Wilson’s Department Store shimmers and sparkles with all things Christmas: from the wintry scenes displayed in the storefront windows, to the giant ornaments hanging from the ceiling, to Santa’s workshop located in the children’s department. Gloria’s husband, Marshall Wilson, and his team of employees work for months leading up to Christmas, planning and dreaming of how the store will look. Several years ago, Marshall created “Christmas Delights,” a hot chocolate, spiced cider, and homemade cookies station where a customer could buy a drink and a cookie for a quarter each. Kids would always eat and drink for free. From the moment customers enter the front door, Marshall wants them to feel at home, especially at Christmastime. “A lot of folks aren’t able to bake cookies or decorate their homes at Christmas, so I want them to feel the warmth and wonder of Christmas when they walk through those front doors,” he has said to his employees year after year.
Lauren and Travis open the front doors and Travis inhales. “That smells like gingerbread,” he says, raising his eyebrows in a grin. “Let’s go see.”
Lauren tugs on his arm. “No! Let’s look for what you’ll wear for the wedding first and then you can go buy a cookie.” She shakes her head, sighing. “I sound like a mom talking to a four-year-old!”
“Listen, when I was a kid it rocked my world when Mr. Wilson set up that cookie and hot chocolate station! It rocked the world of every kid in Grandon. Kids got everything for free and adults could get a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie for twenty-five cents! And the price has never gone up. You go to Betty’s and you’re paying over four dollars for the exact same thing!”
She folds her arms, tilting her head when she looks at him. “I thought you loved Betty’s?”
“This has nothing to do with my love for Betty’s. This is all about keeping a childhood tradition alive.”
Lauren groans. “Oh, good grief. Let’s go get your cup of coffee and your cookie because you’re good for nothing until you do.”
He begins to lead her to the back of the first floor, where the Christmas Delights station is located. “Actually, it’s a cup of hot chocolate. That’s my childhood tradition. Not coffee.”
“Whatever,” she says playfully, holding his hand. They stand in line behind several parents with children. “Can I point out that everyone waiting in line is a child?”
He looks at her, dumbfounded. “When do you think childhood traditions begin? At twenty-four?”
As they wait, Lauren looks around the store, admiring the decorations and Christmas displays. Her eye catches a young woman in the dress department who looks familiar. She notices another woman with her and recognizes them as the mother and daughter who had helped put the star on the gazebo and who were at Grandon Dress and Formal Wear a few days ago. They are methodically pulling dresses from the racks and checking each price tag, before hanging them each back up. “I’ll be right back,” she says to Travis.
“Don’t you want a cookie and hot chocolate?” His eyes are huge and eager and make her laugh.
“Okay, okay. But I want a cup of coffee with the cookie.”
“Is this going to be your tradition? Cookie and coffee?”
She throws her hands in the air in mock exasperation. “Yes! I declare on this date that a cookie and coffee will be my official Wilson’s Department Store Christmas Delights tradition.”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” he says, turning to wait in line again.
Lauren walks up two stairs into the dress department, walking close to the young woman and her mom, and holds up a dress at arm’s length in front of her, pretending to be interested in it. “There are other dresses downstairs, Mom. Let’s go look there.”
“They aren’t going to be as nice as these,” the mom says.
The young woman looks stressed but relieved, as if a long-awaited answer has come to her. “They won’t be as nice as these but they couldn’t be more perfect for what I need. As a matter of fact, I don’t even need it. I could wear these blue jeans and this shirt and get married and still be completely happy.”
Lauren can see the beginning of tears in the mother’s eyes and turns her back to look at another dress, so they don’t think she’s listening. “But you need a beautiful dress for your wedding.”
“Mom.” The young woman’s voice is firmer now. “Jared and I could go today to the courthouse and get married, and as long as you and Kristy and his family were there, it would be a perfect day for us. It’s got nothing to do with a dress.” Her mom opens her mouth to speak but the young woman will have none of it. “I know that Dad wanted me to have a beautiful dress but he never anticipated getting sick and neither of you knew what that would cost the two of you. You keep saying that Dad wanted me to have a beautiful dress and I will. And it will come from downstairs at Wilson’s. Not from upstairs at Wilson’s.” She wraps her arm around her mom and leads her to the stairs. “We’ve always been downstairs-at-Wilson’s kind of people anyway.”
Her mom laughs. “That would never fit on a business card.”
“Well, we’ve never been business-card people either.” The mom rears her head back and laughs as they walk down the stairs.
Travis finds Lauren and hands her a cookie. “Just as I thought … gingerbread!” He takes a bite of his cookie and notices her face. “What’s up?”
She shrugs. “Have you ever had a moment where you are just instantly sad? I mean, just like that,” she says, snapping her fingers.
“I guess. Why?”
“I just heard a conversation that should have been really sad but somehow it wasn’t.”
“So it wasn’t really sad but you were instantly sad listening to it?”
She smiles. “I know. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“How do you feel right now? I mean, standing here eating your first Christmas Delights cookie at Wilson’s? Are you instantly angry? Instantly annoyed? Instantly miserable or depressed?”
She laughs. “I’m instantly delighted eating this Christmas Delight cookie!”
“Yes!” he shouts, handing her the cup of coffee. “Our first Christmas tradition together.” He kisses her and she grins. Growing up, she never had traditions. Not one. But all that changes today.