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The conversation turned to what they had left to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner.
“When we finish dinner and clean up, we can start getting ready. I picked up a new peeler today, so that should help with the potatoes and squash. You could leave the peels on the apples, just chop them up nice and small.”
The rest of the night went smoothly and was relaxing. Sophie peeled and sliced and chopped and slowly sipped a second glass of wine. Her mother chatted as they worked, and she filled her in on all the neighborhood gossip—people Sophie hadn’t seen in ages. It was fun though to hear what they were all up to. When they finished, they joined her father in the living room and Sophie watched TV for a bit with them before heading to bed. It had been a long day of traveling and she knew they’d be up early to finish getting everything ready.
Thanksgiving was mostly a great day. Sophie’s aunts, uncles and cousins arrived around one and it was good to see them. Sophie’s mother was an only child, but her father had two sisters. Aunt Paula was moving slowly because of her bad knee, but her Aunt Chrissy was as animated and energetic as ever. She was the tiny one in the family and was still a runner, which kept her lean. They brought appetizers and more wine, and they all stood around the kitchen nibbling on the big charcuterie board that her cousin Sarah and Aunt Paula put together. Aunt Chrissy brought the wine and her daughters, Sophie’s cousins, Jillian and Kerry, made desserts—creme brûlée cheesecake and lemon cupcakes.
Her cousins were all about the same age as Sophie, within a year or two, and they were all settled in their lives with serious boyfriends and great jobs in finance.
Sophie helped her mother put all the side dishes on the counter so everyone could help themselves, buffet style. They sat around the living room table eating and laughing and the mood was light and fun. Until Aunt Paula asked Sophie about her job.
“So, tell us all about this new job of yours? You’re living on Fifth Avenue now and selling real estate. It all sounds very fancy!” Aunt Paula said.
Sophie laughed. “It’s not quite as glamorous as it sounds. Well, sometimes it is. There are some incredible homes for sale. I’ve made my first two sales, which is exciting. But it can be a little scary too,” she admitted. “As it is all commission and sometimes things fall apart at the last minute for all different reasons.”
Aunt Paula looked somewhat concerned. “Well, that sounds stressful. You like it though?”
“I love it. I temped for a while in a few different industries and when I started at the real estate firm, I found it all fascinating.”
“And your aunt left you an apartment on Fifth Avenue! That sounds glamorous, do you love living there?” Sarah asked.
“I really do. I have two roommates, which helps with the monthly fees,” Sophie said.
“I’m surprised you don’t sell it, get something smaller and put the rest in savings,” Aunt Paula said.
“Thank you!” Sophie’s mother said triumphantly. “That’s what I strongly suggested that she do. She has no restrictions and could sell immediately.”
Sophie smiled “I don’t want to sell though. I love it there. And Tessa and Caroline signed year-long leases.”
“You could still sell. The new owner could assume the leases,” her mother persisted.
“That would limit who would want to buy it,” Sophie said practically.
“I just worry that you could lose it, Sophie. What if your deals fall through? You already had that happen once. And what if you get hit with a big assessment? There’s not a lot left in Aunt Penny’s account, as you know.”
“I know. I’ve already been hit with an assessment,” she admitted.
“See, that’s what I was afraid of. Maybe your roommates will understand if you decide to put it on the market,” her mother insisted.
Sophie sighed. “I’m not going to do that. Not yet. If even one of these deals close, that will give me a bit of a cushion. And I have two new listings, both are great properties and could go quickly, hopefully.”
“So, what else is new with everyone?” Sophie’s father asked in an attempt to shift the conversation. Sophie smiled at him appreciatively.
“I’m getting knee surgery in two weeks,” Aunt Paula began. Sophie listened as she told them in great detail what that involved. It was far from fascinating but much better than being grilled about her apartment. As much as she loved her family, they were best enjoyed in small doses. And Sophie was looking forward to heading back to the city the next day. She was glad that she had the excuse of an open house over the weekend.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sophie’s train arrived at Grand Central the next afternoon and she enjoyed the walk to her apartment. It was a warm day for late November and the air was calm with no wind. The temperature fell a bit as she walked and by the time she reached her building, it started to snow. Just a small flurry of tiny flakes that danced and twirled in the air and immediately disappeared when they hit the ground. It was the kind of snow Sophie liked best, pretty to watch and no mess.
She made herself a cup of cinnamon tea and settled at the breakfast table in the kitchen nook that overlooked Fifth Avenue. She watched the snow fall outside as she sipped her warm tea and thought about what to do that day. She had the apartment to herself all weekend as both Caroline and Tessa weren’t due home until late Sunday afternoon. Neither of them had scheduled open houses.
She thought about heading out to the shops to explore the Black Friday deals and immediately dismissed the thought. She didn’t like crowds and knew the stores would be mobbed. So, instead she decided to have a lazy day, reading and watching movies and doing laundry. But before she did that, she spent several hours online researching and building a new list of local residents that she could mail postcards to introducing herself. That way she felt as though she’d been somewhat productive before lounging on the sofa for the rest of the day and into the night.
Sophie slept late the next morning and worked on her list for a few more hours before heading out to window-shop for a bit. She knew the stores wouldn’t be as crowded as the day before and she was curious to see if the Christmas displays were up everywhere.
They were and she also stumbled onto a huge Christmas market at Bryant Park between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. There was even a skating rink! It was so festive and fun to browse the many stalls with all kinds of gifts, many of them homemade by local artists. Sophie picked up several cute ornaments that she knew her mother and aunts would like, as well as a festive red silk tie for her father that had tiny green reindeer embroidered on it.
When she was shopped out, Sophie stopped at Maman on Lexington Avenue and went inside to warm up a bit and enjoy a honey lavender latte, which was her favorite treat. She ordered it with almond milk and loved how they made a pretty design in the foam. The flavor was amazing.
