"Hi Henry," Tallie called out when he entered the room half an hour later. "Go ahead and get setup. I'll catch you up once I'm done working with Anthony."

The band had breezed through the five songs they would be playing at the Christmas Eve service and were now going over specific parts some of the kids were struggling with.

Tallie was helping the trumpet player run through two measures of notes and someone else called for help. When she finished with Anthony she was ready to help the next kid but found that Case had already stepped in. He was crouched next to the bass player, clapping out a rhythm. Tallie only got a moment to appreciate his help before Henry called her over.

"Excellent work today!" Tallie said half an hour later as the kids packed up their instruments. "Remember to practice all five songs one more time today and we will meet here tomorrow at 3 pm."

Again, the room became a flurry of activity as the kids pulled on jackets and slung instrument cases over their shoulders. Tallie grabbed her jacket as she led the way back upstairs to the waiting parents.

After the final goodbye, she hurried back downstairs, knowing she must be running late. But her steps slowed as she neared the back room. She could hear the clear plucking of the guitar and as she got closer she recognized the song.

It was Case's favorite song to finger-pick on the guitar and she had heard it a million times. There were so many afternoons he had sat in her garage playing over the same two measures, training his fingers to move smoother and faster.

The notes he played now were slow and hesitant as he searched for the once familiar notes. He stopped playing as she walked into the room.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she smiled. "Thank you so much for helping out today. It's usually a struggle to juggle helping all the kids, and it would have been impossible if I had to fill in on guitar too."

He waved away her gratitude. "I'm happy I could help. It's a great group of kids."

"I know. Aren't they great?"

He nodded as she began to gather all the music that had been scattered around the room. "Plus, playing the guitar again wasn't too much torture."

She finally let a knowing smile slip onto her face. "I had a feeling you would figure it out," she teased.

He laughed. "Remember this?" He started to play the familiar song again, his fingers a little more confident than even just minutes before.

"I don't think I could forget that if I tried. I think the notes have been seared into my brain."

"Do you remember your part?" He nodded to her guitar still in its case, resting against the back wall. They had turned the song into a duet they could play together. Case played the intricate notes while Tallie played the syncopated chords in the background.

She had to think about it for a moment, it had been so long since she had played it, but it was still there. She could faintly hear it and she knew if she got a guitar in her hand, it would all come back. She moved her hands in the chord pattern and it was enough for Case.

"We can do it," he said, his fingers already starting to pluck out the melody.

Tallie agreed and she reached for her guitar but paused when she saw the clock. It was later than she thought. She sat debating for a moment, so eager to play with Case again, but she knew she couldn't stay. She smiled regretfully, "I wish could, but I gotta run."

It took him a moment to respond, his mind already lost in the music. "What?"

"I have some stuff I have to take care of," she said, quickly gathering the rest of the music. "I'm actually already running late."

"Can't you play just one song?" he asked. "It will only be a few minutes."

Tallie looked back at the clock, desperately wishing she could stay. It would be so much fun to play together again, but she knew she couldn't. The song would only take a few minutes, but she was already running late, and she knew that once they started playing it was hard not to lose track of time and before they would know it, an hour would be gone.

"Come on," he said.

"I really wish I could, but I can't," she apologized. She grabbed her things and looked back at him. He looked disappointed. She smiled to cover her disappointment.

"You should stay and play. Ben won't mind. Just let him know when you leave." She took a few steps towards the door, "I'll see you tonight?" He frowned in confusion. "For the Christmas Tree Lighting," she clarified.

"Right," he said, "the crane is back."

"Have fun," she said. She hoped he would stay. Watching him pick up the guitar again and slip right back into playing been encouraging. Maybe life hadn't changed as much as it had seemed.

When she stepped onto the main square, the sight of the tall Christmas tree was another reminder that not everything had changed. A large Christmas tree in the main square of Holly Oaks was a tradition established sometime around 1850.

A local legend centered around the tree during the great wars. The town had been so poor during the first and second World War, the town had no hope for a tree, but every year during the wars a tree would mysteriously appear in the square five days before Christmas.

No one knew where it came from or who funded it, but whoever did had kept the tradition alive. There were guesses about which wealthy resident had supplied the trees, but even now no one was sure. To honor the generosity of the unknown donor, every year Holly Oaks waited to light the tree until December twentieth.

The scent of fresh pine accompanied Tallie as she crossed the square and entered Soup on the Square. A jolly bell rang out as she opened the door and a savory smell greeted her. The man behind the counter looked up and smiled. He had graying hair and narrow glasses that sat low on his nose.

"Hi Tallie," he said. He stood from his seat behind the register and grabbed a white takeout bag. "Two chicken noodle soups and one split pea."

"Thanks, George." Tallie handed over her card to pay.

"Did you see the tree?" he asked. "Is it bigger this year?"

"It might be, but I think we say that every year."

He chuckled. "Once they got bigger than thirty feet it's hard to tell." He handed Tallie her card and the bag with the soup. "All we need now is snow," he added.

"The whole town is praying for snow but I haven't seen anything in the forecast."

"Well, there's always a chance of a Christmas miracle."

"True. We can't lose hope. See you tonight?" she said heading towards the door.

"Of course," George smiled. "Tell your parents I say hi."

"I will," she called as she pushed open the door.

Tallie crossed the square one more time, the soup tucked beneath her arm. The sun peeked through the western buildings, lighting the eastern side with a warm golden light.

There was a group of people setting things up for the tree lighting. Tallie waved hello as she passed and walked down a side street. All the houses she passed glowed warm with light, wreaths hanging on their doors and holly wrapped around their windows.

A few blocks further she paused outside a white picket fence. There weren't any lights in the windows and the outside Christmas lights hadn't been turned on yet. This simple observation helped Tallie guess at what type of house she would be entering.

Her mom loved turning on the Christmas lights but if she hadn't done it yet, it probably meant her dad had had a rough day.

Tallie mentally prepared herself as she walked up the front walk. She plugged in the Christmas lights, bringing the Christmas cheer to her house. She opened the front door and flicked on the lights.

"Hi," she called out, placing the soup on the kitchen counter. She hung up her coat and turned on the Christmas tree lights before she headed towards the back of the house. "Mom?"

"We're back here," her mom called out. Tallie cut through to the back room and found her parents.

She smiled as she looked at their faces for more signs of how their day had been. Her dad was laid out in his big chair with a blanket. Her mom was on the couch next to him, a book opened on her lap. Tallie knew she had been reading to him, which meant that it maybe it wasn't such a bad day.

"Hey love," her mom said, offering her a smile. She could see her mom was tired but a smile was another sign that their day wasn't too bad.

"Hey Natalie," her dad said, offering his own tired smile. Her dad was one of the only people who called her by her full name.

"How was your day?" she asked. She kissed her dad's forehead before joining her mom on the couch.

"A real party," her dad said. Tallie laughed as her worries over their day settled. If her dad could joke than he was doing alright. She relaxed back into the couch as they told her about their day.

"It was. We got out for a walk," her mom said.

"A walk?" Tallie repeated in disbelief. "It was cold today."

"I know," her mom agreed, "but your father said he had some energy for it and so we bundled up and got out. The fresh air was wonderful and we got to see the crane bringing the tree."

Tallie looked at them in amazement. "Dad wasn't joking when he said it was a party."

"Then he napped and we've been reading since he got up. Actually, aren't you home early? What time is it?" Her mom looked around for the clock.

"It's almost five," Tallie said.

"Oh my," her mom said in surprise. "I completely lost track of the time. I need to get the lights on."

"Don't worry, I took care of it," Tallie said. She stood from the couch. "And I got soup. George says hi. Dad, are you ready for dinner?" She addressed her father but looked at her mother. Her dad never had an appetite and had the bad habit of forgetting when he had last eaten.

Her mom nodded. "He had an early lunch."

"Alright. I'll warm some soup up."

When Tallie returned to the back room with the bowl full of hot soup, her mom got up and she took her spot. They did this every night when Tallie got home. It gave her mom a break after taking care of her dad all day, and it gave Tallie a chance to catch her dad up on everything that had happened at the store that day.

Her father had opened the music store twenty-five years ago. It was after Tallie's oldest sister, Rachel had been born. Her parents had been living in New York City, but once Rachel came along they realized they wanted to be in a small town, and Tallie's mom had grown up in Holly Oaks.

They had returned and her dad had put his music degree to use and opened the first music store in the town. Almost everyone who grew up in Holly Oaks had taken piano lessons with her father. The only difference now was that Tallie was the one teaching.

Even though her father could no longer teach, he just as invested in the students as if they were his own. He had Tallie's teaching schedule memorized and always asked about each child when she got home at night. Tallie kept him updated on which piano piece each kid was playing and how they were progressing. He loved giving her tips about how to help a kid struggling with a certain part of a song and she loved listening to him, knowing it helped him feel like he hadn't lost teaching completely.

After he listened to her reports about her students, he always wanted to know how the pageant was coming along and how band practice was. He got the biggest smile when she told him about convincing Case to help out with the rehearsal and that launched them down memory lane. The smile didn't leave his face as they talked about how often Case was at their house, in their garage patiently taking Tallie's direction.

They were still talking about the old times when her mom came back into the room.
"You're back early," Tallie said.

"It's almost eight," her mom said.

Tallie looked at her dad in amazement and they both chuckled. Her mom motioned for Tallie to stand so she could have her seat back.

"Are you good?" Tallie asked her mom as they switched places.

Her mom nodded. "Today was a good day. I'm fine taking over. Besides, I'm worried if I leave you here you will rile him up," her mom joked lightly, "Then he won't ever get to sleep."

"I'll be fine," her dad said. "They said laughter is good medicine."

Tallie appreciated her dad coming to her defense, but she also knew her mom was right. They tried to keep things quiet after eight.

"I know when I'm not wanted," she joked. She grabbed her dad's dirty bowl. "Mom, did you get soup?"

"I did. The rest is for you."

"Okay." Tallie paused at the doorway. Her mom had started to read and her dad settled further into his chair. It was such a peaceful picture. Tallie watched them silently for a moment longer, sending up a prayer of thanks. It had been a rough few years, but they were both still there.

When she got to the kitchen, she found her mom had set out a bowl and spoon for her. She smiled at the small kindness and grabbed the soup out of the fridge.

She had just enough time to eat and wash the dishes before there was a knock at the door. She glanced towards the front of the house and out the window saw small, flickering lights moving past the house. She grinned at the magical sight and quickly dried her hands.

As she grabbed her coat and scarf, she could hear soft voices singing outside. She put on her boots and slipped outside. The words to Silent Night greeted her and there on the front porch someone had left a white candle.

————————————————————
So many questions!

What's going on with her dad?

Why are there so many candles?

Does anything make sense any more?

Okay - that last one might have been a little bit dramatic. Let's here your thoughts!