Page 83 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

“This is such an amazing idea. Because that was the hardest part for me, knowing I couldn’t share it with anyone.”

“Or even if we do talk, people get tired of listening. A lot of times, our closest friends and family don’t want to hear it anymore. But that’s how we heal. We look at our breakup from every angle until we finally make peace.”

“That’s exactly right.” She held up her note. “Ultimately, my story’s more about healing myself, so my next relationship can be healthier.”

“Sounds like you’ve done the work.”

“I think I have.” God, I hope so.

“Here, let me help you hang it.” The woman slid a bit of string through the tiny hole and tied it off on a limb.

“Thank you.” She reached out her hand. “I’m Margot Rhodes. Are you Callie Bell?”

“No, I’m Alicia, one of the docents here. Callie’s home with her family. We have a skeleton staff over the holidays.”

“Of course.” Embarrassed, she shook her head. “I was so focused on my project I lost all sense of time.” She didn’t know what her rush was. She’d gotten into town yesterday. Literally, Christmas Day.

No, she did know.

She wanted to be useful. She didn’t want to just slide into Beau’s life. Nothing would make her feel worse about herself than to live off him.

I need to carve out a space for myself.

“How about I just leave a message?”

“Perfect. Let me grab a piece of paper, and you can leave your name and number.”

“Awesome.” She followed the woman to the reception desk and quickly wrote down her information. “Thanks very much.” On her way to the exit, she took another look around.

Is that a Pop-Tart on the wall? She headed over to read the description.

Every day, Jorge ate two blueberry Pop-Tarts before work. I kept boxes of them for him in the pantry, so he’d never run out. When I had complications with my pregnancy, I had to stay in the hospital for three weeks, and Jorge never visited. I found out he was cheating on me with my best friend, and when I asked him how he could do that to me, he said he felt like I didn’t care about him. I asked what he meant by that, and he said “You stopped buying me Pop-Tarts. Angela brought them over, and I just felt like that was a sign, you know? She cared.”

What a dickhead. Unreal. But it was such a fascinating concept, donating a symbol of the failed relationship. It created fellowship. Hm, what would that be for her?

She knew right away. A wooden spoon. She’d made dinner for her ex every night because she’d wanted him to feel loved, to know he wasn’t alone during that incredibly difficult time. But through those hard seven years, what had he done for her? He’d been generous before he lost his job, but after…it had all been about him. His fears, his misery, his inability to find a new job.

She’d left that spoon behind in the apartment. That was symbolic enough.

Well, Beau and Colt were waiting, so it was time to go.

“Oh, you’re here,” the docent said to someone.

“One of my Christmas presents is yoga,” a woman said. “So, Fin’s home with the kids while I take a class. Since it’s just next door, I figured I’d drop off this donation. You’re not going to believe it. Here, look.”

“Hang on just one second. Someone’s here to see you. Margot?” the docent called. “This is Callie. Callie, this is Margot Rhodes.”

“Hi.” Margot hurried back over, determined to take as little of this woman’s time as possible. She held out her hand. “I’m Margot.” She was surprised to find a young woman—maybe a few years older than her daughter. “I’m sorry to bother you over the holidays, but I’m working on a project I thought might be fun for you.”

“Oh, no, that’s fine. I’m enjoying the break. My house is Lego and puzzle pieces and crumpled wrapping paper, so I’m happy to get out for an hour. Tell me about the project, and how can I help.”

Oh, she was really nice. “Are you familiar with the Gentry Mine?”

“Of course. The kids love panning for gold.”

“Well, they’ve recently built a shopping mall, and I’m the manager. It’s a bit off the beaten path, and we’d like to bring in more than just tourists passing by on their way to Yellowstone, so we’re going to make the mall a destination in itself.” She could see Callie wondering how this involved her, so she got to the point. “I’d like to commission unique art pieces.”

“Okay.” Callie perked up. “What kind of pieces are you looking for?”

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