The mic fixed, Mayor Rath held up her hands and announced, “Welcome, everyone, to the seventeenth annual Paradise Valley Christmas Tree Lighting!” She waited for the applause to die down before continuing. “A special thanks to Mrs. Wallace and the Paradise Valley Children’s Choir for serenading us tonight! She has asked me to thank you all as well for attending the annual Holiday Sing-along at the high school last Friday night.”
Wow. Not sorry I missed that.
“This year has been pretty crazy, huh, guys?” the mayor continued. “Whether your 2019 was happy, sad, frustrating or okay, I’d like to extend a happy holidays and a wish that we all enjoy our new decade when it hits in two weeks!”
Murmurs that nobody could believe time passed so quickly filtered into Skylar’s ear. She sipped her free tea and sighed.
“Well, you don’t want me to say more. Let’s get this thing lit up!”
Applause and whistles accompanied Karen as she pushed the big red button at the bottom of the tree. A riot of rainbow-colored lights illuminated the clear night sky. The star at the top of the tree was particularly lovely, Skylar had to admit.
Damn. Did she actually like it?
“Pretty,” she said to Mik, who was still looking over her shoulder. “Oh, come on. Ari will be here when she’s here. Did you check your messages.”
“You bet your ass I did.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.”
“What are you so worried about? Do you think it was that important?”
“Guess I…” Mik ignored the kids bumping against them in an attempt to get closer to the tree. “Sometimes I worry she’ll try to get back at me for that night ten years ago.”
“Oh.” Skylar hadn’t thought of that, not that it sounded like something Ariana would do. Definitely not like this. “I’d think if she were gonna ghost you, she’d pick a bigger event than the town’s Christmas Tree Lighting.”
“Thanks, Sky. You always know how to make me feel better.”
“Thank you again for coming, everyone! Please be sure to get your free complimentary tea or coffee from either of the lovely ladies still handing them out!”
Skylar was about to say something when she heard Sunny behind her.
“What’s wrong, hon? You’ve got that look on your face.”
Brandelyn Meyer practically breathed down Skylar’s neck. “It’s Joan Sheffield over there. She don’t look too good.”
“Is she supposed to be standing up?”
“Probably not for too long. I dunno. I’m not that kind of doc…”
Soon, everyone in attendance would wish that Brandelyn was, in fact, “That kind of doc.” For not three seconds later Joan declared she was going into labor.
“Nice call, Bran,” Sunny said. “You made her have a baby.”
“How is that my fault? She was the one over there sweating and acting like everything was okay when she got out of that wheelchair.”
“Are you gonna go over there and help?”
A big, fat sigh hit Skylar in the back of the head. “Come on. Let’s go shove aside that TV actress and a damn firefighter. Might need your help for that one.”
“Uh oh!” Karen must not have realized her mic was still on when she caught sight of the commotion. “You okay, Joan? Hey! Brandy! Where you at! Do we have any other doctors here!”
Mik put down her phone and grimaced. “Would be a really good time for Ari to be here, huh? She’s an EMT.”
“Does she know how to deliver babies?” Now was a good time for Skylar and Mik to back away from the crowd. As people surrounded Joan and someone yelled for them to give her air, Skylar found herself in the city hall parking lot with Mik still staring at her phone. “Never mind. One year from now, people will be asking what you were doing when Joan went into labor at the tree ceremony, and all you’ll remember is what your phone’s background looked like at the time.”
“Hey.”
Mikaiya’s head snapped up. Sure enough, there was Ari, passing the rush of people trying to get Joan to her car. “What’s going on here? Sorry I missed the event. Lost track of the time.”
“Apparently, someone’s in labor,” Skylar said.
“Oh, shit. Is it Joan? Does she need a ride?”
“Looks like someone else is taking care of it.” Mikaiya took a step forward. “You worried me sick, Ari. Now, why would you make damn sure I’m here and not show up on time? I thought something terrible had happened to you! Or… I dunno…” she sniffed. Was Mik really going to cry? Sheesh. It must have been hormones. She wasn’t usually this uptight. “That maybe you were skipping out on me.”
Skylar couldn’t stomach this. While Ari and Mik had their “thing,” Skylar turned back toward the Christmas tree and focused on the bright, illuminated star poking into the sky. It may have been thirty degrees out there, but Skylar didn’t feel a thing as long as she focused her breathing and attempted to look past the frenzy over one woman going into labor and the rising voices behind her.
One little thing happens, and this town goes crazy. Was this what it was like to live in the moment? To take stock of one’s life and wonder how they got there? Skylar wasn’t usually the type to get so introspective. Not even when her life wasn’t going her way. Not even when she stood behind the register at Paradise Pizza with nothing to do but watching the till. Whenever Skylar wasn’t doing something else, she was thinking about… nothing. Because to think about something instead of nothing simply courted madness.
“Don’t let her fall down!” someone shrieked behind Skylar. “I swear to God, Jay, if you knock this baby out of her yourself I’m coming for your head!”
“…Bob, could you help me with this freakin’ mic? It’s stuck in my collar, and I’m afraid if I try to unhook it myself, it will squeal again…”
“…Didn’t give away all your coffee, I see. Well, I gave away all my tea. So, uh… could I have one of those cups of coffee? I’m so tired. I don’t care if there’s no caffeine in there. I’ll tap my inner placebos…”
“…See? I told you those wreaths would come through! They look so good, too! Kevin, come over here so I can take a picture of you under the wreaths. Kevin? Kevin!”
“…Yeah, I came by myself tonight. Carrie had to work at the pizza place because she had an appointment earlier today. So what if it’s Sunday? You can’t have appointments on Sunday or something? It’s not only with Jesus!”
“…AVENGERS ASSEMBLEEE!”
“…Wonder Woman isn’t in the Avengers! You’ve got it all mixed up again! Sal? Sal, where’d you go? Sal! Oh, hello, young man. Are you looking for your mom? Hesper, right? Tucker! Tuck! Get over here and help this young man find his mom!”
“…Will you marry me, Mik?”
Skylar pivoted on her foot, for that was the one soundbite that drew her away from her mindful reverie. There Ariana was, down on one knee and presenting Mik with a simple, solitary diamond ring that looked like it came from a tasteful antique shop.
Mik’s hands were clasped over her mouth, her eyes so wide they would dry out and freeze in that thirty-degree night.
Wow. Skylar couldn’t take her eyes off the scene. Nor could half the people hovering nearby. One by one, women and children turned around, gasping in delighted shock as they realized a proposal was happening in the picturesque nook between the city hall and the lighted Christmas tree.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Skylar muttered. Somehow, she knew that this was what Ariana planned whenever Mik wasn’t looking. The questions about their relationship. Moving in together. Being cagey with plans. Tears streamed down Mik’s eyes when she finally lowered her hands and flung her arms around Ari’s shoulders. Skylar didn’t hear what they said. All she knew was that those were tears of happiness, and everyone around them applauded.
Skylar couldn’t force it. She would offer a smile and a hug when Mik finally came to embrace her and exclaim, “Can you fucking believe it?” but Skylar was content to go home, get in be
d, and sleep forever.
Or maybe get in her car and drive. Keep driving until she met the end of the road and had nowhere else to go.
***
The rain splattered against her windshield on her way to the only 24-hour convenience store in that part of the county. The gas station at the intersection of two major highways was supposedly where Jalen and her celebrity girlfriend Fleur met for the first time, but no such luck struck Skylar as she pulled up to the door a little after eleven and bought a weekend’s worth of snack food and soft drinks.
And a few bottles of beer. When the old man with long, greasy hair gave her a big, half-toothless grin about it, she mentioned she was throwing a Christmas party and a few unexpected guests were showing up. “Ran outta stuff for everyone,” she muttered, throwing down her credit card. I’m so glad I have the day off tomorrow. Gonna sleep all day and hope I don’t hear the endless squeals of Mik in love.
It wasn’t that Skylar was bitter, really. Or jealous, for that matter. She was tired. Did anyone know how hard it was to be there for one’s friend when all the energy was sucked out through a cosmic vacuum? Fuck me. I must be depressed. Time to look for a therapist. Although, knowing that part of the world, she’d never find one on her insurance, let alone someone who wasn’t filled to the brim already. There were a couple of therapists in the area, after all. Neither of whom took Skylar’s insurance.
She took her bags out to her car and sat in front of the heater while the rain continued to pound. After checking her phone for any messages, she pulled back onto the highway.
Skylar didn’t turn on the radio. The only sounds to serenade her on her late-night drive were the shudders of rain and the scrape of the windshield wipers. Her headlights illuminated the empty highway for a whole mile before she saw another soul.
There, on the side of the highway, was an old black Lincoln pulled over. Lights flashing. Driver standing by the road, arms waving.
Shit. Skylar may have been off in her own world, but she didn’t have the heart to abandon this person to the fate of a rainy night. Not when there were so few people around.
She pulled to the side of the road and flashed her lights. Already she saw the driver of the broken down car hustling toward her, probably to get out of the rain.
“Hey! So sorry! But thank you!” A feminine voice broached the window on Skylar’s driver’s side. “I really hate to bother people like this, but my stupid car broke down and now I’m stuck a whole mile out of town!”
Skylar didn’t instantly recognize this woman by her voice. Was she a resident of Paradise Valley? It was hard to tell with her black rain jacket and hood.
“No problem. Do you need a lift somewhere? Everything in town is closed, but I could take you back to the gas station. I just came from there, so I know it’s open.”
“Thank you so much! That would be a huge help!”
The passenger side door opened and closed. Soon, Skylar was joined by a total stranger who dripped water all over the front seat, but her smile in the darkness of the car warmed the space faster than the air conditioning system could.
“My name’s Amy,” the stranger said, extending a wet hand. “I’m supposed to be visiting my sister for Christmas. Do you know Hayley Gordon? She owns the food truck in town.”
“Oh. Yeah. Well, not personally, but I know who you’re talking about.” Skylar checked the road before whipping a U-Turn. “I’m Skylar. Sorry to hear you’re having problems.”
“You don’t know the start of it! I was supposed to be here from Boise hours ago, but I had to swap cars at my cousin’s house in Burns and… oh, my God, you don’t care about this at all. I’m sorry.”
“You’re fine.” Skylar squinted, making out the sign of the gas station she had been coming from ten minutes ago. “This is a really bad time to be stranded in this part of the world.”
“Oh, trust me. I’m from Idaho. I know all about getting stranded at the wrong place, wrong time.”
Amy had such a lilt to her voice that made the corners of Skylar’s mouth twitch every time she heard it. “I’m from SoCal, so although I lived in Portland before here, I’m still not used to everything being closed before eight. They keep telling me it’s the Scandinavians’ fault, but I don’t know what that means.”
“If I ever figure it out, I’ll let you know!”
Skylar pulled back into the same space she had occupied a bit ago. “Do you need any assistance besides this? I could probably call my friend back at our house. She got engaged tonight, so she’s a bit, um, wired.”
“Wow! Crazy night for everyone, huh? Actually, do you think you could help me explain to the attendant what’s going on? I’m so freaked out right now. In a place I don’t really know…”
Skylar was more than happy to help, not that she understood why. A few minutes ago I couldn’t stop thinking about going home and sleeping forever. Now there was a flutter in her chest. A flush to her cheeks. She got out of the car and followed Amy into the convenience store, where they had to wait for the attendant to come out from the back office to speak with them.
Amy lowered the hood of her jacket, exposing a torrent of full, chestnut brown curls. She turned her face toward Skylar, a dazzling white smile crossing her long and pointed face.
Skylar was frozen where she stood.
“Can I help you ladies…?” The same old man stumbled out of the office, readjusting his glasses. “Oh! It’s you again! Forget something?”
“Actually,” Amy began, “she was kind enough to pick me up off the side of the road. My car broke down about a mile east of here, and I have no idea what to do. I can’t get a signal on my phone. Guess my carrier hates this area.”
“It’s a bit finicky.” Skylar pulled out her phone. It was a weak signal, but it worked. “Here. You can borrow my phone to call a tow truck.”
Amy extended her hand. “Thanks! Wow. People are really nice around here at midnight in the middle of nowhere.”
Her fingers brushed against Skylar’s. Their eyes lingered on one another. Although Amy barely missed a beat taking Skylar’s phone and looking at an insurance card, Skylar took a step back, unable to contain her grin.
What was going on with her?
“Hey! Hayley! That you, girl? You’re never gonna believe what happened… long story short, I need you to come pick me up at the…” Amy stopped to look out the window. “Well, it’s the only convenience store in this part of the county, so…”
Although she was wrapped up in her conversation, she still had a smile to spare Skylar.
Suddenly, the cheesy Christmas playing on the speakers wasn’t so bad. Nor was the idea of driving back into Paradise Valley on a rainy winter’s night.
One never knew what might happen, even in the most unlikeliest of places.
THE END
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Hildred Billings is a Japanese and Religious Studies graduate who has spent her entire life knowing she would write for a living someday. She has lived in Japan a total of four times in four different locations, from the heights of the Japanese alps to the hectic Tokyo suburbs, with a life in Shikoku somewhere in there too. When she’s not writing, however, she spends most of her time talking about Asian pop music, cats, and bad 80’s fantasy movies with anyone who will listen…or not.
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December Wishes (A Year in Paradise Book 12) Page 11
