Yes, you certainly do.
In the thick of it, we walk past vendors and patrons, the band getting louder as we move further up the street. Jake pulls me to one side towards an older lady sat behind a fold out table littered with what must be at least fifty snow globes. There are big ones, small ones, bright ones, muted ones, and some with lights inside. Jake picks one up, smiling like a kid at…well, Christmas.
“Man, I used to get one of these every year for Christmas when I was a kid.” He shakes the globe in his hand and watches with fascinated nostalgia as tiny white snowflakes and glitter flit and flutter around a snowman and a Christmas tree. “Didn’t you used to love them?” he asks, turning to me.
“I don’t think I ever had one.” I wrack my brain trying to think.
“What?!”
“Sorry, guess we just weren’t snow globe people,” I shrug.
“Unacceptable. There’s magic in a snow globe, you know?”
“Oh yeah?”
“Absolutely, you shake up a snow globe and you automatically get a little Christmas spirit. Like fairy dust has been sprinkled on you or something.”
I snort a laugh. “You’re a weird guy, Jake.”
“Come on, we could all use a little Christmas spirit all year round.”
I huff and feel a slight prickle at the back of my eye. “I don’t feel like I have much Christmas spirit on Christmas Eve, let alone the rest of the year.”
He looks at me, his shoulders sagging in sympathy. “The first year is going to be hard, Nel. I’m here if you need me.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, looking at the snow globes, and batting away tears with my lashes.
“And hey, you know your brother is going through it all too. You can also talk to him.”
Tsk. “I’m pretty sure Harry is fine. He was straight into funeral planning and probate meetings; he doesn’t need me to lean on. He doesn’t need me at all. I just annoy him.”
Jake hangs his head and shakes it in some sort of frustration. “You two are really something,” he mumbles.
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Look, Harry needs you. You guys need each other. Trust me.”
“Uh, okay.” I nod, not truly believing him.
We walk for just a few minutes more before we run into Harry. Jake drops my hand immediately when my brother comes into view and although it’s completely understandable, it stings.
“Everything go okay this morning?” Harry says as he hugs me hello. It throws me off for a second because I don’t think he’s ever asked me about work.
“Yeah, great,” I say. But when he’s pulling back, he doesn’t look like he’s listening. His eyes dart around as if looking for someone. Lucas and Oscar come running up to us and tug on their dad’s coat.
“She’s just over there,” Oscar puffs, pointing a little way up the road to where I can see Lisa talking animatedly to another woman.
Harry turns to us with panic in his eyes. “Listen, do me a favour, yeah? Lisa is stressing a little today and I need you to agree to whatever she asks of you.”
“What is she going to ask?” I question.
“Just promise me!” Harrys eyes bounce between Jake and me.
“Okay, dude. Chill a bit, yeah?” Jake grabs his shoulder and attempts to calm him.
Lisa is with us in a second—surprisingly quick given the bowling ball on her abdomen—and for the first time ever, she looks flustered with actual hairs out of place.
“Hi guys,” she says, rather breathlessly.
