1123 Candy Cane Lane (Cherry Falls)

Prologue

Dear Baby Girl,

We still haven’t decided what to name you. Can you believe that? You’ll be here any day now! Anyway, the days are getting shorter here in Syn City. Your daddy has been working ridiculous hours these past few months. I’ve been mostly staying home, since the weather has gotten so cold. Except for yesterday, when I went to the Christmas Market in Prime Square. It was lovely. It reminded me of the festivals we used to have in Cherry Falls. Vendors set up their booths selling all kinds of things, chocolate dipped marshmallows, hot chocolate, chocolate toy soldiers...Can you tell I’ve been craving chocolate? It’s like I can’t get enough. My sister says it means you’ll be as sweet as can be, with all the chocolate and candy I’ve been eating. I know you don’t have teeth yet but I hope you don’t have any cavities!

I don’t want to be a Debbie downer. This is probably the last letter I’ll write before you’re here. I’ve been pregnant for nine months now, and the entire time passed by so quickly, but now that you’re just a few days away the minutes feel like weeks. We can’t wait to meet you. Hold you in our arms. Daddy’s been busy, but he loves you so so much. Just like I do.

Love forever,

Mom

1

One - Charlie

“You need more jingle in your bells, boss,” Mauricio shouts with a laugh as I step out from the store’s bathroom in my full gear.

“What?” I growl as I adjust the long, curly white beard.

“You’re gonna scare all the kids away if you growl at them, geez,” Bobby, the part-time grocery bagger and full-time pain in my ass, chuckles. He tosses me Santa’s big bag of presents with a smirk.

“I’m off the clock, okay? Hank bailed on this Santa gig at the last minute and I’m the only guy here big enough to fill the costume. I’m just lucky I even had time to run home and pick up Santa’s little helper.” I glance down at O’Malley, my six-year-old golden retriever, and give him a well-deserved scratch behind the ears. He tilts his head up in enjoyment, putting him in a much better mood than when I was wrestling the reindeer antlers headband on him earlier.

“You best believe we’d rather be at home watching the game.”

Bobby shrugs and smirks again, with all the arrogance of a sixteen-year-old working his first job and feeling big from all the money. You wouldn’t know he was at the bottom of the totem pole from all his wisecracks. “Stacked like a yeti,” he began. “Guess bein’ so fat is finally coming in handy.” He and Mauricio, the old retired accountant who worked part-time as the bookkeeper, laugh and high-five.

“Fuck off,” was all I could respond with. I added an extra layer of snarl for good measure. Bobby clears his throat and stood up straight. He still hasn’t hit his growth spurt, and sometimes needs a gentle reminder. The guys love to tease me for my form, how I stack on muscle without eating meat. Five days a week at the gym, no excuses, left me with shoulders as broad as any linebacker and biceps that split the arms of most of my tees. I could pick up Bobby with three fingers and toss him into the Christmas card display, but he’s a good kid, just gotta watch his mouth.

As much as I like working with these guys, for all the shit they give me, I’d much rather be at home in my sweats and nothing else. Having a beer, chips and hummus, with O’Malley’s head in my lap as we watch the game. I have to remind myself that this whole festival was my bright idea. The town was having a great year, and there was a huge influx of people with the new developments open. Nice young families who now came to the store. I wanted to give back. Thank them for trusting me and let the market customers know that we’re always here for the community of Cherry Falls. I spend a lot of my time working remotely on marketing for small-businesses and start-ups, but with this grocery mart it’s personal.

“Well boys,” I call out to Mauricio and Bobby. “You’re in charge of the store for the rest of the night. Stay outta the liquor aisle.” Bobby and Mauricio laugh as I step out of the office and make my way to the store’s exit.

“Don’t scare any kids away!” Bobby shouts as I walk out the store.

O’Malley walks by my side, mad as he was about the antlers. I got him from a neighbor shortly after he was born. Little Kaylee, only-eight-years old, was out playing at the park with her friends. She heard a whimper in the tall grass surrounding the park, and couldn’t believe it when she found a dog feeding four newborn puppies. Her mother reluctantly agreed to take the family in, since it was looking as if it was about to storm. But she couldn’t keep them all. So I adopted O’Malley, the runt of the litter.