Page 22 of The Christmas Keepsake
He didn’t want Mallory to worry either. He wanted to make this new plan happen before Mallory was privy to any of this morning’s events.
After making sure Nan was comfortable, Hollis headed back to Pop’s room, his mind racing with plans. He’d bring the biggest, most beautiful tree from the farm and set it up in the community room. He knew Mallory had a box of Nan’s special ornaments, each one telling a story of Nan’s life. If the tree was big enough though, each resident at Memory Oaks could hang their own memory ornaments, creating a shared celebration of life.
As he explained the plan to Pop, his grandfather nodded enthusiastically. “Why didn’t we think of this a long time ago? The biggest tree should come here to serve as the biggest field of memories.” Pop gave a thoughtful look. “Was that a movie title?”
“Field of Dreams,” Hollis said with a low chuckle. “Close enough. So, I have your blessing to donate a tree?”
Pop frowned. “What kind of question is that? Of course you do. You’re running the tree farm now. I trust your decisions.” Pop leaned forward and patted a hand on Hollis’s shoulder. “I trust you,” he said with his signature wink. It was the same wink that Hollis had been imitating for the past decade.
Hollis said goodbye to Pop and headed back to the farm, debating whether to call Mallory. She didn’t need the extra stress, he decided, remembering his conversation with Nan last Christmas.
“Look out for her? Be there for her, even if she insists that she’s okay.”
Mallory didn’t know about this conversation, of course, and Hollis intended to keep it that way.
As Hollis headed out, he stopped by the front desk to talk to Francis.
“Did Nan’s tree go up okay?” she asked.
“Not really. We put it in Pop’s room instead.” He leaned against the counter and cleared his throat. “I, uh, have another request.”
Francis raised her brows. “Well, I do owe you for all of your help over the years. What do you need?”
“I want to put up a tree in the community room. I want to put up the biggest tree on Pop’s lot.”
“That would take so much effort,” Francis said. “It would need to be trimmed. Decorated. Cared for. There’s a lot of upkeep with live trees. That’s why we always stick to artificial.”
“I’ll handle it all. Mallory wants to put up some of Nan’s ornaments. They’re special to her.” He rubbed his beard absently. “But, seeing that we’re going to put up the biggest tree on the lot, I was thinking we might invite everyone here to add their own ornaments.”
Francis smiled quietly. “Typically, I would need to check with the fire marshal first, but it just so happens he gave me permission the other day when he was here. His great aunt is a resident and had inquired about a live tree. I think it’s a great idea.”
Hollis had hoped she’d think so. “Perfect. Then I’ll go back to the farm and return with the biggest tree I can find.”
“You’re a regular Santa Claus,” Francis teased, to which Hollis belted aho-ho-hoon his way out of Memory Oaks, stepping into the biting cold of early December. As he drove, he called the farm and instructed the small team of employees to select and deliver the perfect tree to Memory Oaks.
Hopefully, Mallory would approve and see his actions as supportive rather than overstepping.
By the time evening fell, the massive tree stood proudly in the Memory Oaks community room. Hollis had personally overseen its installation. The staff had rallied around the idea, gathering lights and garlands, and the recreational therapist, Linda, had already planned a day for the residents to create their own memory ornaments to place on the tree.
As Hollis stood back, admiring the tree, a sense of accomplishment washed over him. He glanced at the clock. Mallory should be off-shift and arriving soon. Hollis would love to stick around and see her, but he needed to get home to his dogs. Whenever he had a new dog, especially one who’d been through trauma, he tried not to leave them alone too long. Building a bond was important if he wanted to turn Buster’s life around.
Plus some part of him didn’t want to be here when Mallory arrived. This tree was big, and his efforts were even bigger. This was a grand gesture on his part that Mallory might misinterpret—or actually, a gesture she might interpret correctly. He’d gone above and beyond, and not just because they were friends and she’d asked him to get Nan a tree. This was the action of a friend who thought of her as more.
That’s why Hollis had asked Francis to leave his name out of the situation. Technically, Pop had provided the community room tree, not Hollis—and that might somehow be more palatable because Nan was right when she’d called Mallory stubborn. Mal prided herself on being self-reliant. Independent. Maybe that was why he’d always been drawn to her. One reason, at least.
Chapter Seven
The theatre was created to tell the truth about life and a social situation.
—Stella Adler
Mallory’s breath caught as she stepped into the community room of Memory Oaks and saw the large Christmas tree filling up the far corner, nearly reaching the ceiling. “Wow,” she said under her breath.
Francis stepped up beside Mallory. “I told you it was nice.”
“It’s stunning,” Mallory agreed, turning back to Francis. “Thank you again for doing this.”
“Well, Pop donated the tree. All I did was say yes to a very persuasive Hollis. I’m so glad he was here to help with Nan this morning. Usually, once she’s upset, it’s hard to press reset on the day. But he de-escalated the situation quickly enough that Nan was able to recover.”
