Page 3 of Daddy’s Little Candy Cane

CHAPTER THREE

Diana

As soon as I arrived in town, I felt the change in the air that made me feel as though all the cares and worries of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. I no longer felt like an adult forced to live in the harsh world I was not yet used to. Instead, I felt like a kid again, young, naive, and excited for Christmas.

The town hadn't changed at all, which was more of a relief to me than the fact that I could feel the way the spirit of Christmas in the air, making it feel more like home. I hadn't been to town in months thanks to wanting to strike out on my own, and I already started to regret it. Because I had struck out on my own, Mother and Father felt the need to hire someone to take care of the house and had wasted money on that person until that person screwed them over. I still felt guilty, but, after receiving confirmation that Mother and Father we're going to give me the house anyways, l felt a little less guilty.

Even though there was a lot of things I wanted to do as soon as I got back to town, I knew that the first thing that I needed to do was to go visit Francine James, my parents' oldest and dearest friend, who currently have the key to the house. I hadn't seen her since my graduation last summer, and I couldn't wait to see her. If anybody knew where I should go in order to try to get a job, it would be her. As I drove to the mall to visit her at her office, I took in the surroundings of the town, wondering if anybody had even changed the Christmas decorations that they set out every year.

By the time I had gotten to the mall, nostalgia had completely taken over, and I felt like a child once again. As I prepared to go inside, I realized that, even though it was only the first of the month, Christmas was already in full swing, and I knew that families would be gathering at the mall to take their children to see Santa. I remembered how as a kid Roger James, Francine's son, had made Santa come to life and brought joy to all the kids. I started to wonder if he was still doing it, even after almost twenty years, as I got out of the car and started across the parking lot towards the mall, eager to see what all had changed in the few months I had been gone.

The mall seemed a little bit smaller than it had been before, and it was also a bit more empty than I was used to. Even though it was the first of the month, children were still in school, so only young children who didn't attend daycare or preschool, which was also operated by Francine James, would be out and about with their parents. All my favorite stores were still up and running, and I immediately realized that finding a job would be much easier than I had anticipated.

The mall was always so busy in this small town that they were always hiring, especially during the holiday season. Normally, they only hired high schoolers in order to give them their first time experience, but, with school still in session I was certain that they would want someone that can work even while everybody's at school. Even though I had come to this realization, I knew Francine James would be the best person to talk to about a job as well.

Finding her office, I quickly knocked on the door, hoping that she was in. She didn't respond at first, so I tried again. By my second try, the door flew open, and I saw the kind face of Francine James. Her face lit up with a look of recognition as soon as she saw me standing there at the door.

"Diana Travis?" she asked rather than stated. "Is that really you?" Smiling in response, I nodded.

"It's great to see you again, Mrs. James," I said as I stared up at her. "How have you been?" Immediately, Mrs. James threw her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.

"I didn't believe it when your parents called and said that you were coming," she admitted as she hugged me close. "It's good to see you again. I was so worried about you once they told me what happened." Realizing that Mom had probably told all her friends in town that I had been laid off and lost the apartment, I blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm perfectly fine," I reassured her as I looked up at her. She was practically squeezing the life out of me, but I was trying to be polite and not worry her. Immediately, she nodded her head and let me go.

"Of course you are," she replied, sounding as though she was saying it more for her benefit than for mine. "I still can't believe that you're here. It's been so long." As if remembering the reason why I was going to be coming by in the first place, her face lit up in recognition, and she reached into her pocket. "Before I forget, I took the liberty of collecting the key from your parents' old caretaker to hold on to until you could arrive." Pulling the key out of her pocket, she handed it to me. "From what I understand, they're giving you the old house." Realizing that Mother had told her even more than I had anticipated, I nodded, still blushing from embarrassment.

"That's right," I confirmed. "Mother and Father don't have the heart to sell the house, so they decided that they were going to give it to me as a birthday and Christmas present." Francine James laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Good for them," she replied as she looked around to make sure nobody was listening in on our conversation. "In my opinion, nobody deserves to be in that house more than you. I couldn't bear to see anybody but a Travis in that house, and I'm sure a lot of the others would agree with me." She fell silent for a moment before continuing the conversation. "Do you have enough money for food and everything until you can find a job?" Immediately, I nodded in response.

"I got my final check from my old job," I replied, "and I also had a couple thousands saved just in case of emergencies." A smile spread across her face as she patted me on the shoulder like a proud mother praising their child.

"Good for you," she said as she beamed down at me in pride. "Do me a favor and let me know if you need anything. I'm always here in case you need me." Before she could turn away, I continued.

"Actually there is one thing," I replied. "Do you know anybody in town who's looking to hire right away? I want to try to get a job before Christmas so that I can keep my family's Christmas traditions." She's smiled as she turned to look at me

"Actually, there's one person I think you should go talk to right away," she said.