sky surrounding a full moon. Deep, and dark, and navy, but bright and full of light. “She could crochet like lightning,” he said. “Mother can too.” He tossed her a smile, but she just shook her head.
“Not like Grandmother.” She turned and hung a maple leaf on the tree.
“She used liquid starch to form them into the three-dimensional pieces she wanted,” he said. “That was quite the process. If it didn’t form the way she wanted, she’d wash the starch out and try again.” He picked up one that looked like a toy car, complete with yellow thread woven through the circles on the front for the headlights. “Then she’d add the detail pieces in thread.”
He turned away from Montana for a moment, saying, “Oakley, here’s that car Ranger was talking about.” He gave the car to Oakley, who looked like Cactus had just passed her a million dollars. Her cat wove through her legs, every so often giving a loud meow that no one paid any attention to.
Benny, Sammy and Lincoln’s dog, wisely sat at the top of the steps, out of the fray, and Montana thought he was the smartest of them all.
She looked at the items she’d picked up. One was a barn, which seemed absolutely fitting. The only detail on this ornament was a green wreath with a red bow done with a single piece of string. “I like this one.”
“Feels appropriate,” Cactus said.
Montana returned the pine tree to the box and selected another ornament. This one was an apple, and it utterly charmed her. It was pure white, and reminded her of the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden.
“Grandmother put that around a real apple when she starched it,” Bishop said. “I watched her do it. I think I was ten years old.” He smiled at her and took the apple from her hands. “She added the stem separately.” He laced a hook through the dark brown stem that was done in string, not the thicker white thread the ornaments themselves were made out of, and handed the fruit back to Montana.
“I love everything about this,” she said.
“It’s a good tradition,” he said. “Aurora put up an ornament for you,” he added in a whisper.
Alarm rang through Montana. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Bishop said. “I didn’t mean to overhear her, and I don’t think she knows I did.”
“What did she say?” She found her daughter down on the other end of the boxes with Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bob. They spoke with each other and then Judge as they selected ornaments. They fit here too, just like Montana had. She suspected anyone who walked through that big front door and made any effort at all would fit in here.
“She just said, ‘for my mom. I love her.’”
“Maybe that’s all it meant then,” Montana said. “I feel close to her, but maybe she doesn’t feel the same.”
“Don’t overthink it,” Bishop said. “I have to go find Ace. Are you okay here alone?”
“I’m good, yes.”
“See you in a few.” He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and ducked out the front door.
Montana turned back to the tree and marveled at how quickly it had filled. She found a spot she could hang the barn, and she thought, Thank you for leading me to this ranch.
She hung the barn, feeling closer to the Glovers and God in that moment.
She pinched the hook on the apple and moved around to the back of the tree. There was a little more space back here, and she closed her eyes. For my family, wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. I love you. I miss you.
She hung the apple as a wave of sadness rolled over her. She was sad about the current status of her familial relationships. She’d been close to her sisters once, but not anymore. She wasn’t sure how to be close to someone she didn’t trust.
No matter what, she felt another invisible burden she hadn’t known she was carrying lift from her shoulders. She rolled her neck, and there was nothing riding there anymore. No tension. No guilt. No resentment.
“Mom,” Aurora said, approaching her. “They have a book.” She handed Montana the book with the brightly colored A B C strung on the front cover. “You need that for the library.”
“I sure do,” Montana said. “Thank you, baby.” She hung the crocheted book on the tree, gazing at it with such joy. She reached for Aurora’s hand. “We’re okay,