Page 4 of No Time for Traditions

Brittany walked through the terminal humming Christmas tunes, pleased with the ideas she’d garnered in an hour. A large tree welcomed her as she entered the main area. Despite the holiday travel rush, everyone moved at a leisurely pace compared to New York, and even Atlanta. Aside from her family, Brittany missed this most about Alabama.

It didn’t take long for Brittany to spot her mom waving like a wild woman near the front exit. Sarah started toward her daughter and met her with a huge hug. After several squeezes, she released Brittany at arm’s length, her blue eyes watering.

“Mama, don’t cry.”

“I can’t help it, sweetie. I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Brittany reached out and gave her mom another hug. Sarah sniffled a bit before composing herself and offering to take one of Brittany’s bags.

“You’re going to love some of the new recipes I found on Pinterest. I’ve been trying them out on your dad and the men at work. Oh, and I’ve already DVR’d some of your favorite holiday movies.”

“Thanks.” Brittany chuckled. There was no doubt where Brittany inherited her craziness for Christmas.

Her mom elaborated on a few of the recipes she’d discovered as they walked to her SUV. Brittany missed all comfort foods, but more than anything, sweet tea.

“I took the rest of the day off so we can have a nice, long weekend.” Sarah smiled at Brittany as she turned her head to back out of the parking lot. “Your dad will be home this evening.”

Brittany nodded. Her mom kept the books for the family business while her dad, Marty, managed all the timberland for Barnes Farm and Land, Inc. Over the years, her grandpa had acquired so much land that it kept her parents and two uncles plenty busy.

As Sarah talked about buying gifts for Brittany’s nephew, Scotty, and the upcoming tree lighting at city hall, Brittany admired the sights. It took more than an hour to reach their small town, but she didn’t mind. A ride through the country beat a plane ride any day.

Brittany relaxed when the “Welcome to Hillside” sign came into view. It was adorned with holly, as was every streetlamp downtown. At dusk, the snowflake-shaped lights would turn on as well, ensuring the residents could enjoy a metaphorical white Christmas. Like Tribeca, all the storefronts were decorated. Unlike Tribeca, the decorations had a cozy, homemade vibe with greenery and an abundance of lights in place of simple strands meticulously outlining every tree branch and doorframe.

They waved at passersby and continued past the city limits. One farm had set hay bales near the fence and painted them like Christmas ornaments. Most houses close to the road chose icicle lights or a nativity scene for their decor. Brittany’s favorite was always the Miller house. They strung a row of lights across part of their roof and attached one end to a wooden Grinch, as if he were stealing them. She couldn’t wait to drive by after dark when all the homes lit up.

A moment later, they turned onto the county road where most of Brittany’s family still lived. It was a mixture of pine trees and hay fields, with cattle and horses scattered in various pastures. Brittany couldn’t wait to breathe in the fresh scent of pine and magnolia. After passing both of her uncles’ houses and a few of her cousins’, they turned down their own driveway.

“Oh, Mama. This is beautiful.” Sarah had decked the front porch rails and columns with magnolia leaves and red ribbons. A matching wreath accented with holly hung on the front door.

“Thanks. I left the tree for you.”

Brittany raised her eyebrows and grinned. All the energy she’d lost during travel surged back to life at the thought of decorating her family tree.

As soon as they parked, Brittany opened the door and sniffed the magnolias, delighting in the fact that the air didn’t chap her face. She spun around, taking in all the holiday bliss. Everything was perfect until she spotted the roof of her grandpa’s house through the trees. Brittany’s body stiffened as she swallowed back tears and braced herself for the first Christmas without him.

“Is everything okay, sweetie?”

Brittany blinked, causing a lone tear to fall on her cheek. She wiped it with her palm and nodded. “Yes, I’m just . . .” Brittany sucked in a breath and exhaled. “It’s going to be tough without Grandpa Barnes this year.”

“I know.” Sarah stepped over and squeezed Brittany’s shoulders. “If you want, I can make us some hot chocolate and put on a movie. Relaxing should help.”

“Yes, to the hot chocolate, but I’ve sat all day so far. Nothing would lift my mood more than decorating the tree.”

Sarah’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She draped her arm around her daughter as they walked up the porch steps, rolling her luggage behind.

While the porch displayed plenty of holiday cheer, the inside of Brittany’s childhood home put a winter wonderland to shame. The same greenery from the porch was draped across every doorframe in the main living area. Tiny white lights dotted the molding between the walls and ceiling. Grandma Barnes’s old Christmas village homes lay across the top of the sofa table, monogrammed stockings hung from the mantel, and a toy train looped around the tree.

“You got out Scott’s old train.” Brittany knelt to get a closer look at her older brother’s Santa gift from decades ago.

“Yeah, and I’m glad you feel like decorating. The tree looks neglected.”

Brittany turned back to find Sarah bringing boxes of ornaments her way.

Opening the first box conjured up a surge of memories. Sarah had kept all the ornaments Brittany and her brother had made throughout their childhood. Even better, she’d kept the bubble lights that had fascinated Brittany to no end as a little kid.

She might not have Grandpa this Christmas, but she still had the tradition of decorating her family tree. And with ornaments at her disposal and hot chocolate on the way, nothing could dampen her holiday spirit.

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