Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
MADDIE
A fter having coffee with Parker, I took some time to reflect on how it went—the whole opening myself up thing.
I really enjoyed spending time with him.
It’s so unusual, but I don’t hate it. I think .
He seems like a genuine person, the kind of guy who works hard and loves harder.
But do you really ever know someone? Am I just setting myself up for another fall?
Looking at the inventory for the week, I heave a sigh. I’ve had so many people asking for Christmas books for their children and grandchildren that I’ve looked at stocking them.
I’m losing my damn mind.
I’ve never opened and closed something as fast as I did when a picture of Santa Claus appeared on my computer screen. Sudden flashbacks of my childhood caused my breath to catch and my footing to stumble.
Luckily, the doorbell chiming pulls me out of my reminiscing. I move around the counter to begin wiping the shelves and checking for dust mites. No matter how many times I clean, I always freak out that the books are going to get destroyed.
“Maddie, you here?” someone calls.
“Just coming,” I holler back.
Walking through the book stacks, I find Amelia standing by the door, bundled up in a thick coat, scarf, hat, and snow boots. I can barely see her under all her clothing.
“Hey, what can I do for you?” I ask, smiling.
“The Christmas lights are being turned on tonight, and I thought you’d like to go?”
“Amelia,” I groan, drawing her name out.
Her bright blue eyes plead with me as she clasps her hands in front of her face. “Pleeeeease? It’ll be a lot of fun.”
“You know I don’t do Christmas, kid. Don’t make me,” I beg.
Her face falls, and I feel like the world's worst person. This kid knows where to hit me. When did I start going soft? Oh yeah, when I met her and Parker.
“Okay, fine,” I huff, throwing my hands in the air. “But I don’t do crowds, so there better not be a lot of people there.”
“Well, the whole town’s kinda gonna be there, so it might be busy,” I go to interrupt, but she rushes to add, “but we can stand back away from the crowds. There’s a really good spot just past the bakery where you can see everything but won’t be in the thick of it.
” She grins from ear to ear, and I’m done for.
“Fine,” I grumble, “but I want it put on record that I’m not happy about this.”
“Yay!” Amelia jumps up and down on the balls of her feet. “It’s gonna be great. You’ll love it.”
“Debatable. ”
“Okay, well, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got schoolwork to do, but I’ll stop by later and grab you.”
She turns to leave, but I stop her. “Amelia?”
“Yeah?” She whips round, still smiling broadly.
“Want a weekend job?”
After talking to Parker about wanting some extra help, there was only one person who sprang to mind that I’d be comfortable having in the store working with me.
Her eyes light up, and she gives me a wide, toothy grin. “Really?”
“Yeah, we need to talk to your dad and make sure he’s okay with it, and you need to keep on top of your schoolwork, but… yeah.” I shrug.
Amelia takes a running jump, engulfing me in a hug. I’m shocked to say the least; I can’t remember the last time I was touched that wasn’t out of anger. I awkwardly give her a pat on the back, not knowing how to handle the situation.
She pulls back, tears in her eyes. “I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t.”
Amelia met me at the store just before closing, talking a mile a minute about all of the books she’s read and ones she can’t wait to recommend to customers. I nod my head, smiling at her enthusiasm as she keeps going.
Thankfully, the snow’s stopped falling for now. The plows have been out on the streets clearing the roads, but it’s still slippery as hell. The number of times I’ve nearly fallen flat on my ass from black ice is too many to count.
The town’s busy with the comings and goings of people, but luckily, it’s not busy enough to cause me to freak out. Not being a people person, large crowds cause anxiety, but so far, so good.
Amelia stops outside a video game store. It’s so small you wouldn’t know it was there unless you were looking for it.
“This is the spot,” she declares, a look of triumph on her face.
We stand waiting, the crowd in front of us chatting away, excited to see what’s about to happen, but I couldn’t be more bored. I’m only here for Amelia’s sake. I’d rather be at home, curled up in bed reading.
I rub my hands together from the cold, wishing I hadn’t left my gloves at the bookstore. I shove them in my pockets and hunch my shoulders to my ears to try and keep warm.
“Where’s your dad?” I ask, my breath fogging in the winter air.
Amelia shrugs. “I think he’s here somewhere with my grandma.”
“You didn’t want to do this with them? Might have been more fun?” I ask, perplexed as to why she’d want to spend her time with the town grump instead of spending a happy moment with her family.
“They’re already in the Christmas spirit. I want to be here with you to show you it’s not all that bad.” She grins, her face flushed from the cold.
My eyes widen at her admission. The fact that someone’s taken the time to worry about how I’m feeling is a novelty, and I’m touched. My icy heart feels like it’s warmed a little bit.
“What about your mom?” I ask. Amelia’s face pinches, and I immediately regret asking. “You don’t have to tell me,” I rush out. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t upset me,” she says, huddling into her coat, her voice low. “My mom isn't around. She never really has been. It’s always been me and my dad against the world.”
My heart breaks for her, knowing exactly how that feels. “I’m sorry. You deserve better than that.”
Amelia nods, her eyes glassy. “It’s okay. I mean, it still hurts sometimes, but Dad and I are better off without her. I just want him to be happy. He’s the best person I know.” Her face lights up when she starts talking about him. I can feel the love pouring off her.
“He sounds amazing. I’m glad you have him,” I say softly. I don’t know what possesses me to say what I say next, but there’s something about her that brings out a protective side to me. “If you, uh, ever need someone to talk to… that isn’t your dad or gran… you, uh, can talk to me.”
“Thank you,” she replies, a lone tear tracking down her face. She quickly wipes it away before exclaiming, “Oh, here we go.” She jumps around on the balls of her feet, tugging at my coat.
I get whiplash from her sudden change in mood, but I’m also glad she doesn’t dwell on it—it won’t do her any good in the long run. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I watch her.
The crowd begins to count down. “Three, two, one…”
I glance around, waiting, wondering why each year everyone gets so excited about lights being turned on. They’re just lights , for Christ’s sake.
The street descends into darkness, and my head swivels around to find out why all of the lights have suddenly turned off.
Slowly, each one begins to turn back on.
Tiny trees above shop windows begin glittering in the dark, and fairy lights around shop windows brighten the street.
My mouth drops open as I watch it all unfold.
Inch by inch, the street lights up, a magical glow being cast around, and I can’t stop staring.
It continues along in tandem, each one lighting up one after the other until it stops.
I hold my breath, goosebumps peppering my skin as I wait for what can only be the penultimate reveal.
Flashing lights start wrapping faster and faster around a large Christmas tree at the end of the street.
It keeps going and going, round and round, until finally stopping.
A bright light beams out as the star on top of the tree is illuminated, and cheers from the crowd roar around me.
My gaze is focused on the tree in all of its glory, and I wonder if I’ve ever seen anything so majestic before.
My breath feels tight, and my cheeks suddenly feel colder. I reach a hand up to my face and feel they’re wet. But why are they wet? It takes me a moment to realize I’m crying. Tears of joy run down my face as I watch the lights and the crowd around me.
Quickly wiping my face, I clear my throat. I glance at Amelia, who looks happy. She knows. She saw my tears and knows that I was moved by the light display. Amelia doesn’t say anything, though; she just wraps her arms around my waist, squeezing tightly before letting me go.
“You can go home now,” she says with a small smile. “I’m gonna go and find my dad and grandma.”
Nodding, I watch as Amelia walks into the crowd, leaving me with only my thoughts.
What the fuck was that, and why did I enjoy it so much ?