Page 17 of Christmas in Watch Hill
TWELVE
NORA
Idon’t know how longI stayed in the store by myself.
Once Tara walked out, and the space was silent, I realized for the first time how cold and lonely it all was, how sad and bare and spacious, almost as if I was in a tomb of my own making, hostage to the memories that filled the retail space.
I was alone, just as I had been for three years.
With a heavy heart, I walked around the establishment, not seeing it as it currently was, but as it had been—a thriving place where my mother laughed with customers, my father painted the store windows at Christmas time, and where my family was intact.
Maybe Tara has a point.
I sat on the small stool behind the cash register. Making a change meant stepping out of my comfort zone, but would that really be so bad? Perhaps it was worth a try. And then there was Scott. I didn’t know him well, but he was kind, and he clearly wanted the best for me. Would allowing myself to see things in a different way with him be so awful?
Still considering this, I picked up the paperwork Scott had left and looked through it once again. Yes, it was creative. Yes, it was different than I’d expected. And yes, working on this would mean allowing myself to see The Pink Box in a way that would be totally different from the vision of my parents.
But they weren’t here anymore. This wasn’t their store; it was mine. I was at the helm of this place, and with Scott’s help, I might have the opportunity to forage a new path and a future that was different than their vision. Yes, it would be scary. But it was also necessary.
There wasn’t much to think about anymore. I’d already made my decision.
