I arrived home to my apartment, with an aching heart and terrible worry about quitting Silver Bells, or the soon-to-be reinvented version of the business. I wanted to crawl into bed, but then I thought about what Ms. King would say. She’d tell me if I couldn’t make sense of something then I should do something that made sense to me.
Yep, there was only one thing that would cheer me up and that would be baking Christmas tree cookies like my mom and I used to make. I gathered the ingredients and set to work. As darkness fell, I lit candles, which cast a comforting glow in the kitchen. I didn’t need much light because I could make these cookies blindfolded.
As I creamed the butter and sugar together, I gazed out of the window at the falling snow. It was a magical scene, one I would normally rejoice in. But after today’s meeting with Adam and Miles, torrential rain and thunder would’ve better suited my mood.
Rap-rap-rap!
My heart stopped at the sound of the knocking and my head whipped toward the front door. My first thought was Adam. Talk about denial. More likely it was a salesperson despite my “No Soliciting, thank you” sign I’d bought online and put up outside my door. Sigh.
Rap-rap-rap!
I was going to ignore the knock at the door, but when it came a second time, I figured it was time to tell the solicitor to open the eyeballs and read the sign and stop disturbing me at home. I set down the wooden spoon and wiped my hands on a towel. I really wasn’t in the mood for talking, but I took a deep breath so I could be patient since I wanted world peace and all.
“I bought the sign for a reason . . .” My voice trailed off as I pulled the door open all the way, a blast of icy wind swirling around my ankles as I did. My eyes bulged as I stared into almond-brown eyes that looked exactly like my own (well, with a few added laugh lines). “Mom! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Florida.”
“Oh, good. You’re alive,” Mom said, as she kissed me on the cheek, snowflakes in her hair like confetti on a bride. “I wouldn’t have guessed it considering you can’t be bothered to call your own mother back.”
“I’m so sorry, Mom,” I said, cringing. “I’ve been meaning to . . .”
Mom looked at me, her left eyebrow raised. “Well, I’ve watched enough CSI to know that the first place you look for a missing person is the last place they were seen. I assumed that would be here.”
I put my hand over my mouth. “I can’t believe you just got on a plane and came to Montana. It’s been hectic here. I meant to call you back and then, well, you know.” I took her coat and then pointed to the kitchen, following her in.
“I was lucky to get here at all,” Mom said, her eyes taking in the flour-covered table and the mixing bowl. “They closed the airport just after we landed due to weather, which I can’t blame them. I was at the beach in Florida all day yesterday. So, this? Not exactly my favorite weather. But, I figured a crisis was going on here so I couldn’t stay away. And looks like I was right.”
I put the kettle on and took out two coffee mugs. “What do you mean?”
“Christmas tree cookies? Candlelight? This is exactly what I used to do for you when you were a little girl, and something had upset you.” She waited, the kettle coming to a boil, which was the only sound for a few moments. I poured hot water through the coffee grounds and into the mugs, and added a splash of milk for Mom and cream and sugar for myself.
I sat down, placing the two steaming mugs on the table, and watched as Mom picked up the wooden spoon and continued creaming the butter and sugar together. She worked in silence for a couple minutes and then finally gave me a look. “Are you going tell me? Or make me guess?”
“It’s work,” I said, wishing it was only work that was the problem. I dipped my finger into the bowl with the cookie batter and then licked it off. Some traditions were good forever. “They’re closing Silver Bells down and building some flashy spa resort. The contracts are being signed tomorrow, and then that’s it, no more Silver Bells Luxury Tours.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” Mom asked.
“Yes!” I replied, more emphatically than I’d intended. Why did I expect my mom to understand? It was Ms. King who had always seemed to get my problems.
Mom reached across the table and stroked my cheek. “You’re so pale, darling. Perhaps this is for the best? You could come back to Florida with me, get some sunshine, soak in some Vitamin D. Your stepfather and I would love to have you staying with us until you got settled.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I’ve been so worried about you, Faith. When you didn’t call back I had to come out and see for myself that you were okay, and it’s a good thing I did because you’re clearly not.”
I sighed. “Mom, it’s because of you and Charles that I stayed away, but now that I’ve returned I only want to live here. Now don’t look at me like that.” I held Mom’s hand across the table. “Not you two personally, but the divorce. I know I was an adult, but there is something about your parents divorcing that makes you feel like a kid again, and I honestly didn’t know how to handle it. I love you and Dad equally, and I felt like I was being torn in two. Coming home was the best thing I could have done, because it helped me stop avoiding all of the conflicting feelings I had until I was strong enough to accept the split.”
Mom looked at the table. “And yet, here you are, making Christmas tree cookies.”
“I’ve been happy here, Mom. When I came back, Ms. King took me under her wing. In a way, she was a mother figure to me.”
“But you already have—”
“Don’t say it.” I paused, my eyes filling up. “I know I already have a mom, but you’re busy dealing with your own stuff, and she was a safe haven for me. And then she introduced me to Larry Kline.”
Mom sniffed. “And I suppose he was a father figure to you?”
I sighed. “It’s not like that, Mom. He gave me a job at Silver Bells, and that’s what got me through Ms. King’s death. I was devastated when she died. She was the kindest, most vibrant woman I had ever met. Don’t get jealous, you always said the same thing.”
Mom opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to think better of it and closed it again.
“And things were awful after she passed away. Mr. Kline taught me how to run Silver Bells, he taught me everything there was to know about it, about Christmas, and now he’s gone and they’re going to turn the best place ever into a spa!” I rubbed my forehead, thinking the work problem was bad enough but I’d also lost Adam. The first guy I’d connected with so deeply. My heart squeezed.
Mom wrinkled her nose. “Well, a spa isn’t a bad thing. I love spas.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom, the nearest I ever come to a spa is when I open the dishwasher. I believe in feeding the soul, not pampering the body.”
“Can’t you do both?” She laughed, holding her mug in her palms. “Did I ever tell you why we named you Faith? It’s because we had tried and tried to get pregnant and the longer it went on the more upset I got. But Dad never gave up, and he told me I just had to have faith. And then I did have Faith. You.”
“I remember that story,” I said, smiling. “But it’s always nice to hear again.”
“That’s what you need right now . . . faith. Just like that’s what I needed when Daddy told me to have faith.”
My eyes watered. “Do you still love Dad?”
She stared at me a moment and then nodded. “Of course, I do. Your father is a good man, Faith, and we had a happy marriage for many years. But sometimes people drift apart. I will never regret the time we had together, how could I? It gave us you.” She stroked the back of my hand. “You know you have people who love you, darling. You don’t need Ms. King or Mr. Kline to make you strong. You already have that strength inside you.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, comfort spreading through me.
“I understand that they were dear to you, believe me. I’ve lost people I love, too, and it’s the most painful thing in the world. But people like Melody King and Larry Kline leave a little piece of their hearts with the people they love when they go. But your strength is in you.”
I smiled through my tears. It was true that I did carry a piece of both of them with me and I felt them cheering me on now. “I’ve been offered another job at a ski resort further up the mountain. I spoke to the owner when I finished work today, and she’s made me a great offer. It’s quite a promotion for me, and comes with a significant salary increase. I’ve been scared to take it . . . until now.” I got up and hugged Mom. “I’m glad you came, Mom. I’ve missed you.”
She held me at arms’ length and looked at me. “So, everything has fallen into place?”
I nodded.
“Then why do you still look so devastated?”
“This conversation is going to need more than coffee,” I said, opening the freezer, taking out a carton of pistachio ice cream, and grabbing two bowls before sitting down again. It was going to be a long night. “Larry had a son named Adam,” I started.
And then I told her everything.