Page 2 of Mountain Gift

Barb nods understandingly. "Sometimes, keeping our hands busy is the best kind of therapy."

She looks at me thoughtfully for a moment before changing the subject. "So, what are your plans for Christmas? It's been a long time since you've had a quiet house all to yourself."

"Well, I plan to watch a lot of Christmas movies," I begin. "I’m also taking a few days off of work. It's the perfect opportunity to indulge in my love for crafting undisturbed, don't you think?" I flash a half-smile, feeling a semblance of relief at the thought.

Barb's face suddenly falls, and I frown. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

Her eyes don’t meet mine. "Oh, nothing. I guess I was just hoping you'd have some plans. Maybe a dinner with friends...or a date?"

A strange sensation fills my stomach at the word 'date.’ It's a mixture of dread and unease as if the word itself were a sour note in a sweet symphony. I can't help but feel a twinge of fear at the thought of dating again.

But I tuck these thoughts away and smile at Barb instead.

"I appreciate your concern, Barb," I say, placing my hand over hers. "But honestly, I'm genuinely looking forward to a quiet Christmas. It's been so long since I had some time to myself."

"Alright. As long as you promise me you'll have fun. And don't you worry about Lucy one bit. We'll make sure she has the best Christmas ever."

With a soft chuckle, I nod, "I have no doubt about that. You and Jack have always been wonderful with Lucy. She's been looking forward to this trip for a long time. And please don't worry about me. I promise I'll have fun."

The two of us head upstairs to finish helping Lucy get ready. I help Barb and Jack load Lucy and her bags into their rental car. Lucy clambers into the backseat, the squirrel toy clutched tightly in her hands. And once again, I feel that small ache in my heart at seeing her go.

Before I close her car door, I lean across the back seat one last time to kiss her on the cheek. “Love you, my darling Lu,” I say.

“Love you too, Mom," she says. "Merry Christmas."

I squeeze her hand. “Merry Christmas, Lulu. Remind Grandma to have you call me when you get there, okay?”

As the car takes off down the street, I see Lucy through the back window as she turns to wave at me. I wave back as fiercely as I can, hoping she can see me. And then they round the corner, and she’s gone.

Relief comesin the form of a shift at work in the afternoon. Instead of sitting alone at home for the next few hours, waiting impatiently for Lucy to call me from Boston, I go to work at the cafe instead.

I’ve worked at the Chocolate Moose Café for twenty-one years— nearly half my life— and I don’t regret it at all. It’s one of those things about Cooper Hills that will never change.

As I drive through town in my rusted old Buick, I peer down the streets I’ve lived and worked on my entire life.

So many of the homes and businesses have grown and adapted in the last few years. The pizza place is now open twenty-four hours a day. The coffee shop on the corner now offers vegan options. Even the nearby mountain, one of the most immovable forces of nature, has changed in the last few years thanks to my troop of brothers.

A few years ago, my brother Callum opened up the Fit Mountain Resort. And ever since then, our tiny town has been bustling.

But the Chocolate Moose Café? It promises to stay the same. And honestly, that’s what I like the most about it.

I pull into the parking lot out back, listening to the creak of the engine as it slowly shuts off. As I step out of my car, I can't help but sigh.

If I'm being brutally honest with myself, this old Buick has been on its last legs for years now.

The scratches and rusted patches are a testament to its age, and the creaking engine sounds more like a death rattle than anything else. But every time I think about trading it in for a newer model, I just can't bear to part with it.

Bracing myself, I hurry out of the car, racing the biting Wyoming winds to the cafe’s back door. I’m barely inside before I’m thrown into a big embrace.It's my co-worker, Kristine.

“Oh, Caroline, you didn’t have to come in,” Kristine says. “I told you I would cover your shift.”

“You think I wanted to miss out on a classic Kristine hug on a cold day like this?” I tease her, wrapping my arms around her, too.

After a few seconds, she steps back and holds me by my upper arms. She looks me right in my eyes as if trying to read my mind and see how I really feel.

"Caroline, are you sure you're okay? I can find someone else to cover your shift. You don't have to be here if you're not feeling up to it."

As much as I love Kristine, I’m not ready to talk about how I’m feeling. All I want is a distraction.

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