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Max smiled “We are. She’s great. She never remarried but she’s had the same boyfriend for close to fifteen years. She says she has no interest in marrying again, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they make it official someday.”
“Do you like him?”
He nodded. “Roger is a good guy. He’s from Tampa. That’s why she spends so much time in Florida. They pretty much live together now even though she has a condo nearby. I told her she should just rent hers out and stay with Roger all the time, but she likes having her independence and a place to call her own. And of course, she knows she can come here whenever she wants. I left her bedroom as is when I took the place over.”
“That was nice of you.”
Max shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal really. The bedrooms are about the same size. And she likes to come back to the city. She makes it here every few months, usually for a long weekend. She sees her friends and if I’m lucky I get her for dinner one night.”
Sophie smiled. “It’s nice that you are so close. I love my parents, but my mother isn’t always easy to be around. I just have to remind myself that she just wants to make sure I’m all right.”
“When you get your first big commission check, you should take a picture and email it to her,” Max joked.
“That’s actually not a bad idea!” Sophie said.
A few minutes later, Max pulled up to the tree lot just as another truck was leaving and he slid into the empty space.
“Okay, let’s go tree shopping.”
They walked onto the lot that had row after row of Christmas trees. All different shapes and sizes.
“What kind of tree are you looking for?” Sophie asked.
“I get the same thing every year, a three or four foot tall mini-tree. I put it in my library, so I can see it all day. You should get a big one though. You have that great space by your bay window that looks out over the street. And the ceilings are high, at least eleven or twelve feet. You have a lot of room to work with.”
“My aunt used to get a huge tree,” Sophie said. It made her a little sad, thinking of it.
But it made Max smile. “I know she did. Guess who helped her pick out her tree for the past few years?”
Sophie laughed. “So, you know exactly what will look good. You can help me find the perfect one. I have all of Aunt Penny’s ornaments, lights, and garlands.”
They walked up and down the aisles until Max saw what he was looking for. He grabbed a little tree, between three and four feet tall. Then kept walking until he stopped by a stunning, very tall and plush tree. “What do you think?”
It looked perfect to Sophie. “I love it!”
Sophie picked up the small tree and Max grabbed the big one and carried it to the makeshift counter where two men wearing sweatshirts that said Falcon and Son construction were ringing people up and helping them with their trees. Sophie guessed based on their ages and similar looks that they were father and son.
“Hey Tom,” Max nodded at the older man behind the register. “And John.”
The older man smiled big when he recognized Max. “Hey Max, nice to see you.” He glanced at Sophie and then back at Max. “I’m sorry about miss Penny. I read about it in the paper.”
“We miss her,” Max said. “This is her great niece, Sophie. She’s living here now and wanted to get a tree like Penny used to get.”
Tom nodded his approval of their chosen tree. “Well, that’s a real beauty. You need some help getting it to the truck?” He offered. There was a line behind them now and it was starting to flurry a bit.
Max shook his head. “No, we can manage. Thanks, though.”
Sophie handed Tom money for her tree and Max paid for his. His tree was so much smaller than Sophie’s that it was easy to carry it to his truck. Max made it look like Sophie’s tree was light as a feather, but she knew it was heavy.
When they climbed back in the truck to head home, as soon as they pulled into the traffic, she thanked him. “I really appreciate this. I hadn’t even thought about getting a tree yet.”
“Happy to help. I’m used to doing this every year. I really do miss your aunt. She was a sweet lady.” They were both quiet for a moment. Sophie had been thinking about her aunt more lately. She always saw her around the holidays and usually spent a long weekend with her a few weeks before Christmas. Aunt Penny would have her tree up and all decorated and they’d go Christmas shopping and out to tea at The Plaza hotel. Her aunt had loved afternoon tea at The Plaza, and it was a real treat. Sophie sighed, remembering their many visits there.
“I’m glad you are here now though,” Max added and smiled. He glanced her way and Sophie’s pulse raced faster for a second.
“I’m so glad too,” she said.
When they pulled up to the apartment, Max put his hazard lights on. “Okay we have to move fast.”
