“Well, please thank her spirit for me,” Lynda said quietly. “This is exactly what I needed today. Being here with all of you and eating this beautiful food. It makes me feel like life hasn’t completely stopped, even though it feels like it should have.”
Isabel squeezed her friend’s hand. “Matt’s going to wake up, and when he does, you can tell him about this Christmas.”
“He’ll be glad we dragged you here,” Kathleen added. “He would want you to have a few hours away from the hospital.”
The conversation flowed naturally. They talked about memories of past Christmases, speculation about Matt’s recovery timeline, and plans for when Lynda and Matt finally got their wedding. Paul contributed but mostly absorbed the warmth surrounding him.
Susan’s hand found his under the table, their fingers intertwining in a gesture so natural it felt like breathing.
On this special day, Paul finally understood what his grandmother had been trying to teach him in her crowded kitchen. Food was the vehicle, but love was the destination. Creating space for people to gather, to share, and to feel seen and valued—that was the work that mattered.
That was a legacy worth building.
Chapter 37
Susan fastened her coat and glanced through Isabel and Frank’s front window at the gray December sky. Heavy clouds hung low over Sapphire Bay, threatening snow. The temperature had dropped steadily throughout Christmas lunch, and now the wind carried the sharp bite of winter.
“I really don’t think this is wise,” she said, turning back to the group gathered in the living room. “It looks like it’s going to snow any minute, and the last thing we need is for anyone to get sick. Especially with Lynda needing to get back to the hospital.”
“Oh, Susan, don’t be such a worry-wart,” Kathleen said, already pulling on her gloves. “A little fresh air will do us good after that enormous meal. Besides, we’re only walking to the end of Main Street. It’s not a marathon.”
“I’d love to see the Christmas tree again,” Isabel added, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. “Frank and I have been meaning to see it up close, but the days before Christmas were incredibly hectic.”
Tommy nodded vigorously from where he stood beside Frank. “It’s the biggest tree we’ve ever had! And there’s a special place at the bottom where people make wishes. Mrs. Thompson at school said hundreds of people have wished for things, and lots of them came true!”
Paul appeared in the doorway from the kitchen, his expression carefully neutral but his eyes holding something Susan couldn’t quite read. “The walk will only take about fifteen minutes,” he said. “We can all use the exercise after lunch. And Lynda might want to see something beautiful before she goes back to the hospital.”
Lynda looked up from where she’d been sitting quietly on the sofa, her phone in her lap in case the hospital called. Her smile was tentative but genuine. “I’d like that. I keep thinking about how Matt would want me to enjoy Christmas, not just survive it.”
Susan studied her friend’s face, noting the exhaustion around her eyes but also a flicker of something else. Hope, maybe, or determination. How could she argue against Lynda having a few moments of joy?
“All right,” Susan conceded, reaching for her own coat. “But if it starts snowing heavily, we’re turning back.”
“Deal,” Paul said, and something in his tone made her glance at him again. He was watching her with an intensity that sent warmth flooding through her chest.
Everyone bundled into their winter coats, scarves, and gloves. Tommy bounced with excitement, chattering about the decorations and the wish-making spot. Frank helped Isabel with her coat, his movements gentle and attentive. Kathleen was already at the door, clearly eager to get going.
They stepped outside into the crisp afternoon air. Susan noticed how quiet the town had become. Most families were inside celebrating Christmas Day, leaving the streets peaceful and still. Their footsteps crunched on the snow that had fallen earlier, and their breath formed white clouds in the cold.
Paul fell into step beside Susan while the others walked slightly ahead. Kathleen and Isabel were arm-in-arm, pointing out the decorations in windows and admiring the decorations in everyone’s front yards. Tommy had run ahead with Frank, already describing the tree in enthusiastic detail.
“Thank you for inviting me to lunch,” Paul said quietly. “Everything was perfect.”
“You did most of the work,” Susan reminded him. “The ham was extraordinary. Your grandmother would have been proud.”
His hand found hers, their gloved fingers intertwining. “I hope so.”
Susan glanced at him, struck again by the emotion in his eyes. They’d come so far in the past months. From friends creating a menu together to this, whatever this was. She still marveled at how comfortable she felt with Paul, how right it seemed to walk beside him through her new hometown.
“Are you all right, Paul?” she asked. “You seem a little nervous.”
“Do I?” Paul’s smile was slightly crooked. “Maybe I’m just worried about the weather.”
Before she could question him further, they rounded the corner onto Main Street. The enormous Christmas tree came into view, and Susan caught her breath.
It was magnificent. The tree stood at least forty feet tall, positioned at the intersection where Main Street ended at the lakefront. White lights covered every branch, thousands of them twinkling against the gray sky. Red bows and golden ribbons decorated the tree in elegant spirals, and at the very top, a silver star caught what little light filtered through the clouds.
“Oh my.” Susan sighed. “The tree is just as spectacular as it was when we had the tree lighting ceremony.” And the closer they got to the tree, the prettier it became.
