Page 6 of A Curvy Wonderland

Mom put her hand on my shoulder, giving me a pointed expression that said,Behave.

“You didn’t let me finish,” I said, not even bothering to smile. “I would not turn down help. Everyone knows working with small children helps things go faster.”

My mom narrowed her eyes at me, and I shook my head. I randomly picked up an ornament and looked at it. “Looks like we're setting up a Christmas tree.”

I walked towards the door with the ornament in my hand that had the address to the woman's house. It said come by anytime. “Let's go,” I said to the three intruders. I didn't even bother to check if they were following me.

Bob stayed behind like he was trained to do, but I could feel him watching me leave.

As I walked down the hill into town, I could hear footsteps crunching on the snow behind me. In her cheery voice, the older girl, Holly, said, “It's so much easier on the way down the hill, huh girls?”

One of the younger girls, Tatum or Lucy, I wasn't sure which one, said, “We should have brought a sled and gone down the hill that way. Would have been a lot faster.”

Not likely. I’d tried it as a kid and wound up with a broken arm. I opened my mouth to say so, but then Holly spoke.

“Maybe tomorrow,” she suggested.

I couldn't help but wince at the thought of them coming back again tomorrow. Typically, if I was by myself, I would have had music or a podcast or something to occupy my mind, but now it was just silent. And not even the good kind of silent, the kind of silence where they were talking to each other and I was an outsider.

Then I heard the youngest one say, “Why is he so grumpy?”

Holly replied, “You can ask him.”

I cringed again, just in time for the youngest one to run up in front of me and start walking backwards on the sidewalk. “Why are you so grumpy?” she asked.

“Because I thought I was doing this by myself.”

I heard Holly snort, and I had to look over my shoulder to see what that was about. She looked a little bashful, her eyes darting everywhere but me. I arched an eyebrow, expecting an explanation.

She fiddled with her scarf as she said, “You don't seem all that different now from when you're at school.”

The strangest feeling went through my chest at the fact that she had noticed me at school, but I quickly shook it. That probably came up because I was used to being by myself. I didn't really notice other people and I didn't expect them to pay attention to me either.

“I prefer books to people,” I finally answered the little girl.

She lifted her chin in acknowledgement but didn't look completely convinced. Then the girl in front of me went a little off track and fell backward into the snow. She giggled and started doing snow angels.

I shook my head, continuing to walk until I turned onto Candy Cane Lane and found the right house number listed on the ornament. We walked up to the front door, and despite the nerves at talking to someone new, I knocked below the big garland wreath with a sparkling red bow.

Several moments passed, and I knocked again.

Nothing. “Oh no,” I said. “Looks like she's not home.” Even though I was dancing for glee at the thought inside, I forced a frown at the three girls and then walked away.

But then the door opened as I reached the end of the sidewalk.

I stayed facing the road to hide my cringe as I heard Holly say, “Hi there, we're here from the giving tree to help you decorate!”

I turned and watched the woman smiling back at Holly and giving me a confused look, and then it seemed to dawn on her what was happening. “Oh, how wonderful. I wasn't sure it would actually happen when I wrote that wish down, but I'm so thankful for you four. I was worried I wouldn’t get more done than the tree and a few ornaments.” She gestured that we should come inside as she chatted with the little girls. “And who are you two cute things?”

I interrupted the conversation saying, “Where's your Christmas stuff?”

“Oh dear, it's in the attic. Right out in the garage, if you pull the ladder open, you should be able to find it. It’s in red and green boxes.”

Of course it was.Without preamble, I walked through the kitchen to the garage, pulling open the attic and walking up the steps Once I passed the ceiling, I used my phone to see what I was working with. A thick layer of dust covered everything, even the cord of the lone light bulb up there. I coughed as dust shook off the cord and filled my nostrils. Then I put my phone back in my pocket and swung my gaze around, finding the red and green boxes. There were four of them.

Getting these down the rickety wooden steps would not be fun.

But then I heard a voice tentatively call behind me, “Need any help?”

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