I spent a few days moping around the house, glaring at Tony for no good reason, and just plain being miserable before I got up the gumption to call my boss and ask if I could come into work. We’d planned on me being gone until January second, but I couldn’t sit at home doing nothing.

I did things like check my bank account when I was bored and miserable. Only, instead of staring at an empty account, I saw my mother had been busy sneaking money into it again. At this rate, I’d have enough for an entire year’s income at minimum wage in about a week.

No, sitting around doing nothing just wasn’t my style. I could probably study for school, if I could concentrate that would have been the smart thing to do, but I couldn’t get Jake out of my head. Why hadn’t he emailed me yet? Was he still on the island? Were they keeping him there until the show ended?

I went through a thousand scenarios, including one where Carol found my little note and tore it into pieces, but I just didn’t know anything for certain. I did a lot of running, a lot of housework, and a lot of binge-watching television shows I wouldn’t normally bother with and I still couldn’t keep that final scenario out of my mind.

What if he’d spent the night with Arabella and he was done with me?

As I drove into work alone with sad music on, I felt the tears start once more. Tony had tried to cheer me up by reminding me we needed to decorate the house, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. Mom and Dad wanted me to go home, of course, but I had to go back to the show the day before Christmas, so that wasn’t going to happen. No, I’d turned into a miserable, irritating cow and the best thing I could do was stack books.

So that’s what I did. I went into work and cleaned shelves, dusted offices and rooms. I went through entire sections to make sure the books were all in the correct order, and I smiled happily at customers who couldn’t understand why I wanted to set fire to their awful but comedic Christmas sweaters. I just wanted Jake and I couldn’t even hear his voice, much less be near him.

I was finally sent home by my boss, because I was driving the other workers crazy with my cleaning craze. Sure, it needed to be done, but they could all tell I was stressed and it was making all of them nervous. I went home and sat on the back porch, waiting for inspiration to hit.

I had worked out a good impression of a statue by the time I saw Jane Mallory walking up the porch steps.

“What are you doing, ladybug?” she asked as she sat down. “It’s too cold to be sitting out here.”

I gave her a dazed look, confused about where she’d come from. One minute I was alone and the next, she was there. And why had she called me ladybug? Then I remembered it was Jane, and you could never be certain what the impish little elderly woman might come out with.

“I went on that show and met the most...” I paused, trying to think of the right word. There wasn’t one single word to describe Jake. “The most gorgeous, sexy, beautiful, intelligent, good man I’ve ever met in my life, Mrs. Mallory. He was just, well, perfect really.”

“What’s the problem then?” She stood with me and we went inside, out of the cold. I automatically started to make us both some mocha coffee. It was a winter tradition at our house. She’d come over, we’d have mocha coffee, and we’d talk.

“I haven’t heard from him since I came home,” I said as I poured hot water into the French press, staring off into space, that dreaded scenario threatening my peace of mind once more.

“Maybe he’s not allowed to,” she prompted, giving me a look I didn’t understand.

“Maybe, it’s one thing I considered. There’s another woman there, Arabella, that they kept pushing at him. I know he’s not interested, but she is beautiful. Maybe he likes her better.”

“Have you ever been in love before, Laney?”

I looked at her, wondering at the question. “I don’t think so, not the kind in movies or novels, anyway.”

“You’ve never felt your stomach plummet when you see your boyfriend, or your heart flutter as they walk near?” She had a gleam in her eye, one that confused me.

“Only with Jake. Only him.”

She gave me a look of approval before she carried on. “Do you think he’s the rich one?” she asked carefully, as though it were a trick question.

“No, I think the rich one is that butthead named Trent. He’s so obnoxious. Only the rich could have that attitude. David has to be the teacher, though I’m not certain he could actually stand in front of an audience that long without dying of embarrassment. He’s sweet, really. I think Jake’s the plumber.”

“Not a bad profession. An honest one anyway.” She watched me carefully as she spoke.

“I’m sure they see some sights.” I finally poured the water into the French Press and slid the plunger down.

“It doesn’t bother you, that he might be a plumber?”

“Not at all. As you say, it’s an honest profession. He’ll always have work, especially down here.”

“Why haven’t you ever been in love before, then, Laney?” She looked curious again and I thought about it hard.

“I guess because I’ve always been so convinced I needed to study. My mom’s a cardiologist, one of the top in her field. She never pushed me, but you know, just knowing how successful she is, that’s a lot to compete with. I’m also independent. I don’t like counting on others.” I finished making the mocha coffee and put a glass mug in front of Mrs. Mallory that was topped with whipped cream.

“I understand that, Laney. You need to experience love though, and it sounds like this Jake is the one for you. If he can bring out that kind of emotion in a girl so determined to make her own way in the world, then he must be special.” She sipped at her coffee with a contented sigh.

“He’s extraordinary, really.” I went to the table where she sat and got in my own chair. Our kitchens were very similar, the difference being that we had a woven-grass topped table for two and she had a wooden one that could feed an army.

“Then it’s time to put away childish things and carry on with your life,” she said sagely.

“My law degree isn’t childish!” I shot back, slightly confused; she was normally so encouraging about my plans.

“Oh, I don’t mean that, child, I mean this need to live up to your expectations, this need to be as good as your mother. You are both intelligent women, obviously, but you aren’t your mother, Laney. You’re you and I happen to think you’re fantastic!”

Truly high praise from Mrs. Mallory!

“Ah. Good.”

“I think your young man will understand he needs to let you finish school and have your own success, if he’s as good as you say he is.” That odd look again, like she knew something I didn’t. “If he doesn’t then he isn’t worth your time anyway.”

“I’m sure you’re right. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that would want me to give up my dreams, anyway. You’re right about the whole thing with Mom too. She’s tried to tell me the same thing thousands of times, how I needed to take the time to be young, fall in love, all of that.” I waved my hand around and Mrs. Mallory spoke again.

“She’s right, ladybug. You have to live your whole life, not just portions of it. I fell in love with a man older than me by about twenty years and I lost him early in my life. A lot of people said I was wasting my time with him, but you know, I’ve never remarried because nobody could ever love me like he did.” Her eyes took on a faraway look before she continued. “I wouldn’t trade that time with him for the world. I hope you can find that same kind of love, Laney.”

She took my hand and I looked at her, stunned at just how much she meant that. The normally feisty, outrageous woman had suddenly become sentimental and loving, and I didn’t know how to take it. I let her take my hand and for a moment, I felt peace for the first time since I’d come home.

“Thanks for coming by, Mrs. Mallory. You’ve really been helpful.” I really meant it. “Want more coffee?”

“No, I’d better get home. My grandson is back and I need to make dinner for him.”

“You shouldn’t be making dinner for him!” I was a bit outraged at the freeloader I assumed he must be to let his seventy-year-old grandmother prepare dinner for him.

“Oh, it’s no trouble. He just bought me a new stove, you know? My old one finally broke beyond repair. I think, over the years, it’s been repaired so many times it’s probably actually been three or four different stoves. I’m just going to pop a pizza in the oven and we’re going to watch movies.” She stood up and I stood with her.

“Don’t lose faith, Laney. I just know he’s waiting on you too.”

She left and I cleaned up our cups before I prepared dinner for Tony and me.

Tony came home an hour later with a huge Christmas tree, bags full of decorations, and a grin that would not stop.

“We are getting you out of this funk, Laney. I can’t stand it anymore. Come on, leave dinner for now. We’re giving you back the spirit of Christmas.”

“You’ve transported Jake onto the front porch?” I asked sarcastically.

“No, I’ve done something better.” He popped a Christmas music into a CD player and played it as he found the right spot for the Christmas tree.

Then he started to pull things out of bags. Balls, tinsel, icicles, angels, snowmen, and every kind of decoration I could think of. He’d bought figurines, an entire Christmas village, elves, more snowmen, reindeer, Santas, and even decorations to put in all of our windows.

“Did you rob an entire charity shop?” I asked as I looked at it all. He really was planning on building some kind of wonderland.

“Basically, that one over on Fifth Street. The one that helps the elderly pay their electric bills.” He was still pulling stuff out of bags.

“Is that bubble lights?” I loved those when I was a kid, my mom had inherited her mother’s. Oil in a glass ‘candle’ heated up and made bubbles in the lit-up glass. “I love those!”

“There’s like four strands of them. Here, start putting this stuff on the tree.” Tony handed me a box of glittery red balls and I really did start to feel my Christmas cheer returning.

Before I knew it, I was dancing with Tony around a very well decorated living room, Christmas lights the only illumination, but there were so many lights, on the tree and in the window, that we really didn’t need anything else on. I felt like a little girl again, staring at it all in wonder as Tony twirled me around the living room.

I laughed, really laughed, as my best friend did his best to cheer me up. He did a good job.

We finally settled down on the couch, ate the lemon pepper chicken that had been perfect two hours before but was now dried out, and watched old Christmas movies. I was curled up at his side, his hands twirling my hair into twists, when the last movie finished.

“Do you think he’s really going to pick me, Tony?” I finally asked, looking at the start screen of the last movie.

“Of course, and I’m not just saying that because you’re my best friend. I’m saying it because you’re smart, beautiful, and interesting. From what you’ve said about this Jake, it sounds to me like he appreciates that.”

“It’s just so hard not knowing what’s going on. I’d almost say I hate you for this, but I just can’t, because I think I’m really in love with this guy. God, it’s just so gross!” I sat up on the couch and pulled one of our overstuffed red couch pillows into my lap to slouch over it.

“Love usually is gross, sweetie. And messy. And oh my, so dirty.” He got up off the couch and went into the kitchen then came back with another bottle of white wine. “I need this now.”

He fanned his face as he sat down and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Give me that bottle, you’re never going to get it open like that.”

I worked the cork free and poured the wine into our glasses.

“What am I going to do?” I asked as I took a sip.

“You’re going to be the big girl I know you are and you’re going to get through this. It’s only a few more weeks.” He pulled me into a slouchy hug and kissed the top of my head. “Come on, let’s binge watch that show about the women in prison, I’ve heard it’s incredible.”

I knew he was right, I needed to stop worrying and get on with life. I’d had a lot of good advice lately. It was time I started to listen to it.

* * *

The next day I was helping Tony put reindeer, Santa, and his sleigh on the roof when the world tilted on its side. My foot slipped and for a moment I felt the world slipping away. Tony heard my squeak of fear and grabbed at me. I held onto his hand for dear life before I realized I wasn’t sliding anymore.

“You’re okay, honey, you have a safety harness on anyway, you aren’t going to fall... far.” He chuckled as I stood back up.

“That was close.” I settled on the apex of the roof and looked down over at Mrs. Mallory’s house.

That’s when my heart stood still. There was a man next door, piling wood into his arms.

“Is that the grandson?” I whispered over to Tony.

He went still before he sat down beside me.

“Yeah, I think it is.”

He had a knit cap on his head, and he didn’t look up at us so I didn’t get a good look at him at first.

“Have you seen the front yet?” The guy was wearing one of those stretchy thermal tops, in a dark olive green that showed off his muscled chest to perfection. When he stood up, his arms full of wood, something about the set of his shoulders seemed familiar.

“It’s just because he’s Mrs. Mallory’s grandson, right?”

“What’s that?” Tony asked, looking at me.

“He seems so...oh my God!” I stood abruptly, almost sliding off the roof again but the harness caught me. “That’s Jake. It’s Jake!”