The constant chatter about how amazing, cool, super neat and so pretty Delaney is, filled the silent void on the way back to our house. Even if I wanted, I couldn’t find a single point to disagree on with Holly. However, I did want to elaborate on a few, such as how incredible she is. In seconds, she turned what could’ve easily been a boring outing into a fun-laugh filled adventure, making my daughter giggle and smile so brightly that I found myself feeling happy for the first time in a while.

This type of happy is different from what I felt when I was at the hockey game or when there are a few extra dollars in my paycheck. This was one of those moments you don’t forget, and pray can be emulated next year and the year after so it gives you and your child something to talk about and remember as the years go by. Without knowing it, Delaney changed the scope of Holly’s Christmas.

“Look at all the lights,” Holly says, staring out the window at the houses we pass by. There was a time when Heather and I joked about going all Griswold with decorating. Luckily, we came to our senses and went with a more simplistic and understated feel, stringing up white lights along the eaves of the roof and wrapping the shrubs and the base of the large tree in our front yard. “Which house do you like best, Daddy?”

Slowing down, I look out the windows, shocked by how many people have their holiday lights on and it’s barely dusk. The houses near our street are nice, but nothing like what the Du Lucas and their neighbors do. Growing up, everyone flocked to Dominic and Delaney’s street. Not only for their Christmas displays but Halloween as well. I’m tempted to drive Holly over and show her, but it’ll have to wait.

“I think next week, I’ll take you somewhere to show you all my favorite decorations,” I tell her. “There’s a place in town where every house decorates. They play music, and on the weekends, some of the owners will have cookies and hot cocoa for people.”

“Really?” Holly’s voice has a level of excitement that I haven’t heard in a long time.

“Really,” I say back to her, matching her enthusiasm. I stop driving so I can glance at my daughter. She’s oblivious to the struggles I face daily. It’s the way it should be.

“Can we make cocoa when we get home?”

“Yeah, I think tonight definitely calls for some hot chocolate.”

“With marshmallows?” She looks at me excitedly.

I press the gas pedal to continue our drive home. “What would hot cocoa be at Christmastime without marshmallows? I think tonight calls for the whole bag.” Holly starts clapping, and from my peripheral, I can see her squiggling in her seat. Normally, I limit the amount she can have.

Our house is dark when we pull into the driveway. After I turn off the truck, I find myself staring at it, praying for some Christmas miracle to come along and miraculously fix everything that’s wrong with it. The list of repairs and upgrades is long. The only thing I can do is tackle the smaller projects one at a time.

The opening of Holly’s door shakes me from my dream-like state. I follow quickly, running ahead to turn the lights on for her. As usual, the house is cold, and I don’t hesitate to crank the heat. She turns on the radio and twists the dial, increasing the volume of the Christmas song playing. I cringe, but let it go. She needs this, and honestly, I do too.

Holly and I work as a team to bring our decorations up from the basement. With all our boxes piled up in the living room, I head back out to bring our tree in. Thankfully, it hasn’t snowed in the past few days, so the tree is relatively dry.

“Have you seen the tree stand?” I ask, propping the tree against the kitchen wall.

“Right here, but it has a hole in it.”

Holly brings the stand over, and sure enough, the bottom has rusted out. This is one of those learning moments. Heather told me to buy a plastic one a few years back, but I never got around to doing it.

“What are we going to do?” Holly asks.

The thing is, I don’t know. The hardware store is already closed, and the nearest store is a bit of a drive. Leaving now means we won’t get to decorate until tomorrow evening. Not necessarily a bad thing except I already promised Holly a night of fun.

“What if Mr. Steve has one?” Holly suggests but does so in a way that makes me laugh because she’s shrugged her shoulders and put her hands up, almost as if she’s not sure her idea is worthy or somehow telling me I should’ve thought of this first.

“I’ll call him and see.” I pull my phone out, scroll through my contacts and press his number. “Steve’s Tree Farm.”

“Dom?”

“What’s up?”

“Hey, man, this is Aiden. Does Mr. Steve sell tree stands?”

“Let me check.” Dominic covers the phone and hollers out. There’s mumbling in the background, but I can’t make heads or tails of what’s being said. “Nah, but he’s sending my dad over with one. Says you can return it after the holidays.”

I give Holly the thumbs up, which results in her jumping up and down. “Great. Please tell him, and your dad thank you.”

“Will do.” Dom hangs up but not before I hear Delaney laugh. Part of me wonders what made her laugh, while the other part of me wishes I were there to witness it.

While I heat up the milk for our festive drinks, Holly starts opening the boxes. I’ve decided I’m not going to dictate where she puts things. I want her imagination to run wild and be free when it comes to decorating. I think it’ll mean more to her. I know it will to me.

With the music on and our mugs full, I take on the dubious task of straightening out the strings of lights. I don’t care how nicely wrapped I made them last year, somehow they’ve all become a tangled mess. This right here, makes me want to get a fake tree, but I can’t do that to Mr. Steve.

Lights shine through our front window, alerting us to Gio’s arrival. “The mayor is here,” I tell Holly. “I’m going to go out and meet him.” I may have known the Du Lucas for most of my life, but inviting Gio into my home is something I’m not comfortable with.

She runs to the window to look. “That’s not the mayor.”

“Oh?” I to look out the window, only to find Delaney walking past my truck with a tree stand in her hand, disappearing into my dooryard. Holly’s screeching has me rushing to the door. Holly opens it before I can stop her and meet Delaney outside. I’m a step or two behind when Holly invites Delaney in. To Holly, having a movie star in your house is probably a huge moment in your life. To me, it’s anxiety overload.

Our eyes meet, and the smile she gives me has me forgetting for a moment that we’re standing in my kitchen. “Mr. Steve wanted me to bring this over.” Delaney hands me the plastic tree base.

“I thought your dad—”

“I wanted to,” she says, interrupting me.

“Do you want to stay and help us decorate?”

“Oh, no—” I start to say, only to hear Delaney blurt out, “I’d love to.”

In the blink of an eye, Holly is pulling Delaney into our living room and offering her my mug of hot chocolate. I should feel dejected, but seeing Holly’s excitement changes everything.

“Do you want me to hold Gwen so you can put her on the base?”

I look down at the contraption in my hand and nod. Even if I wanted to ask Delaney to leave, upsetting Holly isn’t worth it. I have to suck up my pride and give my daughter this.

Delaney holds Gwen upright, lifting when I tell her to, so I can make sure the trunk is secure. Holly tells us she’ll get the water for Gwen. “You don’t have to stay,” I tell Delaney. “I’m sure you’re busy. Holly will understand.”

She shrugs. “I have nowhere else I’d rather be.” I want to believe that’s true, but I’m sure the list of places she should be is rather long.

“Where’s Calvin?”

“Sitting in the sugarhouse, at least he was when I left.”

“And you don’t need to be with him?”

Delaney chuckles. “Something tells me you and Holly aren’t going to corner me and demand my autograph or shove a camera in my face.”

“Holly might. She’s a fan and known to be vicious.” I wink.

Holly returns, walking slowly with two large cups of water. When I try to help her, she tells me she can do it herself. The whole time, she’s talking to the tree, as if it’s her best friend.

“Can I offer you something to drink?”

“We have hot cocoa with marshmallows. Daddy can make you one while we start decorating,” Holly tells Delaney.

“Perfect!” Delaney raises an eyebrow and smirks. Yep, I’ve become the errand boy while my daughter monopolizes the starlet’s time. It’s okay; I know my place.

For the time it took me to make Delaney’s drink, the ladies placed lighted garland on the mantel and plug it in as I enter the living room. “Wow, I never thought to put it there before.” I hand Delaney the mug and stand back, watching as Holly holds Heather’s stocking in her hand. I wait to see what she’s going to do, letting her decide on whether it’ll go up or not. She sets it aside, pulls her own out of the box, and places it on the snowman hook. Mine follows right after.

I don’t say anything.

I just watch.

Delaney must sense the shift in my demeanor because she proclaims that the music isn’t loud enough and that Gwen is naked and in need of some lights. “Chop, chop,” she says.

“Yeah, Daddy. Gwen is nakie!” Holly giggles and runs to one of the boxes and pulls out the angel. I go to her and lift her up, while Delaney helps Holly place it on top. “She’s beautiful.”

“She will be once I get the lights on and Gwen is decorated.” I set Holly down and get to work on the lights. Delaney helps every step of the way. Once the lights are on, her and Holly start placing the ornaments on the tree. While they focus their attention there, I set all our other decorations out. Within the hour, the house is warm, festive and full of laughter.

“Okay, I think we’re ready,” Delaney says.

I shut off all the lights and press the switch that will turn on the white lights, to illuminate Gwen.

“Ah, she’s so pretty,” Holly proclaims excitedly.

“Wow. You both did an amazing job.”

“Of course we did, Daddy.”

I look at Delaney, who hasn’t taken her eyes off the tree. “What do you think?”

She looks over and smiles. We maintain eye contact for longer than what should be socially acceptable. “I think it’s one of the most beautiful trees I’ve ever seen.” Her statement gives me pause. Surely, her mother’s tree or any one of the fancy trees she encounters in Los Angeles are prettier than the one she’s standing in front of, I would have thought.

“It’s snowing! It’s snowing! Daddy, can we go out?” Holly tugs on my shirt, causing me to look away from Delaney. I glance out the window, and sure enough, it’s coming down in sheets, the wind is blowing, and I can barely see the outline of Delaney’s car.

“I don’t remember hearing about a snowstorm tonight.”

“Me neither,” Delaney adds. “I hope my car is still out there.”

“Do you think Frosty took it?” Holly asks, and just like that, the mood shifts from the possible gloom to cheerful.

Delaney gasps. “How will I ever get home?”

Holly shrugs. “You can just sleep over.”

I deadpan and sneak a glance at Delaney, whose eyes are wide, yet she’s grinning from ear to ear. I’m at a loss, not sure what I should say. I open my mouth, but words fail me.

“Come on I have jammies you can wear.” Holly takes Delaney’s hand and pulls her behind me. If Delaney is pleading for help, she doesn’t show it. I don’t know what to do. Do I follow? Do I stay here? Do I hurry down to my bedroom and change my sheets?

“Please someone tell me what to do,” I mutter to myself seconds before the power goes out.