The Noel Bridge

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

L eo hadn’t stayed at the coffee shop long, and Alicia had eaten her breakfast about as quickly. Now she was lugging her bags up the indoor staircase to Evelyn’s apartment.

“I hope the kids can make it to dress rehearsal tomorrow,” Evelyn said as she took one of Alicia’s suitcases.

Alicia shook her sore arm, thankful for the help. “When is dress rehearsal?”

“Nine in the morning.” Her friend hoisted the luggage onto the next step. “It doesn’t look like this snow will be going anywhere.” She stopped at the landing and leaned on the window ledge. “Temperatures aren’t supposed to get above freezing all week.” She pushed away from the view and started up the stairs once more.

The thought gave Alicia a shiver. She was unsettled knowing Leo’s father was out there.

“It’s the last rehearsal before the show Friday night,” Evelyn continued, but Alicia barely heard her friend, her mind still on Dean.

They arrived at Evelyn’s apartment and she slid the key into the lock, opening the door and allowing Alicia to enter. As expected, the space was cozy and filled with Christmas décor. They set Alicia’s bags on the living room hearth under the striped stockings and swags of greenery and surveyed the twinkling Christmas lights on the tree in the corner.

“I’m pretty sure the kids will get there if they can, though,” Evelyn said, as if talking herself into a positive outcome. “These are the kids who would rather do a play over their Christmas break than stay at home. They’re great kids.” She set her keys on the small bar separating the kitchen from the living room and dropped her purse on one of the stools.

“I hope they all make it,” Alicia said absentmindedly.

“Have a seat.” Evelyn offered the sofa and Alicia complied. Her friend dropped down next to her. “You’re still thinking about Leo’s dad, aren’t you?”

Alicia’s shoulders relaxed in surrender. “Yeah. I wish I knew where to look. I’d go out there myself and try to find him.”

“You and I both know the woods around town like the backs of our hands, but it wouldn’t be safe to go out in this weather. The last thing we need is three people stranded in the elements. We’d freeze ourselves.”

“I wonder what he was thinking, the fear he must have had when he couldn’t find his way back.” A lump formed in her throat and she attempted to swallow it. “We should go look for him anyway.”

“I heard he went missing from his home. Is that right?” Evelyn asked.

“I think so.”

“We don’t know where that is. As far as I’m aware, Leo doesn’t live in town. And depending on how far out he lives, you and I probably aren’t any better off in the wilderness than his father. You know how those steep valleys can come out of nowhere.”

“I feel so helpless. He deserves to have all the people who can be out looking for him.”

“I know how you like to save the world—it’s the trait that makes you an incredible nurse, I’m sure—but you can’t save everyone.”

Truer words could not have been said. If Evelyn only knew that she hadn’t saved Bo and she’d barely been able to save herself.

Suddenly, she was aware of Evelyn’s hand on her knee.

“Something has changed in you. What is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you’re worried about Leo’s father, but there’s something else… That fire you used to have isn’t quite as strong as it was. It’s as if something has beat you down.”

It would only be a matter of time before she’d have to explain her life, and since they’d be living under the same roof until the snow melted, she better tell her friend sooner rather than later.

“I was engaged to be married…” she began.

Evelyn was supportive and thoughtful, listening to Alicia’s explanation of the last nine months. When Alicia finished, it felt like a bit of the burden had been lifted. She’d told Leo and now Evelyn, and she’d made it through both times without completely falling apart.

“I’m glad you came back to Noel this Christmas,” Evelyn said.

“Me too.” And she actually meant it. “I haven’t felt much like celebrating until I came here.”

Evelyn’s somber face lifted. “You feel like celebrating?”

“It feels more like Christmas now that I’m with an old friend.” For the first time in a very long time, she felt the draw of looking ahead. In Noel, life felt more normal, as if she’d left the old her behind in Savannah and here, she’d found the girl she used to be.

Evelyn stood. “Let’s get you unpacked and comfortable. Then we can really get you into the Christmas spirit.” She lifted one of the suitcases. “I say we turn on holiday movies, bake cookies, and drink wine all day and into the night until we fall asleep.”

“All right. I just need to see if I can change my flight.”

“Make it for next week,” Evelyn said, her eyebrows bobbing up and down happily.

Feeling a little lighter, Alicia followed her into the guest room.

“I’m wondering if we should switch to coffee—maybe decaf, though, since we’ve passed the two o’clock hour,” Alicia said through the slight haze of alcohol from her third glass of wine.

The airline had been busy, so she’d given up trying to change her flight and settled in for the rest of the day with Evelyn. They’d been drinking wine while baking cookies and doing laundry, which she had to admit was a helpful diversion.

“I’ll make us some.” Evelyn whirled around and opened a canister of coffee, the strong, almost chocolatey aroma filling Alicia’s senses.

Alicia surveyed the kitchen. Both the counter in front of her and her clothes were covered in flour. The scent of apples and sugar lingered in the air, and the kitchen was warm from the cookies in the oven and the rows of them cooling on the counter. A Christmas movie on the living room TV hummed in the background, although she and Evelyn had spent so much time chitchatting that neither had paid any attention to it.

Conversation came surprisingly easily now that she had nothing to hide. She’d been able to relax into the day-to-day conversations two people who hadn’t seen each other in years would have. They reminisced about their childhood, and Evelyn had reminded her about their nature walks through the woods, way farther than her parents allowed, searching for pine cones. They would cover each scale of the cones with peanut butter and then sprinkle birdseed on top before hanging them from trees so the blue jays could have food.

At times Alicia sensed the conversation moving toward Dean and the mood shifted, but they seemed to have a mutual understanding that worrying about Leo’s father would always be present.

That shared understanding was what Alicia had been missing of late. For the last two hours, she’d felt almost normal. The razor’s edge she’d been teetering on since she lost Bo had faded away. Was this the next step in the healing process? It made her wonder if the bridge was magic after all. But then, Dean hadn’t been found safe.

“While you make the coffee, I’ll try again to get through to the airline,” Alicia said.

“Why don’t you see if they have a flight after the weekend? You could go to the middle-school play on Friday. The kids have done a remarkable job. They built and painted all the scenery. It’s incredible. It’s only about an hour and a half long and starts at five. We could get drinks after or something. I’ll be busy directing, but it’s going to be really cute. We’re doing A Christmas Carol . ”

Maybe it was the wine or the glistening snow outside the window, but Alicia liked the sound of going to a Christmas play. Especially for a story about how generosity and compassion reformed a cold heart. She took in the pleading look of her friend.

“That sounds great.”