others tonight, even if she did wonder if it was because she was currently the only unattached sister. But having them together, with their childhood ornaments, the carols playing over the speaker, and the fire crackling in the hearth, was a tradition that was special to them, and she liked that it wasn’t yet diluted by having to share it with anyone else.
Anyone other than Candy, that was, she thought, as Candy followed their father down the stairs, holding a box that most definitely didn’t match the others.
Technically, Candy still had a condo in the neighboring town of Pine Falls, but from what Cora and her sisters could gather, she had all but moved into the Conway family home, or at least, she was hell-bent on putting her personal mark on it.
“Now, I know that you all usually put an angel on the top of the tree,” Candy began, and immediately Cora felt her heart race with panic.
She glanced at her father, who shifted his gaze, and then to Amelia, who was not only mother hen of the group but also the most diplomatic of the sisters. Amelia looked just as concerned as Cora felt, and seemed to open her mouth and then close it, as if she wasn’t even quite sure what to say.
“But I couldn’t wait to share my star tree topper with you all,” Candy continued as she unwrapped a giant, gold and red object with a flourish.
The room fell silent. Cora felt the blood rushing in her ears. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the tree topper; in fairness, she sold something similar in the shop. But this was her family home. This was their tree. Their tradition. And the angel was part of it.
She glanced at her sisters, wondering who would speak up first, and then decided that since she had been the self-appointed keeper of the holidays since their mother’s passing, the responsibility fell squarely on her shoulders.
“That’s a lovely star, Candy, but we’ve always had the angel on our tree. We used to take turns growing up, each year one of us had the chance to finish off the decorating with it. It’s…well, it’s tradition.”
Really, did anything more need to be said? Tradition was not something that you argued with, not in Cora’s world. Not in the Conway house. And definitely not at Christmastime!
“Oh, I know, honey, and it’s such a lovely angel. I just thought that, well, when Denny here offered to let me be included, that I might introduce something personal to my holiday. A new tradition, if you will.”
Cora was aware that every eye in the room was on her, waiting for approval. Technically the angel was just wood and paint and fabric. But it held years of memories that had meant the world to her. Granted, they never argued over whose turn it was to put the thing up anymore. By the time they hit their teen years, they’d all just happily handed the task to Cora, but it was still a task that was performed, without fail. Was it ridiculous at her age that she needed to see that angel on the top of this tree?
“And all the ornaments are still your traditions,” Candy pressed. “And look! We can put the angel right here, on the mantle. Won’t that look sweet?” She plucked the object from the coffee table and walked over to the fireplace, smiling hopefully.
Cora glanced at her sister Britt, who gave her a little shrug as to say that it didn’t bother her if the angel sat in the middle of the mantle, where it was at risk of getting roused and toppling over and falling into the flames below. Sure, that was probably unlikely, but not completely out of the question.
She gave a pleading look to Maddie. As the youngest, Maddie had often jockeyed for a chance to put up that angel, after all, and her eyes would shine in awe once it was up. But Maddie just gave her a little wince. It was only then that Cora remembered, of course, that Candy had set up Maddie and Cole. An unlikely pairing that couldn’t have been a more perfect match than marshmallows and hot cocoa. Maddie was indebted now.
Sensing that she was outnumbered, Cora swallowed hard and said, “Whatever you all want.”
“Thank you, Cora,” her father whispered to her, as he popped the lid on another box.
Cora felt her heart sink as she set down her hot chocolate and began decorating