Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Memory took his hand and led him up the stairs, noticing her bird friends were not on the window ledge. She unlocked the door, bracing herself against the musty smell that always hit her in the face. It didn’t smell like her grandma’s house, and she hated that.

She let Dak take in the beauty of the foyer, the molding, the staircase, the flooring, and tried not to stare at the empty chair in the parlor. Once she was sure he’d had enough time to marvel over the entry, she took him to the ballroom.

Pushing through the double doors, she stood aside and watched his face as he gasped at the beautiful space and the potential the room had to fulfill all of his dreams of creating a place where the older folks in town could gather and visit, hold get-togethers and parties, and find a warm meal on a cold day. She imagined there were lots of other groups of people who could use the space, too, and she couldn’t wait to hear what Dak dreamt up.

“Memory... this is... spectacular.” He let go of her hand and walked around for a few minutes, looking at the marble floor, the plaster crown moldings, and all of the other details in the impressive room. He stopped in the middle beneath the largest of the crystal chandeliers, his hands on his hips as they often were while he was thinking. “This space is incredible.”

“I know,” Memory said, taking a few steps closer to him. “Grandma used to put a huge Christmas tree over there in the window. Most of the room she kept empty because when Grandpa was still alive, they’d come in here and dance, but this area, over here, she had a sitting area and some other pieces.” Looking around the room and not seeing any of those things, except the one chair over by the far window, the one she hadn’t had the courage to move, brought tears to her eyes. Determined not to cry, she took a deep breath, trying to hold them in.

Dak crossed over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “What did you do with all of the furniture?” he asked quietly.

“I had it moved into other rooms.” She looked up at the ceiling, the dark water spots marring the beautiful white finish. “I was afraid if more of the roof let go, it would all get ruined.”

He looked up, too, though she was sure he already noticed all of the missing pieces, blue tarps showing through in several places, particularly right above them. “That needs to be fixed, Mem, before any more damage is done.”

“I know. I want to fix it. I just don’t have the money. I used all of Grandma’s savings to pay off the second mortgage on the shop, and then an ice storm ripped up the roof. I had no idea it was in such bad shape.” She didn’t bother to mention at the time she’d still been confident they’d find the insurance policy. “I want to have it repaired as soon as I can.”

Dak slid his hand down her arm, leaving a trail of warmth where his touch radiated through her coat sleeve, his fingers intertwining with hers. “Memory, let me take care of that for you. I can get it fixed now, before it’s too late. You can pay me back someday if you want to, but believe me, I can tell with just a glance that the chance of serious structural damage occurring is inevitable if you don’t put a new roof on as soon as possible.”

Even with her gloves on, the feel of his hand in hers had her breath catching. His chocolate eyes were full of concern, and Memory knew he wanted to help. She inhaled through parted lips, her pride waring with logic. “Okay. I’ll let you. But listen, I thought... maybe this could be your space. Maybe we can figure something out where it’s still my house, but you can use it. I’m not exactly sure how it might work—a partnership of some kind. I know the rest of the house needs repairs, too, and I don’t want you to have to invest a lot of money into a building that’s not yours, but... this is the space you’ve been looking for, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Memory,” Dak said with confidence. He took a step closer to her, letting go of her hand so that he could brush back a loose lock of hair from her cheek. “I’ve finally found exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

Her heart paused for a split second before thumping erratically as her stomach tightened, and sparks of electricity raced along every surface of her skin. He wasn’t just talking about the room or the house. He was talking about her. And in that moment, there was no doubt in Memory’s mind that she had found what she’d been looking for as well, even though she’d had no idea just how much she’d been missing him until the boy who’d caught her attention so many years ago came back into her life, no longer a boy, but the amazing, handsome, intelligent man before her.

Dak tipped his head down as Memory lifted herself up on her tiptoes, his lips pressing against hers and stealing the last bit of oxygen from her lungs. His mouth was warm and gentle, and she slid her hand around to the back of his head to steady herself as her knees weakened.

He pulled away sooner than she would’ve liked, but his kiss contained a promise of what was to come. Memory slipped her arms around his waist, welcoming his sheltering embrace, her head on his chest as her heart beat in time with his. Standing in the house that she loved so much, Dak’s arms around her, Memory knew she was home.

***

Moonlight glinting off of the freshly fallen snow illuminated the house and gave it a soft glow that reflected even off the worn siding that desperately needed repainting. Helen stood in the yard for a moment, staring at the place she used to call home. She could’ve transported herself directly into the house, but she wanted to look at it again. Ever since she’d come back to Christmas Falls, she’d been avoiding visiting here, thinking it might be too painful. Now, standing outside, memories flooded her mind, most of them joyful ones.

It needed some work, that was for certain. The blue tarps on the roof looked out of place and just wrong; that needed fixing quickly. But Helen realized all of this wear and tear hadn’t happened in the past year since she’d been gone. She simply must not have noticed before just how bad off the house was. Shaking her head, she muttered, “We’ll fix that,” and transported herself into the ballroom.

It was cold. Even in her coat, Helen felt the chill in the air. She looked up to see the undersides of the tarps poking through holes in the ceiling. “Thank God they didn’t get the chandeliers—yet.” When Memory had returned to the store earlier in the day—glowing—she’d mentioned Dak had a contact in Carmel who thought he could come and get started on the roof the next day, even though it was Christmas Eve. She could tell her granddaughter was concerned about having Dak pay for the repairs, though. With any luck, that wouldn’t be necessary.

Helen dropped her eyes and looked around the room, realizing all of the furniture was gone, except for one chair in the window. Her shoulders sank as she stared at the aquamarine fabric. She didn’t remember much of what had happened the last time she was in this house, but she knew she’d been sitting there when she’d seen Joe and Ann walking across the room toward her, friendly smiles on their illuminated faces. She remembered being slightly confused but then overcome with a sense of joy as she realized they were there to take her home. Thinking about what it must’ve been like for her family, though, made Helen’s heart ache. And tomorrow, she’d have to leave them again....

Her time in Christmas Falls had been so much fun. Ellie was just the sort of gal Helen had always wanted to be—not to mention she had some magic powers. It was a shame Memory and the others had become so attached to a person who didn’t really exist, but Memory was going to be all right now, she was sure of it. As soon as she’d come back from her trip to the house earlier, her face told her grandmother everything. She’d finally figured out that Dak was the one for her. So, when Helen had to leave the next day, she knew Memory would be more than fine. Still, it would still be difficult to say goodbye.

Shaking her head to clear it, Helen settled her hands on her hips. “Now, where is that desk? The one that used to be in the corner?”

The sound of Stella’s voice in her head had become so familiar, sometimes Helen ignored it, as if it were her own mind. “Helen, what are you doing? I told you earlier, everything is fixed. You should come back now before you end up making a mess of things again.”

“Don’t be silly, Stella. That’s not possible. I know when my granddaughter is in love.”

“Has she ever been in love before?” Stella argued.

“Well, no, but that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize it. I just need to find that life insurance policy, that’s all. Where’s the desk that used to sit in here?”

“Helen....”

“Never mind. I’ll find it myself.” Ignoring Stella’s audible sigh, Helen pushed through the ballroom doors into the foyer, glad it was warmer in this part of the house. She could see into the parlor and the hall that led to the dining room. The parlor looked the same as always, but there were chairs in the hallway, which made Helen think they must’ve moved the furniture out of the ballroom into other areas of the downstairs, probably because of the ceiling. She headed down the hall.