Most Wonderful

by Bryce Oakley

  Cody found her way to the apartment and knocked, and Emilia answered, letting her in. She stepped into the entryway and looked around. She didn't know exactly what she had been expecting. Something minimalist and cold, for some reason?

  The feel of her apartment was the exact opposite. She had nice, stylish furniture that looked like it belonged in a catalog, which Cody had expected, but soft blankets draped over the couch. The walls were almost completely covered in art. Photography, illustrations, abstract paintings, handwritten quotes. The light-colored rug was plush and soft.

  “Where’s your tree?” Cody asked, looking around the living room.

  Emilia smirked. “I don’t have one.”

  “Wow, did you just literally Bah Humbug out loud?” Cody asked, grinning.

  “I just think it’s silly to do traditional stuff like that when you’re the only one who will see it,” Emilia said.

  “Well, and your guests,” Cody added.

  “Only Frankie and Nico come over,” Emilia laughed.

  “And me,” Cody said, as though that wasn’t a creepy thing to say.

  Emilia had kicked off her shoes and looked utterly amazing in tight jeans and a V-neck sweater that showed just enough to intrigue. To be fair, Emilia was the type of person that could be wearing a potato sack, and Cody would still be awestruck by how good she looked in it.

  Cody followed her into the neat and orderly kitchen.

  She noticed a kitchen-aid mixer on the counter. "You never told me you were a baker," she said, pointing to it.

  Emilia looked confused and turned to see what Cody was talking about. "Oh," she said, letting out an embarrassed-sounding laugh. "I went through an intense Ina Garten phase. You know, like, ‘If you don't have these imported vanilla beans sourced ethically from the southern tip of Madagascar, store bought is fine.'"

  Cody laughed, getting the reference. "I can get behind that," she said, nodding. "You're halfway there, barefoot contessa." She pointed down to her feet and Emilia laughed again. The sound made Cody feel unexpectedly blissful.

  She noticed magnets and postcards covering the fridge. She stepped closer to inspect.

  "My parents travel a lot," Emilia said, as Cody touched a cheesy Sydney Opera House magnet.

  She nodded, turning to accept the glass of orange juice Emilia was offering.

  "Cheers," she said, a gigantic smile on her face.

  Cody raised the glass, clinking Emilia’s, and grinned, raising the glass to her lips. The rich, sweet liquid spilled over her tongue. "It's good," she said, raising her eyebrows.

  "Store bought," Emilia winked.

  Cody chuckled, turning back to the magnets. "So, your parents get around," she said, inspecting them again. Santorini, Tokyo… the World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Illinois. She raised an eyebrow at that one.

  Emilia sipped at her juice. "Yeah, traveling is their passion, to the detriment of everything else in their lives," she said, an edge to her voice.

  Well, that was a loaded answer if Cody had ever heard of one. Cody turned to her, tilting her head. "That sounds a bit…" She paused, looking for the right word. "Unexplained. Care to elaborate?"

  Emilia sighed. "Growing up, they were always taking risks, always traveling, working odd jobs like on farms and their friend's shops, when they could get that kind of gig. We lived in an RV for three years as they drove around the country. Sure, we saw more than most kids, but Frankie and I didn't have any friends because we were never in one spot for long enough.”

  “I thought you and Frankie were cousins,” Cody asked.

  “We are, but after Frankie’s parents died, she grew up with me,” Emilia explained.

  Cody nodded, unsure what to say.

  She sighed. "Don't get me wrong, my parents were kind, and they were our biggest cheerleaders, but they weren't very good teachers. Frankie and I basically tutored ourselves through high school, reading and making up essay assignments for each other. We learned economics by working alongside my parents and squirreling our money away. Books were our only friends besides each other, honestly. We used to do this thing that kills me now, and I still feel guilty, but we'd check out history and math books from libraries and just never return them or ever go back to the town." She shook her head.

  "All I ever wanted was stability. So, when my grandmother died, she left all of her savings directly to Frankie and me. She didn't give a dime to my mother because she would have wasted it. And Frankie’s parents left her what little they had, too. We invested all of it. Tensions were high with my mom for a little while, but I think she always understood why grandma had done it, truly. Sure, the bookshop was kind of risky, but Frankie raised other funds, and I started thinking outside the box. I got my MBA entirely on scholarship. And we grew Between the Covers together, as a haven. I know books; I know business; I know Frankie. I feel like those three things are the only constants I've ever had."

  She tried to hide it, but tears had begun to well in her eyes, and she turned her head, looking away.

  To be honest, Cody was shocked that Emilia had revealed so much to her. Emilia obviously trusted her, and Cody ached for her sadness. She wrapped Emilia in her arms.

  "That's a lot of weight to bear," Cody said quietly. That was the understatement of the year. No wonder she was so driven by stability. It was the one thing she never had growing up.

  Something inside Cody’s chest clenched. She had lived her life untethered, and she had always enjoyed that. At that moment, she had no plan past working in the bakery for the holidays.

  She had walked away from being a paramedic, which had been her entire identity for years, and now she was working in her uncle’s shop. When she had first truly had a real conversation with Emilia the first night in the backroom of the bakery, holding Emilia’s injured ankle in her hand, she had realized that the woman was way out of her league. Cody most definitely wasn’t stable relationship material. She got excited about new relationships, in the same way that she got excited about living in a new place or starting a new job. That’s part of what she loved so much about being a paramedic –– no two days were the same. Was that what she was doing with Emilia? Or was her crush on Emilia different?

  Most importantly, Emilia knew what she wanted, and Cody didn’t. How could she possibly make someone like Emilia happy? And keep her happy?

  Emilia let her eyes close, resting her head against Cody’s chest. Cody held the woman in her arms, savoring what may have been just one perfect moment.

  Emilia straightened, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry, that was… It’s been quite a morning.” She seemed to reset her emotions, becoming the woman in charge that Cody knew so well. She pointed to the fridge and the stove. “Alright. Eggs, bacon, hash browns. Tell me how to help."

  Cody instructed her and began to cook the requested meal. Honestly, breakfast was her favorite meal, and one of the easiest to prepare. "This is typically a question I reserve for the morning after a very specific type of night, but how do you like your eggs?” Cody winked.

  Emilia grinned, rolling her eyes. "Normally I'm an over-medium kind of lady, but today I'm feeling scrambled."

  "Scrambled it is," Cody said, whipping up the eggs with a bit of milk.

  Breakfast was ready about a half hour later — she always seemed to forget how hash browns took forever to cook — and they ate together at the table in comfortable quietness.

  Cody got the distinct feeling that Emilia was feeling a bit embarrassed about how much she had shared.

  Emilia made little happy moans as she bit into the bacon, closing her eyes.

  Cody quirked an eyebrow, clearing her throat.

  When they finished eating and were washing dishes together, Emilia turned, her brow creased, a drying towel tightly gripped in her hands.

  "I like you," she said.

  Cody raised her brows in amused surprise. Of course her admission would be blunt and to-the-point. Emilia was like no one Cody had ever met. "Oh yeah?” Eloquent, it was no
t, but it was the only response that came to mind.

  "You may not know this about me, but I take my time with decisions," Emilia continued, drying off a pan before hanging it on the pot rack above them.

  "I can believe that." Cody nodded, unsure of where the conversation was going.

  "And I want us to take our time," Emilia said. "Something strange comes over me when I'm around you, like I want to rush into things, and I don’t like that." She chewed on her bottom lip.

  Cody stayed silent, unwilling to break whatever spell was making her speak so openly.

  "I'm not that type of girl. I like to take things slow," Emilia said, as if to herself.

  Cody dried her hands off and set the towel on the counter, leaning against it with her hip. "So, let's get to know each other, and cross that bridge if it ever appears. I'm never going to pressure you. I'm having a good time with our friendship. We can take it at whatever pace you want," Cody said.

  "Are you sure? You aren't…" Emilia paused, looking for the right word, gesturing with her hand as if trying to find it in the air. "Frustrated?"

  Cody laughed. "No, I don't want to rush into anything, either.”

  It was the truth. Cody had to figure out if Emilia would even want someone like her once she told her why she truly stopped being a paramedic. And if they ever really got to the dating and sex part, Cody had a feeling it would be worth the wait.

  Cody was a grown woman with some self-control, and the idea of pressuring anyone to sleep with her was something that made her feel slimy, not suave.

  “Except there is something that we have to do very soon,” Cody said, trying hard to seem solemn.

  Emilia looked up skeptically.

  “We’re going to go get you a tree,” Cody said, sighing as if it was a hardship.

  Emilia laughed, as if in disbelief. “No way.”

  “I’m not saying you need a wreath.” Cody widened her eyes, as if the suggestion was ridiculous.

  Emilia laughed again, shaking her head. “Can it be fake?”

  Cody gasped, holding her chest as if she had just been wounded. “Are you trying to ruin Christmas?”

  Chapter 9

  Emilia

  Emilia stared down the row of trees, her hands shoved firmly in her pockets. It was freezing and she had forgotten gloves.

  She stood in the dark nursery parking lot, staring out at all of the trees so carefully arranged on the other side of a chain link fence. The lights were off and the nursery was closed. Had Cody given her the wrong address?

  Live Christmas trees were overrated. All she could envision was how many times she’d have to vacuum up the fallen pine needles. She felt guilty for her lack of Christmas spirit, but who had time for that?

  What single woman, running a business, had time to have a live tree?

  What a ridiculous concept.

  She sighed, turning on her heel to head back to her car to give Cody a call and say they should meet somewhere else. She still wanted to see Cody –– she desperately wanted to see Cody but this wasn’t her idea of fun.

  She rounded the corner of the building to find Cody walking towards her with two to-go coffee cups in her hands and a big, goofy grin on her face. Her curls peeked out from under a beanie, and she had a large scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and chin.

  She looked, in that moment, adorable. Emilia had never been a cuddly person, but she carefully hugged Cody to say hello, wanting to nuzzle into that scarf and stay warm forever.

  “You’ve got to be freezing,” Cody said, and up close, her eyes were glistening and her cheeks were rosy from the chill.

  She was absolutely freezing to death. “I’m fine,” Emilia lied.

  Cody gave her a long look.

  “I brought provisions,” Cody said, handing her a cup.

  “Ooh, what is it?” Emilia asked.

  “It’s an almond milk mocha with a touch of something special,” Cody said with a sly smile.

  “How did you know my exact coffee order this time of year?” Emilia asked, holding both hands on her mug to warm them up.

  “Because you’re warm and sweet, just like this drink,” Cody said with a dumb, exaggerated smile.

  Emilia quirked a brow.

  “Frankie told me,” Cody said with a laugh, shaking her head.

  Emilia rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m grateful for her meddling,” she said. She took a sip from the mug, and her eyes widened when she realized the touch of something special was peppermint schnapps.

  She felt the drink warm her chest and belly as it went down.

  Cody was staring at her with wide eyes. “Do you like it?”

  Emilia nodded, then pointed at Cody’s drink. “Did you make one for yourself?”

  Cody shook her head. “No, mine’s bourbon,” she said with a wink.

  Emilia grinned, grateful for the thoughtful gesture. “Thank you,” she said.

  Cody smiled down at her. “Now, don’t go thinking I’m just getting you white girl wasted so you’ll buy a tree,” she said.

  Emilia tilted her head skeptically. “Sure you’re not,” she teased. She shivered, taking another sip of the drink.

  “I knew you were cold,” Cody said, trying to look stern. She took off a glove to touch Emilia’s hand. “You’re like ice!” She looked shocked. She touched Emilia’s cheek and shook her head.

  “I’m really fine,” Emilia said, internally cursing herself for not dressing properly.

  Cody pulled off her own scarf and reached, wrapping it around Emilia’s neck. She accidentally wrapped it too high, blindfolding Emilia, then unwrapped it a layer and tucked the end of the scarf into Emilia’s collar.

  The scarf was warm from Cody’s own body, and smelled like pine and sugar, as though she had been baking while wearing it.

  “You really don’t––“ Emilia began as Cody took off a glove.

  Cody handed her the glove and Emilia looked confused. “Just one?”

  Cody nodded, pointing to which hand it should go on. “You take the right glove, I take the left glove,” she said. Then, with her bare hand, she took Emilia’s bare hand, and tucked it into her coat pocket. “And we’ll keep the others warm together this way.”

  Cody’s hand was warm and soft as she laced her fingers through Emilia’s inside of her pocket.

  “Between the schnapps, gloves, and scarf, you should make it through the night,” Cody said.

  “You’re like my own personal Balto,” Emilia teased.

  “Balto was adorable, and I will take that,” Cody said, grinning, her dimples popping.

  “I do hate to ruin this very nice moment, but I have to tell you, the nursery is closed,” Emilia said, pointing with one gloved finger lifted off her coffee cup.

  Cody laughed. “Somehow, I think it’ll be alright,” she said.

  They walked together to the gate of the Christmas tree area and the lights turned on, illuminating the trees with thousands of twinkle lights strung across the lot.

  “Wow,” Emilia said, unable to stop a giant smile from spreading across her face in wonder.

  “Hey Hal,” Cody said, and Emilia blinked, looking around. An older man in Carhartt coveralls was standing on the other side of a gate.

  “Hey Cody,” he said, unlocking the gate.

  "Called in a favor?” Emilia whispered.

  “I worked in the nursery one summer when the bakery was slow,” Cody said, unlinking their fingers to give Hal a handshake.

  “Wow, is this the treatment all former employees get?” Emilia said, shaking Hal’s hand.

  “Only my favorite ones,” Hal said.

  “Hal is Henry’s best friend,” Cody explained. “He’s like a second uncle to me.”

  Hal clapped Cody on the shoulder.

  “Oh, don’t worry, there’s plenty of quid pro quo. Henry always bakes pies in these special tins for my wife so she can pretend she made them herself,” Hal joked.

  “And you used to take such care of my mom’s rose
s to the point that she won an award from her HOA,” Cody said with a laugh.

  “Cody even took my son to prom when his date bailed at the last minute,” Hal continued.

  Emilia blinked in surprise. “I’m trying to imagine you on a date with a teenage boy,” she joked.

  “First of all, this wasn’t last year. I was 19. Second of all, I was slightly more feminine back then,” Cody said with a laugh.

  “I have pictures,” Hal said, as if reaching for his wallet.

  “Don’t you dare,” Cody said quickly.

  Emilia laughed.

  “I’m going to lock up behind you and finish up a few things inside. Go pick out a tree,” Hal said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder.

  Cody nodded, and led Emilia down a row of trees.

  Emilia sipped her coffee, looking up at Cody as they walked and held hands.

  “You can’t pick out a tree if you don’t look at them,” Cody said, side-eyeing her with a smirk.

  Emilia looked away with a small laugh, then looked up at the lights strung above them. The air was crisp, making everything sound quieter. All she could hear was the slight crunch of gravel under their feet.

  It was as quiet as the world was after a snowfall.

  She sighed, reveling in the magic of the feeling.

  “Alright, now, I estimate that we won’t want a tree over about six feet in that apartment of yours,” Cody said, sounding very serious about tree selection.

  In her defense, they did smell amazing.

  Emilia unlaced her fingers from Cody’s and reached out to feel the needles on a branch near her. They were softer than she had anticipated. She didn’t know why, but she had been thinking they’d poke her like cactus.

  Most of the trees even had pinecones.

  “These smell really good,” she admitted.

  “That’s because these are firs. They have that classic Christmas tree smell,” Cody said.

  “Wow, didn’t realize I was in the presence of an expert,” Emilia joked.

  “I know a thing or two,” Cody said, pretending to polish her knuckles on her coat collar.