The scene leaves me practically slack jawed; I’ve witnessed sights like this countless times on movie sets, but they have nothing on real life.
“Isthis real life?” I mutter to myself when a child dressed like an elf dashes past me, the bells on his shoes jingling merrily.
When movement flashes in the corner of my eye, I expect another elf to run past. At this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised if a group of them appeared, followed by Santa and a herd of reindeer. Instead, a small blur approaches at top speed, nearly knocking me backward as a pair of arms lock around my waist.
“You came!” Rex squeezes me with more strength than I’d expect from an eight-year-old.
“I told you I would.” I rest my hand on top of his head, ruffling his soft, thick hair. “This all looks incredible. I’m glad you convinced me to come.”
“Just wait, it gets even better.” Rex loosens his grip enough to ease his head back. His smile is as bright as the twinkle lights all around us.
“Joss. You came.”
This time the words don’t come in a high pitch of childlike excitement. The warmth of Liam’s voice near my ear has my body flushing despite the chilly temperatures. He comes to a stop beside me, the sleeve of his puffy black jacket brushing mine as he reaches out to put a red knitted bobble hat on Rex’s head. When I finally gather the courage to look at him, my tense muscles relax at the sight of the matching hat covering his dark hair.
“Not a word,” he says. “Mrs. Murphy made them for us. I’m sure it won’t be long before you’re the proud owner of your own hat.”
“I’ll tell her to make it red to match ours,” Rex says. He bounces on his toes as something across the square catches his attention. “Can I go get a pretzel?”
After handing Rex a five-dollar bill and watching him run off, Liam turns to me. “Thank you for coming. I know you came to Honeywell to get away from all this, but it means a lot to Rex to have you here. And to me.”
“The smile on Rex’s face makes it worth it.”
Liam’s lips lift in a half smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “He makes everything worth it.”
I may not know Liam well, but I can sense his energy is different tonight. His eyes are tired and, despite telling me he’s glad I’m here, it wasn’t with his usual light, almost-teasing, flirty tone. “You okay?”
“Oh, yeah.” His eyes are on Rex across the square. He inhales slowly and nods once as if deciding something. “Actually, no, not really. My sister is struggling right now. I can’t get into the specifics here with most of the town present…” He pauses, smiling and inclining his head at an older couple who are shuffling by, arms linked. He’s about to speak again when a woman waves at him from nearby. His smile stays plastered in place, but he sighs softly as he waves back.
“Nice of the townspeople to illustrate your point for you.” My words have the desired effect, turning his forced smile into a genuine one.
“Yeah, they’re good about stuff like that,” he says, laughing under his breath. He angles his body toward me; he’s only a few inches taller than I am, so his face is close to mine. “For a whole host of reasons, I’ve been trying to convince Thea to look for another job. She has a bunch of excuses: the bar needs her with the holidays coming, she needs money for Christmas, Rex is outgrowing his clothes too fast. She has an iron will and won’t do anything unless she wants to, and right now what she wants to do is work…and drink.”
I nod slowly, unsure how to respond. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ sounds trite, although Iamsorry. Being in show business, I’ve watched my share of people I care about struggle with addiction. I can’t imagine going through it with a family member. Liam is a fixer by nature, so it must be torture for him to feel so helpless. And then, of course, there’s Rex.
“She knows she has a problem.” Liam’s voice is all but a whisper now and he’s talking fast as the square gets more crowded. He said he wouldn’t go into specifics, but the pain in his eyes makes me suspect he’s desperate to get all this off his chest. “She’s promised me countless times she’d get help. She told me today she’d go to rehab after the holidays. Even though she’s told me that before and never followed through, I reassured her I’ll be here for her no matter what and will do whatever I can to help.”
“You’re a good brother, Liam.” I lay my hand on his arm and he reaches up immediately to cover it with his own.
“I try,” he says with a faint smile. “She doesn’t like to be around Rex when she’s like this—she doesn’t want him to see her struggling. It’s confusing for him, though. He loves being with me and Nathan and the Murphys, but this is a busy time of year for all of us, plus we’re no substitute for his mom. He needs us, though, so we all have to rally and be there for him.”
He gives a weary exhale and removes his hand from mine to scrub it over his face. “Anyway, this is supposed to be a happy occasion, not an opportunity for me to unload on you.”
“I don’t mind,” I tell him. “And I meant what I said last night: Rex can hang out with me anytime.”
“You’re here for a holiday, not to help a bunch of dysfunctional people you barely know.”
I wave off his words. “Rex and I get along great. I never thought I’d have so much in common with an eight-year-old. And while I may not be a great cook, I can pop frozen pizzas and chicken nuggets into the oven with the best of them.”
Liam’s eyes narrow as he scrutinizes my face. After a moment, he says, “It wouldn’t be every day or anything. He’s in school until mid-December, and the center will be open two or three afternoons a week, so he’ll do his usual after school program on those days. Nathan, Mae, and I will watch him whenever we can. But…itwouldbe helpful to have a backup. And he’s crazy about you.”
“Well, the feeling is completely mutual.”
Liam stuffs his hands in his jacket pockets and rocks backs on his heels, surveying the crowd. “Thanks,” he says, without looking at me. “For listening and for not judging. I don’t want you to think less of Thea. She’s a good person and she…she does the best she can for Rex.”
I want to tell him I understand. My situation wasn’t the same as Rex’s, but I know what it feels like to be low on the priority list. To feel forgotten or like I don’t matter. I’m more than four times Rex’s age and I can attest to the fact abandonment issues run deep and leave a lasting mark. We’ve had enough serious talk for one night, though, so I say, “I’m happy to listen anytime, just like I’m happy to help with Rex. I mean that.”
Liam nods, his gaze back to sweeping over the crowd. When his eyes finally return to mine, the light of humor I’ve grown accustomed to has returned. “You realize this will mean we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
