In town, the noise of the bustling festival filled the air. Michelle handed Allie a candle, then handed candles to Megan, Joe, and Carol. “Merry Christmas.” She looked around, trying to piece together what she was hearing. Others stopped and looked too. Then, the carolers stopped. The ringing continued. Strong and rich.
Michelle stood there, stunned. “Are those…the church bells?”
Looking up at the church bell tower, the clock’s hands were straight up, and the bells—the bells that hadn’t rung in so many years—were now joyfully swinging.
Some townspeople paused in amazement; others, who had been stuffing their faces with holiday treats, stopped mid-chomp. As the chatter quieted, only the sound of those bells could be heard, ringing out over the town.
People looked at one another—some with delight at the memories those bells held. Some were just confused. They held their lit candles and began to line up for the midnight processional in awe of what was happening.
Snow began falling in huge flakes.
Nick, wearing his Santa outfit, sat on Santa’s sleigh looking up at the sky and smiling at the sound of the bells, and the smiles on all of the faces.
All around, the Christmas Festival had been in full swing, but now a hush fell over it. Only those bells broke the silence of the night.
People huddled in delight, smiling.
Michelle made her way through the crowd with the nearly empty box of processional candles in her arms. “Here. Merry Christmas.”
She handed out the last of the candles as she headed toward the church, still not quite believing that they’d somehow pulled it off. The biggest miracle of all.
The townspeople moved down the road, getting in line with their candles lit, ready for the special walk.
Michelle’s eyes blurred from the tears of joy the sound from those bells had given her. Her heart was full this Christmas…in so many ways. It’s just like the processional used to be. And it’s a glorious thing to behold.
As far off as Henry’s farm, clear off on the outskirts of town, the sound of those church bells filled the night.
Henry, Kevin, and Lisa stood there looking at each other.
“Is that the bells?” Lisa asked.
Kevin broke into a smile. “Yeah!”
She laid her head against his chest, laughing. “This is truly magical.”
Henry nearly stumbled at the realization of what that sound was. Kevin reached for his dad, and hugged an arm around him. They all stood there for a long moment, just taking in the crisp powerful notes.
Now everything in the letter had been satisfied. The carolers, the bells, and now that it was midnight everyone in town would be lining up for the candlelight processional.
We can’t miss this. Lisa grabbed Kevin’s hand. “Come on.”
He let her drag him along, but he turned back to yell, “Come on, Dad.”
They piled into Allie’s truck and headed to town. Lisa sat in the middle, between Henry and Kevin.
“Roll down the windows so we can hear the bells!” she said.
None of them even cared that the night air was as frigid as the Arctic. “It’s glorious,” Henry said with a hearty laugh.
She wrapped her hands around Kevin’s bicep, hugging close against him. Not only because of the cold, but because this moment was one she would cherish with him forever.
He drove fast, but safely straight back to town. Rather than finding a parking spot, he parked on the street in front of Daisy’s and all three of them hopped out of the truck.
They stood in the middle of the street looking up at the church, the steeple, and those bells swinging as freely as if they had always been able to.
“Merry Christmas, Ruthie,” Henry said.
Lisa looked toward the heavens. “You too, Daisy.”
Kevin put a hand on his father’s shoulder. Missing his mother, but so grateful for the beginning of a new, softer relationship with Dad, and for Lisa. He wished Mom were here to see this: all they’d done, with her at the core of it.
He looked over at Lisa. Without her, he may have never found this peace with Dad.
Henry moved toward the church to catch up with the lit candle processional.
A single angelic voice from the choir sang the sweetest Christmas song in the entire world. “Silent Night” carried across the loving people of Evergreen as they carried their candles.
People moved slowly, in no hurry for it to end.
All is calm. All is bright.
With the bell tower now operational, the angels—who had once worked their way in a circle below the clock, but had been frozen like statues for so many years—now moved again, each taking their turn to see the town.
David and Hannah came out of the church and looked surprised by the snow.
“It’s beautiful,” David said.
He and Hannah caught up to the processional as it moved toward them from downtown. Henry handed him a candle. “Merry Christmas, David.”
The processional of candles wound its way through town and to the church, with Michelle, Thomas, Allie, Megan, Ezra, and Joe and Carol, all leading the way.
Thomas stepped out of the processional with Michelle, both taking a moment to enjoy the sight. She laid her head on his shoulder.
“This place,” Thomas said looking into Michelle’s eyes. “It’s magical.”
“You should see it during the other seasons.” How she wished he could.
He smiled gently. “Looks like I’m going to.”
She turned, hoping he wasn’t kidding.
“We’ll be opening another location down here over the summer.”
Hope filled her heart. She snuggled up against him, so excited to see what the year might bring them.
Thomas took Michelle’s hand. Lisa and Kevin smiled knowingly at one another. Something very special was happening right now.
The bells added to the glorious voice of the singers, and the joy of the moment.
Still looking to the sky, Lisa took Kevin’s hand in hers. “We didn’t take the job in Boston.”
He cut his eyes toward her. “You…?”
She turned and faced him. “We bought Daisy’s. I’m staying here.”
He let out a breath. “I guess I should’ve gotten the whole story before—”
Lisa kissed him before he could finish.
Kevin wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her closer.
The kiss was finally happening. No interruptions this time.
For a moment she was lost in time and the world seemed to fall away.
Thomas’s voice came from across the way. “So I guess you’ll be joining me at the new location, Kevin.”
Lisa laughed as she kissed Kevin. No, it would have been too perfect if they hadn’t been interrupted. But this was for good reason.
She didn’t even bother to step away.
He never took his eyes off of her. “Yeah,” he said breathless. He glanced over at Thomas. “Can we shake on it later?” Without hesitation, he kissed Lisa again.
As if it had all been planned, the choir led the entire processional in “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”
This was, most certainly, her merriest Christmas ever.
Everyone held their lit candles, with eyes still cast upon the ringing bells and singing.
“Lisa! The key!” David pointed to the bells. “It was for the bells.”
“How’d you figure that out?”
“I realized that if I added up everything Nick said, it pointed to the church.”
Kevin placed a hand on David’s arm and gave him a nod of approval for the good problem solving.
“This is the best Christmas,” David exclaimed. “I don’t how anyone will ever top this Christmas Festival.”
Henry walked up behind David and placed a hand on the young boy’s shoulder. “That’s just it, David. We don’t have to top it. This is Evergreen’s tradition. It’s perfect just the way it is.”
“Christmas like it used to be.” Henry cuffed Kevin’s shoulder. “Thank you, son” He nodded toward Lisa. “Thank you both.” Tears glistened in his eyes.
Lisa turned to face Kevin. “Merry Christmas, Kevin.”
He took both of her hands into his. Yes, this was Christmas like it used to be. His heart was full, and he could see more than just work on his path now. Lisa had walked right into his life at just the right time. “Merry Christmas, Lisa.” He kissed her again as the snow fell down upon the town, and the whole town gathered in songs of praise.
And so, once again, the town of Evergreen celebrated Christmas like they used to…all the while remembering that keeping family and friends close is the greatest Evergreen tradition of them all.