Page 70 of One Foggy Christmas
“Who are the street performers? Where do they come from?” I ask.
“There’s everything from Dickens himself to the entire cast of the story and even someone who plays Queen Victoria, since that was the time period when Charles Dickens wrote it.”
“Did you know Mom was an assistant costume director this year?” Annie’s eyes momentarily leave the road and dart to Sadie.
“She was?”
“Yeah, she did it last year too.”
“That’s weird.” Sadie glances back out the window. “She’s never cared about helping A Dickens Christmas before.”
“Now that she and Dad are empty nesters, she has a lot of extra time on her hands.”
“That makes sense.” Sadie keeps her focus on the passing town. “Where does Tate live now?”
Through the mirror, Annie’s panicked gaze shoots to me.
“Hey, is that Skaneateles Lake? I thought it would be completely frozen over by now.” I point opposite Sadie’s window, trying to distract her from her last question. I would never lie to her, but I promised her parents they could be the ones to tell her about Tate. They better do it soon, because I refuse to keep this up much longer.
“Yeah, that’s the lake we live on. Some parts probably have a thin layer of ice, but you can still take a boat out.”
Annie offers me a grateful look as I exhale a tight breath.
We turn down a beautiful road lined with tall trees, frozen over with frost. When I came to Tate’s funeral three years ago, I only went to the town church. I never saw where Sadie grew up.
The two-story white house sits right on the lake with a small boathouse off to the side. Windows wrap around the exterior, showing off the beautiful view. The Bradleys have it decorated perfectly for Christmas. White lights line the rooftop, glowing in the dimming sunlight. Two skinny Christmas trees stand on the porch, splitting the front door evenly. A giant garland with bows droops over the door, adding Christmas charm. The whole place is full of so much Christmas magic I’m surprised Sadie stayed away during the holidays. And that’s just the outside. I can already see fully decorated Christmas trees through several of the windows.
Sadie stands in front of her house, taking it all in.
I walk to her side, holding our luggage. “It’s magical.”
“My mom always goes all out for Christmas.” She sucks in a deep breath. “It’s really good to be home.”
SADIE
“Where’s Nash?”I ask my mom as I sit on my bed, letting her unpack my suitcase like I’m a ten-year-old.
“Your father took him to the boathouse to show him around.”
I twist my body, glancing out the window, but instead of seeing Nash and my dad, I see the Roeshine’s house thirty yards away. I won’t be able to avoid them this holiday season. Our families celebrate together. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anticipating seeing Stetson again—that is, if he even wants to see me.
“I put Nash in Tate’s old room,” my mom says, cutting into my thoughts.
I spin back around, facing her. “I don’t see why we have to share the same bathroom.”
“It’s a Jack and Jill. You and Tate shared it.”
“Yeah, I know what kind of bathroom it is, but you replaced the doors with rolling barn doors that don’t lock.”
My mom fondly looks at the new addition. “Aren’t they pretty? We did that about two years ago when we cleaned out both of your rooms.”
I shoot her a flimsy glare. “Pretty doors without locks don’t help me in this situation.”
She smirks. “Are you afraid Nash will sneak in while you’re showering and see something he’s already seen before?”
“What happened to the mom leaving the hospital yesterday who was so worried about me staying with Nash?”
Her shoulders lift. “You stayed with him and came home in one piece.”
