AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I head to the bathroom to check my makeup and hair in the mirror. There are some black smudges under my eyes, so I fix my face and take a few deep breaths. After a few minutes, I hear the shrill screech of the kettle.
When I get back to the kitchen, Brent is pouring coffee creamer into the hot chocolate, just the way that I like it, and my heart swells.
“Drinks are ready,” Brent says. “Blankets are next to the couch. Pick whichever one you want.”
I pick the fluffiest one I can find and wrap it around my shoulders. Brent laughs and shakes his head.
“What? Are you embarrassed by my blanket cape?”
“Not at all. Whatever makes you happy.” He laughs again. “Let’s do this. I know the best streets to see the lights.”
“I’m so excited,” I say as we leave the house and head to his truck.
I settle into the cab of the truck and wrap the blanket around my legs. I’m comfortable, and when Brent gets behind the wheel and he hands me my cocoa, an involuntary sigh leaves my lips.
He backs out of the driveway, and to my complete surprise, he hits the power button on the radio and lets Christmas tunes fill the truck.
I smirk, but before I can say anything, he says, “Don’t. Even. Comment.”
“Nope, my lips are sealed.” I mime zipping my lips and pretend to throw the key over my shoulder.
It’s not that late, but there aren’t many people on the roads. The sidewalks are mostly empty. Back in the city the streets would still be filled—people would be spilling out of restaurants and bars for hours to come.
We start our adventure on Main Street, taking in the stores that are decorated, before continuing to the residential streets.
The first one we drive down, there are white lights covering the trees lining the street, and most of the modest homes are lit up with decorations—nativity scenes sit in the front lawns and wreaths adorn the front doors.
“This is the street that I grew up on with my parents,” Brent says as he looks around. “Right here was our house.”
We pull up in front of a cute little cottage. The siding on the house is white, with black shutters on all of the windows, and flower boxes filled with winter greens. Similar to his current house, there’s a small front porch with rocking chairs on it.
“How long did you live here?”
“Until I married Michelle and moved in with her. I loved it here, on this street, and in this house. My parents used to decorate those two trees in the front yard like a traditional Christmas tree and there were candles in each of the windows that my mom would light every night.”
He appears lost in thought, and I don’t want to interrupt his memories, so I stay quiet. I love learning more about him.
“That house across the street was where Sally lived, and we’d hang out all the time, playing in each other’s yards and riding our bikes down the street. These trees along the sidewalk have been lit by the residents for as long as I can remember.”
“That’s amazing. What great memories you have. It looks like an adorable street to grow up on.”
We sit there for another minute before Brent continues driving through the quiet streets in town. We sip our hot cocoa and listen to Christmas classics, and after half an hour speeds by, we pull into a development that takes my breath away.
“Brent, what is this place?” I try to take in the scene in front of me, but my eyes don’t know where to look first. Each home is the size of a mansion, with three car garages, beautifully landscaped yards, and the most expansive collection of Christmas decorations.
“This is called The Woods,” he says, as we slowly make our way down the first street. “It’s the most expensive place to live in Winterberry and the homes are huge. Each one goes all out for the Christmas season, as you can see. It’s my second favorite place to see the decorations.”
“I can see why. It’s gorgeous here.”
Each house is bigger than the next and there’s not a single one that isn’t all decked out. My eyes stay glued to the windows, desperately devouring the sight before us.
We drive down the three main streets in the development.
“Can we go down the streets again before we leave?” I ask Brent when we see the last house.
“Sure, I’ll go slower this time so you can catch everything.”
“Thank you,” I say, wrapping the blanket tighter around my legs and finishing my hot chocolate.
