Chapter Fourteen – Sarah
Magical. That was the only word she could use to describe the sight before her.
The huge Christmas tree that dominated the town square twinkled with colored lights that reflected off the ornaments.
It looked different this evening, even though they had seen it lit for a test run last night; it seemed to shimmer brighter, as if the gathered crowd had somehow illuminated it more with their collective wonder.
Sarah took in a deep breath of winter air, tinged with pine and cinnamon from nearby vendors.
The entire square had been transformed. Storefronts were outlined in twinkling white lights, lampposts wrapped in evergreen garlands, and strings of multicolored bulbs crisscrossing overhead like a canopy of stars.
“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” Emmy whispered beside her, her small mittened hand squeezing Sarah’s tightly.
Sarah shook her head, her throat tight with unexpected emotion. “No,” she managed, “I don’t think I have.”
“It’s like a fairy tale,” Emmy said, her face upturned and bathed in the kaleidoscope of colored light.
The crowd around them seemed equally entranced, a collective murmur of appreciation rippling through the gathered townspeople. Sarah glanced at Michael, expecting to find him admiring his handiwork with the magnificent tree, but instead found his eyes fixed on her.
The intensity in his gaze made her breath catch.
He wasn’t looking at the lights or the decorations.
He was looking at her with the same wonder everyone else reserved for the holiday display.
When their eyes met, he smiled shyly, and she couldn’t help smiling back, ducking her head as warmth crept into her cheeks that had nothing to do with the night air.
Emmy tugged at her mom’s hand. “Mom! Look!” She pointed toward a small wooden booth. “They’re selling wish stars for the tree!”
Before Sarah could respond, Emmy let go of both their hands and darted through the crowd toward the booth.
“I’ll get these,” Pat said, reaching for her wallet. “Michael seems a bit occupied.”
Sarah glanced back to see Michael surrounded by townspeople, accepting handshakes and thanks for donating the magnificent tree. His tall frame stood out even in the crowd, and though he smiled politely at everyone, she noticed how his eyes kept finding their way back to her.
The vendor handed them each a wooden star with a small card attached. Emmy immediately grabbed a pen and began writing, her tongue poking out in concentration.
“What are you wishing for?” Sarah asked, though she already suspected the answer.
“A reindeer sleigh ride,” Emmy declared, carefully forming each letter. “Maisie and Teddy told me all about them. They’re going with their dad this weekend.” She finished with a flourish and darted off toward the tree. “I’m going to hang it up!”
“Stay where I can see you,” Sarah called after her, watching as Emmy carefully selected a branch at her height.
“What about you, Mom?” Sarah turned to Pat. “What’s your wish?”
Her mother’s eyes grew misty as she held up her completed star. “For my daughter to find the happiness she deserves.”
Something caught in Sarah’s throat as she pulled her mother into a tight hug. Over Pat’s shoulder, she saw Michael finally extracting himself from his well-wishers and making his way toward them.
Pat whispered in her ear, “And I think you know exactly where to find that happiness.”
Sarah pulled back, tilting her head as a small smile played at her lips. “I’m beginning to think I do.”
With steady hands that belied the flutter in her chest, Sarah wrote her wish—that they would all find their happily ever after—and hung it on a branch near Emmy’s star.
Michael reached them just as she stepped back from the tree. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, snowflakes melting in his dark hair.
“Aren’t you going to make a wish?” she asked, nodding toward the remaining star in Pat’s hand.
His eyes darkened as they held hers, the intensity returning. “My wishes have already come true.”
Sarah felt drawn toward him like a compass finding north. When his hand brushed against hers, even that slight touch sent electricity racing up her arm.
“Sarah,” he said, his voice lower than before, “there’s something I need to tell you.”
Her heart hammered against her ribs. “What?”
Michael glanced around at the bustling crowd. “Not here. Maybe we can go for a walk?”
Nervousness fluttered in her stomach as she licked her lips. “I’ll ask my mom to keep an eye on Emmy.”
Pat had already overheard, as mothers often did, and was nodding before Sarah could ask her. “Go on,” she said with a knowing smile. “Emmy and I will be fine. We still have hot donuts to find.”
Sarah turned back to Michael, who offered his hand. After only a moment’s hesitation, she slipped her fingers between his, marveling at how natural it felt.
But as they took a step, Sarah’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, ready to silence it, when Emmy spotted the screen.
“Dad!” Emmy cried, her eyes lighting up. “Mom, it’s Dad calling!”
Sarah froze, Liam’s face flashing on her screen. Her thumb hovered over the decline button for a fraction of a second before Emmy’s hopeful expression made the decision for her.
“Hi, Liam,” she answered, forcing a lightness into her voice. “Hold on, Emmy wants to talk to you.”
She passed the phone to Emmy, whose entire face had transformed with excitement. Michael stepped back, giving them space, but Sarah could feel his eyes on her, watching her reaction.
“Dad! Guess what? We got the biggest Christmas tree ever!” Emmy bounced on her toes as she spoke. “And I helped decorate it with real glass balls and lights that twinkle and…and there’s this huge tree in the town square, too, and it has a million lights on it!”
Sarah watched her daughter’s animation, the way her free hand gestured wildly as she described every detail of their Bear Creek Christmas adventures. The knot in her stomach tightened when Emmy mentioned the sleigh rides.
“The sleigh rides have real reindeer with bells and everything,” Emmy continued. “Maisie and Teddy are going this weekend with their dad and…” She paused, listening. Her eyes widened, and she let out a squeal that turned heads in the crowd. “Really? You will? That’s so awesome!”
Sarah’s heart plummeted. She knew that look, that tone. Liam had just promised something. Again. The same Liam who had forgotten to buy the toy he’d promised Emmy for her last birthday. The same Liam who had forgotten to call on Thanksgiving until the next day.
Emmy continued chattering, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she told her dad about Cocoa and Carols and the wishing stars and the new friends she’d made.
Sarah glanced at Michael, who had moved a few steps away to give them privacy but remained close enough that she could see the concern in his eyes.
“Bye, Dad! Love you!” Emmy finally finished, thrusting the phone back toward Sarah. “Mom, Dad wants to talk to you.”
Sarah took the phone and moved a few steps away, turning slightly to shield her expression from both Emmy and Michael.
“Does this mean you’re coming to Bear Creek?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“I am,” Liam replied, his voice carrying that familiar charm that had once made her heart race but now just made her wary. “It sounds like you guys are having a blast. All that small-town Christmas charm.”
Sarah sighed heavily, watching Emmy skip back to Pat, already bubbling over with news about her father’s promised visit. “We are. And I know Emmy would love to show you around.”
A pause. “And you?”
The question hung between them, loaded with implications. Sarah’s throat tightened. She wanted…needed…Liam to follow through for Emmy’s sake. One disappointment too many could break their daughter’s heart in ways that might never fully heal. But she also needed him to understand where they stood.
“You know you’re always welcome to visit Emmy,” she said, keeping her tone friendly but neutral, emphasizing their daughter’s name.
“Then it’s a date,” Liam replied, his voice brightening. “I’ll be there this weekend.”
No, it’s not a date, Sarah screamed silently, her free hand clenching into a fist. But she forced herself to unclench her fingers one by one.
“See you then,” she managed, and ended the call.
When she turned back, Michael was watching her, his expression unreadable. She walked toward him, suddenly feeling as though she’d betrayed something fragile that had been growing between them. Which was ridiculous. They’d known each other for mere days. There was nothing to betray. And yet...
“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice gentle.
“My ex is coming to visit,” she said, the words falling heavily between them. “This weekend.”
Michael nodded slowly. “For Emmy?”
“Yes.” Sarah glanced over at her daughter, who was now enthusiastically telling Pat about the upcoming visit. “He promised to take her on a sleigh ride.”
Something in her tone must have revealed more than she intended, because Michael’s brow furrowed slightly. “You don’t sound convinced he’ll follow through.”
Sarah gnawed on her bottom lip, the frustration she’d been holding back threatening to spill over. “Liam is...consistent in his inconsistency. He makes big promises, then has big emergencies that prevent him from keeping them.”
“And you’re left picking up the pieces,” Michael finished for her.
“Every time.” She sighed, feeling the weight of years of disappointment, not for herself, but for Emmy. “I just don’t want her hurt again.”
Michael was quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting to where Emmy stood with Pat. When he looked back at Sarah, his eyes were warm with understanding.
“What can I do?”
The simple question caught Sarah off guard.
“Nothing,” she said, then quickly amended, “I mean, there’s nothing anyone can do except hope he actually shows up this time.”
Michael nodded. “Well, if he doesn’t…” he hesitated, then continued more firmly, “…I can organize something.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “Michael, you don’t have to…”
“I want to,” he said simply. “Not because I think he’ll let her down, but because I think you should have a backup plan. For Emmy’s sake.”
The tightness in Sarah’s chest eased slightly. She didn’t know what to say, how to express the gratitude that suddenly welled up inside her.
“Now,” Michael said, his voice lightening, “I believe I was about to show you something. If you still want to go for that walk?”
Sarah hesitated, glancing at Emmy, who was now examining a display of handmade ornaments with Pat.
“Mom will keep an eye on her,” she said finally. “And I’d like to hear what you wanted to tell me.”
Michael offered his hand again, and this time, when their fingers intertwined, Sarah felt a certainty that whatever Liam’s arrival might bring, this connection with Michael was worth exploring.
“Lead the way,” she said.