Chloe took hers with a smile. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
As they enjoyed the treats, Mabel reappeared at the door. “Don’t forget, the carolers are rehearsing tonight at the church if you’re interested.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Chloe called back.
Mabel waved cheerfully before returning inside.
Oscar munched on his cookie. “Can we go see the carolers, Mom?”
“Not tonight, Oscar. We have a lot to do.”
“Maybe I could help fix the costumes,” Liam offered. “I’m not much of a tailor, but I can follow instructions.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow playfully. “Are you sure you want to spend your evening sewing?”
He shrugged with a grin. “I’m willing to learn. Plus, it means I get to spend more time with you and Oscar.”
Oscar’s eyes lit up. “Please, Mom? Can Liam help?”
Chloe looked at each of them, a soft smile spreading across her face. “All right. I suppose an extra pair of hands won’t hurt. But we still have six Christmas trees to decorate.”
With lots of laughter and more than one Christmas treat, they made their way along the next three stores, adding the finishing touches to each tree.
As they stepped back to admire their handiwork, they met the volunteers who’d decorated the other stores on Main Street. Each business glowed with holiday cheer, the red bows and sparkling lights creating a picturesque scene straight out of a postcard.
“It’s perfect,” Chloe said quietly.
The other volunteers nodded. Once the lights were strung across the street and the large Christmas tree delivered, Sapphire Bay would be ready for the start of their holiday celebrations.
According to the last email Liam had received from Mabel, the tree would be delivered the day after Thanksgiving. That gave everyone a couple of weeks to complete any last-minute issues with the tree-lighting ceremony and get ready for hundreds of visitors to the area.
While everyone chatted about the other Christmas events they were organizing, Liam gathered the bags that’d been full of shiny red bows.
Amongst the laughter and good-natured banter, Chloe was quieter than usual. As Liam watched, her gaze drift toward Oscar. He was talking to another boy about the same age as him. She seemed so lost in thought that he was worried about her.
Folding the last bag into a larger one, he walked across to her. “Hey,” he whispered. “It’ll be okay.”
She looked at him, her eyes full of vulnerability. “I hope so.”
He sent her a reassuring smile. If she was worried about her relationship with her ex-husband, there wasn’t a lot he could do to help her.
“Mom! Liam! Come look at this!” Oscar called out, pointing to a group of children building a snowman across the street.
“That looks like fun,” Chloe said. “Let’s go see the snowman.”
They walked over together, joining in the laughter and joy that filled the air. For a moment, Chloe’s worries seemed to fade, replaced by the simple pleasure of being surrounded by warmth and community.
A little while later, Chloe looked at Liam. “Are you ready to head home and tackle those elf costumes?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied with a smile.
“Can I make the hats?” Oscar asked eagerly.
“Of course you can,” Chloe told him. “You could even show Liam how to make them. He could be your assistant.”
Oscar frowned. “What’s an assistant?”
Liam wrapped his arm around Oscar’s shoulders. “It’s someone who does everything you don’t want to do.”
