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“How does that look?” I asked them.
Addy stood in front of the tree with her eyes slightly rounded. “It’s beautiful.”
Her appreciation for the little things I’d done for them sent a pang of longing through my heart. I wanted to say something to her to capture the moment, but there was a lump in my throat.
Sarah moved across the room and studied it carefully. “It’s leaning a little to the right.”
“Let’s get it how you want it.” We adjusted it several times until Addy declared it perfect.
“Now, the lights,” Addy said, pulling the multi-colored strands of bulbs out of a nearby box.
“Colored lights will look great.”
Addy beamed at my praise.
Sarah helped me unravel the strands and drape them around the tree. Addy followed us, making tiny adjustments to the way we hung them on the branches.
It was nice to spend time with someone who wasn’t my family. Their home was warm and cozy. Even though it was small, it was packed full of framed photos of family, various holidays, and school events, and there were books stacked on the shelves—everything from children’s books to worn paperbacks. Blankets and pillows were strewn on the floor as if Addy had made a fort and then given up.
“Let’s see if they work.” I plugged the lights in and stood back.
Sarah clasped her hands together in front of her mouth, and if I wasn’t mistaken, her eyes were a little shiny. “It looks beautiful. Thank you, Knox.”
Addy danced around the tree, singing something about rockin’ around a tree, but I couldn’t take my gaze from Sarah. She looked so beautiful, bathed in the light of the fire and now the tree. If her daughter wasn’t here, I might have told her what I saw when I looked at her.
When she glanced at me, my breath caught in my throat. “Do you like it?”
“I love it.” But I wasn’t referring to the tree.
Warmth spread through my chest, and I cleared my throat. “Do you have a star or something for the top of the tree?”
Addy rushed to a box, dug through the tissue, and lifted a star. She handed it to me, her eyes shining with excitement.
“You want this on top?” I asked her.
She nodded. “Yes, please.”
My heart squeezed at her politeness. I carefully set the star on the lone branch at the top and adjusted it until Addy deemed it straight.
I plugged it in, and Addy squealed with delight. “We have a real tree.”
“Now, it’s perfect,” I murmured.
We took in the tree only for a moment before Addy rushed to grab more decorations from the boxes.
Sarah put hooks on the ornaments while Addy placed them on the low-hanging branches, and I handled the top. I made sure to ask her about my placement occasionally.
She’d tip her head to the side, consider it for a second, and then say it was either perfect or needed to be moved. The process took longer than it needed to, but I enjoyed interacting with Addy.
I loved my niece, Ember, but this was different. I was getting to know this little girl and her mother.
After we’d placed every ornament, the tree looked a little busy to me, but Addy was pleased with the end result. I finally sat on the couch to admire it, my arms spread wide on the back of the couch. Every muscle in my body ached from working on the farm.
“Let me get some cookies for you,” Sarah said as she went into the kitchen. “You deserve a snack after that.”
I hadn’t realized how much my feet hurt from walking around all day. I pulled off my boots and set them aside, wiggling my toes.
“Are you tired?” Addy climbed onto the couch and curled up next to me. She seemed to have no sense of physical boundaries.
