I wanted to tell him exactly where he could go, but I held my tongue for the girls' sake. Both of them were staring at him, looking just as confused by his presence as I was.
“What do you girls think?” he asked.
Pouting, Anna replied, “Let’s just buy any one so we can leave.”
“That’s no way to choose something as important as a Christmas tree. Come with me, the better ones are in the back.”
“In case you haven’t noticed,” I said, gesturing to the bustling crowd, “it’s a bit packed.”
“Exactly. That’s why people grab the first thing they see, leaving the better stock further in. Let’s go.”
He held out his hands to the girls. Anna eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then ran over and firmly grabbed my hand, making her preference clear. I saw the smile on Logan’s face falter before he quickly plastered it back on. He’d felt that rejection.
Aurora, however, studied him for a few more seconds before tentatively placing her small hand in his.
We followed Logan deeper into the vast lot. It wasn't easy with the crowd, but I had to admit he was right; the trees here were in much better condition.
“What about this one?” Logan asked, stopping before a tree that looked practically perfect.
A stubborn part of me still tried to find a flaw, but I simply couldn’t.
“I don’t like it,” Anna declared, clearly out of spite.
I crouched down beside her. “Don’t you think it’s pretty, Anna?”
“I don’t like any of them.”
“And you, Aurora, what do you think?” Logan asked.
He looked at her and immediately realized his mistake. She had been watching her sister and hadn’t seen him speak.
I gestured for her to look up, and she did. Logan glanced at me uncertainly.
“Just make sure she’s looking at you, then speak slowly so she can read your lips,” I reassured him.
He nodded, his gaze returning to his daughter. He repeated the question; his words deliberate and clear. “And you, Aurora? Did you like this tree?”
She glanced at the pine tree he indicated, but like her sister, she didn’t seem impressed. Then her eyes drifted to the tree right beside it, and a genuine smile lit up her face as she tugged Logan’s hand, pulling him toward it.
I stood up and, with Anna, moved closer, full of doubts about Rory’s choice. The tree was enormous—taller than Logan—but it was sparse, with visible gaps and several dead branches.
When she looked at me, I asked, “Are you sure you like this one, sweetie?”
She nodded, her eyes shining. Then she looked at Logan, waiting for his approval. He studied the pine,and his expression made it clear he was haunted by its flaws. On closer inspection, it was even worse than I’d thought.
Yet, when Logan looked back at Aurora, he smiled. “It’s perfect, Rory. Let’s take it.”
The little girl was thrilled, jumping up and down. I worried that pleasing her now would only lead to disappointment when we tried to decorate the scrawny thing.
“Are you sure, Rory?” I asked, letting go of Anna’s hand to sign. “I think it’s…” I stopped when her smile vanished. Stupidly, I realized she already loved it so much that calling it ugly would crush her. “...Too tall. It might be hard to decorate the top. It may not even fit in the Holloways’ living room.”
Looking sad, she turned back to her father, silently pleading for him to defend her chosen tree.
And that’s exactly what Logan did.
“The Holloways’ living room has high ceilings. Of course it will fit. And as for decorating the top…” He bent down, scooped Aurora up, and placed her on his shoulders. A delighted laugh escaped her as he stood, lifting her high. She looked at me, proud, and reached her hand toward the treetop as if to prove she could now touch it.
Defeated, I smiled.
