The sun was setting as Jeff Jacoby walked along the Boston waterfront, taking in all the breathtaking Christmas decorations. It was his favorite time of day. Magic hour. It was the last hour of sunlight, when the light was softer and more diffused, giving everything a golden glow. It was also the time when all the twinkling Christmas lights would turn on, transforming Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park into a magical winter wonderland.
As Jeff admired a group of the boats in the harbor that were also decked out in Christmas lights, he thought about how much his dad would appreciate all the decorations. No one loved Christmas more than his mom and dad. But now that his mom was gone—after losing a brave battle with cancer two years ago—Jeff couldn’t wait to have his dad move into the city so they could spend more time together.
Jeff stopped and looked up with pride at Crane Wharf. It was a four-story gray granite building that was built back in the early 1800s. He was the architect responsible for coming up with a plan to save the wharf after it had been earmarked for demolition. Through a painstaking process, preserving the wharf’s original brick walls and yellow pine beams, the landmark had been turned into luxury condos with a few longtime Boston businesses remaining on the ground floor.
Jeff looked up at the top corner unit. It was the condo he’d had his eye on for his dad. He thought it was perfect for him. It had a fantastic view of the harbor and was only a short walk from his own condo, a renovated three-story walk-up in the North End. He really believed his dad would love it in Boston—once he got used to the idea of moving. And that was the big challenge, trying to convince his dad to move.
Jeff knew it wasn’t going to be easy, because his dad loved his home and business at Holly Peak Inn, tucked away in the mountains a few hours from Boston.
But like it or not, even though his dad didn’t like to talk about it, the reality was that the inn was losing more money every year, and his dad couldn’t afford to keep it. Now that his mom was gone, Jeff also didn’t like the idea of having his dad up there all alone. He had spent the last year looking for the right person to buy the inn, but it had proved more challenging than he had planned for. The only interest had come from developers who just wanted to tear the place down, and he knew his dad would never go for that. Finally, a few months ago, he had found someone, a banker who was looking for a vacation home for his family, so it was perfect. Now all he needed to do was get his dad on board. But time was running out. The buyer needed an answer by the end of the year, and so far, his dad had done a great job of avoiding the topic. Whenever Jeff called, the only thing his dad wanted to talk about was his Christmas Camps.
Jeff knew the Christmas Camps were his dad’s pride and joy. They were special weeks at the inn, between October and Christmas, that his dad and mom had created to help people find and embrace their Christmas spirit. His parents had always believed in the power of people disconnecting from their hectic lives so they could reconnect with what mattered most, things like friends, family, community, and love. During the Christmas Camp week, guests participated in all kinds of traditional holiday activities. A lot of the activities Jeff had grown up doing himself, like the mountain hike to find the perfect Christmas tree and volunteering at the local community center to put special Christmas meals together for families that needed a little extra help during the holidays.
Jeff knew putting on the Christmas Camps was a lot of work—especially now that his mom was gone, so he’d agreed to go up and help his dad. He also hoped that it would give them a chance to talk about the future, and he could convince his dad that selling the inn was the right decision.
Jeff figured his dad knew exactly what he was up to. It was hard to get anything past him. He was as smart as he was genuine and kind. But no matter what happened over this next week, Jeff would at least be able to spend some quality time with his dad. It had been a while, too long. The wharf project had consumed so much of his time, but now that it was almost finished, he could take a quick break before starting on his next project in the New Year.
Jeff took a couple pictures of the wharf with his phone to show his dad, who always liked seeing the projects he was working on. As he continued walking, he headed to his favorite street in the North End, Hanover Street. The quaint little street was one of the oldest in Boston, and home to some of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Jeff planned to drive up to his dad’s first thing in the morning, but first he needed his secret weapon.
He smiled as he walked into a bakery that was decorated for Christmas. In the corner was his favorite Christmas tree, which had cookies for ornaments. Customers were encouraged to take one. The robust man behind the counter saw him and waved.
“Jeff, come on over! I have your order all ready for you!” the man said with his thick, booming Italian accent. He held up a big pastry box. “A dozen cannolis. The best we have!”
“Thanks, Mike!” Jeff inhaled deeply as he headed for the counter. He savored the smell of fresh bread just out of the oven. He always loved coming into this bakery. Mike and his Italian family owned it, and while it was famous for its cannolis, it was also popular for all kinds of other homemade Italian treats, like biscotti and tiramisu. But today Jeff was all about the cannolis because they were his dad’s favorite.
Mike proudly opened the pastry box he was holding so Jeff could see inside. “I put a couple of extra ones in here for you to try,” he said. “Everyone loves the pistachio at Christmas!”
“I don’t know if anything can beat your amaretto ones.” Jeff grinned as he took out a cannoli that had drizzled dark chocolate on top and was covered with powdered sugar. He admired it for only a second. He couldn’t help himself. He had to take a bite. From the first taste, he felt transported to a foodie heaven.
He shook his head in wonder. “I don’t know how you do it, but these are so amazing! I don’t know if they’re going to make it to my dad’s!”
Mike laughed, then grabbed two more cannolis and put them into the box. “For the road. They’re on me. Merry Christmas.”
Jeff was touched. “Thank you. I know he’s going to love these.”
Mike nodded and looked pleased with the compliment. “Tell your dad he needs to come back. It’s been too long!”
“I agree, and I’ll tell him. Say hello to your family for me. Merry Christmas!”
“Don’t forget a cookie!” Mike pointed at the tree.
Jeff grinned as he took a frosted snowman cookie off the tree and took a bite. The Christmas cookie tree ornaments never got old. They always made him feel like a kid. “Thanks, Mike!”
As Jeff stepped outside he thought about how great it would be when he and his dad could come here together all the time. There was so much he wanted to do with him once he moved to the city. But first things first. First, he had to help his dad with this last Christmas Camp.
THE NEXT MORNING, as Jeff pulled up to Holly Peak Inn, he looked around in awe. He couldn’t believe all the decorations his dad had put up outside. It seemed like every year they multiplied. But Jeff knew it really wasn’t the actual number of decorations that made everything so special; it was all the memories that came with them.
He looked over at the life-size wire-framed deer sculptures covered in tiny white lights. He had been five years old when his mom brought the deer home, and when he first saw them, he had gotten so upset. He thought they were Santa’s reindeer, and when he couldn’t find his favorite, Rudolph, because none of them had a red nose, he had worried Rudolph was lost! That night, his mom had made a red nose, put it on one of the deer, and had brought him outside to see it. He still remembered being so relieved that he had run over and hugged Rudolph. Now, all these years later, he still felt that same joy and wonder when he spotted the deer with the red nose.
“Son! You’re here!”
Jeff turned around to see his dad, Ben, hurrying toward him. He looked like he had won the lottery. Jeff met him halfway, and they embraced in a big bear hug.
“Dad, it’s so good to see you!”
“I wasn’t expecting you for a few hours.” Ben beamed back at him.
“I left early so I could avoid the traffic.” Jeff put his arm around his dad. “The place looks great!”
Ben looked around proudly. “Wait until you see it at night. That’s when everything really comes to life. It’s magical.”
“I bet. Did you buy more lights? I don’t remember all of those trees having lights before.”
“They’re LED, the best kind.” Ben grinned back at him.
Jeff laughed and shook his head. His dad never could resist buying more Christmas lights. It was one of his favorite traditions, going with the whole “the more the merrier” mentality.
Ben adjusted a strand of lights on a tree. “Son, I’m really glad you’re here. We have a great group of guests for this Christmas Camp. I have a feeling this one is really going to be special, and now that you’re here, it’s perfect.” When his dad looked at him with so much love, Jeff felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He was so thankful to still have his dad in his life. His dad meant everything to him.
Ever since his mom had passed away, Jeff had felt this overwhelming need to protect his dad. He knew Ben had been devastated when his mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but he had never let her see that. For her, his dad had always stayed positive and strong, always making the most of the time they had left together. But one night, when his dad thought everyone else was asleep, Jeff had come downstairs to find him standing in front of the fireplace looking at all the family pictures and crying silent tears. Seeing this had broken Jeff’s heart, but he had honored his dad’s privacy and given him that time to grieve alone.
At that moment Jeff made a promise to himself that he would be strong for his dad and make him his number one priority. He broke up with the girl he was dating so he could spend any spare time he had with his dad. These last few months when things started getting really hectic at work, he’d have his dad come to Boston and stay with him.
His entire life began to revolve around his work and his dad. He told all his friends that he broke up with his girlfriend and wasn’t dating right now because he didn’t have the time, but the truth was, he couldn’t even imagine loving someone as much as his dad had loved his mom and then losing them. He didn’t ever want to feel that kind of pain. He was happy with his life just the way it was. He had a successful career and a dad he was hoping to spend more time with. His life was good. But as much as he was looking forward to spending the next week at the inn, being back at Christmas, with all the memories, was hard.
This was his mother’s favorite time of year, and everywhere he looked, he was reminded of her. He missed her every single day, but especially at Christmas. She was the one who had always loved Christmas and had taught him and his dad how special it could be. She had such a big heart and had always found ways to help people. The most important thing in her life was her family, and she made sure to let everyone in her life know how much she loved them.
Sometimes Jeff missed her so much it was hard to breathe, and this was one of those times. He didn’t want his dad to see him struggling, so he concentrated on getting the pastry box out of the truck.
When his dad saw the box, his face lit up. It lightened the moment and made Jeff smile, too.
“Is that what I think it is?” Ben asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
For an answer, Jeff laughed and flipped open the box. Ben’s excitement was contagious. “Mike says Merry Christmas!”
Ben peered into the box. “Best Christmas present ever!”
“And I got your favorite. The amaretto.”
But Ben was eyeing the pistachio. “What are these green ones?”
“Oh, Mike threw a couple of those in. They’re pistachio, and he says they’re very popular at Christmas. I haven’t tried one yet . . .”
Ben was already picking one up and taking a bite. His eyes lit up. “Yum! Pistachio, huh? These are good!” He gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up as he took another bite.
Jeff laughed. He loved how his dad was always game to try something new. He would just jump right in, heart first. Jeff, on the other hand, was the cautious one. They made a great team.
The cannoli taste testing was interrupted when Ben’s beloved golden retriever, Max, trotted over and barked. It was clear Max felt he should also be one of the taste testers.
Jeff was as happy to see Max as Max was to see the cannolis. When he leaned down to pet him, Max put his nose into the pastry box and almost got a mouthful.
Ben laughed. “You have to watch old Max. He’s quick.”
“Apparently!” Jeff moved the box out of Max’s reach just in time.
Max wagged his tail and barked. Jeff laughed.
“Okay, I think that’s our cue that it’s time to get inside.” Ben smiled down at Max. “I want to go over this next week with you and make sure everything’s ready. Our Christmas Camp guests should start arriving any minute now. Wait until you see what I have planned for this week!”
Jeff put his arm around his dad as they walked up to the inn. It was impossible not to get caught up in his enthusiasm. When they reached the front door, Jeff smiled at the life-size elf statue that grinned back at him. He remembered how his mom had found it at a garage sale, all faded and chipped, and how they had worked together to repaint it. He patted it on its pointy little head. “How are you doing, little guy?”
Ben chuckled.
As soon as they walked into the sitting room, a woman who looked like everyone’s favorite grandmother was waiting for them. She was holding a tray full of Santa mugs. A swirl of whipped cream with chocolate shavings peeked out from the rim of each mug, and there was a candy cane for a stir stick.
Jeff’s face lit up when he saw her. “Laura!” He went over, took the tray from her, then set it down so he could give her a proper hug. “You look wonderful!”
“And look at you, handsome as ever.” She hugged him back. “It’s been too long.”
“I know. It’s been great having Dad come into the city, but that means I’ve missed seeing you, and I’ve also really missed your home-cooked meals. I’m always telling my dad how lucky he is to have you here as a chef. How is Geoff? Your family?”
“Everyone’s great. They’d all love to see you. Can you believe Geoff and I will be celebrating our fortieth wedding anniversary?”
“Congratulations! Forty years, that’s amazing,” Jeff said.
Ben nodded. “What’s amazing is how fast the time goes by.” He walked over and handed each of them a Santa mug. “Laura made our traditional Christmas Camp hot chocolate, so we can do our traditional toast.”
They all held up their mugs.
Jeff and Laura waited for Ben to make the toast.
“To our family, friends, and community . . .” Ben turned to Jeff to continue the toast.
Jeff looked honored.
To the people we’ve lost but will never forget . . .” Jeff looked back at his dad to finish.
“To love everlasting. Merry Christmas,” Ben said with a huge grin. “To Christmas Camp!”