Christmas Lights

by Amy Briggs

  A short ride from the airport later, I let myself into my sister’s house and looked around. Everything already looked and smelled like the holidays. I could tell she’d been baking, the aroma of vanilla and sugar wafted through the house. On a small table just inside the door was an envelope that had my name on it and a little wooden block that had been carved to look like a Christmas tree. I grinned and shoved my suitcase out of the way, grabbing the envelope greedily.

  When I opened it, I read the little note from Robin.

  Sister,

  I know it’s not your favorite time of year, but I promise you that this year we will make new memories and eat all the cookies our pants will allow us to. There’s a batch on the counter for you to get started with now! I love you so much, and I’m so happy you’re here with us. We’re getting a tree tonight, and we have lots of fun surprises planned for the time you are here.

  Now go shop for some warm clothes because I know you didn’t bring enough.

  See you soon!

  Love you,

  Robin

  I grasped the letter close to my heart, holding back tears. She was trying so hard to make the holidays something different and wonderful for all of us as a family. As I let out a big sigh, I resolved to put in a little more effort to enjoy the season with my family and to appreciate what they were trying to do for me. It wasn’t fair to everyone else if I had a bad attitude, and even if I had to pretend, it was worth it.

  After I read the note a few more times while shoving some of the peanut butter blossoms, my favorite cookie, in my mouth, I grabbed my jacket and took off to do a little shopping. I was craving a good cup of coffee, too, and the coffee shop downtown was exactly what I needed. It was no big chain, just an awesome older woman running a coffee-and bakeshop with her daughter, and it was the best coffee in the world. I had bought some the year before to take home, but it wasn’t the same. I mused to myself that they must make it with melted snow or something, giving it the perfect flavor.

  As I approached the coffee shop, a homeless man stole my attention with a warm smile. Normally, I would have gone about my business, but I was drawn to stop and talk to him.

  “Bah humbug,” he said.

  “What?” I asked, surprised.

  “Bah humbug, right? The holidays are dreadful.”

  “Um, I guess,” I replied. I agreed with him, of course, but was taken aback by his blatant disregard for the holiday. Most people this time of year were filled with cheesy smiles and brimming with cheer. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee, sir?” I asked quickly. It seemed like the Christmassy thing to do. I was holding on to myself as the wind whipped, causing me to shiver.

  “What a kind and generous offer, miss. I would love to take you up on it.” He smiled kindly at me as if he’d never said “bah humbug” in the first place.

  “Okay, just hang on, and I’ll get us both some coffee to warm ourselves up with,” I replied.

  “Thank you so much.” He rubbed his hands together and huffed his breath into his palms.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I ran in and ordered two large coffees, taking in the warmth of the shop. That New England air had a chill to it that needed to be eradicated from the inside out with that piping hot coffee. As I turned quickly to leave with my two cups, I smashed into the rock-hard chest of an innocent bystander as if he were a brick wall.

  “Shit!” I blurted out, hot coffee covering my gloves and seeping through to my skin. “Oh my God,” I exclaimed, as I looked up at the man before me.

  As his strong arms righted me and took the smooshed cups from my hands, he asked me, “Are you okay? Those were hot coffees. Let me get you new ones.” I met his eyes, and as I locked with the crystal blue in them, I forgot how to speak for a minute. He was beautiful.

  “I … uh … No. I’m fine.” I had been traveling all day and looked my worst. I was annoyed even more after catching a glimpse of his New England lumberjack hotness. You have got to be kidding me.

  Laughing, he said, “No, I won’t take no for an answer. Come here. Let me help you get cleaned up, and let’s get you some new coffees. It’s the least I can do for barreling into you to get my fix.” He pulled me to the side of the shop, handing me a stack of napkins.

  Regaining my composure but not losing my attitude, I forced a smile. “It’s not a big deal. I’m totally fine,” I replied as I dabbed at my gloves with the napkins. I watched as he motioned to the young girl working the counter that he needed two more coffees.

  “You’re sure you’re not burned or anything?” My hands were now out of their coffee-soaked gloves. He gently took my hands in his and examined them, turning them over, presumably to see if they were burned. It was extremely awkward, and I wasn’t feeling particularly cold anymore. In fact, I was equally hot, flushed, embarrassed, and annoyed, I’d say.

  I replied, “Really, I’m fine. I just need to get my friend a coffee.” As he looked around for the friend in question, I looked around to see where the damn coffees were.

  “They should be right here.” He smiled at me, as if he were advertising for a toothpaste commercial. My fight-or-flight response had reached overdrive, and I scanned the room hoping for an escape plan to present itself.

  Thankfully, our new coffees arrived in a moment’s time, and I took my hands back. “Thank you for replacing my coffees, not at all necessary,” I said. “It was very nice to meet you …” I continued as I skirted toward the door.

  “I didn’t get your name,” he said, watching me carefully.

  I ignored his question. Not because I’m awful but because I’m awkward. I had absolutely no idea how to behave between the shock of the spilled coffee, the insanely hot guy, and the desire to get the man outside a cup of coffee. My brain was in conflict, and I couldn’t wait to get back outside into the cold for some relief. “Thank you again,” I said quickly as I made my way back out of the shop.

  “Hope to see you again soon …” he said quickly as I hustled out. I couldn’t possibly say another word for fear of saying something incredibly stupid, simply nodding as I rushed out, my hands full of coffee. I’d become a bumbling fool out of nowhere.

  So annoyed with myself and the whole encounter, I tried to shake it off and then realized I’d left my damn gloves inside. Completely irritated, it seems I’d forfeited them. There was no way I was going back in for them. They’d been sacrificed for humility, and I’d have to just get a new pair in my shopping adventures.

  As the cold air stung my face, I came to my senses. Inhaling dramatically, I regained my composure and found the homeless man I was trying to do a holiday good deed for. No good deed goes unpunished.

  Chapter Four

  Jason

  I always stopped for coffee after dropping Emily off at school and sometimes again in the afternoons. We lived just far enough outside of town that the school bus didn’t come to our house. Even if it did, I’d still take her. It was one of my favorite things to do each morning and had become part of our normal routine.

  On that particular day, I needed an afternoon pick me up, and I swung by the coffee shop. Running into the mystery woman was certainly outside of the routine.

  She was stunning, and something about her made me laugh. How I didn’t insist on getting her name was beyond me, but she’d run out of the coffee shop before we had a chance for a real conversation. I knew just about everyone in town, and she was definitely not local. Maybe visiting her family—it was the holidays after all. There were always a lot of visitors and even quite a few tourists this time of year.

  Through the window of the coffee shop, I watched her leave and then discovered that, not only was she beautiful, but she was kind as well. Her friend, the one she was getting coffee for, was the homeless man I’d encountered the night before. She handed it to him, chatted for a moment, and then walked away. I needed to find out who she was.

  Outside the shop, the homeless man was warming his hands with the coffee and saying hello to those w
ho would acknowledge him. I continued to wonder who he was, but at the forefront of my mind was finding out who she was.

  “Hello there,” I said as I approached him.

  “Ah, good afternoon, Jason.”

  “How did you know my name?” I never spoke with him at the diner.

  He laughed joyfully. “Why, the waitress, Diana, from the diner, gave me your name. Thank you for the hot meal on a cold evening. You helped keep an old man fat. Much appreciated. I’m Gabe.” He rubbed his belly and then returned his hand to his coffee cup.

  I found it strange that Diana would tell him my name. She had offered to take the food out to him while Emily and I ate the other night, and when we left, he was gone.

  “Gabe, nice to meet you. And you’re welcome.”

  “That pie really hit the spot.” He smiled.

  “The pie was my daughter’s idea. Everyone needs pie apparently.” I grinned, thinking about what a kind little girl she was.

  He chuckled. “Yes, everyone does need pie. She’s an adorable young lady.” He looked around and then took a step closer to me. “Is there something I can help you with, Jason?”

  Standing there, I wasn’t sure why I was so compelled to talk to this guy, but I was. He seemed like a genuinely nice person, who was probably just down on his luck, but I had no idea. “I was wondering, do you know that woman? The one that brought you coffee?”

  “Oh, she’s quite lovely, isn’t she?” He smiled, as if he were musing at something. For being homeless, and likely quite cold, he seemed happy.

  “Uh, yes. Yes she is.” It was windy, and I pulled my coat a bit tighter around me.

  “So, you like her?” he asked me.

  I didn’t quite know what to say. “I … uh …” I stuttered. He was rather blunt, and I was taken aback by his comment, which wasn’t altogether untrue.

  “I can see these things,” he said.

  “Oh, you can, can you?” I was beginning to think this guy was crazy after all, and I was about ready to get out of there.

  “That kind and generous young lady is Samantha. She’s visiting her family for the holidays.” He looked as if he was waiting for my reply, eyebrows raised. Suddenly, I felt like a teenager with a crush, and I didn’t know what to say.

  “Oh, that’s cool.” That’s cool. That’s what I said. I didn’t know what else to say.

  The old man laughed, hard. “Today won’t be the last you see of her.” He turned to walk away.

  “How do you know?” I called after him, almost desperately. His crazy talk was just enough of what I wanted to hear.

  Turning back to me, he replied, “I know all kinds of things, Jason. You’ll see her again. And you’ll make her smile again. Not to worry.”

  He winked and walked away, leaving me standing there a bit taken aback. The familiarity I felt toward him was so unusual. It was as if we’d been old friends. I switched my gaze to the square around us, thinking of what to say, what to ask, but when I looked back, he was gone. He’d disappeared into thin air.

  The old man was on my mind all day, as was Samantha. I spent the day as I usually did, working in my shop. I worked as a mechanic as well as a pilot. One of our residents, old Mr. Macintosh, had a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda that he wanted restored. It was a hell of a job—he’d seriously let it go over the years, but when his wife passed away last spring, he pulled it out of hiding and asked me to take on the project. We agreed that the restoration should be all original parts, and so it wasn’t an overnight job. I worked on it in between regular jobs, a little bit each week. I’d been working on cars since I was a kid and took over my dad’s shop when he retired. Some days, my dad would come and work on the Barracuda with me and talk about the old days. This day, though, I was alone with my thoughts, the confusion swirling.

  I couldn’t get the homeless man off my mind, and as I racked my brain trying to figure out why he seemed so familiar, I completely lost track of time and almost forgot to go pick up Emily. She got out of school in the late afternoons, and typically I left work to get her and brought her back to the shop to finish up my day while she did her homework. After the strange day and the distracted thoughts, I decided that I’d close up shop, pick Emily up, and take her for a plane ride. It was always so much fun for both of us, and we didn’t do it as often as I’d like.

  When I picked her up from school and told her the plan, she was beside herself.

  “Daddy! Seriously? It’s been forever. I’m so excited!”

  “Yeah, why not, kiddo? I gotta take her up to keep the motor going, and seeing the Christmas lights from above should be a sight, don’t you think?”

  “Oh yes! Will you take us over the old barn?”

  “Of course I will, sweetie.”

  The McIntyre Farm was known for their holiday lights. They covered their barn with so many lights that you could practically see the glow from across town. It was amazing to see it all lit up below you, and I’d become known for giving a few rides in my little plane here and there to spread the joy. It was one of my many favorite things about the holidays.

  Chapter Five

  Samantha

  The coffee-toting, rugged, and handsome man I’d run into that morning was all I could think about. Well, that and the fact that I was a blundering idiot and freezing. His short beard had just a few gray strands, and his eyes, they were welcoming in a way that was paralyzing. I felt a sly smile spread across my face as I mused about him. All that time alone must’ve been getting to me because I felt a bit of my cold heart defrost and flutter.

  As my sister suggested, I went shopping for some warm attire and re-acquainted myself with Friendship. After a lovely afternoon daydreaming of the handsome stranger and getting some warm sweaters, I made my way back to my sister’s house where she was waiting for me with open arms.

  “Sam!” She ran toward me as I entered, her blond curls flying behind her.

  As she nearly tackled me, I squealed. “Robin!” Transported right back to our childhood when we were the best of friends, I hugged her back, holding on for dear life. Family time always caused a flood of emotions for me, and I was laughing and crying all at once.

  “Oh, Sam.” She pulled away. “Don’t cry.” She wiped a tear from my cheek with her thumb and then swept a stray hair from my face.

  “I’m not sad, I promise. I’m so, so happy to be here. I don’t know what’s come over me.” I started to laugh more.

  “Put those bags down and come into the kitchen. I’ve been baking. Someone got into the peanut butter blossoms today, so I made more.” She winked at me and reached down, tugging at my hand to follow her. “The kids will be home from their show practice soon, so let’s catch up before they get here. I want to tell you about all the fun stuff we’ve got planned!”

  I’d not forgotten about all the activities this town holds for Christmas. You’d think it was one of those movies they show during the holidays. Almost every day there’s an open house or a decorating competition of one kind or another. However, the town’s children performing the Nativity is one of my favorite events. The rest could be rather overwhelming.

  “Do tell. I’m assuming that it’s the same as usual?” I tried to quell my sarcasm as I joined her in the massive kitchen.

  “Well, not every night,” she replied.

  I raised my eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

  “Okay, almost every night. But it’s Christmas. It’s about being together. Don’t be a grinch.” Disappointment spread across her face.

  “I’m not being a grinch! I want to spend time with my family. I’m here for almost two weeks. We will have some time together, just relaxing as a family, right?”

  She reached her hand across the island in the kitchen to take mine. “I promise we’ll have lots of time together as a family. And I want to make sure you and I are able to have some sister time too. The moms club is having a cookie exchange, aka wine night with cookies, and you and I are going to attend without the kids or the husband. Just us girl
s. I have lots of awesome things planned to make this year special.”

  “I’m excited, Robin, I promise.” I felt the need to reassure her. The elephant in the room, my well-known lack of holiday cheer, had yet to be brought up, which was refreshing and yet ominous. I was waiting for the topic to arise, prepared to defend myself. And then there it was.

  “I know you’re not completely thrilled with all of the festivities, but I appreciate you making an effort. Particularly for my children.” Her tone shifted to slightly stern with me.

  My face got hot. “I’m not going to ruin your Christmas wonderland, Robin,” I replied defensively. I resented the implication that I was going to make the holidays something other than enjoyable. We’d already been through this before, and I was tired of hearing it. I never spread my ill feelings toward the holidays to her, and certainly not to the girls.

  “I didn’t mean it like that, Sam.”

  “Well, how did you mean it, Robin? If you didn’t want me around, then what am I doing here?” Part of me was almost looking for a reason to leave in that moment, even though deep down I wanted to be there, celebrating with my family.

  “I never said I didn’t want you here. Stop putting words in my mouth!” We were both growing upset, and her voice became higher pitched. “I lost them, too, you know. I loved them too. It’s not just your grief. It was Mom’s favorite time of year, and it used to be yours. Don’t lose that.” She paused and softened her tone. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like I don’t want you here. I’m sorry if it came out that way.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

  I got up to hug her, pulling her into my arms, and tried to control my own tears. I avoided family so that I didn’t have to feel this way. It was going to be a hard two weeks. “Robin, I’m sorry. I know you lost them, too, and I didn’t mean to make you feel like it’s all about me. I’m actually very excited about wine and cookies with the girls and the show and whatever other amazing winter adventures you have planned.”