Page 23 of Christmas Cove

America closed her eyes and for the first time in a long time, she prayed. She prayed for her parents in Italy, that they were safe and happy. She prayed for the people whom she didn’t know around the planet that needed comfort. And lastly, she prayed for the Cove. A prayer of hope and one of healing and joy.

When she opened her eyes, a profound calm washed over her. Instead of wanting to help, she now was determined to make it happen. She had experienced many great Christmases before, and she would have them again. But this one? It would be different. It wasn’t for her. It was for them, the people of Christmas Cove. For Leo, the reluctant mayor. For Edwin, the soldier who needed purpose. The woman, Scrooge McCarol, down the street who she didn’t even know. And everyone else who called the Cove home.

“Give me one of those wreaths,” she said. “The biggest one.”

Leo handed her one that was easily three feet across. She ran it up the steps and looked for somewhere to hang the thing so that all could see it. An eagle with outstretched wings posed atop a round door knocker in the center of the door. She stood on tiptoe and hung the pine green wreath around the eagle.

When she stepped back, she saw how shabby the thing was. Its crinkled branches and crushed red bow had most definitely seen better days. She turned back to the men and put up a finger that said to give her a moment. Turning her attention back to the sorry-looking decoration, she fluffed the branches, straightening them and spreading out the wired strands. The bow needed a little less work once she realized that someone had carefully wrapped it up to prevent it from fraying.

America stood back and admired her work.It’s a start, she thought.

Clapping echoed against the white brick exterior. Down the steps, surrounding the fountain, were Leo, Edwin, and a smattering of townsfolk. Smiles dotted their faces as they celebrated the return of Christmas to Main Street.

“What now?” Leo yelled up through the din.

“Wreaths,” she cupped her hands around her mouth. “On all the light posts and doors.”

Leo motioned for her to join him. “Time’s ticking.”

Time. She looked down at her watch. The timepiece, her most trusted companion most days, served no purpose here, she realized. There was no timeline for what she was doing. She undid the watch’s strap, shoved it in her back pocket, and joined her new companions at the fountain.

CHAPTER14

Leo watchedAmerica descend the steps, pausing several times on the way down and looking over her shoulder at the wreath she had hung on Town Hall’s front door. Joy lit her face, while curiosity grew inside him. He wanted to know where her love for Christmas stemmed from.

“What do you think?” she asked and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

“It’s beautiful. The wreath, it looks perfect,” he said, though he was speaking more precisely about the woman standing before him, and not of the greenery hanging in plain view for all to see.

“This is starting to look better already,” America said, and pointed at the crates of wreaths people had hauled down the street.

Although he hadn’t asked anyone for help, other than Edwin, several people had come out to help with no prompting. Perhaps the town possessed more Christmas spirit than he had calculated. Christmas Cove hadn’t held its annual public festivities for years, but people still celebrated in their own homes. Some people still put out lights and decorations in their yards, too. On the south-side road, the Townsends always wrapped their whole property fence line with white lights, and this year was no exception.

Seeing the people take up the mission made Leo feel that everything was going to work out. Edwin had mentioned that something big was coming.Is this it, he thought,thesomethingbig?

As he thought the word, a very pregnant Jenny Townsend waddled up the street. The baby had to be due any day now, and he was certain that Jenny’s husband, Cam, had told him the due date, but he didn’t remember.

“Excuse me for a moment,” he said to America. “Keep working on all this and tell Edwin if you need help with anything.”

“Sure,” she said and flashed a quick smile before burying her head in a box of tangled lights.

Since America had proven herself capable and content, Leo jogged towards Jenny, who was one of the only people under thirty years old who still lived in town. She slowed her own speed as he approached and sat on a green painted bench outside the old bookstore. Leo joined her, glad for the break.

“I heard there was something happening this way. I had to see for myself,” Jenny said as she caught her breath.

Leo didn’t know what it was like to be pregnant, but it didn’t take a mastermind to see that the entire process looked more miserable than was fair.Sure, a cute little baby was the result of the cooking, but her oven looked close to over-heating, he thought.

“How are you—”

“I’m fine,” she interrupted. “Everyone asks me that. It’s just a baby. I’m uncomfortable. All the time. And no matter what I do, this little guy isn’t in a hurry to come out,” Jenny said with short sentences, cut off with each heavy breath that she sucked in.

Leo took a second, out of concern for her, and scouted the street for any sign of Cam, but he didn’t see him anywhere. “Where’s Cam at?”

“General store.” Jenny sipped on a bottle of water and found a snack cake in her tote. He wasn’t going to make the mistake again of calling a bag with a strap on it a purse. He laughed.

“What’s so funny?” she asked between bites and breaths.

“Nothing, I was just looking at your bag there and it reminded me of something,” Leo said. “What’s Cam up to these days, just waiting?”

---