Hello! KLFWrites here (formerly known as ASianSuccessor2012 in my previous stories and author's notes)! Here is my first "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" fanfiction that I'd like to share with you all, now that I have more time to write and more time in general. I am quite new to the fandom, having started watching back in December when "For Christmas" aired at a local TV station. Long story short, I loved it and was thrilled to hear there were more episodes and films in the series and have become a dedicated fan and follower since the end of February and especially during this pandemic.
Although inspired by Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life," I'm doing my very best not to make this a carbon copy, but rather incorporating elements from it in the SSD tradition in which the Postables still have a lost letter to deliver! Above all, what I sincerely hope to do is do the characters justice in some way or form.
I truly hope you enjoy this first chapter, and I appreciate any feedback or reviews that may help me in the future as I continue to write.
Thank you and without further ado, please enjoy "Hope for the Holidays!"
Cheers
~KLFWrites (ASianSuccessor2012)
"Gloria in Excelsis Deo! Et intera pax hominibus bonae voluntatis!"
The vast echoes of the choir singing Daniel Pinkham's Christmas Cantata reverberated and bounced across the tall and acoustic walls, soaring up beyond the rooftops, and perhaps even towards the Heavens, and down below towards the pews where audiences and churchgoers alike listened quietly, intently, utterly captivated by the jubilant and joyful noise before them. Every face that donned a flowing blue robe and faded golden collar upon the stage were expressively graced with glowing eyes and heads and chests held high, resounding their joyful refrain and swiftly sending their energy towards the congregation, yet first and foremost lifting their praises to the Lord, singing of His birth, singing of Christmas, and singing for the reason of the season. The glowing eyes and soaring hearts were indeed reflected upon the faces of the congregation, but not more than the group of four that filled up the entire middle-front row, their faces beaming just as much, if not even more, than the choristers themselves: the nearest and dearest friends and relations to the baritone, Oliver O'Toole.
There was Norman Dorman and his wife, Rita Haywith-Dorman, their eyes completely aglow and in awe of the richness of the choir's timbre and near-perfection in blending and harmony, Joe O'Toole, the proud father of Oliver, just as mesmerized and intrigued with the modern classical yet satisfyingly exuberant piece of music (mentally taking note of that, being a musician himself), and last but not least, Oliver's adoring fiancee, Shane McInerney, who was also captivated by the music, but even more so by the piercing blue eyes of the baritone, her mouth slightly agape and her eyes just as aglow as her companions.
She could have sworn that somewhere midway through the third movement, as the sopranos and altos had their solo section, she caught a loving glance from the eyes of the man who undoubtedly caught her heart as he was flipping towards the next page, and my, was she lost in them. Shane didn't know where she lost herself more: the haunting beauty of the choral piece or the sincerity that shone through the eyes and voice of her beloved as he sang for and about the God he loved and served. Either way, there was no doubt in her mind that every facet of this man made her fall in love with him everyday, and every moment, she promised herself that Oliver was worth the wait after all these years of their being colleagues, friends, and now lovers. No matter how long it took and how much has transpired, Oliver's beloved Miss McInerney had no regrets whatsoever and remained thankful to God for where she was, the people she spent her life with, and everything that lead her to this beautiful moment: sitting in a church pew with the people she loved the most, watching the man she loved the most. What more could she ask for? Perhaps, a moment or two with her love after the concert?
"Oh come on, Shane! Why are you thinking about this now?" Her mind spoke as her eyes remained fixated on the choir, unknowingly muttering these words under her breath,"Save it for later! Just enjoy the show, listen to the music, and you'll be in his arms before you know it."
She then took a deep breath and continued to watch the choir sing intently, counting the minutes, or even the measures of music, until they could take their final bows. Joe took notice of her silent remark, turning his head towards her, taking Shane's hand, squeezing it lightly, and giving her a knowing yet teasing smirk. He knew for sure that no matter how many people made up the choir, the young woman next to him only had eyes for a certain baritone: a certain baritone who happened to be his son.
"Just a couple more minutes and he's all yours, Shane," he bent over and whispered in her ear, followed by a gentle chuckle as he slightly tightened his squeeze on his soon-to-be daughter-in-law's hand. Shane then turned to Joe, giving off a knowing smirk of her own, bending to whisper in his ear.
"As much as I'd like to have him all to myself, I gotta share him with his dad and his friends too, don't I?"
They both shared a light laughter, though were gently interrupted by Rita who shushed them upon hearing the ritardando of the choir, drawing their attention back to the stage.
"Shh! Here comes the best part!" She whispered loudly, squeezing Norman's hand on her left side.
"I thought all of it was the best part," Norman commented in a whisper, receiving yet another shush from his wife, causing all four upon the pew to silently turns their eyes towards the choir who sang the final "Hallelujah" that filled the walls of the church with its intricate harmonies that rapidly transition from a slightly dissonant cluster that resolved into a satisfying and completely consonant G Major chord, the final notes sung held in a firm, robust fermata, and released with a gentle, floating cutoff from the conductor. It was at that moment that the choir draped in blue took their final bows and the audience cheered aloud, the first ones to give a standing ovation being the quartet of supporters in the front row, none other than Norman, Rita, Joe and Shane. All eight loving eyes turned towards their much-loved baritone, Oliver, with honourable smiles and glances to another one of their friends, one of the sopranos, Dale Travers.
As soon as the choristers returned their robes backstage and emerged in their regular articles of clothing, they all greeted their loved ones who came to support them, thanking them for coming to join them in song at their Christmas concert. As soon as Oliver emerged with a huge, yet gentle smile on his face, a certain blonde woman dropped everything, including her coat and her purse and rushed straight into his arms, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Oh, Oliver, that was incredible!" Shane exclaimed as she held him in her arms.
Oliver slightly pulled away to take a look at her bright eyes and beaming expression, grinning widely at her, then leaning towards her for a kiss.
"Thank you, my love," he replied gently as he lovingly cupped his right hand upon her cheek.
She gave him a kiss once more on the cheek and left to find another one of their friends in the choir to offer her congratulations. Oliver then moved on to greet his father, who gave him a tight hug and congratulated him.
"Wow…" Rita sighed wide-eyed as she and Norman approached their friend.
"That was…" Norman chimed in.
"...Incredible!" the Dormans remarked simultaneously, looking at each other as they completed each other's sentence and turned to Oliver with huge smiles on their faces as he pulled both of them in a hug and chuckled at the couple's amazement.
"Why, thank you Rita, Norman," Oliver said with one of his usual formal nods, yet still smiling as giddily as they were.
"I've never heard anything like it," Norman said quickly with a grin, "And that's why I like it!"
"Yeah, so do I!" Rita added as she held her husband's arm, "We should really listen to more choral music one day soon! There's just something so captivating and...well...spiritual and heavenly about it!"
"That it is, Rita!" Oliver agreed, turning his eyes to both his friends, "And that you also should! Perhaps we can enlighten our senses with the sacred beauty of this genre while we continue sorting letters during the Christmas rush. It just might do the trick to lessen the elevation of stress levels as we navigate a rather hectic facet of the holidays, hmm?"
"Oh, I think that would be very nice!" Rita nodded enthusiastically, "What do you think, Norman?"
"Oh yeah, totally!" he responded just as excitedly, "After what we all heard tonight, I honestly don't think we could get enough of it."
"It's just that magical! Ooh, that's the other word I was looking for!" Rita exclaimed, followed by a chuckle.
"I'm glad to hear it, because I couldn't agree more," Oliver said, nodding with a smile, "It all the more reinforces why I continue to be a part of the choir in the first place. I have shelves of old vinyl records of choral music back at the DLO, some even at home, that I could bring over and that we could listen to while we work. Perhaps, in the light of the season, even a vintage record of Handel's Messiah would suffice?"
"Well, to that I say Hallelujah!" Norman exclaims jokingly, taking pride in injecting a bit of humour, causing his companions to share a laugh.
"Well Norman, do I take that as a yes?" Oliver asks in a slightly more serious tone, yet with a small smile creeping underneath his features.
"Ooh, yes. Definitely a yes!" he responds quickly, flashing a thumbs up followed by a brisk nod.
"Good! Looks like I've got some searching to do as a weekend pastime," his friend smiled as the three continued their conversation, Norman and Rita continuously asking questions about each of the musical pieces and Oliver enlightening them as best as he could with the knowledge he had. Who knew that such seasoned postal connoisseurs took an interest in becoming ones of choral music as well?
Meanwhile, Shane stood a few metres away from her companions just below the stage, absently fiddling with her fingers with her hands on her side, waiting for yet another member of the choir to emerge from backstage and greet the audience. Once again, Joe took notice of her mannerisms and walked towards her.
"You waiting for a friend?" he asked her, breaking the silence as she turned her head upon hearing his voice.
"Yeah," Shane replied with a small smile, and before Joe could ask who, they both spotted a familiar face walk out of one of the rightmost wooden doors, a redhead wearing a gray blazer with a choir folder in hand, smiling widely and turning her head in different directions as if she were looking for people to greet.
"And there she is!" Shane exclaimed as she waved her right hand to get her attention, "Hey, Dale!"
"Shane! Oh my goodness! Hi!" Dale called out as she briskly walked towards her friend, both sharing a smile and a tight hug, "Thanks so much for coming!"
"You know I wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied matter-of-factly yet with still as bright a smile as she had when she greeted Oliver a few minutes earlier, "Oh gosh, you guys were phenomenal!"
"Thank you!"
Joe smiled contentedly seeing these two young women getting along, getting to know each other, and more recently, even becoming better friends. For a moment, he thought back on when they first encountered one another, knowing a slight looming rivalry existed between them, namely jealousy on Shane's part, especially since Dale had known Oliver for a long time and had some romantic history with him. However, since the night he and his son went missing, he remembered how both Shane and Dale worked together to rescue them, overcoming their differences and clearing the air with Dale clarifying that she and Oliver were nothing more than good friends, but most of all, trusting that God would show up in the most trying of times and lead them to where he and Oliver were waiting for a sign of hope. Harrowing as the experience was, Joe smiled at the thought as he walked over to his son and his friends and silently acknowledged to himself that everything happened for a reason according to God's plan. The occurrence prompted a new found friendship between the two women, and it was clear throughout these past few months that Dale had become an ally and a friend to the Postables, especially to Oliver and Shane, one who knew her the longest among them, and the other who aided in the rescue of the man they both deeply cared for.
"And your Ave Maria solo...wow, just...wow…" Shane praised her friend in amazement, "I mean, I always knew you could sing well, but I didn't know you could sing like that, you know...operatically."
"Yes, well…" Dale took a moment to chuckle, flattered by the compliment, "It took lots and lots of practice, patience, and a whole lot of Youtubing. I barely have the time to take lessons, so I heeded the advice of our director and just started teaching myself some techniques that I thought would help me prepare and boom, here we are! I tell you, Youtube has everything."
"Everything…" Shane nodded slowly in agreement, "It's gonna take a miracle for me to convince Oliver to at least try using it when we listen to music at the DLO."
"Well, if anyone can convince him, it's you," she gave her friendly nudge and a teasing smirk, now knowing and fully accepting that the two were together and incredibly happy at that.
"Do you have any idea how many times I've tried that?," Shane said as she and Dale shared a laugh, "No can do. Hey, speaking of the DLO, it looks like our friends want an autograph from the star soprano herself!"
"Oh no, you do not get to call me that!" Dale joked, followed by another fit of laughter as she and Shane walked towards Oliver, Joe, Rita and Norman to join them in their circle of conversation.
"I'm not kidding, you know; they'd probably think so too," Shane nudged her friend back as they approached the group and excitedly announced her presence out loud, "And here's the star soloist herself!"
The four turned their heads towards the two women and all grinned widely at the sight of them with loud, simultaneous "hey's," compliments and cheers for the soloist who also happened to be their dear friend.
"Oh my goodness, your solo was incredible!" Rita exclaimed, wrapping Dale in a quick yet tight hug.
"Yeah, what a voice!" Norman chimed in, giving her a friendly and congratulatory pat on the back.
"Couldn't have picked a better soprano for the job," Joe complimented with a warm smile, holding out his hand for her to shake, Dale giving each of them a smile full of gratitude.
"Well, having sung next to you over the course of the rehearsals and tonight, of course, I can attest to everyone's comments on your performance, and I hope you will accept my compliment; you were indeed splendid," Oliver remarked sincerely with a smile and hugged his friend.
"Oh, you guys are too much," a flattered Dale replied with a chuckle and a blush, "Thank you for coming!"
"Like I said, we wouldn't miss it for the world," Shane said and smiled warmly once again.
"So, who's hungry?" Norman piped up, "There's a reception going on out there and I'm starving!"
"Me too! Let's go!" Rita responded, swiftly yet gently locking her arms with Norman as they rushed through the aisle towards the foyer, "I can't wait to see what they've got there!"
"Come to think of it, I am too," Dale said, turning to Joe, Oliver and Shane, "I haven't had a bite since before dress rehearsal and there are some other friends I have to greet so...I'll see you all there?"
All three chimed in in agreement and she turned to rush through the aisle to meet with some of her loved ones and friends who were waiting in the foyer.
"Shall we go?" Oliver turned to his beloved, giving her one of his signature warm smiles and offered his arm for her to take. The gesture was not lost on Joe who looked over and silently grinned to himself, noticing how much love was in their eyes everytime they looked at each other. Shane then gave Oliver a huge grin, her face flushed and her stomach leaping with butterflies as she gazed upon his eyes.
"Of course," she grinned as she took his arm, walking at a slow and steady pace across the aisle with Joe following behind them, still grinning at the sight of the two lovers before him.
"So, my dear Shane," Oliver began, "What did you think of the performance? Please be honest; with the Christmas rush underway, I have to admit that personally I was ever-so-slightly under-rehearsed. I should hope that you didn't take notice, knowing your keen ear for a great many genres of music."
"Oh, stop it, Oliver," she gently swatted his arm, followed by a chuckle between the two, "Everything about it was incredible-I mean it! And I'm not just saying it because you and Dale were in it, and because you and I are-"
"-A thing?" Oliver interrupted jokingly, causing them both to share a laugh, as well as Joe who caught up to them, walking next to Shane.
"Yes, Oliver; a thing," Shane replied amidst her laughter, "Judging a concert on your accord would just straight up be favoritism, and honestly, I think we can all agree that with the repertoire you all sung tonight, man, it's hard to pick a favorite."
"I agree; everything about it just captured the spirit of the season," Joe chimed in, then faced his son with a teasing smirk and a chuckle, "And look at you, Ollie, using terminology from the 21st century! Didn't think I'd live to see the day…"
"Well, it so turns out you did, Dad," Oliver smiled at his father, "However, such cases in which I would use said terminology is only when I feel it most appropriate to say so. And in this case, it is most appropriate, only because it's true."
The younger man then shot another warm and gentle glance at Shane, which naturally caused her to get weak at the knees once more. The two were so focused yet again at gazing upon one another that they barely noticed they've exited the sanctuary and made it to the foyer. Then again, there was only one person who could break them out of their infatuated trance.
"Well if you guys are thinking about kissing, I say save it for the mistletoe," Joe teased amidst a loud chuckle, "You gotta remember, there's food on the table and I still got an appetite and I don't intend to lose it anytime soon."
"If you recall, Joe, Oliver knows very well there is a time for everything," Shane good-naturedly jabbed back at his teasing comment, "And to everything, there is a season."
With her last remark, she turned to Oliver and once again, they shared a smile. There she went again, quoting scripture.
"Yeah; a time to hug, a time to kiss, and right now, a time to eat," Joe replied, earning a small laugh from the two, "I don't know about you, but I've been craving a bite since lunch. I'll catch you guys later."
With that, Joe disappeared into the long line of people at the long buffet table set against the wall opposite of the sanctuary doors, catching up with Rita and Norman who were two people away from Joe, who made eye contact with him and waved at his direction.
"How about you, Oliver? Aren't you hungry? It must've been a long day for you with a dress rehearsal in the early afternoon and a two-hour concert in the evening," Shane asked with a little bit of concern creeping in her tone as she caressed his shoulder.
"Ah, no, Shane, don't worry about me," he shook his head and smiled at his fiancee, gently placing his hand on her shoulder, "Why don't you go ahead and get yourself something to eat? I'll save us a table with Rita and Norman."
"Are you sure?" she asked, still a tad concerned, furrowing her eyebrows.
"I'm fine, I promise. The adrenaline of performance usually causes a loss in my appetite quite often, I'm afraid."
"Well, I won't take too long then," Shane nodded as she turned towards the buffet, "But I'll still get you at least a little something; trust me, you don't want to go to bed on an empty stomach."
Oliver chuckled at her remark and the two shared one more brief smile before she headed towards the buffet, the line luckily shorter by the time she arrived, grabbing herself two plates, one large and the other small, and two sets of utensils.
Meanwhile, Norman and Rita had just finished filling up their plates with food and headed towards the tall table covered with a long, white tablecloth, it's bottom draped with a small royal blue curtain as its decor. Norman was in the middle of chewing a few grapes while Rita just waited until they got to the table to take a bite. It was true; Norman had been starving and he couldn't wait to take the first bite and indeed, it felt grape.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it," he said with a shrug as he and Rita set their plates down and reconvened with Oliver, "I guess I was just that hungry."
"Well, that's nothing to apologize for, Norman," Oliver said, "As my father said not even a moment ago as a response to Shane's quoting scripture, to everything there is a season and it so happens, right now is the time to eat. So, bon appetit, my friend; just go right on and enjoy your meal."
"Why didn't you get anything, Oliver?" Rita asked out of curiosity, knowing very well that he had a long day and assuming he would be craving at least something by now.
"Well Rita, quite often during and after performances, I don't have much of an appetite, so I suppose I'll sit this one out for now," he responded, "However, Shane said she'll be back with a little something. She says she doesn't want me to go hungry, and although I know that I won't, I still highly appreciate her considerate gesture."
"Aw, that's so sweet of her," Rita sighed with a smile, "She's always looking out for you, just like my Norman always looks out for me."
The Dorman couple then exchanged an affectionate smile as Rita's left arm clung to Norman's right.
"That's not stopping anytime soon, you know," Norman said, his eyes still looking intently into Rita's.
"Naturally, of course," Oliver nodded in agreement, "Tell me then, what is a significant other if one does not put the effort into looking out for the other?"
The couple nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, true that!" Norman smiled, lovingly tightening his grip on his wife's arm and vice versa.
"Here, here," Joe said as he approached the table, setting his entirely filled-up plate down, "Sorry it took me a little while, there's just too many options at the buffet; it's hard to decline any of them especially if you've been starved a little more than half the day."
"Oh yeah, absolutely," Norman agreed before taking another bite of his food, inwardly grinning at how delicious and filling it was "Mmmm...this stuff's delicious; maybe it's because I haven't eaten anything besides the food at the Mailbox Grille and Bistro Ramon lately."
"Yeah; from the few bites I had, everything just seems to be well done," Rita chimed in agreement, "Who made all of this? I wish I could cook like that."
"Some of the ladies at the church graciously volunteered their time and their efforts to provide a rather satisfying meal for the congregation each time special events take place in the sanctuary," Oliver explained, "Although I haven't had a bite tonight, I can say that after many years of experiencing their cooking, their food never fails to impress me, or anyone else who's tasted it for that matter."
"Sorry, it took me a little bit of time!" Shane called out from behind them as she rushed with the two plates and placed them on the table, Rita and Oliver leaving space for her in between, "I just had to have a little bit of everything. Everything looks so good!"
"Well, what do you know? We were just talking about that," Joe exclaimed with a smile before taking another bite.
"And here's a little something I'd like you to try, Oliver," she said, grinning at her fiancee and pushing the smaller plate towards him, "Hot wings, just like I promised we'd get one day."
"Hot wings, hmm?" Oliver muttered curiously as he peered over at the pieces of saucy fried chicken before him, "Well, I suppose it's about time I expanded my horizons, flavorfully speaking, of course?"
"Ooh, those ones are spicy…" Norman remarked after he took a bite of a wing of his own, "But not as much! It looks like they actually took consideration of possible spice sensitivities and cooked it on mild sauce. Not like some places..."
Norman turned to Rita and grimaced at the memory, briefly thinking back to the time that they tested out hot sauces in New Mexico. How could Norman forget just how much he burned his tongue and even himself out?
"Nope! Just good, old fashioned, spicy barbecue sauce!" Shane chimed in after a bite, "Go on, try it!"
"Umm, alright then," Oliver said with slight hesitation, taking his knife and fork to slice a small piece, very slowly yet apprehensively raising the fork with the piece of chicken to his mouth to take a tiny bite.
The other four intently watched him chew quietly, wide-eyed and ever so slightly in suspense. It was never a dull moment for any of the Postables and Joe to witness the prim and proper Oliver O'Toole venture out of his comfort zone and expand his horizons. What was most entertaining about it in fact, was his reaction to certain things, and if it was entertaining enough, Shane would be absolutely sure not to let him live it down.
As Oliver began to slowly chew, his brows furrowed and his eyes squinted at the prickling sensation of the chicken wings' spiciness. His eyes then widened and his features softened as he nodded, discreetly licking the remaining bits of barbecue sauce on his lips.
"Hmm...certainly wasn't my first choice of delicacy, but also certainly not everything I expected from a hot wing, as you call it," Oliver remarked in his usual matter-of-factly manner.
"So, what do you think?" Shane asked him, she and the other three still looking to him for a response.
"Well, it was rather different but delightful, nonetheless," he replied with a smile as he continued to slice more bits and pieces of the wings.
"Well, there you go, son!" Joe exclaimed, patting Oliver on the back, "Hats off to you yet again for expanding your horizons, for your tastebuds, at least."
The five shared a little laugh and continued to enjoy the rest of their meal in a comfortable silence amidst the loud and simultaneous chatter of the crowd surrounding them, simply enjoying their food and most of all, each other's company.
"Where's Dale?" Rita broke the silence, wondering aloud, "I thought she was gonna join us at some point."
"Yeah, I thought so too…" Shane said, scanning the area for their friend, at last spotting her straight ahead at the end of the hall, laughing and talking to someone, "...but she might be a little busy right now."
Shane and Rita looked over to the edge of the foyer, Rita adjusting her glasses and staring wide-eyed at the sight before them: Dale chatting away with an unfamiliar face...an unfamiliar man.
"Ooh she's busy, alright," Rita looked to her best friend with a grin.
"She sure is," Shane nodded, smiling widely as she and Rita continued to spy on their friend, "I wonder if she's been seeing someone but didn't get to tell us about it yet…"
"Meddling in someone else's affairs, are we Ms. McInerney?" Oliver smirked as he formally addressed his fiancee as a term of endearment, the name quickly catching Shane's attention, causing her to whip her head towards his direction.
"Not meddling, Oliver," she clarified with a slight firmness to her tone, "Rita and I were just wondering, that's all."
"Yeah; nothing more, nothing less," Rita backed her friend up.
"Ah, I see," he smirked once more, "We've already got one Hazel; I don't think there's a need for any more busybodies."
The two women nodded in agreement. The Postables and the rest of the Denver Main Branch truly loved Hazel; she was the definition of a ray of sunshine with her often pleasant disposition even during the most stressful days at work. However, she often got into the habit of meddling in other people's business and making it her business to know everything about everyone she worked with or even met.
"Hey," a familiar voice broke the short span of silence once more, all five turning their heads to reveal Dale, "Sorry if I kept you waiting; there were a couple of people i had to catch up with, co-workers who had to head out pretty quickly to their shifts, some family members, and I had to get a little something to eat. Anyways, this is Richard!"
Next to Dale was a man with a slightly taller stature than her, short brown hair with a hint of stubble on his face, wearing a gray sweater and red plaid underneath and black pants. He smiled shyly at them and raised his right hand, giving a small wave.
"Hi," he greeted meekly.
The rest greeted him with a mix of "hi's" and "hello's," being their friendly and welcoming selves as they always were, especially having a job that more often than not requires them to meet and communicate with strangers.
"I'm new in Denver and this church, and I don't know a whole lot of people, so Dale just thought she'd introduce me to some of her friends here," Richard spoke up, yet retaining his shy and reserved demeanour, his hands keeping to himself and his eyes shifting around every once in a while from eye contact.
"Well Richard, any friend of Dale's is a friend of ours," Oliver remarked confidently yet kindly, offering his hand to shake, and proceeding to point out who was who in his introduction.
"I'm Oliver O'Toole, this is my father Joe, my colleagues and dear friends, Rita and Norman Dorman, and my fiancee, Shane McInerney."
The four all smiled, waved and even uttered a "hi" as Oliver introduced them. From the few seconds that Richard met them, he had a feeling that this group of people was a friendly bunch and that one day, he would learn to get along with them very well, and he smiled at the very notion.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Richard said with a little more confidence and a slightly bigger smile, "Say, what do you all do for a living?"
"Well, we work for the U.S. Postal Service, specifically the Denver Main Branch," Shane proceeded, "All four of us, we work at the Dead Letter Office."
"Yeah; and what we do is deliver letters that were somehow lost in the mail, mangled and ripped or even waterlogged and do what we can to send it back to them," Rita described, noting the genuine interest Richard was taking as they spoke of their occupations, "So, what do you do?"
"I'm actually a security guard, moving from area to area depending on where I'm placed," Richard spoke up, "I could be in a hospital, a school entrance, a mall, and even a post office, just making sure everything's in order, no one's breaking the rules and that no one's hurting each other."
"Kinda similar to what Dale does, huh?" Norman piped up in a tone that was surprisingly teasing, raising his eyebrows jokingly, almost as if he were subtly match-making the two, yet another bold action to come from his usual reserved and often timid self. Rita and Shane took note of his demeanour and shot him an admonishing look that said,"Not the time, Norman!"
"Hmm...come to think of it, yeah! Something like that," Dale nodded in agreement, turning to Richard with a smile, "Maybe that's why it was easy for us to get along well in the first place."
"Yeah," Richard nodded briskly, "I'm not usually the type to start a conversation or anything, but when you've got a little something in common, it makes talking a whole lot easier. Dale is my first friend here and she was the first one who got me to talk… so maybe after talking to you guys, she won't be my only friend here any longer."
"Richard, I'm absolutely sure she won't be your only friend here for long," Shane said with a reassuring smile, "And now that you've met us, who knows? It could be a good start."
"You can count on it," Dale responded for him as Richard shyly nodded in agreement, "These folks right here have become some of my dearest friends, some for a short while, some for a lot longer, but either way, if you need anything, just know there are more people you can trust besides just me."
Richard nodded once again, followed by a small yet boyish smile creeping upon his lips and features. Dale was right; her friends sure knew very well how to make a newcomer feel welcome.
"Well, it's getting a little late, looks like I gotta go," he said as he glanced over at his watch, smiling at Joe and the Postables, "It was really nice meeting you all, really. Good night!"
"Good night!" All five chimed in unison as they bid him goodbye.
"I'll walk you out," Dale smiled at her friend, then turned her head back to the others, "Be right back."
With that, the pair walked towards the wooden door exiting the church and yet again, Rita and Shane couldn't help but notice the light in their Special Agent friend's eyes when she looked at Richard, sharing a smile with one another and perhaps, even sharing the same sentiments.
"You know something? It's gonna take way more than a Christmas miracle to convince me that there's nothing between those two," Shane spoke softly only for her four companions to hear.
"Oh yeah; there's definitely gotta be something there," Rita said, turning to Shane, both women nodding in agreement.
"Hmm; I highly doubt that someone like Dale would rush into a relationship, especially after just meeting him two weeks ago when he first came upon this church," Oliver remarked, noticing the behaviour of the two women before him.
"Maybe not now, but later on, who knows?" Shane said with a shrug, turning to Oliver.
"Yeah, I wouldn't think she's the type to rush into that kind of stuff," Joe chimed in, "She always struck me as the type who would test the waters and get her feet wet, give it a little time before taking the next step and just simply…"
"Trust the timing?" Shane completed his sentence with the phrase she knew Dale so often used in conversation with Oliver and she herself began to use more often in the present.
"Exactly," Oliver nodded in response with a smile, "Well, it looks like we had quite the rigorous evening."
"No kidding, son," Joe said in agreement, "You've got music, meals, rest and relaxation; next thing you know, you'll be back to work facing the dreaded Christmas rush."
"Well, I don't necessarily choose to call it dreaded; simply a lot more assignments than the usual work day, that's all," Oliver said confidently in slight defense, "Nothing too strenuous."
"Yeah, but it can get a little stressful," Shane pointed out with a nod and a smirk, "But, neither do I. I just like to think of it as a calm before the storm raining parcels and envelopes galore."
"Mhmm!" Norman nodded, "And what's a storm in the post office is we can't weather it together?"
"Exactly," Rita chimed in cheerfully, squeezing her husband's hand, "Together. That's what's most important."
"And when we're together, what can't we do?" Norman smiled confidently, eyeing his beloved and each of his colleagues, as well as Joe.
"Well said, Norman," Oliver smiled warmly and gave a nod of approval at his best friend's remark, earning a smile from everyone at the table.
"Well then," Shane spoke up, raising her fork for a rather unusual toast as none of them grabbed their own drinks yet, "Here's to a crazy, hectic, overwhelming but memorable Christmas rush...together."
She smiled at the final word as each of the Postables and Joe raised their forks and tapped them together as if raising a toast.
"Together," they all said simultaneously, all sharing a smile with one another, yet not knowing what sort of overwhelming and surprising craziness they had yet to face for the next few weeks once they returned to the DLO come Monday morning.
And that was chapter one, everyone! I know this didn't start off very similarly to "It's a Wonderful Life" just yet as this is just an introduction/prologue with little hints of foreshadowing of things to come. Hmm...what could they be?
Feel free to ask me any questions via Review or via DM!
Thank you very much for reading once again!
Take care always and stay safe,
~KLFWrites