Sprinkle All The Way (Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe)

Chapter 21

twenty-one

NOAH

This morning I woke up thinking of last night and surrounded by Violet’s scent. Laying tangled with her on the bed instead of the trundle seems wrong since I’ve never slept up here before, but it also feels like the only thing I know that’s right. For starters, this mattress is one hundred times more comfortable. Either that or waking up with my girlfriend in my arms makes it seem that way. I’m finally confident in where things are headed now, at least with her. Even if today goes poorly, I’ll have her by my side at the end of the night. Hopefully not in this tiny bed.

I do my best to slip out from under her so I don’t wake her up. I’m searching for a piece of paper to leave her a note when she stirs awake.

“Are you leaving?” she says through a yawn.

“I need to go home and shower, plus get ready for the festival today,” I tell her, squatting next to the edge of the bed.

“We’re going to do it again?” she asks, hopeful I’m being serious.

“Yeah, of course. Take your time getting up, I’ll handle the setup of everything. Meet me at the festival.” I lean forward and push her hair off her forehead to press a light kiss there. She closes her eyes again, smiling and curling up in the sheets until only her head is visible, and she’s asleep before I’m out the door.

Determined to make today a good day, I head over to my mom’s, where she’s in the middle of breakfast with Nick. They’re surprised to see me, and Nick is quick to finish his breakfast and excuse himself to check on something, leaving me alone with my mom.

“Mom, I need your help,” I tell her after we finish eating, before we get sidetracked by the usual small talk.

She stares at me and I can tell she’s trying to remain calm because I hardly ever ask her for help.

“It’s not bad,” I reassure her. “I need you to spread the word about Gingerbreads having a stand, get people to come by today. Tell them I’ll give them a discount if they mention you.”

“Oh good gosh, Noah. You scared me for a second.” She shakes her head, bringing her hand to her chest. “Of course I’ll spread the word.”

I thank her, and then I’m gone. The bounce in my step gets me to my apartment quicker than usual, and my cheeks are starting to get sore from the grin that hasn’t left my face since last night.

I busy myself by eating more and showering. I want to bake more cookies for tonight, since I didn’t properly store the ones we made for yesterday. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have let my anger get the best of me. The cookies are probably okay to serve today, but I want to bring fresh ones for our second shot.

It might not matter though, if no one shows up again I would only be wasting more ingredients. Looking at myself in the mirror, I realize I’m about to spiral when I notice the tattoo on my chest. I mentally stop the spiral before it can get out of hand. I need help, and that’s okay. I’ve got my people now .

Remembering the prompts of one of Ginger’s letters, I make a beeline for the box. After rifling through it for a minute, I finally find the right one.

Open when you need extra encouragement

Dear Noah,

Stop sitting around and get going. Life is too short to be sitting around waiting for something to happen—make something happen!

Don’t think you can?

Remember the time I couldn’t figure out the new register? You wasted no time helping me and teaching me how to use it. You’re capable of more than you know.

Now go!

All my love,

Ginger

The abruptness of the letter makes me laugh, and there’s a small tightness in my chest as I recall the moment Ginger’s referencing. She was never good with technology, which was funny then, not so much now as we drown in the paperwork she left.

Following her advice, I get up and get going.

There’s a light snowfall tonight, and Violet can’t stop pointing out how beautiful the snow is against the Christmas lights. I was thankful when we got to the market and the stand didn’t get vandalized overnight.

Violet and I are in matching forest green sweaters, something she demanded from me after picking them up today. I obviously put up a fight, but I was ecstatic she went out and got something for me. She’s wearing the red lipstick that was missing from her lips last night, and I want to pull her close and kiss her.

We don’t talk any more about our new status, but my hands constantly being pulled toward her might give us away to anyone who stops by. Both of us take any chance we have to be close to the other. I take it as a good sign she’s not freaked out about us. All day my thoughts have been nothing but cookies and Violet, Violet and cookies.

I’m too lost in watching her to notice a family has approached the stand and started talking to her.

“Noah, can you hand me a box?” Violet snaps me out of my thoughts.

Taking a second to understand her question, I grab a small box we brought over from the shop.

“Which ones did you want again?” she asks the tall brunette with a baby in one of her arms, and toddler holding the hand of the other.

“Coco!” the toddler shouts from below.

The woman laughs, handing the baby to her wife and pulling out her wallet. “What he said, four hot chocolate, four peppermint, and four chocolate chip please,” she repeats her order and she must be joking. There’s no way she could want that many cookies.

I can only watch in shock as Violet takes her money, and hands her the cookies. “Thank you, and have a lovely evening. ”

“No, thank you, these smell delicious. I’m so glad we stopped by,” the woman says, then turns to me. “When will the storefront be open?”

Violet kicks me when I don’t answer. “Hoping to be open right after the new year,” I stumble over the first few words before finding my footing.

“Fantastic, we’ll swing by.” She smiles at me before walking away.

Meanwhile, I’m too busy standing there with my mouth open to reply to her.

“Do you need a crash course in customer service?” she teases, bumping my hip with hers.

“Did you know her?” I’m in too much shock to tease her.

“No, but it was a cute family,” she says.

“So they came here because…” I trail off, uncertain how to finish that sentence.

“Because they wanted to. Don’t be so surprised, you’ve worked hard,” she says, looping her arm through mine and resting her head on my shoulder.

I laugh in response, it doesn’t feel deserved or earned even though I have worked hard. I don’t think it ever will. But if Ginger and Violet believe in me there must be something I’m doing right.

Doubt is soon overcome by the pure joy as more people approach the stand and buy cookies. Working with Violet is easier than I could have ever hoped for, and we fall into an easy rhythm as I package and she handles the payments. Having her next to me, now as my girlfriend, makes everything easier. We don’t sell out, but it doesn’t matter to me. I would have been happy if it had only been that first family. By the end of the night, we collapse into my bed, falling asleep soon after our heads hit the pillows.