“Hey,” she says. “How can I help?”
I give her a hug and pull her into my office, “Thanks for stopping by.”
“Of course. I heard a rumor down at the bank and needed to come over to find out if it’s true.”
I swallow. “It’s true. The house sold. I was just at the real estate office signing some documents. It’s all happening insanely fast.”
“I thought you needed like thirty days to close on a house.”
“Not when it’s an all-cash offer with no inspection or title search.”
“Wow, so it’s really happening.” She squeezes my hand. “It’s gonna be okay, Maple. You’ve been through hard things before. And I heard there was some fancy party happening in a few days?”
“Jody and Isaiah are saving my butt. If the fundraiser raises enough money, we won’t have to close the doors.”
“I heard the manager at the bank mentioning a big donation, and the tellers are all putting together a collection. There’s hope still.”
“Well, we aren’t prepping for that party yet. Today, we’re getting ready for Christmas morning. Put on an apron and come out and help me with this stuffing.” Once in the kitchen with an apron on, I give her instructions. “I’m cubing all the bread and you can start chopping the celery and onions.”
“I’m on it,” Annabelle says and soon the four of us are working hard throughout the afternoon.
I stop every so often to serve some soup to a patron who needs a warm meal to stay cozy in the cold. By the time we've finished everything, we're exhausted.
“I’ve been standing on my feet for eight hours,” I say.
Isaiah groans. “I know, right? We should all go get something to drink.”
I nod. “Yeah, that sounds good. Let me just call Filson really quick.”
Jody waves off saying she has to go home to be with her daughter, which I understand. I'm still amazed at her commitment to the soup kitchen knowing we might have to fold, but she and Isaiah seem determined to make this work. They've already put posters around town and have the local shops selling tickets for the gala. We're calling it a gala, but it's more of a fundraiser. I don't think anyone in Snowy Valley is going to show up dressed in black tie.
Filson answers my call and I ask if he wants to go out with Isaiah, Annabelle, and me.
“Uh, I wish I could, but I have some things to do here.”
“Do where?” I ask. “It sounds like you’re in your truck.”
“I'm just running some errands.”
I press my lips together. “It's getting late though. Aren't you hungry for dinner?”
“Actually, I ate earlier,” he says, not offering any more.
“Oh, okay,” I say, not at all okay. “Well, then did you want to come over tonight?”
“Actually, I think I'll just come there in the morning for Christmas Eve.”
“Sure. So, I'll just see you tomorrow.”
“Perfect.” He clears his throat. “I love you, Maple.”
After a moment I reply. “I love you too.” I hang up the phone feeling oddly deflated. Is Filson pulling back once again? Just after we got close? I turn around to Isaiah and Annabelle.
“Um, I'm sorry,” Annabelle says, “but did you just tell Filson Barre you love him?”
I groan. “Oh, my God. You heard that?”
“Yeah, we heard it,” Isaiah says with a laugh, “And why don't we go down to the bar so you can tell us all about it?”
Filson
I know she is disappointed in me when I hang up the phone, but I can’t see her tonight even if I wanted to.
I pat Sammy as we drive home. The snow is letting up, thankfully, so it's a clear and easy drive. Once I get to my cabin, I start a fire, then sit on my couch with the ring in my hand thinking about all the things I plan on saying to the girl I love. All the ways I want to let her know that she changed me by letting me into her life.
Yes, she came to my cabin because she needed me to fix up the house she needed to sell, but I also know she came to me when she could have come to anyone else.
She wanted me in her life and God, how I wanted her.
I’m glad it all went down this way. It meant we could finally have our chance. God, did we take it.
I fall asleep thinking about presents wrapped in bows and sugar plum fairies and all that shit. Dreaming of tomorrow, of Christmas Eve when I'll show up at Maple’s house and give her all I’ve got.
In the morning as I drive to her place, I admit to feeling a little jittery. Hell, I know I’m supposed to be a stoic man, but there's part of me that's scared; nervous to pop the question. Even though I'm pretty damn sure what she's going to say.
When I knock on the door, she answers wearing a red dress with a white collar, black tights, and black heels. She looks beautiful. Put together in a way that only Maple ever can.
“Good morning,” she says softly.
“Good morning to you,” I say stepping closer. She hesitates and I feel the tension in the air.
“Come on in,” she says, and I follow her into the house hoping she’ll share what she’s thinking with me. “To be honest, I wasn't sure you'd be coming.”
I tense. “Why’s that?” I face her, realizing there's a wounded look in her eye.
“Well, last night it was just kind of odd that you didn't come over after everything we shared the night before. I just thought that what we were a thing now, that we were together. I just hated being apart from you, Filson.”
“We are a thing. The best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I run my hand over her cheek, pulling her toward me to press our foreheads together. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I had something I had to do.”
“Well, telling me what you had to do would help.” I don't like being in the dark, but I also know I am keeping something from him. I could have told him about the cash offer yesterday morning, but I didn’t. I don’t exactly have a leg to stand on.
“I couldn't really tell you about this one.”
Her eyes go dark. “Why not?” she asks. “Should I be worried about something?”
I chuckle. “No, Maple. Don't assume the worst.”
“Okay, then what was it?” she asks. “Because I'm standing here feeling really vulnerable thinking that you might not come back.”
“You have to trust me, girl. I'm here to stay.”
She looks up into my eyes. “Really? You mean that?”
“Listen. I had to go to the city in order to find something that I knew I wouldn’t find in Snowy Valley. A special something for someone very special.”
I swallow as I get down on one knee drawing a small box from my pocket, causing her to gasp and cover her mouth. “Maple St. Claire. I've loved you since I was six years old. I know there was a long stretch of years where I wasn't the man I needed to become because I didn't rightly know how, but now I do. And beyond that, I know how to be the man you need. I know how to give that to you. All I need to do is be myself.”