“Thank you.”
“Yeah, well according to Nelle, Paul giving up the chapel for the Jacobs didn’t seem all that out of character to her. He gave her a job and a place to live when she first came to Chestnut Ridge.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“He seemed excited about those children, didn’t he?”
“He did. I was surprised he showed up for the reveal. Them being there could bring a lot more to his life.”
“For sure. Seeing the world through the innocence of children brings perspective to this crazy, overcomplicated world.”
“We all need that.”
“We do. Tucker was good with them too.”
“Wondered how long it would take you to get the conversation to him.”
“Oh stop, Natalie.”
“Tucker is very well respected around here. He was the youngest firefighter in Chestnut Ridge. He started as a volunteer. I guess that’s why he’s not only such an advocate for the volunteer program, but funds the junior firefighters’ club himself.”
“That’s admirable.”
“It is. He worked his way up to captain, and he won the attention of the town’s authorities, and was one of the first paid firefighters in this town. I think it was his calling. Tucker accepted the offer with gratitude and it wasn’t long after that he was appointed as the fire chief. People think the world of him.”
“I guess everyone has a story.”
“I wish I’d known him when Jeremy was alive,” said Natalie. “I feel like I missed out on so much.”
“We can’t go backward.”
They gathered the boxes that Natalie had filled for the Christmas Tree Stroll, and then Natalie took her out back to the porch to see all the birdhouses she’d painted.
Colorful birdhouses in a kaleidoscope of colors hung from the handrail all the way around the back porch.
“Ta-da,” Natalie said.
“Wow, it looks like a lot more when they are all hanging like that.” Sheila stopped to count them. “Is the tree big enough for all of these?”
“I may have gone overboard, but figured I’d err on the side of too many. We can give the extras away as gifts.”
“Good idea. Every single one is different. I’m having trouble picking my favorite.” Sheila took a moment to really look closely at each one. “I can’t believe the detail. I think I like the oneswhere you painted the lifelike birds on them the best, but the ones with the jingle bells are cute too. I want to live in one.”
“I know. I think the green one is my favorite.”
Sheila liked the way Natalie had glued tiny battery-operated lights around the front, and the little stockings with Wynken, Blynken, and Nod on them. “We’re totally going to win. They are all fabulous.” She turned and hugged Natalie. “You are so talented.”
“Thank you.”
“I have a surprise for you later, but it’s not much compared to these.”
“I’m sure whatever you did is wonderful. Randy made a tree topper. He wants to surprise me too.”
“So, I guess we should head over to the high school now.”
“Let’s go.” Sheila helped Natalie collect all the birdhouses, placing them in a big red plastic tub so they could put them in the back of the truck.
“One of these days I might have to put in a bigger bridge so I don’t have to hike everything over to the truck,” Natalie said as she and Sheila each carried one end of the big tub.
