17. Kitty

17

KITTY

O n paper, inviting the entire town to the Yuletide Ball was an easy and simple task. In reality, it was painfully different and with time rapidly ticking by, I was worried we wouldn’t be able to get it all done in time.

My mother moved the party from the small ballroom to the gigantic one at the back of the manor which hadn’t been used in years. The cleanup alone took a couple of days, and we definitely didn’t have them to spare. Moving all the tables and decorations from one room to the other also highlighted just how different the guest list was. What had once been maybe eighty people with more money than sense had turned into a couple of hundred, and we were severely underprepared this late in the game.

I spent an entire afternoon hunting down extra tables and chairs since having extras brought from my parents’ penthouse in the city felt like a disservice to everything I was trying to do. In the end, I was able to gather all the spare seating from the community center, and the last few tables were purchased from the town’s furniture store. Rather fitting, I decided.

Through all the rapid planning and changes, Rook was by my side, and his presence was the only thing stopping me from going insane when we got a delivery of three hundred forks and spoons but no knives. Tracking those down had been a laugh. His presence was calming, and whenever I felt like I was getting overwhelmed, a glance in his direction and a few minutes cuddling it out in a cupboard did wonders for my mental state.

Then, my favorite day arrived. It was time to decorate the Christmas trees, and while my mother had hired a team to do it for her, they hadn’t been prepared for the extra trees needed to fill the new ballroom. That was where she and I came in.

Decorating the tree had always been my favorite pastime as a child, but when my mother stood in front of me with a handful of baubles and asked me to help her, I suddenly felt five years old again and struggled to say yes without crying.

It was the first time I’d spent prolonged time with my mom just doing something fun, and I loved it. Christmas music played softly through the air, and the only noise was the soft hum of conversation on the opposite side of the room as Mom’s team set about decorating the trees lining the wall over that side. Mom and I took the side where each tree stood proudly between the windows. We worked in a line.

First went the spray snow. Then came the lights, and due to the size of the trees, we needed help putting on the lights. So, putting on the lights turned into sitting in the corner eating sandwiches for lunch with Rook while the hired professionals did that for us. The same for the tinsel. Decorating multiple eight-foot trees by hand was undoubtedly a challenge. Once they were finished, it was on to the baubles and the decorations, and this was where I shone.

The vision I had in my mind was murky, but the more glittering baubles and shining presents and birds I placed on the trees, the clearer my vision became.

“Can you pass me the Robin?” my mother asked from halfway up the ladder. “I want to put him right here so it looks like he’s got a nest filled with lights.”

“Here he is.” I passed him up to her and watched as she settled him in place. He would be a little secret, only visible to those with the keenest eyes. As the world darkened outside and the garden lit up with floodlights and more, I stretched my arms above my head until my spine clicked.

“Wow.” I yawned further. “I swear, time is moving faster than we are.”

“That’s how it always is,” Mom replied with a smile. “Especially at this time of year. It gets dark so early that we’re already ready to wind down and it’s only…” She paused and balanced with one hand to check her silver watch. “Four thirty. We’ve still got plenty of time before dinner.”

I eyed the remaining trees still void of baubles and nodded. “Easy peasy.”

Luckily, the team on the other side of the room was nearing the end of their trees and would come to help us before long.

“What the hell is this?” Dad’s voice suddenly bellowed across the ballroom, echoing impressively and making me jump out of my skin. My mom clutched at the ladder and out of the corner of my eye, I watched Rook stiffen. He was always alert, always ready to jump in and yet, ever since that night in his truck, he seemed a little too ready. Not that I was complaining. It felt nice to be protected as a person and not just a paycheck.

“You cannot be serious. I give you one job. One job! And it’s already so screwed up that I can’t fathom what the hell you are playing at!” Dad’s face was a dark shade of purple as he stormed toward us, and I quickly ran through all the crimes I could have been caught on.

Did he know I was helping the protestors? Did he know about me and Rook?

There were simply too many options, and I was running out of time. To my surprise, though, Dad stormed past me and grabbed the bottom of Mom’s ladder.

“I want answers!” he yelled, brandishing a crumpled sheet of paper in one hand. “What the hell is this?”

“Samuel,” Mom sighed calmly, looking at him over her shoulder. “Try and remember what the doctor said about your blood pressure.”

“I don’t give a shit about that. I want to know why the guest list has changed so much!”

“I told you it had changed,” Mom replied, slowly climbing down the ladder.

“When you told me there had been adjustments, I thought you meant Mrs. Scythe no longer wanted to attend the same function as her husband’s mistress or that the Franks were now bringing their children!” He shook his hand, causing the paper to wave back and forth. “But this? This is insanity!”

My heart jumped slightly into my chest and I stepped forward. “It’s not insanity. We decided to invite the whole town.” Had my Mom not told him the extent of the changes? I had always viewed them as two peas in a pod, so it was surprising that she had left such a detail out.

“Why?” Dad snapped, whirling to face me. “What is the point of this? Are you trying to make me look incompetent?”

I bit back a smirk. “Don’t worry, your horrible little friends are all still invited. We just made some additions so it’s no longer just your rich guests. A good thing, I think.” I clenched my jaw as I spoke. “It would do you good to rub shoulders with some real people.”

“Why, you little?—”

“Samuel!” My mom didn’t raise her voice much, but it was enough for my dad to turn and face her. “The Yuletide Ball is my event. It has always been my event. And it’s Christmas, a time to celebrate and relax with people we care about. Kitty suggested increasing the guest list, and I agreed because, quite frankly, it has been too long since I have seen some of the people I care about.”

Mom’s face was mostly unreadable, but as she spoke, there was a hint of something in her voice—a sadness that I felt deep down in my gut.

“Melody, please—” Dad started, but he was cut off once again.

“Don’t worry. All of your guests of honor will still be taken care of in any way you want them to, but I, for one, am tired of missing out on the life of Christmas. Unless you plan on calling everyone on that list one by one and canceling? You might as well hang up that mayor cap right now because your re-election is hanging by a thread.”

Dad crumpled the paper further, then he turned and stormed away down the ballroom while smashing the paper into a tight ball. I stared after him, watching his back until he slammed his way out of the room, then I turned to Mom.

“Holy shit, I thought for sure that he was going to make us cancel.”

“Oh, no, dear.” Mom smiled, and she placed her hand on my cheek. “Your father isn’t as scary as he seems. He’s all bark and no bite. Sometimes, I think he never got over being the uncool kid in school, so he tries a little too hard.”

Mom returned to the ladder with fresh baubles in hand and started to climb.

I tossed a miniature sleigh back and forth in my hands. “I also, uhm…” Hesitation caught my words. “I didn’t know you saw the ball that way.”

“What way, dear?”

“As so lively with all the people and everything. I thought that was just me.”

Mom smiled over her shoulder at me, then set about sliding red baubles onto the tree. “When your father changed the Yuletide Ball, I agreed because it made him happy. I thought, in the long term, it would be worth it. But the people of this town bring a certain liveliness that I miss, and when you brought this idea to me, I realized just how much I missed it.”

She was lonely. I realized it as she turned away, and I suddenly felt like I was just watching an older version of myself. I had lumped her in with my father because she always seemed to be on his side, but now I saw it. She loved him so she supported him, but that could only last for so long.

“Besides.” Mom chuckled softly. “Maybe it would do him some good to call everyone on that list.”

I turned, smiling at the realization that maybe Mom and I weren’t so different, after all. Rook caught my eye from his stationary corner and his smile said all kinds of things.

You’re amazing. Are you okay? You need anything? I’m here for you .

I smiled warmly back, and a sudden ache spread down my arms at how badly I wanted to hug him right now. Fighting that urge, I returned to decorating the tree. The next hour passed so quickly that I didn’t notice it was nearing dinner time until Rook stopped me and handed me my phone. When I saw Melanie’s name flash up on the screen, I caught a glimpse of the time and groaned.

Time really was moving faster.

“Hello?”

“Hi, honey!” Melanie cheered. “Just a quick call. We’re all out of posters down at the bar. Honestly, I’m not even sure if you need any more because I don’t know of a single town member who doesn’t know about the ball at this point, but I wanted to let you know.”

“Okay, thank you. Can’t hurt to print some more, just in case,” I replied, balancing my phone between my ear and shoulder as I worked. “Plus, I have just spent two days decorating more trees than I’ve decorated in my entire life, so I need as many people here as possible to admire my work.”

“Oh, of course.” Melanie snorted. “Speaking of, I heard you shut down the town hall?”

“It’s not shut down,” I clarified, tangling myself in a reel of tinsel. “It’s just closed for business but open to the public. I had the idea that a lot of people might be too shy to splash out on a suit or gown for the Gala so instead, I bought them all from the dressmaker and a few other stores in the city. They’re on display at the town hall so that people can just go and choose one, get fitted, and they’ll look amazing on the night! Without worrying about the price tag.”

“Oh, shit,” Melanie gasped. “That’s so…”

“Over the top?” I chuckled. “I know. But I’m just trying to make this as easy as possible on people so that they will turn up, y’know? And it’s easy to make people feel spoiled when they don’t have to worry about price tags and stuff.”

“I wasn’t going to say over the top.” Melanie chuckled. “I was going to say generous.”

“Oh.” I paused my decorating and rubbed at my nose as warmth swept up the back of my neck. “It feels too much. Like I’m trying too hard and in the end, no one will be here and Christmas will be ruined.”

“I’ll be there,” Melanie reminded me, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. “Trust me, this will be amazing!”

“You think?” As I asked, stomping footsteps caught my attention. I glanced back down the ballroom to see Dad had returned, and he strode toward Mom and me, minus the list this time. “Hold on, I have to go. I’ll call you back.”

“Love you!” Melanie called as I hung up. Rook took a step closer as Dad stopped and held out one hand to help Mom off the ladder.

“I’ve decided I am fine with the guest list change,” Dad said stiffly.

My heart skipped a beat. This couldn’t be good.

“Good,” Mom said, brushing her hands down her pants. “It really isn’t an issue.”

“No. It isn’t.” Then Dad turned to me. “One thing, though, Kitty. I’m happy for you to attend the Gala. My friend needs a date, and I realized you are the perfect candidate!”