On the Eighth Day of Christmas Laylah remembered to let Tim know to dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes before their "Eighth Day of Christmas" and she arrived at his house promptly at six. "Good evening," she said as he came out and took the large box from her again. "Hi," he said. She held the door open for him and he followed her in. "Kitchen?" He asked as she closed the door. "Uh huh," Laylah said as she took off her gloves and then unwound her scarf. She laid her things across the back of one of the kitchen chairs and proceeded into the kitchen to heat up their dinner. "Oh man," Tim said as she put thick slabs of meatloaf on two plates and dished up healthy portions of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and spiced corn as well. "Everything looks delicious." While the plates were heating, Tim pulled a ginger ale and a beer from the fridge and Laylah grabbed the silverware. "So," Tim said as they sat down. "What are we doing tonight?" He tore apart a biscuit. Laylah made a sour face. "You know the rules by now," she said. "It's a surprise." "I know the rules," Tim said. "I just keep hoping you'll slip." Laylah laughed and Tim grinned. "This is awesome by the way, thank you." "You're welcome," Laylah said with a nod. "Do you do much cooking?" "Not for just me," Tim shook his head. "I do a lot better out on the grill than I do in here on the stove." He shrugged. "I manage, but I get take-out a lot more than I cook." Laylah laughed. "Wanna know a secret?" She asked. Tim nodded. "Me too," she said. Tim laughed, then Laylah had a thought. "Why is it so hard to cook for just one person?" Tim answered immediately. "Because food," he held up his fork, "especially good food, is meant to be shared." Laylah couldn't argue with that. Once they'd cleaned up the kitchen, they headed out to Laylah's car and she headed back to the shop. "Don't worry," she said as they got out of the car. "We're not making anything or decorating anything, I just thought it'd be easier to park here." Tim grinned. "We're going to the luminary walk, aren't we." He didn't phrase it like a question. Laylah sighed as she buttoned her coat. "Yes," she said and led the way down the street. The historic district was only a couple of blocks from the shop and the streets of the district were lined with paper and glass luminaries and street vendors were selling everything from hot chocolate to barbecue ribs. A group in victorian garb was singing Christmas carols and down the street a woman was playing a harp. Most of the victorian mansions were decorated above and beyond even what Laylah would deem necessary, and the streets carried a magical glow. Laylah was trying to look everywhere at once so she didn't miss anything important as they walked up to the ticket booth to purchase entrance into some of the homes. "Hi," the woman in the booth had a space heater blowing directly on her. "Two?" "Yes, please," Laylah said as she pulled out her wallet. Tim reached for his and Laylah shook her head. "My treat," she said. "You sure?" Tim asked. Laylah nodded. "It was my idea," she said as she handed the woman a twenty dollar bill. In return, they received two pamphlets. "All of the houses are listed in order as you head east," the woman motioned behind her. She smiled warmly. "Enjoy," she said. "Thank you," Laylah handed one pamphlet to Tim and they headed down the street. "If you see anything you'd like to look at, let me know." Besides the food, people were selling crafts, instruments, kitchen utensils, anything that someone might need as a last minute gift item. "So, we can go in some of the houses?" Tim asked. "I didn't know that." "Yeah," Laylah nodded. "They decorate them all up and then let us tour them. Anyone who puts their house on the tour gets a portion of the ticket sales to put back into fixing up the houses so this district can continue to improve." "That's a great idea," Tim motioned toward the sidewalk leading up to a very large, brick house with columns on the porch that supported a second story balcony. Laylah led the way. She was actually more excited than she was letting on because she loved old houses with a lot of character. The cool thing about the historic district was that if someone bought a house there, they were under contract to keep it historically accurate. They could make modern improvements, of course, but the integrity of the house had to remain the same. They viewed amazing stair cases, crown molding, oak floors, crystal chandeliers, and antique furniture almost to Laylah's heart's content, while the owners answered the questions they could. One house on the tour was for sale and as they entered, Tim laughed. "Putting it in the tour was a great idea," he said. "Free advertising." An older man with a kind smile greeted them at the door. "Hello and welcome," he said as he marked their pamphlets so that they'd have to pay again to enter the house a second time. "Feel free to look around," he motioned past the massive foyer. "You know, it's for sale," he said with a wink. "Perfect for a young couple just starting out." "We're not a couple," Tim and Laylah said at the same time. "No?" The man glanced between them then grinned. "Could'a fooled me," he said. "Well, enjoy anyway." He stepped aside so they could enter the house. They wandered through a living room with tall ceilings and a dining room with amazing crown molding and beautiful hard wood floors, but when they reached the kitchen, Laylah felt her heart give a happy little sigh. "Oh, I could die happily in a kitchen like this," she said as her fingers lightly grazed the pale granite countertops. The island in the middle held the apron sink and the gas range while the double oven was built into the wall nearby. The white cabinets were tall and went all the way to the ceiling. "Kitchen envy?" Tim asked. Laylah laughed. "Definitely," she said. "I'd love to have a place like this one day," she said as they headed up the back stairs. "You know, something that isn't exactly like every other house on the block." The small back bedroom, which was probably for staff members originally, had been converted into a spacious laundry room and the bathroom was the perfect mix of old and new. They got a better look at the chandelier over the staircase before heading into the bedrooms. Two were good sized, with high ceilings and large windows, but the third was huge. A king sized bed fit happily against the wall with old nightstands on either side and a large cedar chest at the foot. A low chaise was situated under the window with a low bookcase beside it. Laylah sighed before she realized it. "You like this too?" Tim asked. Laylah nodded. "It has so much character, but it's quaint, not stuffy." Tim shrugged. "It's nice, but it's pretty big. Do you really need all this space?" "No," Laylah shook her head, "but it's nice to dream," she said with a grin. They headed back outside and before too long, they found Ronnie and her future mother-in-law at the booth space Ronnie and Laylah had rented. A lot of their Christmas merchandise was displayed, along with a few other things. Ronnie was bundled in a coat, scarf, ear-muffs, and gloves and held a hot chocolate in both hands. Betty was similarly dressed. "Hi!" Ronnie said brightly as they approached. "Having fun?" "Yes," Laylah admitted. "Hi, Betty!" She turned to Tim. "Tim, this is Brandon's mom, Betty." "Nice to meet you, ma'am," Tim held out a hand. "Hi!" Ronnie's future mother-in-law was equally peppy. "Nice to meet you too!" "I feel kinda bad that I'm not back there helping you, though," Laylah said. It was true. Ronnie waved a hand at her. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Betty and I are having a blast." Betty nodded. "Besides, you'll be here Saturday, so I'm not worried." "You sure?" Laylah asked. Betty smiled. "Of course," she said. "I was happy to help when I found out you had a date." Laylah gave Tim an apologetic look. "We're just friends," she said. "Really?" Betty really looked disappointed. "I thought sure you were a couple," she turned to Ronnie. "Wouldn't they make a cute couple?" "They would," Ronnie agreed, "but I learned long ago to not play matchmaker, especially with my bestie." That made Laylah smile. "Go on," Ronnie jerked her head down the street, "get outta here." They headed back to the store to get Laylah's car, and the drive back to Tim's house was mostly silent. Laylah found herself humming along to the Christmas carols on the radio. When they got to Tim's house, he turned to her with a smile. "I had a lot of fun," he said. "Thank you." Laylah smiled. "You're welcome," she said. "Merry Christmas, Tim."