Page 60 of My Secret Snowflake
“Who’s that?” Sebastian asks.
“She’s the one who started this tradition,” Maddie says.
“It’s amazing,” I say. Toy soldiers, angels, and multiple Frosty the Snowmen completely fill in the yard on either side of the path up to her house. A blazing neon green and red Merry Christmas sign glows from the top of her house, surrounded by shooting stars.
“I read up about this,” Maddie says. “She wanted to start something free for the neighborhood so people didn’t have to go into Manhattan. People have even proposed in front of her house,”
“I’ll tell Rupert,” Sebastian says.
We pass by more houses decorated to the hilt. It’s like the store windows in Manhattan on steroids.
“It feels like we’ve stepped into a real-life version of Candy Land, the Christmas Edition,” I say.
“Where do they store all that stuff in the summer?” Maddie asks. And then we realize that some houses hire professional decorating companies when we see their signs dotting many of the lawns.
“We’ll never be able to do anything like this for the school gym,” I say. “We don’t have the funds, although we definitely could project images over the walls, like the first house with the Koi fish.”
“We could always do a winter wonderland theme,” Sebastian says. “My mom did that once for her holiday party. I’m sure she still has some decorations in storage she used for that.”
“A winter wonderland is a good idea. That’s pretty easy and inexpensive to create,” I say. “We can cut out paper snowflakes and hang them from the ceiling.”
“But maybe not so creative?” Sebastian asks.
“We’re not the most creative people of Dream, so we can ask the set design team for ideas,” I say. “But Faith said there were no decorations last year, so at least the baseline is low.”
“I think the neighbor has given up trailing us,” Sebastian says. “Some of these houses are huge.”
“And there are so many different styles of architecture,” I say. And different materials: brick, wood, clapboard, and stone.
We wander up 83rdstreet to 10thAvenue and then down 84thStreet.
One house is so bright, you can barely see the brick façade behind the multicolored lights. Christmas carols play on outside speakers. The aroma of cooking chestnuts wafts over from a food truck. A re-purposed ice cream truck offers hot chocolates. One house has a large grill set up in their garage, and the smell of frying hamburgers blows over.
I’m only here because of Raphael’s departure, but last year when we visited, I thought I should make this an annual holiday tradition and invite all my friends to come with me. But I wouldn’t have done that this year, again, because I would have put work first. I really need to make time for my personal life.
The house and trees ahead are covered in green lights. A tour guide holding up a Santa hat on a stick explains that the decorations are inspired by the Emerald City fromThe Wizard of Oz.
As we wander through the neon green wonderland, Sebastian and I smile at each other. Maddie has moved ahead, so it’s just the two of us taking it in. His hand brushes by mine. As the tour group barrels by, he pulls me out of the way, his hand lightly gripping my arm. He doesn’t release me immediately. We stand there for a moment, inches apart, off to the side, neither one of us looking at the other. Around us little green lights twinkle and glow, as if to say this is a “Go.” It’s safe.
I move first and catch up to Maddie.
He wants to remain single. And I’ve got enough going on at work.
Maddie and I reach the next corner first, where Santa, Grinch, Mickey Mouse, and Snow Miser figures occupy a rustic shed. Sebastian seems to be taking his time. Is he having some sort of debate with himself? A little girl bundled up with a green knit hat pushes the button to make the figures talk.
When he finally reaches us, his cheeks are flushed, but that could be the cold. He doesn’t look at me and seems to be really taking in the shed.
But then he turns to me and says, “How about a theme of Heat Miser and Snow Miser for the school dance? That would be fun to decorate. Do half the gym in a tropical theme and half in a wintery ice theme.”
Was he just thinking of ideas all this time? And here I am wondering if he’s debating whether to give in to this attraction.
“That’s a great idea,” I say. “Let me text Faith and see what she thinks, but maybe they haven’t even seen the classicSanta Claus is Coming to Town.”
“You’re making me feel so old. My mom made me watch that,” Sebastian says.
“Same,” Maddie and I say.
“I can ask Jamal tomorrow when we meet for tutoring. I’m meeting him at the St. Agnes library uptown,” Sebastian says.
