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Darkness had taken over my lonely existence for a couple of years. Except for Jay, I kept to myself. Meeting Silver and taking him up on his invitation to join him in his suite was out of character for me, but it was the most wonderful decision I’d ever made.

The only thing that could make it better was if I could see him again. That isn’t what he wants. If it was, he would have asked for my number. He wouldn’t have let me walk out of his suite in the early morning hours. Well, at the very least, I had another special memory to add to my collection for the city at Christmas time. A very adult memory that would make me blush every time I thought about that night.

Growing up, my grandparents would take me to see the tree in Rockefeller Center. We would go see the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. My favorite part was when the dancers did the toy soldier fall. No matter how many times I saw it, it never got old. I sat on the edge of my seat, holding my breath as each girl fell into the one behind her.

I missed that show. My grandmother and I went a few times after my grandfather died, but I hadn’t been back in years. Every year, I promised I’d treat myself, but I never had the money when the time came.

Being broke had become a recurring theme. Don’t dwell on it. My life can’t suck forever. Can it?

I glanced at the time on my phone. I had forty minutes before I had to meet with Huxley James. The only reason I agreed to this meeting was to tell him I didn’t want to give up my house so he could demolish it and replace it with the chic rental property.

I hadn’t attended any of the town council meetings when the idea was proposed. I never thought the idea would get off the ground. I certainly never imagined all of my neighbors would sell out so fast. Huxley’s money was more powerful than nostalgia. How sad.

All of the neighbors I had grown up around couldn’t take his money fast enough. The lure of warmer weather called to them, especially now that most of them were of retirement age. Even the younger neighbors with small children accepted the deal. Private schools and property taxes in the town of Harlow weren’t cheap.

They thought I was a fool for holding out. Maybe I was. But my memories were in that house. My mother, my father, and my grandparents were all gone now. But in my home, I could feel them. Their presence surrounded me, and if I let go of that, I let go of them.

I slowed my pace when I reached the office where my uncles ran their high-end construction business. The signage on the door read Travis and Kent Girardi.

They built houses, added additions, and renovated spaces for many celebrities in the city. They were like the Property Brothers of Manhattan.

I hadn’t seen them in months. I didn’t get to the city much, and after my grandmother died, they didn’t come to the house often. There may have been some resentment on their part because she left the property to me and not to them.

I didn’t know why she had done that. Maybe because they had a successful business, were both married and had families., she didn’t think they needed the house. They didn’t agree. If they only knew how much I sacrificed to keep that house. I was less than an hour away from turning down more money than I would ever see in my lifetime for our family legacy.

An errant wind crept up my neck, causing me to tightened the strings on my hoodie. Being here was stupid. There was no reason why I should have even cut down this street.

As I turned toward the busy intersection, the door swung toward me, rattling a holiday bell. I stopped in my tracks, squeezing my eyes shut and hoping it was a client leaving the premises.

“Ivy?”

It wasn’t.

I faced the doorway to find my Aunt Nina looking at me with a bewildered expression.

“Hey.” I waved. “How are you?”

“What are you doing in the city?” She widened the door. “Come in. It’s cold out here.”

“Oh, well, I don’t want to intrude.”

“Don’t be silly.”

When she smiled, I remembered the kind girl my uncle brought home when I was thirteen. She was only nineteen at the time. Came from an affluent family, drove a pink mustang, and had the most gorgeous, flowing blonde hair that went to her waist. She was the coolest girl I’d ever seen. A real-life Barbie.

“Thanks.” I entered the elegant lobby, taking in the fresh pine aroma. “That’s a pretty tree.”

“It was just delivered this morning. I’m going to decorate as soon as your Uncle Travis gets the ornaments and the ribbon from the storage closet.”

“It’s going to be stunning.” I nodded. “Like the rest of this place.”

“We just renovated.”

“Hmm…” The last time I was here they had just renovated. The inn could use a makeover too. “How are the kids?”

“Excited that it’s the holiday season.” She shook her head. “They’ve already made their lists.”

“I’m sure.” Nina and Travis had three boys. Kent and his wife Tory had two girls. “Maybe I’ll get a chance to see all the kids over the holidays.”