Holiday With The Nutcracker

Returning the hug, Kris exclaimed, “I’m the happy one. I could not have done this by myself.”

Looking at her friend, Emmerson assured her, “Yes, you could. You have taken care of all the big stuff. I am only here to add the garnishments.”

Laughing and grabbing Emmerson’s bag out of the back seat, Kris looked at the house. “Come on in. Let’s get you settled in.”

Emmerson took a moment to look at the front of The Cottages at Waverly Manner. The two-story manor with a wrap-around porch felt welcoming with its warm blue base color and tan trim. The house could have been right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. She could not wait to add all the decorations and white lights for the Christmas season. Smiling, she thought, this is going to be fun; Emmerson had to rush to catch Kris. “Let me put my bags down, and we can get to work. There is so much to do before our kick-off event on Sunday.”

“Sounds good. You are in the same room as you were during your last visit.”

“Perfect. I have special decorations for that balcony.” Emmerson loved sipping hot tea from there as the sun rose during her previous visits. Something was soothing about being on the balcony. The view of the beach was beautiful and gave her a sense of renewal. She had the brightest white lights to string around the space. The lights would give it a fairytale look. It was going to be perfect.

As she walked through the house to the kitchen, Emmerson became excited about the changes she saw. “Kris, you have done a good job with all the renovations. The manor is full of the Christmas spirit. The vases are ready for candy canes and ornaments, and the trees are huge. I hope I brought enough decorations.”

Kris sat a fruit tray on the table and motioned for Emmerson to sit. “It has been a long three months, but I am happy with all the changes. The boxes you sent over the last few weeks have added to my excitement.”

Emmerson settled in at the table. “Are all the rooms and cottages done?”

Kris sat a pitcher of iced tea between them on the table. “All is ready for us to start decorating in time for our re-opening on Sunday.”

“More than enough time. It should only take me a day to finish the main house and all the cottages. Then, I plan to work on decorations for the rest of the town. The mayor’s assistant will meet with me tomorrow to inventory the boxes I sent for all the trees.” Emmerson opened her notebook. “Let’s go through the plan from top to bottom.”

The two spent the next twenty minutes discussing Project Candy Cane. The goal was to promote Christmas on the Island to increase tourism during the winter months. They walked through each event planned for the week, leading to the ending with the Candy Cane Soiree on Christmas Eve.  The idea started with Kris asking Emmerson to help her decorate each cabin and the manner. Emmerson’s idea was to include the rest of the businesses and make it an island event. This way, they could show things to do on the island and places to visit when it was too cold to go to the beach.

Kris followed suit with her notebook, “There is so much to do. I’m stressed but excited.”

Emmerson looked at her best friend. “What are you stressed about?”

Rubbing the back of her neck, Kris sighed. “This was all my idea. I have to make this work. Mom and Dad retired and turned The Manner over to Pax and me. It is all on me since he has not been home in years and has no plans to settle here when he retires. I have their support, but they worry this place is too much for me to run alone. They only conceded after I convinced them I could do it. I could keep the Cottages open and make them successful. The renovations cost a lot, so I need this Christmas season to be a success. It’s the only way through the slow winter months.”

Emmerson reached across the table and touched her arm. “Kris, this will work. Your parents are going to be so proud of you. The social media posts and email blasts have already started to work. You told me last week that six of the cottages were booked for the week. You will get more reservations this week and be completely sold out. You may have to kick me out of my fabulous room to make space for someone else.”

Kris laughed, “We can only hope.”

Emmerson sipped her Sweet Tea, “Let’s start with the cottages. Decorations, inside and outside.”  Ten cottages connected by a wooden walkway to each other and the manner. Each cottage had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a small dining area, a living room, and a full bathroom.  The view of the water was perfect, and the porch space allowed for an umbrella and chairs to be enjoyed. 

Kris nodded. “I have the boxes open, marked, and laid out on the table for each cottage in the main conference room. My parents are going to help. They are excited and anxious about what we are doing. I have kept it a secret, but as each box arrived, they became more curious. I even caught my mom trying to peek in the conference room to look in the boxes.”

The smile did not reach her eyes, but Emmerson tried to put on a brave face. “I love it. I can’t wait to see them. I have talked to your mom several times over the last few months. She said she was calling to ask what help you needed but would not ask for it. I think she was also checking on me.”

“She loves you. How are you? And before you say fine, try that with someone else. This is your first Christmas without Grandma Monie.”

Emmerson’s grandmother, Grandma Monie, passed away in the middle of the summer. It was sudden and shook Emmerson to her core. Simone Ainsley Emmerson was more than her grandmother—she was her world. Grandma Monie raised Emmerson and her twin sister, Ainsley. Their mother was more concerned with her career, and their father disappeared from their lives after divorcing their mother and re-marrying when the twins were eight. Her grandparents provided stability and a loving home for them to grow up in.

She took a moment and a deep breath. “I’m okay. Being here and being focused on this project is helping. Christmas was her favorite time of year.” Emmerson twisted her grandmother’s ring, which she now wore on her right hand. Looking at the ring, her voice took on a whistful softness.  “She said that was why she started Twisted Candies. Making candy canes and decorating the house with those candy canes was a tradition her mother did with her. Turning it into a business was not planned. Neighbors and friends started asking her for orders for their families. She decided to start a business when she started to mail orders to people all over.”

Kris nodded, “Grandma Monie was sharp. I loved her from the first instant I met her. She walked into our freshman dorm room and declared we needed color. My mom looked at me and said, ‘She’s right.’ I don’t think they introduced themselves until we were in the car on the way to the store to purchase items to decorate our room.”

Emmerson shook her head at the memory. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was my first time away from Ainsley, but shopping with you and your mom made it easy for me.”

“How is Ainsley?”

Emmerson looked out the kitchen window and tapped her finger on the table. “I have no idea. Losing Monie has built a wall between us.” Ainsley was as close to their grandmother as Emmerson was. They were both named after her. As the oldest twin, Ainsley got her maiden name, and Emmerson got her married name. They used to call themselves the Three Musketeers. “I talked with her before I left, but it was weird.”

Kris put her pad down and leaned on the table. “Weird, how?”

“She didn’t say much. I told her my holiday plans and asked her to come for the holiday, but she declined again. She told me to drive safe and then ended the call.”

Emmerson was worried about her sister. Although they did not have the twin bond and could not feel what the other was feeling, she knew something was wrong with her sister.

“You should call her and invite her again. I think it would be good for the both of you.”

Emmerson thought about it. “I will. What about Paxton? Is your brother coming home for the holiday?”

Kris’s sarcastic laugh told Emmerson a lot. “He has not been home for Christmas since he left.”

Emmerson knew her friend. Kris loved her brother, but she was also extremely angry with him. “When was the last time you talked to him?”

“At Grandma Monie’s funeral.”

“What?” Emmerson was not sure if she heard Kris right. “At the funeral. He was there?”

Kris nodded. “Didn’t you see him and talk to him?”

Emmerson thought about it. There was a lot about that day she was in a fog about. But she would not have forgotten about seeing and talking to Paxton. “No, I didn’t.”

Kris shrugged her shoulders. “He was there. He sat with Mom, Dad, and me. Dad told him about her passing, and he decided to come. I’m not surprised he didn’t say anything to you. We talked to him for a few minutes after the funeral. Mom and Dad told him about their retirement and my plans to run the Cottages. He thought it was a great idea and was supportive. He then said goodbye, and he was gone.”

“Interesting. He sent me flowers, so I figured you told him. I texted him to thank him. But nothing else.” Emmerson now wished she had called him. Her text seemed rude now. They were friends because of Kris; she didn’t think they were more than that. He would ask if she wanted tickets whenever he had a show in Atlanta. Emmerson and Ainsley had accepted his invitation a few times. The conversation was always easy and light when they had a late dinner afterward. She wondered why he had not said anything to her at the funeral. 

Now was not the time for Emmerson to think about his actions or non-actions. She had work to do.   Emmerson opened her notebook again, “The lights come first. They are the base. We can get all the lights up today and start the rest tomorrow. When are your parents coming?”

Kris looked at her cell phone. “They should be on the way now.”

Contemplating what they wanted to do and how to get it done safely, Emmerson suggested, “How about we work on the main house together, then tackle the cottages? I still think we can get it all done. I want to put lights across the top of the manner, and I don’t want your dad or mom helping us. They don’t need to be on those ladders.”

“I agree. I’m also going to text for reinforcement.” Kris finished her glass of sweet tea. “Let’s get started. We can pull out the lights for the house and lay them out where they need to be.” Emmerson followed Kris to the conference room. “Time to make some Christmas Candy Cane Magic.”