I’ve got a good business, a stable life—I can hear my father’s voice in my head—I should be grateful for what I have, not chasing childish dreams of being an artist. The familiar weight of guilt settles in my stomach, as heavy as the snow-laden branches of the nearby trees.
The crowd shifts, and suddenly I have a clear view of the enormous Christmas tree at the heart of the square. It’s a magnificent sight, its branches laden with ornaments that glitter like stars fallen to earth. Tinsel drapes from bough to bough, catching the light and throwing it back in dazzling patterns. For a moment, I’m transported back to my childhood, when everything seemed possible, and the world was full of wonder.
I shake my head, trying to dispel the unwelcome surge of emotion. This is why I don’t usually come to these events. They stir up feelings best left buried.
I came for inspiration, and the tree is full of it. I flip open to a fresh page and make small sketches around the edges. Nothing anyone walking by would be able to decipher, but when I come back to it later, I’ll be able to see it all in my head again.
I tap my pencil on the edge of the notebook. The scene is missing something… it’s missing the people. What would the tree be if it didn’t have a child staring up in wonder?
As I scan the crowd for the right face, the right look of awe, my gaze suddenly locks onto a familiar, beautiful woman, and my breath involuntarily catches in my throat.
Paige Henderson.
Her name comes to mind as if breathed there through the stars in the sky.
I remember her from school, though she was a few years behind me. But that’s not why I recognize her. Her face has graced my computer screen more times than I’d care to admit; her adventures on YouTube and MyHeartChannel are a guilty pleasure I indulge in when the monotony of my life becomes too much.
She’s even more striking in person.
Her long blonde hair cascades down her back, gleaming like spun gold. Her dark, almost navy blue eyes sparkle with excitement, a phone held loosely in one hand. She moves through the crowd with an easy grace, stopping here and there to chat with people or capture a moment on screen. Will she put this up on her channel, or is this just for her?
I am mesmerized by her presence. She embodies everything I’ve tried to convince myself I don’t want—adventure, spontaneity, a life lived to the fullest. Yet here she is, and I can’t take my eyes off of her. I wonder what brought her home, what she sees in this small town that I’ve become blind to.
“No way. Noah?”
I startle at the sound of my name, tearing my gaze away from Paige to find Sam and Alexis standing behind me. Alexis is tucked against Sam’s side, looking up at him as if he rescued her kitten from a tree just moments ago. Sam, for his part, seems to have grown several inches taller, his chest puffed out with pride.
“Hey,” I manage, trying to keep the awkwardness out of my voice. “Are you having a good time?”
Sam’s grin widens. “Sure. Didn’t expect to see you here, though. What changed your mind?”
I shrug, not quite meeting his eyes. “Just thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.”
Sam’s gaze follows the direction I’d been looking moments before, and I feel heat rise to my cheeks. When he looks back at me, there’s a knowing glint in his eye that makes me want to sink into the ground or punch him in the gut.
He looks down at Alexis. “Was Paige Henderson in your grade?”
She nods. “Yeah. Why?”
“I think she’s over there.” He points. I grit my teeth and give him a look that says I will lock him out of the trailer forever if he doesn’t shut up. He gets the point and shrugs an apology.
Alexis has to get up on her tiptoes to see Paige. “She’s so famous now. Have you ever met her?” she asks Sam. He’s the only male on the planet as far as she’s concerned.
And now I’m getting concerned that my part-time employee is going to become a full-time boyfriend this year, and I’ll be forced to live off the instant noodle cups in the back of my pantry until the New Year.
Sam shakes his head. “I must have, but I don’t remember. What about you, Noah?” he turns their attention to me.
“No,” I blurt out, perhaps a bit too forcefully.
“Do you want to? I could introduce you.” Alexis bats her eyelashes at Sam even though she’s talking to me.
Yep. She and Sam are already stupidly happy and wanting the rest of the world to feel that way, too. I’m going to have to avoid him.
“I mean, no thanks.” I jump in. “I’m sure she’s busy. I should probably get going, anyway.”
Before either of them can respond, I mumble a goodbye and turn on my heel, seeking refuge behind the clock tower. My heart is pounding, and I’m not entirely sure why. Officially meeting Paige wouldn’t have been that big of a deal—except it feels like it would have been a very big deal. The biggest of deals.
From my new vantage point, hidden from view, I watch as the mayor takes the stage. She’s all power and grace, a woman made to be in the spotlight. I don’t know how she does it. I see a lot of the same qualities in Paige, and I am starting to wonder how I would sketch that unique trait.
