Page 4 of Up to Snow Good
“Amari, sometimes you have to accept what life hands you.” She sounded like my father. I didn’t answer her. “Well, did you at least receive his gifts?”
“Yes. I picked them up just now.” I sighed. “Wish him and the rest of the staff Merry Christmas from me.”
“We love you, dear,” Anna said.
I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to the road.
My trip into town wasn’t productive. The local grocery store had half the stuff on my list.
I ended up with a trunk full of boxes from my father. No doubt Christmas gifts. Stuff I didn’t need anddidn’t ask for. But hey, it’s Christmas, and I guess that’s what you do. Christmastime you buy people gifts and pretend to care.
What a fucking joke.
At my father’s request, one of his assistants or bodyguards or his new wife bought me stuff they thought I would want. A few thousand dollars in my account would have been a lot less effort with the same sentiment.
I pulled up to the front of the house and scanned the porch. Things looked different. Not odd but more put together. Fresh stacked wood sat by the door, the walkway was cleared of snow andthe blanket I had left strewn across the chair laid neatlyfolded over the back of the porch chair.
Caden did his chores for the day. How obedient of him.
I rolled my eyes and climbed from the car. I hauled the stuff out of the trunk and onto the porch. When I opened the front door, the pine aroma smacked me in the face.
That’s odd.
I peered inside and spotted the greenest, fullest prickly pine tree in the forest sitting in my living room.
A breeze blew the door open. A shudder ran down my spine. I blinked back tears and approached the tree. I ran my fingers across the needles.
It had been months since Caden did something nice for me. Our recent interactions had been all business. My father required he looked out for me. He did it with minimal contact.
Why the grand gesture, now?
I walked back to the front door and scanned the landscape. He was out there watching me. I shut the door and returnedto the tree.
Lights and old ornaments sat in a worn box underneath the tree. A wave of nostalgia hit me in the gut and made me nauseous.
The last time I saw the box, I was thirteen. I saton the floor and started picking through them.
A mason jar cap decorated in green and red glitter with a photo of my mom and I sat on top. I picked it up and ran my finger across the glitter. It fluttered downonto my pants. I wiped it off and placed the ornament on the ground. I was in second grade when I made the ornament. My mother was so striking. I never knew what happened to her. But I could guess given my father’s lifestyle.
Those who he loved were targets.
My father loved my mother. He hadn’t recovered from her death. The guilt settled on his shoulders never relented. I’d grown up in a fortress and bodyguards became permanent fixtures in my life. Her dying hurt him as much as it hurt me. It was the one thing we’ve ever agreed on.
I spent the next half hour taking out each ornament and laying itunder the tree. The last ornament in the box was a blue glass ball with white snowflakes painted on it. I scrunched my forehead and flipped the ball over in my hand. On the bottom, I had scratched into the paint.AM + RD.
My heart fluttered.
I set it next to the other ornaments. Iuntangled the lights next andplugged them in. When they lit up and blinked, I held in a squeal.
The grand gesture had done its job—it softened my heart. I took it for what it was, a peace offering. I wasn’t sure I was ready to forgive him. It was easy to forgive him when I wasn't staring into his smug, lying, cheating face. I picked the snowflake ornament and placed it on the tree at eye level.I could say thank you by text without saying the words.
Amari: Christmas Eve Dinner is at 6 PM. Christmas tree emoji.
I hit send and put the phone face down and got busy weaving the lights around the tree. I didn’t expect an answer right away. Knowing Caden, he wouldn’t bother answering me. I prayed he’d show up.No one should be alone on Christmas.
I busied myself the rest of the day decorating the tree. I unpacked tenpristinely wrapped gifts from my father and placed them underneath.
I prepared a roasted chicken,crispy Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese for dinner. Twostarches were over kill, but Caden loved them both.
