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“This is so cheesy,” Nina said, sitting opposite Hadley as they made it through the snow. “And yet, somehow so pretty,” she said, snapping a picture of the scenery.
The sleigh was old fashioned, with two fabric-covered benches facing each other structured on a coach with a couple of blades to glide on over the snowbanks. There were two pretty black horses with a driver taking them along the beach and through a laid out trail in the woods. The moon over the lake was perfect, and the reflection from the snow made what she thought would be great additions to the book.
“This was my mother’s favorite thing to do here at Cabolusa,” Nina said without turning from the scenery. Her father glanced at her, and then to Hadley with a tight smile before looking out toward the lake.
“I bet she is looking down at you now, happy that you are here doing something so magical and remembering her,” Hadley said sincerely.
Nina put the camera down and glanced over at her, “do you really believe that she can still see me?”
“I do, do you?”
“I didn’t know at first. I was so mad,” she said, finding her words slowly, as was evident from her thoughtful face. “Then the other day, when I was out walking and taking a picture–I talked to her,” she said with a small smile. “It made me feel better, and I knew that I believed she could hear me.”
“I talk to her all the time,” Dan interjected, drawing eyes toward him. “In fact, when I had to go shopping for new dress shirts, I’m pretty sure the lady at the Dillards thought I was losing my mind. It has been eighteen years since I had to select a piece of clothing for myself.”
“Mom,” Nina said, snapping a quick shot, “always said he would go out looking like a kindergartener if she didn’t tell him exactly what to put on.”
“I think she might have just had high standards,” Dan said, but glancing at Hadley added, “I’m a touch color blind, I think when it comes to deciding what colors can go together.”
“I stick to white, beige, and black for similar reasons. I can put a great layout together for a magazine, but try picking out an outfit,” Hadley just shook her head.
“Is that Santa ahead handing out hot chocolate,” Hadley suddenly asked as the cutest little cabin in the woods came into view. Two people decked out as Santa and Mrs. Claus were outside handing out paper cups of some steaming liquid.
“Yep, best hot chocolate ever,” Nina said with a big question on her face. “Since I knew that Santa wasn’t real, I thought Michael and Karen were Santa and Mrs. Claus.”
“Gotta be honest, so did I,” Dan said, sitting forward in the sleigh as it slowed, and they bent to get the hot chocolate. Hadley leaned a bit, and when her eyes connected with Ms. Claus, she knew it was Megan. Not a word was spoken, just a wink between them.
“Ho, Ho, Ho,” said Santa, and they were off again.
“They even have cup holders,” Nina said excitedly. “Where is Fiona tonight? I thought she would want to go with you?”
“Well, she and Leo, who she met last night, are taking a stroll together,” she said with just a tinge of humor in her voice.
“Is that how old people say date?” Nina asked, immediately causing Hadley and Dan to burst out laughing.
“Yes, I do believe that is the case, but Fiona is in denial. She really just thought it was a long walk in the snow,” Hadley finished glancing about. “It’s so quiet out here,” she said as everything went quiet, and only the sleigh bells could be heard in the darkness.
“If you close your eyes,” Nina said, doing just that. “You actually believe Santa could be here.”
Hadley put the camera to her eye and framed up the perfect shot. That one will be in the book, she knew instantly. Nina opened an eye and glanced at her, “how many of those pictures are going to make it into the book?”
“I don’t ever know. I always take more, and somehow, in the end, the right ones get put in. The rest, I will send to your father for your memory books–you can even make bigger versions or prints from them,” she said.
“Can we be sure and get one of you before we leave?” Nina said in the most serious of tones. “I want to remember this Christmas for a long time.”
“We definitely can make that happen,” Hadley said. “This has been the best Christmas, already, and we still have ten days to go until the big day. We were planning to go home and celebrate, but Fiona and I decided to have it here at the Lodge. I can’t imagine anywhere else I would rather be right now.”
“Dad said we could stay too,” Nina said.
“Funny, but when I asked Megan,” Dan replied with a chuckle. “she said this happens every year, and they plan reservations accordingly.”
“I would imagine, I don’t think you fully appreciate the beauty of this place until you are here,” Hadley said as both she and Nina turned back to the landscape. It was like the moon was just the right brightness tonight to showcase everything to perfection.
Truly breathtaking, she thought, even the snow had dimensions she hadn’t noticed previously. She found that this day might outdo the last, and was surprised to wonder what tomorrow might hold. She wasn’t sure how you continued to top yourself day after day with so many sights, and happy moments. She realized that today the activities had entirely overwhelmed any tensions about her own limitations, and she had in several places entirely forgotten her legs. That was a first, and as she glanced at Nina, she chuckled. She was ridiculous–here she thought she was helping this young girl, and instead she had helped her!
She did something she hadn’t done in many years and turned her eyes heavenward–she had been very fortunate in this life. If Nina’s momma was out there, she hoped she knew what an amazing daughter she had raised! Because of her influence, Nina would carry the memories with her well into the future along with those fabulous life lessons–that was a beautiful big gift she had left behind. If only Hadley was so lucky to have the one person miss, appreciate, and remember her in such a way–and immediately, Fiona floated to mind. She had been just as blessed in this life when she finally left the past behind and realized all that her present had to offer. It was a wondrous night after a simply divine day!
