Love Rekindled at Evergreen Inn (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

1. Prologue

Prologue

Eve

My hands tremble as I adjust Ella's veil, drinking in the sight of my radiant daughter. Satin rustles and roses scent the historic Strawberry Falls Church dressing room.

Ella's eyes meet mine in the antique mirror, concern etching her delicate features. She turns to face me, her voice soft and hopeful. "Mom, are you sure about leaving after the wedding? There's still time to change your mind."

Pain clouds my vision as I struggle to explain. "Oh, sweetie. I wish I could stay, but—" Memories wash over me. The acrid smell of smoke from the bakery fire six months ago. The crushing weight of losing my parents four years earlier. And the ache of Jimmy's absence since he shut down and eventually left town after the fire.

Ella reaches for her bouquet. Her fingers caress a delicate strawberry blossom nestled among the roses. "Do you remember the Cherokee Legend of the First Strawberry you used to tell me?" she asks, her eyes bright with memory.

A wave of nostalgia washes over me. "Of course, sweetheart. How could ever I forget?"

Ella begins to recount the tale, her voice taking on the lilting quality of a storyteller.

"At the dawn of time, the first man and the first woman set up their home together by the side of a great broad river. They had everything they needed for a blissful life: fruit, berries, meat, and fish, plenty of wood and fresh water, and, of course, each other. They lived as happily as any man and woman have ever lived together until their first quarrel."

As Ella speaks, I'm magically transported back to countless bedtimes, sharing this very story with my little girl.

She continues, "It started with a small thing. First Man said, 'Why didn't you cook this?' and then First woman said, 'Why didn't you bring in the wood for the fire?' Pretty soon it got worse, with First Man saying, 'Why didn't you tidy that?' and First woman saying, 'Why are you so messy?' Pretty soon, both the insults and a few wooden plates and bowls began to fly."

"The first woman was so upset that she decided to leave the first man. At the break of day, while he was still asleep, she set off down the valley, heading towards the rising sun. She walked and walked, always looking straight ahead of her and not once turning back. When the first man woke up and saw that she was gone, he waited for her to come back, but she did not come back. He found her tracks along the valley, but she had a long head start on him, as she did not stop or look around."

Ella's voice softens. "The sun was now high in the great blue sky. It looked down upon the first man as he followed after the first woman, and it saw that there was sadness on the face of an otherwise pristine and perfect world and all his surroundings. The sun asked the man if he was still angry with his wife. He said that he was not angry with her. The sun asked if he would like to have her back. He said that he would like to have her back."

"And the sun took pity on the first man and decided to help him. His gentle rays touched the ground along the woman's path, and a huckleberry bush sprang up. Its fruit was shiny and enticing, but as she passed, her eyes remained fixed on the distance, and she did not see the berries."

"So the sun shone again on the ground up ahead of the woman. He caused a clump of blackberries to grow up beside her path. She refused to even glance at them."

"Then the sun thought that he must create something entirely new; something so vivid, so fragrant, and so delicious, that even the first woman could not fail to take notice of them in her resolute and unhappy mood."

"He blessed the ground again with his rays, and the first patch of strawberries spread over the ground. Their sweet scent filled the woman's senses, and her mood became lighter. She began to look around her, and she saw the bright red fruit hiding beneath the leaves. It looked so enticing that she picked one and tried it. She tasted the strawberry on her tongue, and she began to remember the happiness she knew when she first set up home with her husband. She looked at the half-eaten strawberry in her hand and saw a bright red heart. She found she no longer felt the pressing desire to leave him."

Ella's eyes connect with mine. "She sat down on the ground and wondered what she must do. By the time she had eaten a few more strawberries, First Man had caught up to her and sat down quietly and smiled. She gave him a strawberry to eat. They both then realized how much they cared for one another and walked back home together, taking a few strawberry plants with them to plant at their home so they would not forget this lesson. Do nothing in haste, consider all things thoroughly, and always forgive one another of your faults."

I'm struck by how closely the legend matches our family's story.

Cupping Ella's face tenderly, I push aside my heartache. "I get your point and today is about your joy, sweetheart. Focus on that."

A tap on the door signals it's time. I smooth Ella's veil, my touch lingering on the gossamer fabric.

We embrace tightly, both fighting back tears.

Inhaling deeply, I open the door. Emotions surge within me at the sight of Jimmy in his tux—a stranger and yet so achingly familiar. He's here to walk Ella down the aisle.

I watch as Ella takes her father's arm. The entire town is out there, waiting to witness this joyous occasion, unaware of the undercurrents of loss and change.

Today marks my final day in Strawberry Falls, bidding farewell to my past life. Stepping into the hallway, I catch the sweet scent of the strawberries in Ella's bouquet. The Cherokee legend echoes in my mind. And I wonder—could our family, like those first lovers, be whole again?