Page 41 of Christmas Treasures

“She’s listening to see if the tree will speak to her,” Max said.

“What Vermont lore did you tell her?” Charlie glanced up at him, laughing.

Max shook his head, chuckling. “She asked me if the tree would know her when she found it. I told her she’d have to be quiet. To listen. That nature speaks in its own way. I didn’t think she would take it so literally. I have to be careful what I tell her.”

“I think it’s a beautiful thing to say to a child. We should listen to nature. It’s easier to hear what it has to teach us here. Not so much in the city.”

“Too many sounds to drown out their voices,” Max said.

They reached the end of the first row. Bianca frowned. “Nessuno di questi è giusto.”None of these are right.

“There are more,” Max said. “You will find the right one.”

They turned the corner into the second row.

Bianca ran ahead again—but this time she stopped short. Her shoulders squared, mittened hands pressed to her thighs as she crouched down in front of a small, crooked fir that looked more like a question mark than a Christmas tree. One side was thinner, the branches slightly uneven, its top leaning just slightly to the left.

Bianca reached out and brushed her fingers along one of the low branches.

“È questo,” she said. “È lui.”This is the one. It’s him.

Charlie stepped closer. “Sei sicura?”Are you sure?

Bianca nodded slowly. “Mi stava aspettando.”He was waiting for me.She straightened to look up at them. “Nessun altro lo sceglierebbe. È troppo piccolo. Troppo diverso dagli altri.”No one else would pick him. He’s too small. Too different from the others.“Per questo devo sceglierlo io.”That’s why I have to choose him.

How amazing she was. She’d experienced too much loss for one little girl, but she’d remained soft and open to the possibilities of miracles. Unlike Charlie, she hadn’t cut herself off from the world. Especially during this time of year. Perhaps it was the child who could teach her how to love again?

Max stepped forward, kneeling beside the tree and running his glove along the base of the trunk. “Okay, well, let’s get him home, shall we? It won’t be hard to load him onto the top of my rig, that’s for sure.”

Charlie blinked away tears. What was it with these two? They touched her heart like no one had in a long time. There was something so right about the two of them together. And maybe her too?

By the timethe tree was tied on top of the SUV, Bianca’s nose was pink, and Charlie’s toes were starting to go numb. Max brushed the snow off his gloves and turned to her.

“Want to meet us at my place? You can help us decorate this dainty tree,” Max said. “Or scraggly, depending on your view.”

Charlie hesitated, then glanced toward Bianca, who stood beside the truck with her hands tucked under her arms, looking up at the crooked little tree as she would an old friend.

To her surprise, Charlie didn’t want to part ways. Not yet. “Maybe we could stop by the pizzeria on the way? Grab a pizza to take back to your place? Bianca might like to see how we make the pizzas.”

Bianca’s head whipped around at the sound of her name. “La tua pizzeria?”Your pizzeria?

Charlie nodded. “Sì. È proprio lì in città.”Yes. It’s right in town.

Bianca looked to Max for confirmation, then back at Charlie. “Possiamo vedere dove fai la pizza?”Can we see where you make the pizza?

Charlie smiled, brushing snow from her coat sleeve. “Certo.”

As they drove out of the farm, Camilla yawned. The jet lag was catching up to her, whereas Bianca seemed fine.

“Camilla, would you rather go home for a rest instead of coming with us?” Charlie asked.

The older woman nodded. “I’m sorry to say yes. I’m old, you know. The time difference is making my head hurt.”

“Jet lag’s the worst,” Max said. “It’s no problem to drop you back at my place. You can have a nap, and we’ll bring pizza home with us for our decorating party. The tree needs time to dry out before we decorate, so I’ll lug it upstairs and then we’ll go for pizza.”

“Pizza!” Bianca shouted gleefully.

“Pizza is good,” Max said, turning to look at Charlie. “So is this day.”

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