Page 6 of A Not So Merry Kiss-mas
“Are you Mrs. Claus?” I demand, stiffly wiping the moisture from my cheek as it starts to freeze.
“Mrs.what?” Noelle stammers.
“You didn’t write the letter?” My shoulders sag, and some of the tension squeezing my neck eases at the uncertainty in her voice. Noelle has no idea what I’m talking about.
“You know I don’t like to write anything.” My lips quirk at Noelle’s response.
It’s true, and yet what was written in that note could only be from someone who knows what happened with Lucien.
“Where are you?” Noelle asks, concern lacing her tone. “Can you go somewhere and sit?”
I suck in some dry, cold air and work to pull myself together as I take a look around.
There’s an empty bench to my left at the entrance of Cedar Vale Park. My feet move toward it on their own, and I plop down, not even feeling the dampness from the dusting of snow.
Blowing out a heavy sigh, the contents of the letter replay in my mind.
Dearest Melanie,
I’m so very sorry for the hurt you experienced at the hands of someone you loved and trusted. At times, honesty can feel like a betrayal. And the pain it leaves behind makes us question everything we thought we knew about our own judgment.
Trusting our head and our heart after an experience like that can be difficult. Both can judge incorrectly and, once broken, are hard to put back together.
Those are both true, but I’m here to let you know that keeping them closed off is a fate worse than death.
You are worthy of a love that makes the world envious. Don’t let go of that dream because someone you loved and trusted broke you down.
There is someone who will love you exactly as you are. No, not just love, but be captivated by you and adore you. I hope when you encounter them, you let them in.
Also, darling girl, remember that sometimes first impressions are not always an accurate depiction of a person or a situation.
Just like the cloves you like in your coffee…
With mistletoe kisses and a heart full of hope,
Mrs. Claus
“Mel?” There’s an edge to Noelle’s voice. Lost in my thoughts and the letter, I forgot she was still on the phone.
“I’m sitting.”
“Good.” The tightness in Noelle’s voice is gone, and a calming inflection replaces it. “Mrs. Claus?”
“Yes,” I respond, my mouth quivering, knowing how silly it sounds. “Mrs. Claus.”
“Tell me whatMrs. Claushad to say,” her tone is slightly mocking, yet serious.
The corner of my mouth lifts slightly at her teasing, and the inflection of her voice has my body sagging into the bench as I tell her everything that was said in the note.
“Melanie!” Noelle gushes, her voice full of wonder. “How beautiful! It feels like something Gran would say. It’s like a fairy godmother giving you hope during a time of darkness!”
I roll my eyes. “Time of darkness?” I quip, my brows raising.
“Are you telling me I’m wrong?” I may not be able to see her, but I know her well enough that assuming her arms are crossed and a brow is quirked isn’t unreasonable. “You’ve been a bit grumpy since Lord Snobbery.”
Despite myself, the corners of my mouth lift, and a small chuckle escapes. Sheisdefinitely not wrong.
“Okay,” I reluctantly agree. “But can you blame me?”
