Page 37 of Grinchland
I started to slow when I got to his house. Just before I turned into his driveway, he spoke.
“I’ll help you unload your tree,” he said as he motioned to the roof of my car.
Right. The tree. “Um, okay,” I said as I picked up speed a bit so I could pull into my driveway. I kept my car running to keep Isabelle warm as we both climbed out and removed the straps that were holding the tree down.
Once it was loose, he pulled it down in one swift movement. I wasn’t sure what to do to help, so I settled on hurrying ahead of him so I could get the door. When we were both inside, I motioned toward the living room, where I’d set out a stand this morning.
Silas paused. “Are you sure you want this tree in your front window?” he asked. I thought he was going to remind me of the city ordinances that I would break. Instead, he glanced around. “It doesn’t really go with everything else.”
I did a quick once-over of the living room but came up with a completely different conclusion. “I think it fits perfectly with everything in this room.”
Sure, on the outside, it appeared that I had a certain aesthetic, but the truth was, if you looked closer, it had less to do with how things looked and more about how they made me feel. Everything in this room had meaning to me. Everything held memories that I feared I would forget if I ever let them go.
Picking out this tree with Isabelle was a memory I was going to cherish forever, even if she believed the reason we picked the tree was mundane. I would never forget how she asked me to buy the tree that had no friends. It showed her sweet heart and caring demeanor. It reminded me of what was important and to not overlook that in favor of perfection.
But I doubted Silas would understand that.
“It’s perfect,” I said as I centered the tree stand in the middle of the window and then stepped back so Silas could hoist the trunk up and into the hole. Once it was straight, I knelt down and cinched the nuts to keep the tree upright.
Silas lingered for a moment, and I wondered if it was because he was waiting for me to change my mind. I found a nearby pair of scissors that we’d used last night for popcorn string and cut the netting around the tree.
Silas declared that he was going to head out. I was distracted with wrapping the tree with lights, so I just told him goodbye as he walked back to the front door and left. He carried Isabelle past the window as he made his way to his house.
Remembering that I’d left my car running, I set the lights down and hurried outside to turn it off. When I got back inside, I focused my attention on placing the lights perfectly on each branch before I shifted to hanging the popcorn garland. Once the tree was decorated to my satisfaction, my stomach growled, so I plugged the lights in and headed into the kitchen to reheat the soup I’d made last night.
With my spoon and bowl in hand, I made my way back to the living room to curl up on the couch and enjoy the ambiance of the Christmas lights. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon and darkness had coated the room. Just as I tucked my right foot under me and moved to sit, someone in Silas’s front yard caught my attention.
I kept myself upright as I peered through the window to get a better look. It seemed as if Silas was in his yard, hammering something into the snow-covered ground. I moved closer to the window to get a better look. In the light from my decorations mixed with the street lights, it looked like he was prepping Pudgie.
A smile emerged. He’d kept his word.
I took a few bites of my soup while I watched him finish staking the penguin. Then he headed back to his garage and out of my view. I wondered if he was going to actually turn it on—after all, that hadn’t been part of our agreement—but he returned with what looked like a wooden sign with him.
He pounded it into the ground next to where Pudgie was lying. Then, he moved to the front where he leaned from side to side like he was trying to assess if that was the right place to put it.
The way my eyes were glued to Silas, I felt like I was watching a murder mystery. I’d set my forgotten soup on the armrest behind me so I could fully focus.
Silas finally nodded, gathered his tools, and disappeared back into his garage. When he didn’t come back out, I settled in on the couch to finish my now cold soup.
I was humming to the Christmas music playing on my phone when, suddenly, Pudgie started to inflate. It was like watching the living dead rise up from the grave. I returned to my post by the window to see if I could get the full effect of the inflatable plus whatever Silas had added.
After craning my neck to get a better look, I could finally see what it was.
Written in black paint on a piece of plywood was the word, “Seriously?” with an arrow pointing to my house.
SEVENTEEN
SILAS
I was surprised when I woke up the next morning in a good mood. It was almost as if I was actually excited to see what Clara had planned for us today. Most weekends, I spent the time cleaning and grocery shopping—all in an effort to keep myself from wallowing. But with Clara around, I didn’t have the time.
She was the distraction that I hadn’t realized I needed.
Clara texted me last night, letting me know she was going to be at my house around one. She told me to dress warm because we were going to be outside. Normally, I didn’t like surprises and wanted to be informed on everything, but I knew she wasn’t going to tell me even if I asked, so I just sent a thumbs-up emoji and left it at that.
Isabelle and I filled the morning doing laundry, playing with Barbies, and having an impromptu dance party in the living room. We’d just finished lunch when there was a knock on the front door.
Excitement rose up inside of me, but I managed to shove it down enough to give Isabelle a stern look that I hoped said, What did I say about answering the door? and then headed into the foyer to let Clara in.
