Hello and Merry Christmas! For the second year in a row, I decided to write a Hallmark-like Christmas story. Tis the season, right? It's much longer than I anticipated, but I hope you enjoy every chapter. This story contains flashbacks that I hope are easy to figure out. If you continue reading and have a hard time distinguishing when a flashback begins and ends, let me know, and I'll put them in italics. Enjoy!
"Good morning, George." Piper breezed into her office, two lattes in hand. "They were out of the pumpkin spice syrup. Can you believe that when we're this close to Thanksgiving? So, I got the next two best things: caramel brulée and chestnut praline. Which do you prefer?"
The older man looked up from his tablet with a smile. "Either one is fine. Thanks."
"Ok, I'll take this one." She handed him the chestnut praline. "Anything jumping out at you this morning?"
Piper had always loved the holiday season. Her childhood dream had been to own the Christmas-themed store in downtown Shelton, and when she was in high school, she'd landed a part-time job there during the two-week winter break. After going away to college and her family's sudden move to a city closer to Manhattan, Piper's dream faded into a silly memory.
After graduating from Smith, she'd worked her way up the corporate ladder, eventually landing a job as the special events coordinator for Rockefeller Center. She'd clawed her way to the top, often working 60+ hours a week, which meant other parts of her life suffered, including her marriage.
"I've got seven photos for you to check out." He handed her the tablet.
This was Piper's third meeting with George Paltz, the head gardener for Rockefeller Center. Their job was to find what would ultimately be the most famous Christmas tree in North America.
"As you know, the budget was cut this year." She took the tablet and sat in the armchair across from him. "We can only visit three locations within driving distance."
"Which is why we have to scrutinize every tree before we agree to scout the best of the best." He pointed to the first picture. "This one is in Flanders, New Jersey."
"New Jersey?" She held the tablet closer. "It's nice, but I'm not crazy about the right side. Is it leaning a little?"
"The height is what I'm most interested in—92 feet."
She glanced up. "Impressive."
George walked her through the next five photographs, Piper finding fault with each of them, and then she scrolled to the last one, eyebrows shooting up. She stared at the picture, mouth agape and heart falling into the pit of her stomach, finding it hard to believe who was standing next to the massive tree.
"This one is only 72 feet, but look at that shape." He turned his attention from the photo to Piper. "What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
Piper closed her mouth and pulled the tablet away from her face. "I know her…I knew her."
"The woman?" He leaned closer, staring at the photo. "The tree is on her family's property. Her name is—"
"Alex Vause," she whispered, tuning out George and the music playing lightly in the background. She glanced at the picture once more before addressing George. "Scratch this one off the list—we're not getting the tree from her." She walked towards the window as uninvited images of Alex popped into her head.
"Don't you think we should at least look at it?" He set the tablet on the edge of the desk. "Besides, it's in Shelton, which is only a two-hour drive from here."
She spun around. "I know where Shelton is."
He stood, crossing his arms. "You have some beef with this woman?"
"It was a long time ago." Piper reached for her cell phone and scrolled through the calendar, more as a way of distracting herself than searching for anything in particular. "I have another meeting in five minutes. Pick two or three trees you want to scout next week, but please, George, not that one."
"You know McLain has the final say on this." He walked towards the door, shaking his head. "So, if he decides that last one should be in the mix, we have to check it out."
"I'll talk to Eric." She looked up at him, tightening her jaw. "See you tomorrow."
George nodded, and then stepped out.
Piper plopped into her chair, letting out a thick sigh. She hadn't so much as seen a photo of Alex in 15 years, and though the picture only featured a side shot of her, there was no mistaking who it was. There was a part of her that wanted to look at it again, scrutinize every detail, but George had taken the tablet with him. The other part of her wanted to forget about the picture—forget about Alex as she'd done so expertly in the past.
"Knock, knock." Her assistant peeked through a crack in the door. "Maggie Guice is here to see you."
Piper snapped back to reality. "Thanks, Paige. Send her in."
For the next 30 minutes, Piper halfway listened to the operations coordinator as she spoke about the bids from companies that would transport the Christmas tree to Rockefeller Plaza. She knew this was more of a courtesy meeting, so as Piper's mind drifted to thoughts of Alex, she made little attempt to stop it.
"Piper?"
Until she was caught. "Hmm? Sorry."
"You seem a million miles away." Maggie creased her brows. "Should I come back another time?"
"No." She stood, pressing her palms against her flat, red skirt. "I'm a little distracted, but I heard everything you said. I trust you and your team to go with the best bid."
Maggie clicked her pen and closed her notebook. "We'll need a location in ten days max."
"You'll have it." She flashed a courtesy smile. "George Paltz and I are scouting next week."
Maggie followed her to the door. "Let's touch base when you return."
"Sounds good." Piper held the door open and watched her walk down the hallway. "Do I have any meetings in the next hour, Paige?"
The young assistant glanced at her screen. "Nope, just your weekly stand-up at one, and then Eric McLain at three."
"Good." She grabbed her coat off the rack and shrugged into it. "I'll be back soon."
Piper took the elevator to the ground floor, and then walked aimlessly up 6th Avenue and across to West 53rd. She stood in front of the Museum of Modern Art and watched the tourists stand in line to get a glimpse of the latest installment. A smile crossed her face as she remembered visiting MoMA for the first time.
"This is not a public entrance," she said, allowing Alex to drag her to the side of the building. "We shouldn't be over here. Mr. Holmes is probably going to take attendance any minute."
"Relax, Pipes. It's too cold to stand outside." She nodded at the docent on her smoke break, and then stepped inside, walking right past the sign that read Employees Only.
"What are you doing?" Piper squeezed her hand. "We can't be here, Alex! We're going to get in trouble from the museum workers, and then with Mr. Holmes."
Alex stopped short and turned to her. "Would you rather be pelted with icy rain, or meet the class in the warmth of the museum lobby?"
"I…"
"I want to show you The Starry Night." She began walking again at a faster clip, dragging Piper behind. "Act like we're on a mission."
Piper had been a rule follower her entire life, and Alex was the opposite, which was one of the things that attracted her to Alex in the first place. Her heart beat wildly as they turned corners and pretended to know where they were going.
An elderly woman stopped them from making their next turn. "Can I help you, ladies?"
Alex didn't miss a beat. "We were looking for the bathroom."
"You're way off course." She pointed in the opposite direction. "Follow that corridor, and then take a left. You'll see signs for the lobby, which is where the nearest restrooms are."
She pushed up her glasses. "Got it. Thanks."
The woman stepped in front of them. "May I see your ticket stubs?"
"Yeah." Alex reached into her jacket pocket, and Piper froze. "I thought I put them in here." She pretended to search the pockets of her corduroy pants. "I must have thrown them away when I spit out my gum." She shrugged. "It was either that or the gum would've stuck to the floor."
"Are you here with a school group?" She folded her arms.
Piper nodded.
"Yeah," Alex replied. "Shelton High in Connecticut, and it was a long ass drive down here. If you'll excuse us, we really have to pee."
"Where is your chaperone?"
"Probably in the lobby." Alex shrugged. "You could escort us there if you want."
She gave both girls the stink eye. "I'm headed the other way. Go on, and try not to get separated from your group in the future."
"We won't," Piper offered. "Sorry."
Alex tugged her down the hallway, grin on her face.
"Fuck, Al! That was close," she whispered.
"What do you think she could've done? Kicked us out?" Alex laughed. "We'd be right back where we were five minutes ago—outside with the rest of the class, freezing our asses off."
Piper looked back as they took their first right turn. "She told us to turn left."
"We'll go to the lobby after we see The Starry Night. There's going to be a crowd around it no matter when we see it, but at least if we beat 100 of our classmates, we'll get a better view."
"Why do I let you drag me into stuff like this?"
Alex entwined their fingers and kept walking. "You secretly love it."
"Not if it lands us in detention."
"Look." Alex pointed to the Van Gogh sign. "Now we just need to follow the crowd."
They arrived in the room with The Starry Night, and Piper's mouth hung open. "Wow."
"Told you." Alex scooted past two rows of visitors and pulled Piper in front of her. "There it is."
Alex had been to the museum with her mom twice in the past year, and even though Diane Vause didn't look like a person who would appreciate art, she loved it and encouraged her daughter to take as many art or art history classes in high school as she could.
"It's smaller than I thought it would be." Piper stepped up to the velvet rope.
"Yeah."
She studied the painting for a moment, and then glanced up at Alex, who seemed to be in awe of the work in front of her. Piper wanted to remember that look on her face, which was the opposite of her normally confident, fuck-the-world look.
"We should probably go back to the lobby," she finally said.
Alex didn't take her eyes off the painting. "Just one more minute."
"Excuse me, miss? Are you in line for a hot dog?"
Piper was startled back to the present. "No, sorry." She stepped aside and looked at her watch—she'd been standing there for almost half an hour.
She ventured into the MoMa store and tried clearing her mind of all things Alex, which was short lived as soon as she laid eyes on a poster of The Starry Night.
"Where have you been?" Paige greeted her in the hallway. "Mr. McLain has been looking for you."
She furrowed her brow. "I'm not meeting with him until later this afternoon."
"I texted you twice and called."
Piper pulled out her phone and noticed Paige's attempts at contacting her. Had she been that lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard her phone ring? "Let him know I'm back."
She went into her office and powered on her computer to find 63 unread e-mails, two of which were from George and one was from Eric McLain's assistant.
Paige stood in the entryway. "He wants you to meet him in his office."
She knew what this was about and had hoped to avoid it until at least a little later in the day. "Hi, Nadine. Eric wanted to see me?"
His assistant smiled. "Go right in."
"I thought we were meeting at three?" she greeted.
"Piper, have a seat." He closed his office door, and then sat across from her. "George showed me the pictures of possible Christmas trees and said you had a problem with the last one."
There was no clean way to do this, so she fessed up. "I don't have a problem with the tree, Eric, I have a problem with the woman who owns it."
"Is she someone who would make the company look bad from a PR standpoint?"
"No—at least I don't think so."
"George thinks you should at least go look at it." He reclined in his chair, fingers steepled. "So tell me, Piper, what's the problem?"
"I…" She didn't know what to say without coming off as petty, so she tried to steer the conversation back to the tree. "It would be the shortest tree since 1984."
"It looked full and perfectly straight." He shrugged. "And you just said you don't have a problem with the tree."
She let out a long breath. "If it would serve the company well, I'll go see it."
"Tell you what." He leaned forward. "I know we cut the scouting budget this year, but if you see this tree and don't think it's the best one for the Plaza, I'll make sure you get the money to visit one more site."
Piper nodded, heart pounding at what she was agreeing to. "I'll coordinate travel with George."
"That's what I want to hear," he said. "See you later for our regular meeting."
"Right." She walked out of the office with a sigh. This wasn't going to be a fun trip.
Piper removed her coat and scarf, hanging both on the rack next to the door. "I'm home!"
"In here, mom," he called.
She kicked off her heels and proceeded into the living room. "What, you're too old to greet me with a hug all of a sudden?"
He looked up from his paper. "Not too old, just too busy."
"Hi, Piper." Dominique, Gus' after school sitter walked into the room with a wet towel. "Don't worry, they're water-based paints and come off fabric with just a quick rub."
She spotted green paint on the rug. "Why aren't you doing this at the kitchen table?"
He put the paintbrush down and hugged her. "I can't reach the table very well without sitting on my knees."
"What about the booster seat?" She bent to hug him.
"I'm too old for that," he complained.
"Maybe too old, but clearly still a little too short to not use it." She looked at the painting on the coffee table. "Is that a turkey?"
"Yeah. Dominique was about to help me paint colorful feathers." He held up the paper. "Will you help, too?"
"I sure will." She smiled. "Thanks, Dominique. I'll take it from here."
"No problem. See you tomorrow, Gus." She gave him a high five.
Since her divorce two years ago, Piper had primary custody of their son. She still worked until 6:30 or 7 p.m., so she'd been forced to hire someone to pick Gus up from school and stay with him at their apartment until she got home. They'd gone through two sitters in the first six months, and then she found Dominique, who'd been with them since then.
"I'm going to change clothes, and then I'll help you paint."
"Ok."
Gus had always been a good boy, and the older he got, the more she enjoyed hanging out with him. That night, and she needed him to keep her mind off Alex at all costs.
She padded into the living room and picked up the rectangular paint tray. "Let's try doing this at the kitchen counter. Maybe you could reach a little better than at the table."
"I like painting down here," he complained.
"Yes, but it's messy, and I don't feel like scrubbing the rug or the sofa every time you spray a little paint."
He joined her at the counter. "Fine."
"You did a great job with turkey's body." She dipped the spare brush in the yellow paint.
"Thanks. I'll draw his mouth."
They finished painting the turkey, and then moved on to a pilgrim, all while talking about Gus' day at school and what he'd eaten for lunch and an after school snack. Piper ordered Thai food for delivery, and then cleaned up the painting mess while Gus took a bath. Even though it wasn't quite Thanksgiving yet, she turned on Christmas music.
She served him a heaping spoonful of Pad Thai and a spring roll. "I'm going to scout Christmas trees next week."
He pulled the children's chopsticks out of the kitchen drawer. "I want to come!"
"You have school," she stated. "But just like last year, I promise to take you to at least two Christmas tree farms, and you can pick out the one you want."
"Can I have one for my room this year?" He took a bite of the spring roll.
"Sure. If we can find a small one." She placed a napkin on his lap. "But you'll have to water it."
Gus smiled. "I can do that."
By the time she crawled into bed that night, Piper had successfully kept Alex off her mind, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she was assaulted by memories of her high school girlfriend.
"Alex, you promised!" She laced up her ice skates.
"I promised because I wanted to hang out with you. I don't want to skate." She grabbed Piper's hand. "Besides, the white skates will clash with my outfit."
"If I can get you a pair of black ones, will you at least make two laps with me?" Piper pleaded. "I'll hold your hand."
"In public?" She raised her eyebrows. "That would be a big step."
Although they'd been together for three months, Piper was not a fan of public displays of affection. She was the class vice-president and an all-state runner in both cross country and track and had an image to uphold. Some of the seniors knew she and Alex were a couple, but her parents and teachers had no clue. Keeping their relationship secret had been a source of contention between her and Alex, but Alex agreed to stay because of Piper's promise to come out by the end of the school year.
"Be right back." Piper skated away, moments later, returning with a pair of black ice skates. "Look what I found."
"Ugh." Alex had been flicking a lighter, and upon Piper's arrival, shoved it back into her leather jacket. "Two laps, holding hands."
She nodded. "Deal."
She put on the skates and stood on wobbly legs. "You might have to hold both hands."
Piper giggled as she helped Alex skate around the frozen pond. She convinced her to go a couple more laps until she could skate on her own, but after about 15 minutes, Alex pulled the plug.
She skated to a bench where Alex was already taking off her skates. "I'm proud of you."
"A promise is a promise."
"It is."
She smirked. "Now, let's go behind the concessions stand and makeout until your curfew."
She playfully slapped Alex, but didn't hesitate to follow her behind the building for a robust round of kissing.
The next few days were a blur. As the Christmas season approached, there were at least five special events a week at Rockefeller Center that she needed to tend to, not the least of which was planning the tree lighting ceremony.
"Good morning." George greeted her in the parking garage next to his four wheel drive SUV. "Sorry for such an early call."
She tossed her bag into the back seat. "I'm good as long as it gets us back in the city by eight tonight."
"I'm hoping we're back well before then." He got into the driver's seat. "Let's hope the weatherman was right and we only get a dusting of snow."
"I heard one to two inches were likely." She buckled her seatbelt. "I'm guessing you've driven in snow before."
"Many times." He turned out of the garage. "But I tend to listen to the advisories—if the department of transportation says it's unsafe to be on the roads, I don't drive. Nothing is that important."
"Agreed."
"What are you and Gus doing for Thanksgiving?"
She had been so busy with work that she didn't know what she and her son would do the following Thursday. Perhaps they'd go skiing or eat a turkey dinner at some fancy New York restaurant. She'd let Gus decide, and if he wanted to stay home and play games and ride the carousel in Central Park, that's what they'd do.
"No plans yet. What about you?"
"This will be my first Thanksgiving without Joanne."
Piper sucked her lips in, forgetting that George's wife lost a long battle with cancer a little over a year ago. "I'm so sorry." She put her hand on his leg. "If you want to join me and Gus, we'd love to have you no matter what the plan might be."
"Thank you, but my daughter is coming in from Chicago." He smiled. "It'll be nice to spend the holiday with her."
They made small talk for the next few miles, and when they merged onto I-95, the snow picked up.
"Want to tell me more about the woman from Shelton?"
"Alex?" The name felt strange coming out of her mouth—like unearthing something that had been buried for years.
"Yes. Alex," he replied.
Since her promotion to special events coordinator, George had become like a father to her. In fact, his daughter, Lori, was about Piper's age, and he'd mentioned more than once how much Piper reminded him of her. She trusted him implicitly, and while she wouldn't spill everything about her relationship with Alex, she'd give him enough to make him understand why the trip to Shelton was complicated.
"I grew up there," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "It was a shitty logging town that had been trying to revitalize the downtown area for years. My dad's office was next to a year-round Christmas store, which was probably the coolest place in town, but nothing about Shelton made it a tourist destination."
"You should have told me you were from there," George said. "Are your folks still around?"
"No." She shook her head. "My dad got a job in Manhattan, so we moved to Greenwich my freshman year of college. I haven't been back since."
"Any of your friends?"
"None that I've stayed in touch with." She glanced out the window as they made their way through thick snowflakes. "You've met my friend, Polly. Her family moved around the same time my family did. We went to Smith together and were roommates in the city before she got married."
"Yes, I remember meeting her." He glanced at Piper. "Is this where Alex comes in?"
She looked out the side window again. "She was my high school girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" George's eyes opened wide. "I didn't know you were gay. I don't have a problem with that or anything, but—"
"I'm not. At least I haven't been since Alex." She swallowed the awkwardness in her throat. "I married a man."
"I know, but you're divorced."
"Not because I'm gay," she offered. "I'm divorced because he was a cheating asshole."
"That'll do the trick."
She chuckled, thankful for the levity.
"How long were you and Alex a couple?"
"All of senior year." She bit her lower lip. "I'd promised her that I'd come out by the time we graduated, but I didn't go through with it."
"Why not?"
"I was young and stupid," she began with a head shake. "I thought I had this all-American girl image to uphold." Piper knew how lame her excuse sounded, especially almost 15 years later, but it was the truth. "Besides, I wanted to get as far away from Shelton as possible, and Alex had no desire to go to college or live anywhere else. There was no way our relationship would've worked anyway."
"You didn't keep in touch?"
She let out a harsh laugh. "Alex hated me for not admitting we were a couple. She hated me for leaving, too." Piper shuddered at the memory. "She threw a rock through my dad's car window with a note attached, saying his daughter was a lesbian; she egged our house twice; and she tried to out me in to my family in public." She lowered her eyes. "We weren't our best selves that summer."
"Sounds like she had some anger issues."
"Maybe." She picked at the lint on her pants. "Alex had never broken a promise, and she had no respect for people who did," Piper admitted. "She wasn't the most forgiving person either."
"So, you apologized?" George asked.
"No. Not after what happened at the diner."
It was a Chapman family tradition to have breakfast after church every Sunday at the Jelly Roll Diner in downtown Shelton, and that particular Sunday would be the last time they'd eat there before Piper left for college. She'd ordered the same thing she always ate—an egg white omelet with a side of sourdough toast and a small orange juice.
Since her breakup with Alex earlier that summer, Piper had been on edge. Alex had already made her anger known, but Piper wouldn't put it past her to do one more rash thing to "punish" her for not telling her family about their relationship.
Her brother, Cal, was telling their parents a story about a snake he saw in the yard the day before, when Alex entered the diner. Piper's face dropped, and she knew Alex wasn't there to make amends with a quick hug and a genuine goodbye.
"Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, there's something you need to know." She walked to the table where Piper sat with her family. "Piper wasn't just my friend; she was my girlfriend. I loved her. You need to know that your daughter isn't as clean-cut or as honest as you think she is." Her jaw was set as she delivered this news. "She's been hiding our relationship from you all year."
Piper's fork dropped right out of her hand. "Alex, don't do this."
Carol stared at her daughter. "What on earth?"
"Is this true, honey?" her father asked.
She shook her head, looked away from Alex and answered, "No."
"You're a fucking liar," Alex said through clenched teeth.
Alex's mom, who had worked at the diner as long as Piper could remember, rushed over to the table. "Let's go to the back room, hon." She glanced at Bill and Carol, and then flashed a sad look at Piper. "I'm really sorry."
"I need some air." Piper's chair screeched against the floor as she hastily exited the restaurant and walked around the corner to cry.
She hadn't wanted to lie, but she didn't have Alex's conviction. If there had been any hope of reconciliation in the future, Piper had just thrown it out the window.
George put a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry to hear that."
"Me, too." She closed her eyes, picturing Alex at the height of fury, cheeks red and hands trembling, wishing Piper would tell her family the truth. "I'd like to change the subject if you don't mind."
"Not at all." He turned on the radio. "How about some Christmas music to put us in a more festive mood?"
She smiled, but it didn't reach her cheeks.
Their first stop wasn't Shelton—they drove past that exit off Highway 15 and headed south and then jutted west to the town of Ridgefield where they'd see the first Christmas tree.
They were greeted by the entire Judson family, grandkids and all, as they surveyed the 90-foot blue spruce. The falling snow stuck to its branches, giving it a sort of majestic look. Piper was impressed by its size and girth, but there was a bald patch on the back side that didn't bode well. If push came to shove, she could position it in a way that the spot didn't show, plus she could add extra bows and lights to that particular area. George seemed impressed with the health of the tree, but he wasn't convinced that was "the one."
The year before, they'd scouted three trees—two in upstate New York and one in Vermont. It was the third one they saw that beat out the other two, so Piper had high hopes for the other trees they'd check out that week. She'd been leaning towards one that George had shown her a picture of in eastern Massachusetts, but she tried to keep an open mind.
After checking out the tree, they were invited to join the Judson family for an early lunch that day. Piper was glad to have her mind occupied by something other than seeing Alex in the next couple of hours, and she genuinely enjoyed the company of the 12-member Judson family.
George insisted that they stop for a slice of pumpkin pie at a roadside diner on their way to Shelton, and after indulging in such a delicacy, they made their way to Piper's hometown.
"Are you worried about the snow sticking to the highway?"
"Not yet." George turned on the radio. "Let's listen to the weather report."
Five minutes later, the weather person announced they were expecting three to five inches along the I-95 corridor, but the highway patrol was confident the plows could keep up with the volume as long as it didn't dump all at once.
"I think we'll be fine." George exited Highway 15 and drove a couple of miles into Shelton. "We're supposed to meet Diane Vause at her house." While they were stopped at a red light, he pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket. "22 Green Street. Know where that is?"
She looked at her lap, remembering the first time she stepped foot into Alex's house. "Like the back of my hand."
"I'm sure it's nothing compared to your house." Alex opened the front door and stepped aside. "But it's home for me, so…"
"It's nice." Piper had never been in such a tiny house before, but it seemed cozy and just right for two people. "What's that smell?"
Alex sniffed the air. "What smell?"
"I don't know; it just smells different than my house."
"I guess all houses have their own scent." She shrugged as she walked towards the refrigerator. "Want a soda or something?"
"Your mom lets you have soda?" She noticed an old picture of Alex and her mom on the refrigerator, hung by a magnet that Alex had surely made in grade school.
"If it's on sale." She opened the two-liter of Sprite. "We have milk or water if you want."
"Sprite is fine." Piper looked around the small kitchen where everything seemed to have its place—a tea kettle on the stove, two boxes of cereal on the counter, and a loaf of bread next to the dish drying rack. "How long have you lived here?"
"Long as I can remember." She handed Piper a glass. "Are you hungry? I think we have ham and maybe some leftover pot roast."
"That's what I smell—pot roast." She smiled. "I'm not hungry, but thanks."
Alex walked through the living room and into the first room on her left. "This is my bedroom. We can stay in here or if you want to spread out, we can sit at the kitchen table."
"Here is fine." She looked around the room at the Depeche Mode and Alanis Morissette posters, which were on either side of a framed poster of The Starry Night. There were two other framed pictures of nondescript flowers on the wall, and Piper wondered if they'd hung there since the beginning of time. On the floor at the base of the twin bed was a stack of novels, and next to them, a dirty clothes hamper that was halfway full.
"Let me clear this stuff off the bed." Alex tossed a pair of jeans and two t-shirts into her closet. "Sorry it's such a mess. The maid didn't come today."
"You have a maid, too? Our maid's name is Hilda, and she's worked for my family for like ten years."
She gave her a look.
"Oh, sorry." Piper glanced away.
"Before we get started…" Alex crossed her arms and stuck a leg out. "You know I'm gay, right?"
Her eyes shot open, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Yeah. I mean, I've heard that..."
She shoved a chunk of hair behind her ear. "I just didn't want things to be awkward between us or for you to think I was making a move on you if I accidently brush against your arm or something."
Piper blushed. "I wouldn't think that."
"Good." She pulled their history textbook from her backpack, and then sat on the bed. "Let's get started."
Piper snapped back to the present. "Will Alex meet us there?"
"I was never in touch with Alex—only her mom," he replied. "According to Diane, her daughter runs a Christmas tree farm."
"She runs it? I wonder if it's old Mr. Rayburn's farm."
Anything she'd learn about Alex on this trip would be a surprise, and Piper had to remind herself of that.
"I'm sure we'll find out."
Her heart beat faster as they drove down Main Street. "The bank is still there, and the Post Office. Looks like they added on to it."
They passed a restaurant, a bar and a home goods store, all decorated with Thanksgiving banners and white lights.
"This is all new." She rolled down the window as if that would allow her to see the town better. "There's the Jelly Roll—at least that's still here."
"Should I keep driving down this street?"
She returned her attention to George. "Make a right at the next stop sign."
"I don't mind taking you down memory lane."
"It's ok." Piper shook her head. "Nothing looks familiar. I guess the revitalization project finally went through."
"It's a charming little downtown," he commented.
"Yeah, it is." She couldn't believe how much had changed in the past 15 years and didn't know if she should be happy for the people who now lived in Shelton or sad that she hadn't reaped the benefits of such a quaint community.
They passed the old daycare where she and her brothers went before going to Kindergarten. "Turn left on Myrtle, and then right on Green."
She linked her fingers in her lap to stop them from shaking. "Does Diane know I'm coming?"
He shook his head. "As usual, I gave Diane my name and told her someone from the special events division would be joining me." He pulled into the driveway at 22 Green Street. "You sure you're ok?"
"Yeah." Piper took a deep breath. "I'm ready to get this over with."
"Ok, then." He unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out.
Diane Vause appeared in the doorway, and Piper was frozen in her seat. She looked the same as she always had, with just a few more wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. If Piper wasn't mistaken, she even had on the Jelly Roll waitress' uniform under her coat.
"You must be Diane," George greeted with a handshake.
The sound was muffled through the closed windows, but Piper could hear just fine.
"I am. Are you George?"
"Indeed I am. George Paltz. Pleasure to meet you." He released her hand and looked back at Piper in the vehicle. "My colleague will join us soon."
She escorted him into the house, saying something about the early snow, and Piper flung her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes. She hadn't expected to be this anxious, but the way she'd left things with Alex after high school had to have had an effect on Diane.
Two more deep breaths, and she got out of the vehicle and climbed the two steps into the house. She cleared her throat. "Hi, Diane."
The older woman's face twitched as if she knew she should recognize the person in front of her, but couldn't quite place her. She took a step forward and squinted. "Piper?"
"Yes."
The house smelled exactly as it had in the past. Before she knew it, Diane wrapped her in her arms, which brought unexpected tears to Piper's eyes.
She pulled back, hands on Piper's cheeks. "My God, what are you doing here?"
Piper wiped moisture from her eyes. "I'm the special events coordinator for Rockefeller Center."
"I…I can't believe it. You, in my house all these years later." Pride was written all over her face. "Come here." Once again, she pulled her into a hug. "What a wonderful surprise."
She hadn't known what kind of greeting to expect from Diane, but this was definitely the best case scenario.
She finally released her. "Let me get you two some hot apple cider, and we'll catch up."
As soon as Diane turned her back, George winked at Piper.
She felt an overwhelming sense of gladness after such a greeting and hoped that feeling would stick around, but Piper's mouth got in the way. "Is Alex coming over?"
"No, but that's gonna be a thing." Diane handed each of them a piping hot mug of cider. "She doesn't know I wrote to you about the tree."
Both George and Piper raised their eyebrows.
"Please, have a seat." Diane led them to the sofa. "The tree is right outside. You probably saw it when you parked."
"Why wouldn't you tell her?" Piper asked.
Diane let out a long breath. "She's proud of that tree and considers it very much a part of this home."
George looked out the window.
"Does she still live here?" Piper had yet to take a sip of the cider. "Or does she have a family of her own?"
"She moved out about five years ago when she bought the Christmas tree farm." There was a twinkle in Diane's eye. "And I'm still her only family."
Piper didn't examine why hearing such a statement was such a relief.
He stood. "Mind if I take a look at the tree?"
"The snow is really coming down now, but come on out here." Diane led them both outside and walked down a narrow pathway to the monstrous tree. "There it is."
"Wow, it's beautiful." Piper walked around the base and looked high and low at the perfect branches. "I don't remember it from my childhood."
She zipped her coat. "It's grown a good ten feet since you lived in Shelton."
"Wouldn't need much trimming." George reached deep under the canopy and broke off a small branch. "Nice sap running through it; smells fresh." He held it up for Piper to take a whiff. "Mind if I do a little arborist test?"
"Don't mind at all." Diane walked towards the house. "It's too cold to stand out here. Why don't you come inside?"
She followed her back inside as George went to the truck to do his testing.
"You look great, kid. Really great." She squeezed Piper's hand and eyed her from head to toe. "I can't believe you're here."
"I was as surprised as you when George showed me the photo you e-mailed him." Piper removed her wool hat. "Alex is in the picture, which is how I connected the dots."
She sat in the armchair and motioned for Piper to join her. "Yeah, that was the best one I could get on a sunny day, but Alex still has no idea why I took it."
Piper sat on the edge of the sofa she'd made out on more times than she could count, clutching the warm mug in her lap. "How is she?"
"She's doing well," Diane said with a proud smile. "Like I said, she bought the Christmas tree farm five years ago when Mr. Rayburn passed away. There's a cabin on the property that she fixed up, and that's where she lives now. She also owns a landscaping business. I couldn't be any prouder of her."
"I'm glad." She smiled, pleased that Alex hadn't ended up in a dead-end job. There was much more that she wanted to ask, but she treaded carefully.
"The last time I saw you was in the diner that morning when Alex was terribly rude to you and your family." Diane tilted her head. "She never really mentioned you after that."
That made Piper sad.
"I never made it my business to get into my daughter's business, but when you left, that hit her pretty hard."
She looked away, feeling a pang in her chest.
"You two seemed good together—more mature as a couple than most people my own age."
She glanced at Diane, whose expression seemed to mirror her nostalgia.
"I wasn't comfortable in my own skin back then," Piper confessed. "I wish I could have a do-over—make it right."
"I don't know about a do-over." She reached out, placing a hand on Piper's knee. "But you could certainly try to make things right."
George walked back into the house, wiping his snowy boots on the mat. "Well, Mrs. Vause, you have one hell of a tree out there."
She stood. "There's no 'Mrs.' in front of my name, and please, call me Diane."
"Well, then, Diane. That's one of the healthiest trees I've seen in years. Looks like it's almost 100 years old."
"That's how old I feel some days," Diane laughed. "How about a refill of that cider?"
"Don't mind if I do."
Diane joined him in the kitchen, giving Piper a moment to observe the space. She walked to the bookshelf and brought a framed picture of Diane and Alex closer. The two of them were next to what looked like a new wooden sign that read Shelton Christmas Tree Farm: Pre-cut or U-cut. Alex's arm was around her mom's shoulders, and she was smiling widely at the camera. Piper found her own lips tugging up as she examined the picture closely. She figured it was taken shortly after Alex had bought Mr. Rayburn's Christmas tree farm, which meant it was five years old. Alex looked happy and healthy. Her black hair was still long, but it was about three inches shorter than it had been in high school, and the blue tips were nowhere to be found. She had on different glasses, too, that seemed more fashionable than the ones she'd worn all those years ago.
She placed the picture back on the shelf in exchange for a handmade vase that she remembered making in Ceramics class around Mother's Day of their senior year. She smiled again. Behind the vase was a certificate of completion for a horticulture program. Piper picked it up and dusted the glass as she read, "Ansonia Community College."
"Alex never got a degree from a four-year college, but she completed the horticulture program at the local community college about ten or so years ago." Diane stood next to her. "Can you imagine Alex working a 9 to 5 job behind a desk?"
"No, I can't." Alex had always been fidgety in school, and while she was one of the smartest girls Piper knew back then, she hated school and the idea that she was supposed to join the ranks of "other boring people in boring-ass desk jobs."
George entered the living room. "We have one more tree to scout later this week, but I have to say, it's going to be tough to top this one even though it's shorter than we usually like."
"I had no idea if it would be a contender, but hearing that it is, I'm going to have to talk to my daughter." Diane's smile faded.
"Talk to your daughter about what?" Alex breezed in, head down and a little out of breath, shaking snowflakes off her coat. "And who's SUV is parked outside?"
Piper's heart sunk as if she was on a plane that suddenly descended a thousand feet in mid-air.
Author's note: I realize that choosing the Christmas tree for Rockefeller Plaza is probably done at least months if not a full year in advance. For the purpose of this story, I moved that timeline up significantly. Also, don't expect 20-page chapters from here on out—there was no way I could stop this one prior to now. Please let me know if you like this so far!
