“What gave me away?”
She gave me a gentle smile. “You’re doing great.”
We constructed the head on the very top and had everything completed.
“Now we need to decorate his face.” She grabbed the bag she set off to the side. “I have some olives for the eyes.” She stuck them into the snow but they didn’t look right because the head was too big.
I pulled my sunglasses out of my pocket and placed them over his eyes.
“He looks badass,” she said with a laugh. She grabbed an ear of corn and placed it horizontally across his face.
“It looks like he has yellow teeth.”
“He’s a smoker.”
I chuckled at her joke. “What about his nose?”
She pulled a muffin out of her bag and stuck it in the center of his face. “Ta-da.”
I stood back and admired our work. “This snowman is never going to get laid.”
She laughed. “Those sunglasses make him look pretty cool.”
“But the big nose and yellow teeth aren’t helping his odds.”
The sound of a running motor came to our ears, and we both turned to see Axel come out of the shed on a snowmobile. He hit the gas then headed straight for us.
“What the hell is he doing?” Francesca asked.
“Step back, Muffin.” I grabbed her arm and yanked her away from his path.
Axel ran into the snowman and demolished it. “Take that, suckers.” He hauled ass through the snow.
“Ugh.” She threw her arms down. “What a jerk.”
I picked up my sunglasses from the ground. Fortunately, they weren’t broken. “Let’s make another one.”
“He’ll destroy that too.”
“Then we’ll make another one.” I picked up the fallen pieces. “The funnest part is making it anyway.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
***
Christmas Eve arrived, and all of us walked through the snow until we found the perfect tree to chop down.
“This one is perfect.” Francesca’s eyes lit up when she stopped in front of a tall and leafy tree. “Let’s get this one.”
“I like it,” Yaya said. “It’ll look great in the living room.”
“Make way for the man.” Axel had a hatchet over his shoulder. “We need muscle and power.”
“Then why don’t you let Hawke do it?” Francesca jabbed.
I shot her a quick smile.
Axel chopped it down after a few swipes, and the tree crashed on its side. We tied ropes to the base, and Axel and I dragged it across the snow back to the house. Once we were inside, we put it in a base and set it in the corner.
“It is perfect.” Yaya pulled all the ornaments out of a box. “Now let’s decorate it.”
It seemed like a family tradition so I stayed out of the way and sat down. My parents and I never decorated the tree. The one time we did, it led to a huge fight about money. Ever since then, I never bothered participating.
Francesca dug inside the box until she found an ornament. Then she hooked it onto a hanger.
I liked watching her. There was a slight smile on her lips, and I knew I was witnessing a moment that would become a treasured memory.
Instead of walking to the tree, she approached me. “Can you hang this at the top for me? I can’t reach it.”
I knew it was her discreet way of involving me. And it meant a lot to me that she wanted to include me in this family tradition. “Sure.” I stood up and grabbed the ornament from her. It was a wreath with a picture in the center. When I took a closer look at it, I realized it was Francesca with her mom and dad. They were standing outside in the snow with their skis in their arms.
Francesca’s eyes were exactly the same then as they were now. Staring at her when she was a young girl made my heart ache in a way I’d never be able to explain. Her mom was wearing a beanie but I could see their similar features. Francesca looked just like her. Her dad was tall and burly, reminding me of Axel.
“I was eight.” Francesca watched my face. “My dad taught me how to ski that day. I learned everything I know from him.” She turned around and approached the tree. “Could you hang it up there?” She pointed toward the top.
The significance wasn’t lost on me. She was sharing something very deep and personal, and she wanted me to be a part of that. It was the most meaningful gesture I’d ever experienced. I placed the ornament toward the top of the tree then looked at her.
“It looks nice up there.”
I watched the lights reflect in her eyes. “Yes, it does.”
***
After hot cocoa and board games, Yaya retired for the evening. She was so buoyant and full of life that it didn’t surprise me she was pooped out by the end of the day. Axel joined her an hour later. He couldn’t stop yawning, and I was glad he finally went upstairs so I wouldn’t have to listen to it.
I’d been waiting to be alone with Francesca. I got her a Christmas gift but I didn’t want to give it to her in front of her family. “I’ll be right back.”