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“No, no.” Alden stopped her. “You hand me the wreaths and hold the ladder.”
“Ooh, you’re bossy.”
Alden smiled. “Do I have a choice? Remember what happened last Christmas?”
Maggie would have forgotten if Alden hadn’t brought it up.
“You tripped on a pile of lights on the floor and sprained your ankle.” Alden put a foot on the bottom rung of the eight-foot ladder. He motioned to Maggie to hand him a wreath.
Maggie did so. “Apples and oranges, Alden. The hallway was poorly lit. I didn’t see the strands on the floor.”
“If you were clumsy at ground level, what would happen when you climb up a ladder?” Alden hung the wreath, climbed down the ladder, and moved it to the next lamppost. “This is why I’m here today on my day off. I’ll do the hard work and you enjoy the show.”
“Show? Are you showing off that your love language is acts of service?” Maggie laughed. They were also in the same Sunday school class, and one time everyone had shared what their love languages were.
For Maggie, she only wanted to hear nice words from one person and spend quality time with him, and she wasn’t going to ever get it the way she wanted.
What was Levi’s love language? He had been out of town that Sunday morning and missed the roundtable discussion. Even after she asked him, Levi didn’t want to take the test to findout what his love language was. However, knowing him long enough, Maggie guessed that it was also acts of service.
Was she attracted to men who had this type of love language? Well, she hadn’t even considered Alden, so maybe that was the wrong question.
Alden stepped on the ladder, a wreath hanging off the crook of his elbow.
“I don’t think I’ll fall off the ladder.” Maggie held the ladder, even though it seemed strong enough to hold Alden.
He was six feet tall, maybe a couple of inches shorter than Levi, but Alden was fit and trim. Maggie knew he worked out at the gym every morning before work because he had invited her to come along and get some exercise that she badly needed.
The gym was only two miles from church, so Maggie could have gone. However, she had made the decision to focus her time on Levi.
Well, that had been in the past.
Now she was letting him go.
Slowly.
Really, she could turn her attention on Alden, and he wouldn’t mind. In fact, he had sent her signals that he wanted to be more than colleagues at work. She recalled the times he’d been extra attentive to her at Village meetings. Later, he’d told her that he had volunteered to be a part of the Christmas Village planning committee because of her.
When Maggie hadn’t responded, Alden hadn’t pushed her. That was how he was. She had known him for a year, and he’d never once been unkind to her. Always helpful, always going out of his way to make life at work easier for her. Best colleague ever, if there ever was a reward for that.
Since the church had acquired the new lot next door, Maggie found herself working more with Alden. Both of them wereadministrative assistants and they talked to each other more than to their bosses.
Maggie wondered if she should move on from Levi. Her secret love for him couldn’t last. It was eating her up and stressing her out every time he went on a date or pursued his unrequited love because he’d tell her about it and ask her for advice and so forth.
Of course she had to help him. If not for their friendship, there was nothing left for Maggie to hang onto.
At this point, Maggie didn’t see a path forward for her and Levi. Levi only considered her his friend. Best friends or not, they would still only be friends.
Perhaps Alden was there because this was their story. Maggie felt like a second female lead in some romantic drama.
She chuckled.
“A Christmas cookie for your thought,” Alden said from the top of the ladder.
“Huh?” Maggie’s eyes were elsewhere. The kitchen door in the distance opened, and Forsythia pushed a cart. Next to her, Levi was carrying a box and talking a mile a minute. Forsythia said not a word.
“What was that chuckle about? The curious want to know.” Alden droned on.
When Maggie didn’t answer, he continued. “Do I look that bad from this angle?”
