Page 38 of Yours, For Good

We turned a corner onto the street we aimed for, with little shops on either side. Christmas decorations multiplied there, with big wreaths and red ribbons on the doors, twigs of green with berries around metal poles, and strings of lights among the lamps.

She stopped at the corner, her eyes on me rather than on the holiday explosion around us.

She studied me closely. "Is thankfulness proportional to how difficult it was for you to accomplish, or how impactful it was to the recipient?"

My brain lost the signal for a moment, like old TVs on a stormy night. The surprise left me in a resigned scoff.

"Fuck, Nora. How do you do this?"

"What?"

"Keep me on my toes. Ask me a rhetorical question that shifts the axis of my morals in just a few words."

She laughed. I smiled, and melted at her feet.

She bowed like an artist receiving applause from her admirers. "My pleasure."

I was a puddle, reflecting the view of her and the sky, and ready for her to stomp on me and change everything.

"I don't know how to answer your question," I admitted.

"Think about it. Next time we meet, you can be ready with an answer." She shot her hand forward. "Deal?"

I didn't hesitate— I took her hand in mine. We didn't shake on it but it lingered; warm skin to warm skin, we smiled at each other. Her grin triumphant and mine a novelty on my face.

We let go after a while, and walked down the street side by side. The air, cold enough to freeze my skin, didn't deter us. I told her little stories of coming up to this or that shop as a kid, and what had changed since then.

"Oh, yes!" I stopped next to a big window and looked inside. "At least this place is still here."

Nora inspected the storefront. "The Scoop? Ice cream parlor, coffee, tea, and bakes."

Her nose had reddened from the cold.

I opened the door. "You won't regret it."

I let her go in first. The light in the shop, a warm, bright shade of yellow, invited us to settle and take a break. It broke the coldness of winter in Connecticut and welcomed us in. We left our coats on nearby hangers, and sat at a small table for two by the window.

A stray thought whispered that this was cozy enough for a date. I let it float by and away.

The décor of the place had both changed and not changed since the last time I'd been there; the checkered floor remained, as did the ornate wainscotting on the walls. The paint had been refreshed into whites and pastel colors, but the big fireplace in the back was alight just like last time. Different details in the natural wood tones, including the tables and chairs, warmed up the place further.

At least some of the light in the place came from within Nora, with her high-powered smile. It softened one of those spots that always felt a little too tight in my chest.

A server left a glass of water and a menu in front of each of us.

"I'm so glad we came in." She took the menu and inspected it. "I stole a peek inside a couple of times when I walked down the street earlier in the week."

"But you hadn't come in?"

She shook her head. "I wanted to, but I didn't get a chance. I planned to bring a good book and have a coffee while people-watching all the Christmas shoppers."

I brought my eyes to my menu.

"Okay… these flavors are different," she said.

"I don't know if they still have the same management, but they have always done it this way. This shop was one of the first to open in town and the founder was an ice cream inventor, or so he liked to say."

"Ooooh. Experimental ice cream. Tell me more!"