Page 83 of Maybe This Christmas
“Which one is it today?I swear, I thought fall was the big season for celebrations around here, but spring is giving it a run for its money,” Emma said.
“The basketball finals parade, remember?”
Falling Leaves High had come in fourth at the All-State Basketball tournament back in February.They’d never so much as placed before.This was the kind of place where they didn’t need an excuse to celebrate.
“All that fuss for fourth place,” she joked.“But hey, it’s not like I didn’t sponsor one of the floats.”After all, the motto she’d chosen for the business wasNo occasion is too small to celebrate.Her tiny little shop was the place everyone came to in town when there was a celebration or if they were looking for that special something.She’d curated the finest supplies of gifts, as well as invitations.
“At least you got Inez’s pink truck towing your float and the Falling Leaves High cheerleaders.I think the Ellis & Co float is just a couple of the coaches pulled by a tractor.”
She chuckled as she taped up the bunting.“I can’t help that I run a business with a feminine motif, and yours is a construction business.”
Ellis & Co would officially be Caleb’s business after her father-in-law retired at the end of the year.Sabrina still helped with smaller projects, but Caleb now led their core crew.
Especially since baby girl Willow had made her debut last October.Sabrina had taken to motherhood like a duck to water.And now Emma had the title of aunt to the most perfect little girl in the world.
Well, aside from her stepdaughters.
Emerson and Poppy were well used to their Emmybear.Even she was surprised the nickname still hung around, given that Emerson was in second grade and Poppy was in kindergarten.
They locked up the shop and made their way to Silver Spring Street as the Falling Leaves High School band began to line up for the parade.
Somewhere in the crowd, a trumpet emitted a terrible noise.Caleb drew his arm around Emma.“Now, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed since I was in high school.The band isn’t going to win any championships.There’s a reason they pass out earplugs at football games.”
Emma laughed.“Hey, it could be worse.They could be out there, I don’t know…tipping cows or something.”
It was such a beautiful spring morning.She couldn’t imagine herself anywhere else.Not that she’d had much reason to leave town since moving here, except to go to the Lodge.
Davis hadn’t taken too kindly to the letter she’d left in his condo, but his lawsuit had fizzled out before he could ever file it.Last she’d heard, he’d found a new girlfriend shortly after moving to New York.
Good riddance.
Other than a trip to see Aniyah and her family last summer, Falling Leaves felt too perfect to leave.
A crowd had already formed along Falling Leaves’ main drag.Emma and Caleb slipped into the back.Not that they stayed hidden for long.
“Emma Ellis!”Her name came over a megaphone.“Get your little backside up on this truck!”Inez stood with the rest of the biddies in the back of her bright pink truck.
“You too, Caleb, come on!Your mom and dad are in the Ellis & Co float, there isn’t any room for you.”
They exchanged a glance.They’d both gotten better at not overthinking since they’d gotten together.She would’ve been mortified just a year ago to have all eyes on her.
Now, she grabbed Caleb’s hand.“Come on, we both know they’re not going to let up until we agree.Better to just go along with their schemes.”
Caleb laughed.“They’ve taught you well.”
They were both hoisted up in the back of the pink truck that Emma and the biddies had decorated with paper flowers.All of them were there, even the reluctant biddies like Eleanor and Tinesha.
“There’s our best girl.Oh wait, we’re missing one!Sabrina Blake!Get on up here!”
Sabrina made a half-hearted attempt to point at the baby strapped to her chest.
“That hasn’t stopped you before,” Babs said.“Besides, you’re one of us, whether you want to admit it or not.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes but made her way toward the truck with Brandon in tow.
“I hardly see how we’re all going to fit up here,” Brandon protested.
“The more, the merrier, and the less likely one of us will go winging out the back of the cab,” Sabrina said.
