My mom squeezed my arm. “Just be patient, Anak.”
I looked back at my mom. “Thanks, Mom. I know you’re all trying to help, but I need to be realistic or I’m never going to get over this.”
Chapter 29: Kit
December rolled around, and it was time to make good on my promise to Aunt Rita and go home to Creekstone for the holidays. I flew into Atlanta, and Veronica picked me up from the airport. She let me borrow one of their cars to go up to Creekstone for a few days. Veronica stressed that I could come back to her house at any time if I felt overwhelmed. I knew it was a possibility that I would see William because he had kept his rented room at the house. Aunt Rita had casually mentioned that the front room was still rented to the same person, but they worked out of town and spent most of their time traveling. The rest of her rooms were rented, which was great news as far as covering the cost of running the house.
When I arrived, it was early evening. Whatever anxiety I had about being in Creekstone instantly melted away because of how beautiful the town looked. Streetlamps were wrapped in garland and lights. Wreaths hung on every storefront. Holly and poinsettias lined the windows on Main Street. Several of the buildings had been given impressive facelifts, new paint, new windows, new shutters, and new sidewalks.
I went straight to the library. I wanted to see the Christmas trees before the library closed for the night. When I walked through the doors, I felt like I was home. The warm blast of air accompanied by the scent of library books was so familiar and comforting that I smiled.
“Kit!” Trent screamed from the circulation desk. He jumped over the desk and bounded toward me like a huge, tattooed puppy dog. “I have missed you so much.” He wrapped me up in a huge hug.
I let out a surprised laugh and said, “Buddy, I’ve missed you, too.”
“Sasha, Melissa, and Nick are going to be so fucking jazzed you’re home,” Trent said, holding me by my arms. “We should all meet at The Pub!”
“Yes!” I agreed, actually feeling excited by the thought. “But not tonight. I promised Aunt Rita I’d come home for dinner tonight. Tomorrow?”
“Yes, tomorrow for sure!” Trent said. “Hey, I gotta do my closing rounds and check all the stacks. We got about fifteen more minutes. I can’t wait to hear about D.C. tomorrow night! Enjoy the trees. Some of them are pretty good!”
“Okay, I should be out of here before closing,” I smiled.
Trent gave me the rock and roll signal with his hand and said, “Rock on, Boss Lady!”
I started wandering around the library looking at the trees. There were more trees than last year, and they all looked great. Some of the groups had recycled their themes from previous years, but a few had new themes. The scouts decided to make ornaments that looked like holiday themed merit badges. That was adorable. The high school STEM team did a Star Wars Christmas theme that I found oddly enjoyable.
The last tree was from the Creekstone Chamber of Commerce. They’d made ceramic ornaments that looked likelittle replicas of buildings in Creekstone. They had one of the courthouse, library, The Pub, The Bean, and most of the businesses. In addition to the ornaments shaped like buildings, there were little ornaments that looked like street signs, simple lights, and tinsel on the tree. The perfecting touch was an old-fashioned star on top of the tree. It had a sign across it that said, ‘Welcome to Creekstone.’ Although simply done, the tree was perfect.
As I stood admiring the tree, a man walked up and stood next to me. I turned to see Mr. Braithway. It took me a second to realize it was him because he wasn’t wearing a suit and his hair was a bit longer with a full beard.
“Oh, hi,” I said, surprised to see him there.
“I think we’ve met before,” Mr. Braithway said, extending his hand for a handshake. I took it. Mr. Braithway’s hand was smooth and warm, but his handshake was firm.
I nodded. “We have met. I’m Kit Campbell.”
“Well, Kit. Do you like the Chamber’s tree?” Mr. Braithway asked.
“I do,” I admitted. “I love the Creekstone-themed ornaments. I was just admiring all the detail that went into making them.”
“William insisted,” Mr. Braithway said. “I wanted to hire a designer to decorate a tree like we used to do at the office in Atlanta, but William told me that was too impersonal and Christmas decorations were a visual expression of joy and hope. So according to William, a lot of thought had to go into them.”
I turned and looked at the tree. The mention of William’s name made my cheeks feel hot. Finally, I said, “Well, they’re very well done, and I can feel the love for Creekstone in this tree.”
“Good,” Mr. Braithway said gruffly. “The custom, hand-painted ceramic ornaments cost me an arm and leg.”
I chuckled. I turned to Mr. Braithway and said, “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing in Creekstone?”
“Well, I am building a retirement cabin just up the road, so I’m staying here in town for the holidays. Getting to know the town a bit,” Mr. Braithway said, smoothing his beard with one hand.
I licked my lips and nodded. “It’s the best place to be at Christmas, so you’re in luck.”
Mr. Braithway stood next to me for another minute, and I turned to him and said, “How’s semi-retirement?”
“Crazy,” Braithway said. He surprised me by disclosing something personal. “I decided to try dating since I was retired, and I met a woman I’m madly in love with.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said.
