The moment of shared levity passed, and she climbed into the car. Seth waited until she was in, closed her door, and got in on the other side. Chivalrous too. He was racking up a lot of points. He needed to; after nearly causing her heart to explode when he called.Men! They were adorable, but could be so thoughtless.
“Wow,” Seth said. “We have seventy-five minutes to spare. What should we do? Or would you prefer to go straight back?”
“Can we go to the mall?” Chantal asked. “I want a warmer hat. It’s cold here.”
Seth’s deep chuckle sent shivers down Joy’s spine.
“It’s only twenty-three degrees Fahrenheit. That’s minus five Celsius to those of us from Canada. That’s barely cold at all.”
“We’re from California,” Joy said. “Twenty-three degrees is dang cold for us.” She couldn’t help but shiver. The car was warm, but not warm enough to suit her. Seth had taken off his gloves and stuffed them into the pocket of his unbuttoned wool jacket.
“Can we? Can we go to the mall?”
Joy looked at Seth, who gave an infinitesimal nod. She nodded back. “Is there a mall that isn’t out of the way?” She asked Adesh.
“About five minutes away. Did you want me to take you there?”
“Yes, please!” Chantal called.
Adesh met Joy’s eyes in the rearview mirror. She nodded.
“Okay, it won’t be long.”
It was the first Saturday in December, and the mall lot was packed. Adesh dropped them off at the door and agreed to come back to pick them up in just under an hour.
Joy grimaced, and they made their way past a crowd lined up outside a coffee shop. This was a huge mistake. She hated shopping most days, and that dislike amped up during the Christmas rush. The mood was chaotic. People chatted and laughed. Many plodded ahead with grim determination, frowns marring their faces. Others wandered like they were in a flower garden enjoying the blooms. The only upside was the bright, cheerful holiday music playing. She loved Christmas music. Even secular stuff like Wham’sLast Christmas, which was playing when they entered.
“What do you want to look at?” Seth asked as they stepped through the double doors.
Joy barely took her eyes off Chantal. She was terrified her daughter would be knocked over. Chantal named a popular outerwear shop. Two young boys raced past as Seth checked the mall map for the shop Chantal wanted. Their mother screeched at them to come back. Joy shuddered in fear.
“It’s upstairs.” He jabbed his thumb to the left. “We can take the elevator. Luckily, it isn’t too far.”
“There’s a bench. Why don’t you guys wait here, and I’ll run up and get a hat?” She forced all her enthusiasm into the suggestion, hoping they’d think a rest was just what they needed.
“Mo-om. I want to choose my own. You’ll pick something girly or for a little kid.”
Joy clenched her fists and reminded herself that this train trip was their first vacation since Chantal’s diagnosis just over four years ago. Her daughter deserved to enjoy herself.
“How about I walk just ahead of you?” Seth offered. “You know, break a trail through the crowd so it’s easier to navigate.”
Joy hated the idea, but if they were going to do this, it was probably their best plan. “I guess that works.” She hated that her voice lacked any sort of enthusiasm. She probably sounded like she was headed for major surgery.
“Come on, Joy. It’ll be fun. It’s not far. We’ve got the time.” He started forward. People stepped around him, leaving a space for her and Chantal to follow. He was like a boat, and they were traveling in his wake. It was easier going than she’d anticipated. Seth breaking trail was a good idea. They reached the elevator in no time and found there were fewer people on the second level, though the store itself was packed. She’d swear that half the people in the mall were enjoying the holiday atmosphere rather than shopping. She was looking through a pile of hats when Chantal tugged on her arm.
“Look, Mama. Isn’t that the lady from the train? The nurse with the old man in the wheelchair?”
She glanced up. “It sure looks like her.” She was with a tall, broad-shouldered man with thick brown hair. They seemed to be arguing about something. Idly, she wondered who was looking after the old man if his nurse was shopping.
“It does look like her,” Seth said. “The man looks vaguely familiar, too. I wonder if he was on the train. It was so busy I didn’t get a good look at everyone and didn’t pay much attention to the passengers who weren’t contestants.”
She studied the pair through the passing crowd, trying to be discreet. “You’re right. There is something about him that seems familiar.” She shrugged. “Maybe he just has one of those faces.” She had a cousin who was always mistaken for random other people. It happened.
“That lady is from the train too,” Chantal pointed to a woman walking out of a store.
“Don’t point, dear. It isn’t polite.” She was right, though; the second woman had been sitting near the back of the welcome meeting. She stopped to talk to the woman they thought was the nurse, confirming suspicions that she was, indeed, from the train. Maybe the man was too.
“Can we go to the food court? I’m starved,” Chantal begged after they gathered their hat and mitten purchase.
