A Family by Christmas

by Viv Royce

  “Super festive. Perfect.”

  Casey nodded. She fidgeted with her hands. “What if I forget the words?”

  “You won’t. You know them by heart. Once you’ve started singing, they’ll come. You don’t even have to think about it.” The less you think at all, the better. Believe me.

  “But the stage is very big.” Casey threw an anxious look in its direction. “And all of those people watching.”

  “They will think you’re very brave to perform for them. It will be all right. Remember what I told you about your posture. Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders. Just imagine you’re in the shop with me, singing for Mr. Winter.”

  Casey giggled. “I will. Thanks for helping me.” She hugged Emma again.

  Emma held her tightly a moment. “You can do it.”

  “Hello, Emma.” Mrs. Galloway stood a few feet away. Casey said she wanted to say hi to Cleo and darted off to the bookshop booth where her friend put the last red and white candy canes in place among the stacks of books. Cleo sneaked Casey a cane and winked at her, laughing about something.

  Mrs. Galloway closed in.

  Emma’s breath caught. Maybe she’s angry about Casey performing and suspects you put her up to it. She dug her heels into the snow, preparing herself. Just stay calm.

  “Your booth looks amazing.” Mrs. Galloway smiled at her.

  “Thank you.” Her knees wobbled at the idea that her hostess here at the tree farm wasn’t happy with her, and it was Grant’s mother too, and Casey’s gran. All her plans for a comfy cooking session might go out of the window.

  “Casey wants to perform, and I heard you helped her prepare for it,” she said.

  “Yes, it’s a surprise for Grant.”

  Mrs. Galloway’s smile deepened. “This is a big thing for Casey. She hates to be the center of attention, you know. She was so shy and quiet when she came here and now this. I can’t believe it’s true.”

  Emma relaxed a little. “She came up with the idea all by herself. I just helped her prepare a little. She already knew the words and the tune; she just needed a bit more…confidence.”

  Mrs. Galloway nodded. “And you gave that to her. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that.”

  Emma’s stomach squeezed. Mrs. Galloway was grateful now, but what would happen at the actual moment Casey had to perform? She might freeze or feel like she made a fool of herself in front of the entire town. The experience might set her back.

  Grant will hate that I helped her do this. The panic swirling in her chest made it difficult for her to breathe deep.

  “We all need a little help with confidence sometimes, Emma,” Mrs. Galloway said. “Casey had all these thoughts in her head that her mommy had left her for something she had done wrong. It was heartbreaking to see. But she survived. She became stronger. We can’t always protect her. We have to let her go make her own decisions and…”

  Fall on her face? Everything inside Emma resisted this, but she didn’t speak. She couldn’t without sounding on the verge of tears.

  “I tell myself every day that it will be all right,” Mrs. Galloway said. “With Casey and with Grant. I have to believe that.” She squeezed Emma’s arm lightly. “You can believe it too.”

  A voice boomed over the speakers announcing that the fair was about to begin. Visitors were pouring in, dressed up warm, and started to explore the offer. Oohs and aahs about the booths resounded and the band played the first Christmas song.

  The smell of mulled wine and hot chocolate was on the air.

  My very first big event representing the shop. And it’s not chocolates I’m worried about or making sales. But that little girl on that huge stage.

  …

  “This is even better than last year,” an elderly man said and slapped Grant on the shoulder. As he was two heads shorter, the slap landed somewhere on Grant’s back.

  “Thanks,” Grant replied automatically. He was vaguely aware of the Christmas music playing, all the scents, the bustle of the people, the chaos of the fair he remembered from his childhood when his grandparents had had a fair here already. It was such a long-standing family tradition that he couldn’t recall a time when it hadn’t been there. The skies were clear so the only snow falling was the fine drift swept off the trees by the breeze. People walked hand in hand past the stalls, looking for that perfect Christmas present for loved ones to wrap and put under their tree. A Galloway tree, probably. This was what his family had built in generations of hard work. And he was a part of this.

  The song stopped, and the band leader spoke into the microphone, “And now ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special performance. We’ll be playing that all-time favorite, that classic, ‘Silent Night,’ to accompany a sweet little lady who wants to sing for you. Here she is. Casey Galloway.”

  What? Grant jerked upright upon hearing his daughter’s name. That can’t be right. He stared at the stage, hoping some other kid would appear. But it was his little girl walking up to the band leader and accepting the microphone from him. Casey in her fleece jacket and dress, her cheeks red and her eyes full of apprehension. The tightness of her lips betrayed she was terrified and wanted to be anywhere but on the enormous stage.

  No, princess… He wanted to run to the platform, jump onto it and shelter her in his arms, tell her she didn’t have to do this.

  Casey stood there, very still, staring out across the people. Grant couldn’t look away from her face, the tightness in her jaw. She’s paralyzed. She can’t get a word out. Do something, anything, to spare her this.

  The band already started playing the intro. The leader was counting down to give Casey the signal to start.

  Something stirred in the corner of his eye. Emma abandoned her stall and made her way to the front of the crowd at the stage. She lifted both her hands and made a heart gesture at Casey. Casey didn’t seem to see her at first, but then her eyes lit in recognition and her whole face relaxed in a dazzling smile.

  The leader pointed at her, and she began singing. Her voice was high and pure. Grant stared at his little girl, rooted to the ground. I never knew she could sing like that.

  People elbowed each other and exchanged excited looks but no one spoke as if they knew this song needed silence.

  Casey’s voice was soft on the first few lines but then rose in strength, filling the area. An elderly lady close to Grant wiped a tear away. Her husband put an arm around her. Grant looked at Emma, who was beaming at Casey. He wanted to wrap his arm around her and tell her that whatever she had done to his little girl to make her confident like this, he would be forever grateful to her for it. But she was too far away for him to wrestle his way over to her and he didn’t want to disturb his daughter’s concentration.

  Casey was on the last lines and people started to sing along, at first hesitantly then stronger until it was like a full choir of voices, young and old, strong and weak, high and low, singing the season’s joy.

  When the last note died down, everybody stood a moment, breathing the chill winter air, listening as it were to the music drifting away to heaven above. Then they broke into life, clapping and cheering. Casey turned bright red and fumbled with the microphone, but her eyes beamed. Emma pushed to the stage and Casey ran over and jumped into her arms. Emma hugged her tightly.

  Grant grinned. That’s one special woman.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket. Not now.

  It kept going, like an alarm beeping in the cockpit, warning him something was up.

  Okay then. He pulled it up and checked the screen. Ivo? He hadn’t talked to his old buddy in ages. He took a few steps away and answered, holding the phone close to his ear.

  “Hello, Grant. I got great news for you. I found you the perfect job.”

  “Job?” he repeated, not sure he had heard right.

  “Yes. It’s in the Florida Keys. You’ll be based on one of the islands and fly out to the others. It’s a day job where you determine your own hours so perfect to take care of y
our little girl too. And she will love it there. Dolphins, turtles, flamingos. You can raise her away from the city, out where everything is still wild and free. Perfect for you, buddy. How about it? I can put in a word for you. Guy who runs the air shuttle service is married to a friend of my sister’s. That’s how I heard.”

  Grant’s mind whirled with images of the Florida Keys, white beaches, palm trees, wildlife, boating, raising his little girl in such a beautiful environment, being able to fly again and still have enough time for her. It sounded like the dream offer. And at the same time he saw Casey, standing on her own feet again, beside Emma, looking up at her with an adoring smile, and his gut clenched. Locals came up to her to tell her how well she had done, and she didn’t hide away but talked to them, gesturing and laughing.

  How do you tell her you’re taking her away from her new friends?

  He clutched the phone. Something about leaving seemed intuitively wrong. But maybe he had become overprotective. If it had been up to him, she’d never have gone up on that stage. But she could do that, and she can also make new friends in Florida. She’ll be so excited to see flamingos, go out on a boat. Open up the world to her, one step at a time. It’ll be one big adventure.

  “Grant?” Ivo’s voice echoed in his ear. “Are you there?”

  “Yes, thanks for the offer, sounds great. I’m at a Christmas fair so I can’t talk. Can I call you back?”

  “What is there to call me back about? This is the perfect offer.”

  Grant recalled all the applications he had sent out and all the rejections, or the deep silence, he had gotten in return. Yes, this could be it. His need for regular hours didn’t make him the flexible candidate most employers liked to see. He should jump at the chance.

  “I’ll put in a word for you,” Ivo repeated. “I’m sure they’ll take you on. Happy to help you. You’re a born pilot. Bye.”

  Grant lowered his phone and lifted his face to the skies. This time he wouldn’t be flying away from Casey anymore. He’d be near her all the time. They could even fly together, go on daytrips to islands. Share his love of the great outdoors with his daughter.

  “Daddy!” Little arms hugged his waist. He looked down at Casey grinning up at him. “Did you hear me sing?”

  “You were amazing. I’m so proud of you.” He slipped the phone into his pocket and lifted her in his arms. She hugged his neck and rubbed her warm cheek against his. He expected Emma to be hard on her heels and wanted to tell her how much he had loved that song. But she wasn’t there.

  Half turning, he spotted her behind her booth, selling bonbon boxes to eager customers. Of course. She’s here for her business.

  The voice over the PA invited the mayor to come to the stage now and announce which three wishes from the Christmas tree at the community center would be granted. The town father, bundled up in a thick coat and a red scarf, climbed the steps and waved at the crowd. He was carrying three cards in his hand and people were squeezing each other’s arm in excitement, hoping that their wish had made it.

  Grant had no idea what kind of things people might wish for, but the ones granted had to be within the city council’s power and budget to fulfill. New cars or cruises wouldn’t be eligible.

  The mayor grabbed the microphone and cleared his throat. “Dear townspeople, friends…” He smiled. “I have here three wonderful wishes we’re going to make come true. Things people asked for, not for themselves but for others. A friend, a neighbor or the community. I’m always pleased with the kindness and spirit of togetherness displayed in the wishes hung in our community center’s tree. And this year it was particularly hard to choose which wishes we were going to fulfill. So many were selfless and touching.”

  Grant glanced at Emma’s booth. She was listening to the mayor with keen attention, her eyes alight in her warm face. Did anyone make a wish for her? To give her something special…

  “First up,” the mayor said, “we have this wish.” He held up the card. “A patron of the library who wants to remain anonymous is asking us for the budget to create a service where books can be delivered to those who are not able to visit the library in person. This is particularly pressing in this time of year where snow can keep the elderly homebound. A beautiful idea.”

  He held up another card. “A suggestion that the town could provide meals to those who are not able to cook fresh for themselves every day. And…”

  He showed the third card. “A wish for a project at the community center where those who have no family can eat together.

  “Now the council and I decided it would be a great idea to combine these three wishes into a single project. One night a week volunteers will be cooking at the community center. Those who want to eat together can go there for a free meal. Those who are unable to come will have their meal delivered to their home, along with books of their choosing.

  “The librarian and her volunteers have already agreed to take people’s orders for books on that day. They’ll be ready in reusable totes, for the meal volunteers to pick up and take along to the addresses they are delivering to. Meal volunteers will come from the already existing cooking class at the community center and you can also sign up at the community center booth on the fairgrounds if you want to get involved. Aside from volunteers, we’re looking for shopkeepers who want to donate food or other items to the project. Let’s make this amazing together.”

  Cheers and applause welcomed this new venture. Emma was beaming, and Grant figured she’d join in for sure, donating bonbons for after dinner coffee, or as a volunteer, cooking or delivering the meals and books to the elderly.

  Too bad he was leaving and couldn’t be a part of it, too.

  But the Floridian job offer was the perfect chance to build a solid future for himself and Casey. Everything Ivo had told him about it was exactly right for his situation.

  Like a wish granted, although he hadn’t put it in the Christmas tree.

  He should be dancing around the fairgrounds with his daughter, to celebrate he had actually done it. Secured that amazing future for the both of them. Why am I not feeling it?

  No sense of peace descended on him, no conviction it was all right what he was doing. Just unrest crawling across his nerve ends, something off radar he couldn’t pin down.

  If there was one thing he had learned on his climbing trips, it was to trust his gut. It knew trouble was coming long before any factual signs of bad weather or unstable rocks showed. Might even have saved his life on several occasions.

  Right now, that interfering gut was whispering at him he was making a huge mistake. But this was one time he wasn’t going to listen. Because listening might mean taking a lot more risk than just accepting things at face value.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You don’t have to buy chocolates from me,” Emma said as she carried the boxes into the kitchen. It was two days after the Christmas fair, and she had worked from the moment she rolled out of bed until she could fall into it at night. Her back twinged with every move and her eyelids pricked as if sand had been blown into them. She suppressed a yawn.

  Mrs. Galloway waved a hand. “We’re entertaining a ton of people after the Christmas morning service and I want something special for them. Thanks so much for making these.” She flipped the lid and studied the little trees that all had tiny ornament decorations of colorful frosting. “You must have spent some time on them.”

  “I love special assignments.” Emma stretched herself and rolled back her shoulders. The exhaustion of her long to-do list seeped through her every fiber and these moments in the carefree atmosphere of the Galloway tree farm provided the breather she had been aching for.

  It didn’t matter where Grant was and if she’d even see him now that she was here. She had made friends with his entire family, not just him. He had seemed different at the fair. After Casey had sung. Like he wasn’t happy with it. There had been something in his eyes, a bit pensive, faraway. As if he’d already left Wood Creek mentally. And instead of com
ing in person to help with the deliveries, he had sent his father along. What was he up to?

  None of your business. He already gave you a lot of his time. He doesn’t owe you any more. She shook herself up and forced a smile at Mrs. Galloway, who was still admiring the detailing on the chocolate trees. “I’ve got coffee ready,” her hostess said. “Would you find Fay? She’s in the big barn.”

  “Sure.” Emma stepped out of the back door and made her way through the fresh snow to the big barn. It seemed like a normal thing to do, as if she had been coming here for years. Everybody was so welcoming, kind and relaxed. They had a busy company to run but they did it together, with warmth and caring. She hadn’t yet heard them yell at each other or act snappy and irritated. No doubt it did happen at times, after all, they were humans like everybody else, but there was a decided kindness here, a good heart.

  The tension in her tired shoulders seeped away, and Emma smiled as she pushed open the door into the big barn. The invigorating smell of the trees was almost like a welcoming touch on her face. She inhaled it deep into her and looked around, drinking in all details. On the work bench against the wall big ledgers sat, in leather bands, and tools alternated with dirty mugs which nobody bothered to ever take inside for a wash. On the wall an old handsaw hung, a bit rusty, representing the old days before power saws had come upon the scene. This was a place she would love to wander through, touching a tree branch here and there, just being a part of it.

  But she had to find Fay and bring her in for coffee. Mrs. Galloway would be pouring it into mugs by now and getting cookies ready.

  Stamping her cold feet, Emma walked around quickly, peeking about her. Nobody in sight. Her breath formed clouds in the cold air. In here there was no heating. Oh, there! At the far end Fay stood at a rickety table, leaning over a red wrapped something on the table. Her hands rested on the edge. Emma drew near, about to call out for her.