by Jenny Hale
Once she had it all the way she wanted it, she pulled the tea-stained sheets of music from her bag. She’d been meticulous about getting the edges of each sheet perfectly lined up, creating a large, shiny piece of Christmas carol sheet music wrapping paper. She set the book in the center of it and cut the paper to size. Then, she folded it around the book, taping the edges closed, and secured it with a wide, wine-colored ribbon, tying an oversized bow on the front. Snipping an obscure piece of holly from one of the bedroom’s arrangements she’d made, she tucked it under the bow. When it was all finished, she hid the present in the closet.
After Nick’s gift was well hidden, and Max was out of the bath, Abbey stacked the rest of the exterior wreaths that had been delivered. She’d ordered more because, in a last-minute decision, she’d decided to put one on every single window on the house, all the way around. Why not? Nick needed a little Christmas cheer. The groundsmen were putting them up using ladders that were so large they looked like scaffolding. One of them had explained that it was the way they cleaned all the windows four times a year. Max had come outside and was digging in the snow with a plastic shovel he’d brought with the rest of his outside toys.
A wheelbarrow the size of a dump truck held boxes of exterior white lighting. She’d drawn a diagram of which trees to string with them and how closely to place the lights on the branches. One of the groundsmen was already setting up a ladder next to a small maple tree, its base sinking in the pile of snow underneath it. She had two of the boxes of lights in her hands. The spruce trees flanking the front door were in need of some sprucing up themselves. She started with those—shaking the snow off their branches—and then she’d move to the greenery along the railings leading to the front door.
The exterior and the living room were the only two large areas left to complete. After that, she had to put the finishing touches on the ballroom, and then add a few decorative items in the bathrooms and hallways. Then, the house would be finished.
She pulled her new scarf up around her mouth to keep her face from freezing as she got the greenery out and laid it straight along the steps to see its length before beginning on the large iron railings lining the steps. Her breath was puffing out in front of her and she could barely feel her nose, but when she saw that black Lincoln town car, she couldn’t deny the heat in her face. Abbey tried not to stare as it rolled along the snowy drive in front of her and came to a stop.
Richard got out and opened the back door. A thin arm reached out and dropped a designer bag onto the snow. Then, a pair of boots revealed themselves, their heels so tall that it was a wonder the person in the car could walk at all in these conditions. The woman wearing those boots was finally visible, her face a feminine version of Nick’s, her skin so milky and soft that it looked like the porcelain dolls Abbey had had as a child. The woman’s dark brown hair was silky and shiny despite the weather, falling in waves along the shoulders of her perfectly tailored black trench coat with a patterned buckle that cinched the belt at the waist. Richard picked up her bags and they started walking toward Abbey.
She watched the woman out of the corner of her eye as she wound the wire around the greenery to hold it on. The task was difficult with her mittens on but it was too frigid outside to take them off. The woman wobbled on her boots, her face neutral like Nick’s had been when he’d first met Abbey, but with every little slip, the woman pursed her lips in what seemed like concentration as she tried not to fall.
Abbey’s gaze moved past the woman, back to the car, as a little boy got out. He, too, was perfectly dressed—Max had never worn anything that nice, even on picture day. She looked over at him now, his jeans soaked at the knees from playing in the snow. Max stood up, eyeing the boy with anticipation on his face. The little boy’s coat and snow boots matched, both a deep hunter green. The collar of his coat and the rims around the tops of his boots were navy. The boy’s complexion was like his mother’s, the navy of his coat bringing out the blue of his eyes. He ran up beside her and Abbey heard her warn him gently not to run on the ice.
A man, presumably the husband of the woman, was getting out of the car just as the woman stopped and made eye contact with Abbey. “Oh!” she said, her gaze moving from Abbey to the house. “This is completely amazing!” She walked up the steps carefully, those tall boots working hard to keep her steady. “I’m Robin, Nick’s sister. Are you Abbey?”
She knows my name? Abbey thought. She nodded, wishing she’d spent a little more time on herself. Robin’s expression was kind, not judging, and it set her at ease a little.
“Nick has told me so much about you!”
“He has?”
“Yes! He tells me you should be my decorator.”
“He did?” She was so surprised that he’d recommended her to his own sister.
“Yes! I have a loft in New York. If I like your work, I’ll have to fly you up.”
Jet-setting around the coast to decorate people’s homes sounded preposterous for her, but no more preposterous than getting the opportunity to decorate a multi-million-dollar home. She thought to herself how different her version of “normal” had become. She could actually do this.
The little boy, who had stopped to drag his fingers in the untouched snow, and the man both joined them on the steps.
“This is my son Thomas…” She patted his head. “And my husband James. This is Abbey, the decorator.”
James held out his hand to Abbey. He was strikingly handsome—he had a square jaw, a warm smile, and his hair was curly but perfectly cut. She shook his hand. Max stepped up beside them as they finished their introductions.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “This is my son, Max.” Abbey looked down at the two boys standing side by side. “This is Thomas,” she said to Max. “Maybe he’d like to play with you.” The moment she said it, she worried that perhaps his mother didn’t want to get his clothes messed up, but when she looked at Robin, she was smiling.
Richard opened the door and ushered them inside. Abbey followed behind, needing a break from the cold. Max and Thomas were already chatting as Max kicked his snow-covered boots off at the door and unzipped his coat.
Robin gasped, her eyes going immediately to the giant Christmas trees in the entranceway. “Oh,” she said slowly, turning to Abbey and handing her coat to Richard at the same time. “These trees are positively gorgeous.”
Richard motioned for Abbey’s coat, so she shrugged it off and handed it to him along with her scarf and mittens. He scooped up the kids’ things and disappeared.
“Is this where Santa will leave our presents, Mommy?” Thomas asked as he stood next to one of the twenty-five-foot trees and tipped his head up to see all the way to the top.
“Probably not,” Robin said as she headed toward the ballroom, her heels clicking on the gleaming floors. She walked through the arching doorway and stopped in the center of the room then turned around. “Abbey, this is amazing work. These trees are fantastic. And that fireplace! Oh my goodness!” She threw her hand to her chest in dramatic excitement.
Thomas ran into the ballroom to see what his mother was raving about as Max followed.
“Wow,” James said as he entered, looking around.
Abbey was thrilled by their reaction. Having decorated around Nick and received so small a response to what she’d done, this was a welcome surprise. Hearing their praise, all the worry that she’d had about her lack of experience, picking high-end furnishings, and making the right decisions for such a wealthy client were totally gone. She caught herself smiling from ear to ear. She’d created the feel of this home all by herself, and now she realized that she could do this. Interior design was a possibility for her.
Thomas grabbed his father’s hand and began swinging it back and forth. “Is this where Santa will come?” he asked.
“I’ve put a smaller tree in the living room too,” Abbey offered. “Although I’m still decorating the house and I haven’t finished that tree. I thought maybe we could m
ake some ornaments for it or something.”
“Lovely! That would be a more suitable place for Santa, wouldn’t it?” Robin said to Thomas. “It’s cozier in the living room, I’m sure.”
Abbey smiled. While it did have more casual furniture, the mere size of the room had removed it from any definition of “cozy” that Abbey had ever had, but she’d been able to pull it together with furniture, lighting, candles, and artwork, and now it was as comfortable as anywhere else.
Richard poked his head in. “Your bags are upstairs,” he said to Robin. “I wasn’t sure which room you’d choose, so I set them in the hallway. Please let me know if you need any further assistance.”
“Thank you, Richard,” Robin said, and Richard left the room.
“Show me what else you’ve done!” Robin said, walking over to Abbey. “This house has been transformed! I haven’t been here since Sarah had it decorated with all her things. The whole house has a different feel now. It’s so…” She looked around the room as if trying to find the right words. “So, comfortable. You’ve really given it a personality. It’s just lovely.” She grabbed Abbey’s arm. “Show me the rest! And where’s my grandmother? I’m dying to see her! What does she think of all this?”
“I’m just going to take Thomas to get a snack,” James said to Robin. “Max, would you like to come too?” Max looked over at Abbey for approval and she nodded. She was so glad to have someone here now to give Max a little attention.
Abbey watched as little Thomas ran and slid in his sock feet just like Max had done. Max, delighted by the sight, joined him. It made her think of Nick. She pushed the thought away, the worry about Max’s disappointment if he didn’t show at school still lurking in her mind.
Abbey led Robin upstairs. “Caroline is probably in the living room,” Abbey said. “That’s where I left her just before you came. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.” They walked into the first bedroom. The enormous four-poster bed warmed the room, the oversized linens and navy and white throw pillows anchored the space, and drew in the deep blues of the bedside lamps that were casting a glow around the room. Abbey looked down at Robin’s boots, wishing she’d kick them off and feel the softness of the rug underneath them.
Robin took in a breath of excitement as she pushed her shiny hair behind her shoulders, her bright red nails revealing themselves between the strands. “I want this room! I’m staying in here,” she called. “I love it! Where’s my grandmother staying? Certainly, she can’t get up all these stairs on a regular basis.”
“There’s a small room at the back of the house downstairs. I believe Richard had it made up as her room with the things from her house. I’m going to check it out and make sure it’s suitable for her. I helped her bring most of it over and we left it with the staff. I’ll put the room together for her if they haven’t.”
“Good, good,” Robin said. “Show me the other rooms.”
Abbey walked her down to the room with the picture she’d taken from the closet and then through the rest of the rooms.
In the last one, Robin sat down on the bed. She patted the spot beside her, asking Abbey to sit. “I hope you have some free time in your decorating schedule,” she said, “because I would love to fly you out to New York. I have several friends who were just asking for interior designer recommendations. You’d be perfect.”
“I’m not a full-time decorator.” Could she be? Robin was lining potential clients up for her. She decided tonight she was going to begin to research small businesses and find out what she needed to do to make this happen. Her dream was right at her fingertips. Perhaps she could decorate a few more homes for Robin and her friends, add them to her portfolio, and then begin doing it full time.
“Well, we could work around your schedule. Are you booked up?”
Abbey chuckled. “No. Not at all at the moment, although I’d love to do it full time. I’m a nurse. I care for your grandmother.”
“Wait. You’re the same Abbey who is the in-home nurse for my grandmother? She loves you! She talks about you all the time!”
“Yes.”
“Well that would make sense.”
“It would?”
“Nick has nothing but wonderful things to say about you too. And not just your decorating.” She winked. “I’ve heard about your Mexican dancing,” she said laughing. “I wish you would’ve recorded that. I’ve never seen Nick dance in my life.”
Abbey’s face was suddenly on fire.
Robin laughed again. It was a light, giggling laugh. “Nick has a crush on you. He told me! He tells me everything.”
He’d told her that? she thought. Abbey caught herself smiling and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop.
Robin stood up and started to leave the room so Abbey got up too, trying to iron out her expression so she wouldn’t look like a crazy person. “Any word on when Mother’s planning on coming?” Robin asked.
“I haven’t heard,” Abbey said.
“Who knows with her,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s funny: she and Nick were always so close when we were kids. They got along famously. But after Dad died, it was as if she couldn’t be near him because he was so much like his father that it kept her in some sort of depression. She moved to Colorado not long after my father passed. I wish she would’ve stayed, though, to see how well Nick has managed everything. He’s so hard working. Persistence is one of his talents.”
“Did you know that Nick plays piano?” Abbey asked. He wrote beautiful music. People needed to hear it.
“Yes. He’s very gifted.”
“And he writes his own music.”
Robin stopped and looked directly at Abbey. “You know that?”
“He played me some.”
Her eyes got big, causing Abbey to notice her long, thick lashes. She was very beautiful. Outside of this situation, Abbey would feel intimidated near someone like her, but Robin was so kind and talkative that she almost didn’t notice how gorgeous she was. “He played for you?”
“Yes.”
“He hasn’t even played his music for me. As far as I know, he hasn’t played it for anyone. Except you, apparently. He guards it like some big secret, not letting any of us in on it.”
“Why would he do that?”
“You tell me.”
They made their way downstairs and headed into the living room where Caroline was dozing in a side chair. Abbey took in with pride the two dark wood side tables with coordinating lamps, the throw pillows for the sofas, and the whole host of indoor plants from the nursery. Thomas and Max were on the floor next to the spot where the bare Christmas tree was, playing with a small train set.
James was drinking a beer, the bottle resting in his lap. He had football on the big-screen, the volume low. He stood up when they reached him as a polite gesture. “I spoke with Caroline for a few minutes, but she fell asleep,” he whispered.
“Did you know that Nick played his music for Abbey?” Robin said to James.
He turned to look at Abbey, his eyes as wide as his wife’s had been. “Really?”
“Yes. I must get to the bottom of this.”
“Wait,” Abbey said, nearly breathless. “I don’t know if he wanted me to tell you.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m his sister and he tells me everything.” She bent down, her long hair nearly touching the floor, and smiled at Thomas and Max. “That looks fun,” she said. The boys both smiled at her, holding train cars in both hands.
“It is,” Thomas said, smiling. He handed her a train car. “This will be yours.”
“Thank you,” she said, standing up and putting it in her pocket.
“James, do you need another beer? I’m going to get a glass of wine.”
“No thank you, dear. I’m fine.”
“Abbey?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to impose.”
“You aren’t imposing at all! We can talk decorating.”
“Well, just the one glass then.�
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“Excellent!” Robin clapped her hands together quietly, her diamond rings swinging around her thin fingers. “Come with me. You can choose your wine.”
Abbey followed her through the house as they made small talk about her choice in décor.
In the kitchen, Robin opened one of the cabinet-like doors, revealing a huge wine cooler—stacks of wine went from floor to ceiling inside the cabinet. The whole thing was at least eight feet tall! “Reds are on the left, whites on the right,” she said.
Abbey didn’t know about wine. She didn’t know what was good and what wasn’t. Did Robin expect her to say the name of a wine? She had no idea…
Her confusion must have been evident because Robin stepped in and said, “I really love this white wine.” She pulled the bottle from its holder. “It’s my favorite. It’s a little sweet, more on the dessert wine side, but very nice and crisp. Have you ever had it?” She turned the bottle around so that Abbey could read the label. She’d never even heard of it.
Abbey shook her head.
“Want to try some?”
“Yes. It sounds great, thank you.”
As Robin poured the wine, Thomas came into the kitchen. “Mommy, may I have something to drink too? Daddy said to come ask you.” He climbed up on one of the swiveling high-seat chairs that lined the bar in the center of the kitchen. His tiny feet dangled as he swung them back and forth.
“Sure. What would you like? Uncle Nick probably has everything.”
“Hot chocolate, please.”
“Mmm, hot chocolate sounds nice and Christmassy! Would Max like some?”
“He said he wanted to keep playing with my trains.”
Robin nodded and pulled a mug from the cabinet.
“How old are you, Thomas?” Abbey asked, taking her wine and sitting down beside him at the bar.