Andrew walked on down the row checking out the trees near the one I’d selected.
“Well?” I demanded, trying to shove down the feeling that he was judging me yet again, and of all things for a damn Christmas tree. “I picked a good one, right?”
He walked back and came to a stop right beside me, so close that our shoulders touched as we stared at the tree in question. “Yup. It’s perfect. Thank you.”
It was stupid to feel proud about the victory, but I did. It was the new and improved version of our old dynamic, where Andrew judgedandcomplimented me.
“Let me get under there and start cutting.” He pulled a pair of leather gloves out of his jacket pocket, then shrugged it off. “Just hold the trunk in the middle, okay?”
He made his way beneath the low branches and started sawing, slicing through the trunk so quickly that I barely had time to reach in to grab it before it started swaying. His chopping abilities had won him the tree in the first place; it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he could slice through a live one too.
“Got it?”
“Yup!” I had a face full of pine branches, but I wasn’t about to let go until he told me to. A second later the weight of the entire tree was falling through my clenched hand. I used all my strength to keep the awkward thing from toppling all the way over.
“Nice!” Andrew said as he stood up. “Youarestrong like ox.”
His compliments weren’t even really compliments, but they still made me feel warm inside. I could pick out a good Christmas tree and manage to keep it from falling over, be still my heart. But after feeling like I was never quite good enough I lapped up every morsel of his praise.
“Yeah, but...” I managed as I continued awkwardly hugging the tree.
“You can let go now.”
I realized that he was going to drag it to the car and dropped it to the ground.
When we finally got back to the shed where the workers were wrapping the trees in mesh and saw the line ahead of us I realized that we’d be waiting for a while.
“Rush hour at the tree farm,” Andrew said, nodding at the hustling workers.
“Yeah, probably not a great idea to come on a beautiful Saturday.”
A teenager in overalls, a Nordic-looking hat, and braids walked over to us. “Would you like a ticket for your tree? That way you can get some hot chocolate instead of waiting in line.”
She pointed down the lane to another shed, where people were sitting around a small bonfire in Adirondack chairs.
“Do you have time?” Andrew raised his eyebrows at me.
“I never say no to chocolate in any form.”
She handed us what looked like a poker chip with a number and hung a corresponding chip on the tree. We headed down the lane toward the hut, serenaded by Bing Crosby and the occasional deli counter voice calling out tree numbers. All we needed were a few flurries and the whole scene would’ve been worthy of a movie.
“Look, they’re leaving, grab their chairs,” Andrew said, pointing to where a couple was vacating two prime spots close to the fire. “I’ll go in and get drinks.”
I hustled over and staked our claim. Sitting close to the fire made me realize that I’d been freezing the whole time but too busy enjoying myself for the cold to register. I wasn’t nervous being around Andrew, at least not in the way I used to be, where I was always second-guessing myself. What I was feeling was something I’d forgotten I was even capable of: that buzzy, disorienting sensation of wanting to grin at the person I was with nonstop, because I just liked being near him.
Andrew came out of the hut carrying two steaming cups and a little brown bag. “These people really know how to openwallets. Between the tree concierge and all the snacks in there I might go broke.” He sat down next to me and handed me a cup.
“At least the tree was free,” I offered.
“Now hold on, Iearnedthat thing. I paid for it in sweat.”
I took a sip and considered it. “I guess you did.”
“Here.” He held out one of the little bags.
I peeked inside. “Christmas tree sugar cookies? And I thought this day couldn’t get any better.”
“Wow, you’re easy to please.” He bit his cookie in half.
