Tangle of Tinsel

“Who says she even wants to go anywhere with me?”

Nona waves me off as Mom laughs. “I’ll text her. That’s what you kids prefer to actual conversation now, isn’t it?”

I laugh, shaking my imaginary cane. “Us whippersnappers and our phones, huh?”

“Hush, you.” She swats my behind and pulls her phone out of her apron.

“There’s no stopping her now,” Mom mutters.

Romy might not want to admit she’s attracted to me, but I can sense it. I won’t break her rigid boundaries unless she asks me. But I will push to see their definition.

“So, tell me about Romy.”

“I don’t know as much as I wish I did, honestly.”

“I sense there’s more to it than that.” Mom stops to run a hand over my cheek.

I tilt my head into the comforting gesture. “There could be. From the second I saw her ...” I trail off, trying to put the strange event into words. “It was like the world held vibrant colors. Like she was the brightest star in the galaxy, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I thought she experienced it, too.”

Mom’s brow wrinkles, and her lips turn down at the corners. “And now you don’t?”

“I’m not sure. Romy said yesterday has gone a bit fuzzy.”

“To be fair, the woman did hit her head pretty damn hard.” She rests her hand on my shoulder. “Do you want my advice, Cal?”

I nod my head.

“If you feel this strongly, pursue her. Chase the emotion and see where it leads you. Once I was a nineteen-year-old girl at a Fleetwood Mac concert who saw a gorgeous man. He had a wide grin, a devil may care attitude, and some kind of force I couldn’t deny. Our eyes met across the field. We left together, and we’ve been together since. There have been great highs and lows, but I never once regretted my decision to seek him out. That’s our story. You have to learn your own. Maybe this girl is the one. Maybe she isn’t. Either way, you’ll drive yourself crazy with what-ifs if you don’t find out.”

I’ve seen the first picture she and Dad ever took together at that concert. She’s in a flowing white dress with a wreath of wildflowers around her hair. Dad is in a pair of jeans with a white shirt open to show off his suntanned chest. He was a carpenter back then. The happiness that flows between them then is the same thing they have now, only less matured, weathered, and tested. If I have a shot at half of that—

“Thanks, Mom. You answered my questions.”

ROMY

He’s coming back. My heart sings as I tidy the house I’d been moping around since he left. Running the dishwasher, I zip around the house, keeping myself busy as nervous energy fills me. I toy with the end of one of my braids, twisting it between my thumb and forefinger. This is a favor to Nona. I shouldn’t read too much into it. Knock, knock. I slowly count to ten before I force myself to walk to the door. When I do, my mouth flops open. His long arms are weighed down with brown paper bags.

“Special delivery courtesy of Bits and Baubles.”

For me, the real gift is the man smiling down on me. Like it or not, I’m insanely attracted to him.

“I can’t believe she did all this for me. She said she was sending a few things over. This is too much.” I cover my mouth, enchanted as I step aside to let him enter.

“Take it from me, you’re better off not picking this battle. You’re going to lose spectacularly. Nona is a bulldozer in disguise.” His deep sigh makes me laugh.

“You sound like you speak from experience.”

“Let’s just say it runs in the family. Small yet mighty is my mother’s theme as well.” The exasperation in his tone is adorable. Every truth he reveals further endears him to me. “Plus, we all feel terrible about the um ... Tangle of Tinsel.”

“Is that what we’re calling it?”

He nods solemnly. “Yes.”

My joy wanes. This visit is more business than pleasure for him. “I don’t have anything to put them on.”

“Did I mention my delivery comes with a free trip to the Johnson’s Christmas Tree Farm?”

“Caleb. You really don’t have to—”