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“I love it. She’ll go perfectly on your bed with your other stuffed animals.” There’s a lot of them. I pat her head. “Are you having fun, munchkin?”
“So much fun.” She stifles a yawn with the back of her hand. Her eyelids droop.
Guess I won’t be able to ask Penelope that question after all.
“Maybe a little too much fun?” I wrap my arm around her and kiss the top of her head. “Time to get you home and into bed, little one.”
“But Dad, I didn’t get to play all the games yet.” She sticks out her bottom lip trying to make me feel bad. It never works but I don’t tell her that because she looks so cute when she does it.
“Actually, we were planning on heading home too,” Mom says. “Why don’t we take Nora with us so you two can enjoy the rest of the festival?”
She’s smooth, I’ll give her that.
“That’s okay, Mom, I’m sure Penelope is tired too.” I peek at Penelope’s face out of the corner of my eye, trying to gauge her reaction. Would she want to stay with me? “What do you think Penelope?”
A few beats pass before she responds. “Actually, I’d love to finish seeing the festival. If that’s okay with you, Brent.”
Oh boy. “That works for me.” I turn to my mom. “Do you mind tucking her in at my place and staying there until I get back?”
“Of course, sweetheart. You two enjoy.” My mom stands on her tiptoes to kiss me on the cheek before turning and briefly embracing Penelope. “Come on Nora, maybe Pop can carry you so your little legs can rest.”
Dad grumbles under his breath as he bends down and picks Nora up. He may be grumpy most of the time, but he’d do anything for that little girl. I watch them walk away, and my heart constricts in my chest. I can’t tell if it’s anxiety about being alone with Penelope again, or just the overwhelming love I have for my family.
“All right, where to next?” I ask Penelope. “You’re lucky. I don’t stay longer at this festival for just anyone.”
“Wow, you sure know how to make a woman feel special.” She playfully nudges me with her shoulder.
We walk around in silence for a while, and I periodically glance over to make sure she’s enjoying herself. By the huge grin and wistful look in her eyes, I’d say she is. We stop at a vendor, where I buy a new ornament for Mom and Dad’s tree, then I purchase a soft pretzel to share with Penelope. We continue weaving through the crowd, making our way to Sally’s booth for more hot cocoa.
“This town really does love Christmas. Has it always been like this?” Her voice is barely audible over the loud music.
“It has actually. I grew up here and the town has always gone big for Christmas. What about you? Where did you grow up?”
“I grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to New Jersey with Gran after my parents died. I don’t have any siblings, so it was just me. Gran tried but it wasn’t the same for me after they passed.”
“I’m so sorry you went through that. When did you move to the city?”
“I started working in the city and then when Gran died, I stayed in her house since it was paid off until I could move into the city. I didn’t get much from the sale of her house, but it helped me pay rent and I had roommates. Have you always lived in Winterberry?”
“I did grow up here in Winterberry but then my late wife, Michelle, and I moved to a beach town on the Jersey Shore after we got married. I moved back after she died because I needed help with Nora and my parents needed help with the inn when they bought it.”
“Oh Brent, I’m sorry. If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?”
Pausing, I take a few deep breaths. It’s not something I talk about often. “She died of cancer. We thought we would have more time but unfortunately it took her faster than we expected. Nora is so young, and I’m scared she’ll forget her, so we talk about her a lot. She was an amazing mom.”
“Looks like we’ve both been through heartbreaking loss in our lives,” Penelope whispers, almost to herself.
A question lingers on the tip of my tongue. I probably shouldn’t ask it, but I need to know.
“Do you have someone at home waiting for you? He’s probably so worried since you have no phone with you.”
“I did have someone… I was engaged actually. But he cheated on me and I found out recently. So no, no one is waiting for me or missing me,” she says sadly. “Although Idohave a best friend named Georgia who’s my rock. I haven’t talked to her since I’ve been here though.”
“You can always use the phone at the inn if you want to. Mom and Dad won’t mind, and I’m sure Georgia would love to hear that you’re okay.”
“Would you judge me if I told you that I don’t have her number memorized?” She winces as the words leave her mouth.
“No judgment here. To be honest, the only number I have memorized is for the inn,” I reassure her. “They do have a desktop in the office at the inn if you know her email.”
