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I look at each detail my eyes find on the carousel. “The restoration work is impeccable.”
“For sure, now we call this The Grand Carousel at the Marcus Pavilion Complex. It was our thank you to them.”
“Is this here all year round or do they just get it up and running for Christmas?”
“It’s here all year round. The only big difference is the music. Over the holidays, it’s tunes like ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘It’s Beginning to Look (a lot) Like Christmas’.”
The line moves slowly in front of us as we wait to be allowed in. Finally getting to the front, we’re through the gate and making our way to our horses of choice. Looking back at me, her whole face lights up. “Which horse do you want to take on this ride?”
In front of me stands a black horse, mouth open as if he’s letting out a powerful war cry. A force to be reckoned with, and it reminds me of the horse I used to ride on the carousel when I was young. “How about these two?”
Her eyes follow mine to the horses lined up in front of me. Stepping up onto the track, I hitch a ride on the black steed I’ve chosen. Willow climbs aboard the tan horse to the side of mine. Her horse has an extra long mane and is decorated in Christmas bows, berries, and bells as if it would bring Saint Nick into town at the front of his sleigh. Once everyone has picked their horse for the ride, a single bell rings twice, announcing that everyone not riding needs to move away. The carousel starts to move, horses moving up and down in their singular routine.
Music swirls around us as the carousel picks up pace.
Eyes of wonder abound from the children on horses surrounding us and shouts of glee have me smiling. It’s bringing back good memories, the ones before Christmas turned into something that didn’t matter as much. I make eyes at Willow, and a huge grin spreads across her face. She pushes her glasses up in the middle before she looks away from me like she’s embarrassed over her enjoyment for the carousel.
I reach out and touch the soft skin of her cheek. “Hey, this is perfect.”
“I just thought you needed to feel like a kid again, just for a minute. There’s something magical about an old carousel that takes us back to the best parts of Christmas past. I find that very few people can say no to nostalgia like that.”
“It’s true. Before my parents started making yearly trips to Aspen at Christmas, we’d always go into town to ride the carousel. It was a fond memory and being here, hearing the music and seeing the horses, reminds me of that.”
“You see, not all ghosts of Christmas past are bad ones. Sometimes you just have to do something to remember the good ones.” Willow is making me see the joys this time of year that were lost on me a long time ago. She’s bringing me back to life one Christmas memory after the next. The carousel takes us around twice more before the bell dings again, signaling the ride coming to an end. Climbing down once we’ve stopped, I walk around Willow’s horse to help her down. Putting my hands on her waist, I can’t help but enjoy the way her body slides down mine to the platform below us.
willow
Somewhere along the way,happiness found its way into my heart, the sneaky little thing. I know it has everything to do with the way Oliver makes me feel. I told myself meeting someone for five minutes wouldn’t help me find my soulmate, but now I’m wondering if that’s a lie. It took all of five minutes of Oliver and I talking over a spilled drink to find our way to this moment. I’ve been wishing for the perfect Christmas with a special man since I was little, and now I’m finally getting my wish. Maybe Santa saw my heart was finally ready to love another after my letter to him over ten years ago.
I’m a hopeless believer. I know Santa isn’t real, but if I can’t believe in a little magic, then what's the point of Christmas? I don’t want life to make me jaded, and if saying it makes me seem naive, then so be it.
As we walk back toward the skating rink where the Christmas tree lighting ceremony will happen, Oliver grabs my hand. Even though we’re both wearing gloves, I feel the warmth of his big hand as it settles against mine. I squeeze lightly, letting him know I love the way it feels, and smile over at him. He gives me a look I can only imagine matches how I’m feeling in this exact moment and, for once, no words have to be shared between us. I can tell he’s feeling this mutual attraction as much as I am. It seems silly that it’s been a little more than a week since we first met, but my heart aches a little each time I think about the possibility of it ending soon. After all, I was simply supposed to be reminding him why Christmas was so magical.
Shaking away the notion, I get back to the moment at hand. The Christmas tree this year is situated right beside the ice rink so we can see everything from here. Families and children skate around the rink, enjoying the little snow that continues to fall. A shiver skates over me and Oliver must notice because he removes his hand from mine and instead puts his arm around my waist, pulling me into him.
We’re one of the first ones here, so we pick a good spot close to the tree. His arm around me is supplying extra warmth in the breeze tonight, but I wouldn’t miss it. I’ve been attending this tree lighting ceremony since I was a little girl. Every year the tree gets lit, I make the same wish. For peace, hope, and someone special to love.
Oliver leans down to talk in my ear, and I feel his hot breath tickle my neck. Goosebumps creep up my skin, but it’s not from the cold. It’s from how I’m feeling about him. “So, tell me, Willow. There has to be a story behind the tree, right? I feel like everything in this small town has something to tell.”
“Since you asked… it actually does. For five decades, our Whiskey Run tree has been standing as a beacon for this little town and its visitors alike. Although the lights, decorations, and ornaments have changed several times throughout the years, it still remains the most attended event during the holiday season here. The founding families of Whiskey Run all pooled their money together to not only buy the tree, but their families created the first ornaments and garland that hung on the tree.”
“Wow. You weren’t kidding.”
“Our tree is normally twelve to fifteen feet tall and actually comes from the tree farm where we purchased my tree this year. So, not only is it a special tree, it's also purchased from a local grower.”
He smirks with a hint of pride and teasing. “You really know your little town’s history, don’t you?”
“Well, for someone who’s grown up here her whole life I’d be a little ashamed if I didn’t. Stick with me, kid, and you’ll find out a little bit of everything.”
“I like that.”
I feel a blush heat my face and I wish that he’d said he liked me instead. “I like you.” I blurt it out before I can put a damper on my lips.
“I like…” But before he can say any more, Chan waves, walking over toward us.
“Hey, Will. How’s it going? I can’t believe it’s so chilly this evening.” Gus has his arm around her, and I’m so happy she found her person. Their road to engagement wasn’t exactly easy, but they made it. Their relationship gives me hope that there’s a guy out there who will be willing to fight for me, to love me, like Gus loves Chantelle. Her eyes find Oliver, and she leans into me. “Is this him?”
I nod, giving introductions. “Oliver, this is Chantelle and Gus, guys, meet Oliver.”
