time to wallow.
She still had five Grinch appointments left.
At least Cathy would be here at any moment to break up the day.
When she’d decided to do portraits with the Grinch, she hadn’t realized how uncooperative pets could be.
It had taken the last four days to get in the groove.
Munchie, on a long retractable leash, sniffed at her feet. “Hello, friend.” She said as she patted the fluffy dog’s head.
Then she looked up and saw Cathy’s ugly sweater and giant furry hat. “Wow, I hope that’s fake fur. It’s huge,” Kate said.
Cathy petted her hat. “Of course it’s fake fur! I’m not a monster. It’s so soft, feel it.” Cathy leaned over.
Kate took off her furry green paw, tucked it under her arm, and ran her hand through Cathy’s hat.
“That is soft. Do they make it as a blanket?”
“Sadly, no,” Cathy said. “Guess who I ran into earlier today?”
Kate reloaded her pocket with treats, distracted, her mind blank. “I have no clue.”
“Hannah. What did you do to that poor girl?”
Kate ground her teeth. She didn’t appreciate Cathy asking her the same thing she’d been asking herself. She sighed. “Cathy,” she began, and then she paused because she had no clue what to say.
“Yes?” Cathy replied, raising an eyebrow.
Kate clenched her hands into fists. “I can’t take the chance.”
“Why not?” Cathy asked. She gathered Munchie in her arms and cleaned off the dog’s paws with some pet-friendly wet wipes Kate had left on the counter for that reason.
Kate rolled her eyes.
Cathy clicked her tongue. “You are really embodying the Grinch right now. Is this method acting?”
Kate scowled and then she sighed. She moved around the small space behind her counter, where a canvas background was set up.
She had a few stools of various sizes for the pictures.
Kate adjusted everything and put her phone on the stand and tightened the handle.
“Yes, Hannah is amazing. Am I a fool?” She shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe yes, maybe no.”
Cathy petted Munchie as she talked. “In keeping with the Christmas season, I think you need a reverse wonderful life.”
“What does that even mean?” Kate asked as she showed Cathy a small antler she could put on Munchie for the photo.
Cathy took the antler and put it on her dog. Munchie didn’t even shake his head a bit. Kate was impressed.
Cathy walked over to the backdrop with the very docile Munchie. “In It’s a Wonderful Life, George sees what life would be like without him. You need to imagine what your life would be like with Hannah in it.”
Cathy sat on the stool. Kate adjusted Cathy’s pose until she was satisfied and used that time to think of her response. “I get it now,” Kate said. She set the timer on her phone and got into position. “When I hit the countdown, we have ten seconds.”
“Got it.” Cathy said. She sat up straight. Kate hit the button and quickly got into position.
“Don’t think we are done talking,” Cathy said through a smile.
“I figured as much,” Kate responded without moving her lips.
The camera flashed. Kate had it set to take a burst of photos.
Once the camera was done, she removed her phone from the stand and plugged it in so that the pictures displayed on a monitor and Cathy could choose which she wanted Kate to print.
Cathy handed Kate back the prop antler. She set Munchie down and attached his lead. There was a bowl of water sitting out, and he slurped from it.
“It’s a touch screen, so you can scroll through the pictures and then move any you want printed down here to the bottom. My next appointment is in half an hour, so I can print whatever you want right away.”
“I want to use one of the pictures for my Christmas cards. How do I do that?”
“I charge fifty-dollars if you want digital photos and, in that case, I send you all the pictures taken.”
Cathy nodded. “Great, let’s do that.” She pulled out her card, and Kate put it in her card reader. “Have you started thinking about what life with Hannah would be like?”
Kate frowned, “It’s only been five minutes since you said that.”
Cathy smiled a sly smile that reminded Kate of the smile the Grinch grins when he decides to divest the Whos of all their Christmas presents, food, and decorations.
“When I write a love story, I always like to plant seeds. I want the reader to let certain scenes, certain dialogue simmer in their subconscious and then bubble up at the climax of the story.”
“You’re priming my subconscious to think about a life with Hannah?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Okay, well, we’ll see. I’m pretty set once I make a decision.”
“Some would call you obstinate,” Cathy took off her hat, smoothed down her gray hair and put her hat back on.
“Including you.”
“I saw the way you two interacted at Friendsgiving. I know love when I see it. I don’t want you to wind up with terrible regrets a year or two from now when Hannah has moved on and found someone else.
Just think about it. How would you feel?
What would it be like to share a home? Would you get a dog? ”
Kate winced. Cathy had hit that sore dog-shaped hole in her heart.
She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about Hannah and beginning to imagine.
If she owned the building, Hannah would move in with Smoky.
Would Smoky be able to smell the pet store below her apartment?
She realized Cathy had asked her another question and was now staring at her.
“Are you going to be here for the closing carols on Christmas Eve?” The Mistletoe Market closed at noon on Christmas Eve.
The high school madrigals and jazz band led everyone in singing Christmas carols, and then at the end Santa gave a gift to every child in attendance.
Kate had never attended the event. She usually left to go home the night before.
“This will be my first time going.”
“Wonderful, I hope when I see you, you’ll be under the mistletoe with Hannah.”
“Ironically, there is no mistletoe at the Mistletoe Market.”
“It’s a metaphor, Kate.”
“I’m just being obstinate, Cathy.” Kate winked at her friend.
“And on that note, I’d better run.” Munchie was pulling on his leash, and Cathy started to walk away.
“Thanks for coming out! Oh crap, I just realized I’m on your Christmas card!”
Cathy laughed and shook her head as she walked away. Then she realized she’d forgotten to ask Cathy how to get the ghost of green off her face. That was just great. She pushed out her bottom lip.
Kate put back on her furry paws and waved at a couple.
One of the women had long dark hair and was wearing a baby, and the other had short dark hair and was pushing a stroller with a toddler.
The family was wearing knit caps that said, “Merry Everything.” In her head, Cathy’s voice said, What if that could be you and Hannah in a few years? Can you let yourself imagine that?