Page 5 of Evan

Sure enough, nestled among the trees is a perfect snowman, complete with a carrot nose and a jaunty top hat. His coal eyes sparkle in the fading light, his twig arms outstretched as if in welcome.

"I don't remember him being here," I murmur, frowning slightly. Neither Paul nor Seth, my part-time employees, mentioned anything about a snowman, and I doubt they would’ve taken the time. "I wonder who..."

But before I can finish the thought, Chad is off and running, his boots kicking up sprays of snow as he races towards the snowman. "Hi, Mr. Snowman!" he calls out, his voice ringing through the trees. "I'm Chad, and this is my mom, and this is Evan! We're here to find the perfect Christmas tree."

I shake my head, a laugh bubbling up in my chest. Leave it to a kid to make friends with a pile of snow.

But as I watch Chad chatter away to his new pal, I feel a sudden surge of emotion. For his innocence, his enthusiasm, his unshakable belief in the world's goodness.

I glance at Molly, seeing the same feelings reflected in her eyes.

An hour flies by, and we've covered nearly half the farm. Chad's starting to get tired, the cold more than likely seeping into his bones, but he insists on helping me carry some branches back to the barn for wreath-making.

"You're a natural, buddy," I tell him, messing up his hair as he carefully lays out the branches on the workbench. "Maybe you should come work for me when you're older."

Chad beams up at me, his face glowing with pride. "Really? You think I could be a Christmas tree farmer like you?"

"Absolutely," I say, my heart swelling with affection for this little kid I barely even know. "You're a natural."

Chad's smile nearly splits his face in two. "Awesome."

Molly's watching us, her eyes misty. "We should probably get going, sweetie. It's getting late, and I need to get some food in you before you turn into a hangry little monster."

"Aw, Mom!" Chad whines, sticking out his bottom lip. "Can't we stay a little longer?"

"Nope, sorry kiddo. These growling tummies wait for no man."

Chad sighs dramatically before turning to me with hopeful eyes. "Hey Evan, do you wanna come eat dinner with us? Mom makes the best spaghetti and meatballs in the whole world."

I glance at Molly, not wanting to impose, but she's smiling at me, her head tilted in invitation. "You're more than welcome to join us, Evan. It's the least we can do after you've been so kind to us today."

I feel a grin spreading across my face, a giddy sort of excitement bubbling up inside me. "I'd love to," I say, trying to play it cool. "As long as you're sure it's no trouble."

"No trouble at all," Molly assures me, her eyes warm. "Can you come in about 30 minutes?"

“Thirty minutes is perfect," I say nodding, mentally calculating how long it'll take me to clean up and look presentable. "Can I get your address?"

I hand Molly my phone. She removes her gloves, quickly types, then hands back the device.

"Thanks." I put the phone in my pocket. "I'll see you then."

"Yay!" Chad cheers, pumping his fist in the air. "Spaghetti night with Evan."

Molly laughs, herding Chad towards the car. "Come on, you little goofball. Let's let Evan finish up his work so he can come eat with us."

They wave goodbye as they drive off, Chad's face pressed against the window, his breath fogging up the glass. I wave back, feeling lighter than I have in years.

As I head back to the barn to tidy up, I can't wipe the smile off my face.

I've got a dinner date with a beautiful woman and a great kid. Okay, so maybe not a dinner date, but it's the closest thing to a romantic outing I've been on in a while.

And I can't wait to see where it leads.

Four

BETTY

Ipeer through the frost-dusted window of Molly's cozy bungalow, my celestial senses attuned to the warm, joyful energy emanating from within. The impromptu dinner party is in full swing, the air filled with laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the savory aroma of a lovingly prepared meal. The tree Molly and Chad picked out earlier is propped in the corner.

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