"They've made a lot of friends at their facility. I know how much visitors can mean, especially around the holidays."
I looked at him for a moment. Then I looked back down at my coffee.
"Would you want to go?" he asked.
I didn't answer immediately.
It wasn’t because I didn't want to… but because I realized I did. I’d never volunteered at a senior care facility before. Never even thought about it. Now it sounded like exactly the kind of thing I wanted to do. "Yeah, I'd like that."
A smile appeared on his face. "Good."
Something about the way he said it made me smile, too.
Less than an hour later, we pulled into the parking lot of the Juniper Hollow Senior Care Facility.
The building sat on the edge of town, surrounded by snow-covered trees and neatly shoveled walkways. From the outside, it looked more like a large country inn than a medical facility. Wreaths hung from the windows. Red ribbons decorated the lamp posts near the entrance. Someone had wrapped garlands around the porch railings, and a wooden sign wishing visitors a Happy Holiday stood beside the front door.
The warmth hit me the moment we stepped inside. It wasn’t just the temperature but also the atmosphere.
A large Christmas tree stood in one corner of the common room, its branches still covered in ornaments and twinkling lights. Paper snowflakes hung from the ceiling. Garlands draped across mantels and doorways. Somewhere nearby, coffee brewed while the scent of cinnamon and freshly baked treats lingered in the air.
Residents filled the room.
Some sat watching television. Others played cards around a table near the windows. A woman worked steadily on a knitting project while two men argued amiably over a board game. A couple of residents dozed in oversized armchairs positioned near the fireplace.
The place felt lived in. Comfortable. Like the people here belonged.
A man wearing scrubs emerged from behind the reception desk and headed toward us with an easy smile. He looked to be around Thane's age. "You must be our volunteers."
"That's us," Thane said.
His gaze shifted to Thane. Recognition flickered there immediately. "Perfect. We can always use extra hands after Christmas." The man's smile widened. "You know, half the town has been pretending not to know you're here."
Thane groaned.
The man laughed. "I said pretending."
A reluctant smile appeared on Thane's face. "That makes it so much better."
"It should."
The man extended a hand. "I'm Nicholas."
We introduced ourselves, and within minutes, it felt like we'd known him longer than a few seconds.
"Thank you both for coming," he said. "We've got refreshments set up in the common room, a few games going, and several residents who mostly want somebody to talk to. Honestly, that's usually the important part."
A few minutes later, we were carrying trays of refreshments into the common room. Coffee, tea, fruit, and a selection of low-sugar treats.
An elderly woman settling into a chair struggled with her cup. Before I could react, Thane was already beside her. "I've got it."
The woman smiled her thanks.
The next half hour passed quickly.
I moved from table to table pouring coffee and tea while Thane seemed to acquire conversations everywhere he went. He remembered Eleanor's name the second time she introduced herself, listened patiently to a story about a grandson stationedoverseas, and somehow made each person feel as though they had his complete attention.
What struck me wasn't that he was helping. Plenty of people helped. It was the way he listened.
