“And how do you feel now?

“It’s strange. I do still have that longing for how things were, and it still saddens me to think about the miserable last Christmas we spent together, but now that I’m not holding onto it, the hurt has slipped away, and I feel… somehow… free.”

Miss Harriet smiled, her eyes shining as she quoted, “‘and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ I do believe you’ve found one of the old paths, my dear.”

“Yes, I think I have.” Katherine said, with another happy smile.

* * * *

The journey back to the shop in the early morning light seemed to fly by. Katherine looked out the window at the early morning fog and could just make out the bare branches of the trees that lined the highway. Past that, all was white and still.

“You know, when I got to that big city, it was like a different world,” she said to Miss Harriet. “It hasn’t taken me long to get used to the slower pace of Harborhaven. The noise and rush of people everywhere was quite a shock.”

Miss Harriet laughed. “I suppose it would be. I haven’t been away from Harborhaven since I moved here, and I must admit, I enjoy the pace. I would probably find the city jarring as well.”

When they arrived at the shop, Katherine noticed that Miss Harriet had gotten everything ready for the day. “You must have been up early to get everything done before driving to pick me up.”

“Oh, no, not that much earlier. Harold—Mr. James, that is—helped me do some of it last night after the meal.”

Katherine couldn’t help but smile at Miss Harriet’s slip, and the blush that came after it. “And how did it all go? Did many people come?”

“Oh, yes. I’d say there were about half as many people as were here for Guy Fawkes, which is about as many as Mr. James had expected. I don’t know what I would have done without his help. He organized everything and helped me figure out how to get everyone seated. We pushed all the tables together to make a big, long dining table and we were going to pass everything around like a family meal, but everyone brought so much food, we ended up just putting everything on the counter like a buffet.

"Speaking of which, there are enough leftovers in the kitchen to last us for days! And that’s after letting people go through and fill up a plate to take home. Mr. James said that leftovers were just as much a part of Thanksgiving as the turkey.”

“You and Mr. James sure seem to be getting along well.”

“Oh, he’s been quite helpful. Quite helpful, indeed. And did I tell you that the Dailies came? Every one of them. Mrs. Penelope showed up, and so did Mr. Patten. And do you know, I think Mr. James has the same idea we’ve had about those two? He met each of them at the door and made sure they ended up seated across from one another, and at the opposite end of the long table from Rosie, too. Rosie, of course, was in rare form, bustling around, noticing what was on everyone’s plates. She’s come up with a new theory, based on people’s dietary choices.”

Katherine laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’m sure. And Captain Braddock? Did he come?”

“No, Dearie,” Miss Harriet said with a sigh, “and it wasn’t for any lack of trying on my part. I went to pick up the tea order Wednesday afternoon, just like we’d arranged. He was not nearly as blustery as usual, and asked if you had gotten off on your trip all right. He said you had been quite a help these last few months, and that he guessed he owed some of that to me, for giving you the days off instead of keeping you all to myself.

"We were actually getting on quite well, but as soon as I extended the invitation to have Thanksgiving at the shop, his bluster returned, and he declined with as little civility as one might expect from a rough old sailor. On my way out the door, I made sure to mention that he could change his mind at any time, that we’d be happy to have him join us, but he just turned and stomped into the next room without a word.”

“How sad. And I suppose he spent his Thanksgiving by himself.” Katherine sighed. “I should go see him…” she said, trying hard to stifle a persistent yawn.

“Not ‘til you’ve had some sleep. As much as I’m sure a visit would cheer up that cantankerous old man, you’ve been up all night, and I’m going to turn mother bear and insist you rest.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Katherine said, starting up the stairs. Stopping halfway, she turned to say, “By the way, my parents said to tell you they think you’ve done wonders for my baking skills. I made rolls for Thanksgiving dinner, and they both agreed they were the best they’d ever had.”

“Good work, Dearie.” Miss Harriet said with a smile. “Now up to bed.”

18 Home Again at the Harborside

“Captain Braddock,” called Katherine as she opened the door of the Harborside.

The old man limped in from the back wearing one of his rare smiles. “Well, hello there! I see you got back all right. How was your trip?”

“Wonderful!” Katherine replied, flinging her coat and scarf onto the coatrack. “How was your Thanksgiving?”

“Oh, just fine.” He answered. Katherine thought she caught a brief flicker of sadness in the captain’s face as he spoke, but he quickly turned and stooped to tend the wood stove. Glancing back up, he asked, “What brings you around today?”

Katherine walked around him and plunked herself cheerfully down in the chair by the stove. “Oh, I just wanted to see how the Harborside had gotten along without me.” She said playfully, with a scrutinizing glance around the room.

“Just fine, thank ye, but I think the jars missed your attention. They’re a bit dusty, as you can see.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I came in, then. Do you want me to dust them while I’m here?”

The captain looked back up at her with an amused twinkle in his eye. “Well, seein’ as it’s your day off, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Just you sit there and talk a bit, like company.”

Katherine smiled and curled up in the chair. She gazed at the captain, who was still kneeling on the floor, carefully poking at the fire in the wood stove. She sighed a happy sigh, then asked cheerfully, “What does company talk about?”

“Well, now. I’m not sure. It’s been quite a spell since the Harborside’s seen any real company. Why don’t you tell me what you thought about the city?”

“It was loud and busy. After being here for a few months, I couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would want to live there.”

“I know what you mean. The last time I was in a big city was when I brought my ship into port for the last time. I won’t pretend for a minute I was sad to leave it behind. Wasn’t my kind of place at all.”

“Did you always plan to come back to the Harborside?” Katherine asked.

Captain Braddock stood up, stretching his back with a quiet groan. “That’s quite a question. When I left, I knew this place was in good hands. I used to come visit now and then, but, as I moved up in the ranks, I spent less and less time here. I don’t suppose I ever meant to leave for good, but I sure didn’t plan on coming back for good, either.”

Katherine considered a moment, weighing the risk of asking another question. “What happened to bring you back?”

The sadness Katherine had noticed earlier passed across his face again as he answered, looking around at the shop as he spoke. “The old girl needed me. While the Harborside was in capable hands, there was no need for me to be here, but then those hands went away, and I came back. That’s all.”

Katherine wanted to ask about where the capable hands had gone, but the note of finality in his voice warned her that any further inquiry would only make the captain close up again. She stared down into the woodstove, watching the flames flicker and dance. Then, after a while, she spoke up quietly.

“When I came back to Harborhaven, I came because I wanted to feel I was home again.”

“And did you?” Captain Braddock asked, eying her thoughtfully as he picked up a rag and began dusting the counter.

“Not at first. I came back expecting everything to be exactly the same as I remembered it, and it wasn’t.”

The captain nodded, and Katherine continued. “But then I went to Miss Harriet’s, and she was so kind, she made me feel welcome. And when I came here to the Harborside –” Katherine paused, gathering courage and choosing her words. “When I came here, I felt for the first time that I actually had come home.”

Captain Braddock looked up from his dusting with a tender smile. “I thought so. That first day, I could tell the Harborside had worked her charm on you. I suppose that’s why I hired you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You know, sometimes it almost seems as if the Harborside chooses people. Like Great-Aunt Lizzy, for example.”