Page 9 of Christmas Wish

“You are freezing, Holly,” Charles uttered instead of answering her. He pulled her into the comfort of his warm coat.

Holly melted into him as he kissed her forehead and hugged her. They remained in this position for some time until Charles spoke.

“I love you, Holly,” he said.

The words wrapped themselves around Holly’s chest, warming her heart. Love. For the first time in her life, someone actually loved her. She could almost cry.

“I love you, too,” Holly replied before Charles captured her lips with his. Snow fell on them as they kissed, unwilling to break off contact and leave the street. The entire town of Mistletoe could be wiped away now, and they wouldn’t give a care in the world as long as they were in each other’s arms.

EPILOGUE

Holly

Mrs. Dalenger’s B&B was bubbling with activities as the guests continued to arrive. Holly darted from the laundry room, bearing clean white sheets. She was stressed and quite tired; her condition made it difficult for her to work effectively. This was the busiest time of the year, so she was very worried about how the business would thrive without her. Her mother was staying briefly with them and helping out, but Holly wondered if she could handle everything in her absence.

Holly smiled as she recollected how Ruth finally braved returning home for her wedding with Charles. When she sent the invitation, Holly didn’t expect her mother to come at all. But two days before the ceremony, she heard a knock on the door, and there was her mother, clutching her handbag tightly.

"I didn't think you'd come, Ma," Holly said, hugging her mother. Ruth stood rigidly near the door as if she was afraid to venture into the room. Holly watched her patiently and didn’t force her to go inside. After a few minutes, she took a step past the door, causing Holly to clap loudly to celebrate her mother’s personal victory.

Once Ruth was in the bed and breakfast, she looked around with interest. "I remember it being so different. You've changed it so much, Holly, for the better," she uttered.

And her mother had been right. After agreeing to stay and run the business, Matthew released the money that her grandmother left. With it, Holly redecorated, repainted, and added so many new features to the house. There was now a game room for the children; the adult guests were always so eager to play in there. She also designed a theater room and created a timetable for the movies that would show each Wednesday. Movie night had become a big deal in Mistletoe as residents often came in to enjoy the movies she played.

Holly was proud of the work she had done with Mrs. Dalenger’s B&B. She knew her grandmother would be proud, too. More importantly, she loved the life she had built in Mistletoe.

Holly had been married to Charles for a year, but it was still interesting to her. Now, she had a life partner to share everything with. He was the best man she could’ve chosen for this journey. She was also eternally grateful to Charles for helping her see clearly the life that had been meant for her. If Holly hadn’t met him, who knows what her life could’ve become? She probably would be living like her mother and moving from one city to the next, never really settling down. She would be restless and unhappy.

The residents of Mistletoe accepted and welcomed her to their town with open arms. Shortly after making her decision, the women in the community came over to introduce themselves and welcome her to various groups in town. During the renovation, their kind and non-intruding ideas had been welcomed, and they always brought food for her.

Holly jogged slowly to room 3. The guests were an old couple who were in town to sightsee. The woman, Mrs. Brown, was a sweet lady. She loved to tell stories of her life. Just the other day, she told her about the trip she took to Mexico while she was younger. Holly had heard everything about her family. She was exceptionally proud of her first son, Marty.

“My son, Marty, he’s the smart one. Did I tell you that he’s the chief surgeon at Los Angeles General Hospital?” Mrs. Brown said one evening when they were sitting on a bench in the rose garden.

"Why don't you spend Christmas with your children, Mrs. Brown?" Holly asked.

The old woman clucked her tongue against her teeth. Her hands shook tremendously as she brought the cup close to her mouth. “Peter and I had always wanted to travel, but with our children and careers, there was never enough time for that,” Mrs. Brown explained. “Since we retired, we’ve always spent the holidays with our children. We decided to travel this year – you know, see the world and all that,” she added. Her skin was so wrinkled and gnarled.

"And so far, do you like what you see?" Holly asked again.

Mrs. Brown shrugged. “The world has changed so much. The world we knew has changed. Did you know that Peter witnessed the world war? He was a boy then. That is the world we are used to, but now there’s so much going on that we can barely keep up with. The other day, our grandson, Jason, gave me a cellphone. He said that we could see each other through the phone if he called. How can one see someone who is miles away through that small gadget? I may be old, but the telephone I knew was invented for one reason: to call someone and hear their voice. You know, so I cannot understand how you can now see someone through a phone,” she replied. Holly laughed heartily at her words. Old people were so adorable.

"That's the beauty of the world. It keeps on changing," she said.

Mrs. Brown sipped her tea again. “But the pace of the change can be overwhelming. Peter doesn’t like to fly. He’s a man who is stuck in his ways. He prefers everything to remain how he is used to. In some ways, his attitude affected me, too. I am terrified of change,” she continued.

"But you are here. You decided to change the way that you've been living. You are traveling alone with your husband, out to see this scary world. I think that is quite brave of you. I hope to do that with my husband when I am your age," Holly reassured her. Mrs. Brown smiled proudly.

Presently, Holly knocked on their door and waited for one of them to shuffle to the door. She heard their footsteps and waited patiently until Mrs. Brown pulled the door open. She had a thin mop of white hair on her head.

"Hello, Mrs. Brown. I brought you clean sheets," Holly said brightly.

Mrs. Brown looked down at the sheets and stretched out her hands to accept them. “Thank you, Holly. You are so kind; you take such good care of us,” she said.

"Well, that is what you paid me for. How about I help you change those sheets, Mrs. Brown?" she asked.

The old woman nodded and opened the door wider. As Holly entered, Mr. Brown sat in a chair that faced the window, reading a newspaper. His eyeglass perched atop his nose bridge.

"Good morning, Mr. Brown," she greeted him. He folded his newspaper and looked up.

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