At last, the tree arrived, and Katherine helped Captain Braddock set it up in the large shopfront window.

“It’s the perfect size!” Katherine exclaimed. “I’m glad you got such a tall tree. It fills the window so well.”

“I like a large tree, myself,” The captain replied. “The last few years before my parents turned the Harborside over to Serena and I, they only had a short tree, over on the corner of the counter, but when I was young, we always had a tree this big.” He motioned towards the picture of him and Serena. “This is where that picture was taken, you know. Right in front of the window, with the tree.”

“I wondered what was so familiar about it. I didn’t even think to look at where it had been taken. I’m glad we’re making it look just like you remember.”

“Me, too. Now, let’s get that box of ornaments from the storeroom.”

Katherine found the box of ornaments and carried it back in.

“What was Christmas like when you were a boy?” asked Katherine, as they began to unpack and hang the ornaments.

“What was it like? Well, I suppose it was just as full of fun and wonder as any child’s Christmas. We would decorate here and back at the big house, and when school got out, we would spend almost every day here with my grandparents. This was as much a home to us as anywhere, so I suppose it was just as much a part of my Christmas as my own home.”

“It’s strange how a place can have such a large part of someone’s Christmas memories. When my family moved, I felt like I could never have a real Christmas again.”

Captain Braddock looked over at her, his eyebrows raised, “And did you?”

“No, but I think I will this year.”

“Because you’re back in Harborhaven?”

“Not exactly.” Katherine looked at the captain, trying to decide how much to say. It suddenly seemed very important to express herself clearly. Taking a deep breath, she began.

“You see, when my family moved, I felt angry and hurt. My parents took me away from the place I loved, from everything that was familiar to me. And then, they both had to work so hard, it seemed like they didn’t have time for me anymore. I knew in my head that they were just doing what they had to, but in my heart, I felt they had abandoned me. For years I felt hurt, angry, and miserable.”

“What changed?” asked the captain, his hand paused, holding an ornament in mid-air.

“I did,” said Katherine simply. “I came here, hoping it would erase the hurt, but it only reminded me of it. Then Miss Harriet helped me find the old paths.”

“Old paths? What does that mean?”

“I’m not quite sure how to explain it… In the Bible, God says that if we seek the old paths, the way He said to do things, we will find rest for our souls. That’s what I wanted: rest from all the misery of how I felt about the past. So I began praying and reading the Bible, and God showed me that I needed to forgive my parents, and that I was the one who had built up the wall between us in the first place. All those years I had blamed my parents, but in reality, I was the one who had made it so that things between us were never the same again. It wasn’t easy, but I knew I needed to forgive.”

“And did it work?”

“Yes.” Katherine smiled happily. “Yes, it did work. I talked with my parents at Thanksgiving, and I feel like I suddenly have them back again, though perhaps I’m really the one who’s back. And what’s better, I’m not miserable anymore! I feel like I’m finally free from all the hurt and the anger.”

“And Christmas?” Captain Braddock finally hung the ornament he had been holding and reached for another.

Katherine smiled radiantly. “It’s already shaping up to be the best I’ve ever had!”

Captain Braddock looked at her for a moment, hung his ornament on the tree, and then grinned. “Good.”

21 Christmas Preparations

“Now, then. I think that’s just about perfect!” Miss Harriet stepped back to survey the decorations they had just finished putting up. Mr. James had once again come early to help, and Katherine enjoyed watching the interaction between the two.

The reporter had become even more of a fixture at Miss Harriet’s since Thanksgiving, and Katherine could tell the two were easily becoming what Miss Harriet would have called “quite good friends.”

Katherine was thoroughly thrilled, and yet, she couldn’t help but wonder how things would change were Miss Harriet ever to marry. The tea shop would surely continue, for it seemed inextricably intertwined with who Miss Harriet was. Katherine couldn’t imagine a Miss Harriet without a tea shop. But the nagging question remained—would Miss Harriet continue to need her to work in the shop?

She shrugged, as if trying to shake off the thought, and turned her attention back to her fellow decorators.

“I think the lights made such a difference this fall! I’ll admit to having been a little worried that it mightn’t look different enough when we switched to the Christmas decorations, but I was wrong. The lights looked festive in the fall, but, with the Christmas garlands around the windows, they make it all look positively magical!”

Katherine couldn’t help but smile. Miss Harriet was standing in the middle of the room, hands clasped under her chin in girlish delight, with Mr. James looking at her as if he thought she looked positively magical herself. And yet, she seemed to be completely unaware.

“I’ll take the fall boxes out to your car for you.” said Mr James.

“Thank you, Harold. Perhaps we can find a place to stack the empty Christmas boxes. It does seem silly to be carting empty boxes back and forth.”

“I can take them upstairs,” suggested Katherine. “There’s plenty of space in that closet by the door.”

“What a good thought.” Said Miss Harriet. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. I’ll take them up, then get started on the dishes.”

“Katherine, you’re a dear! Thank you. I’ll just see Mr. James off, and then I’ll be right in to help you.”

Katherine stacked the empty boxes and carried them upstairs. On her way back down to the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of Miss Harriet and Mr. James, chatting happily on the doorstep. She smiled and slipped quietly through the curtained doorway into the kitchen.

* * * *

She had already filled the sink and unloaded the dirty dishes off the cart by the time Miss Harriet joined her.

“Now then,” said Miss Harriet, tying her apron strings and rolling up her sleeves. “Have you decided on your plans for Christmas?”

“Well, I talked to my parents last night about their plans. They told me that they had already booked a Christmas cruise months ago. I hadn’t come for a holiday in so long, they had decided to give up and make the most of it. They offered to cancel, but I told them it was all right and that I would enjoy spending a Christmas here in Harborhaven.”

“And how do you feel about a Harborhaven Christmas without your parents?”

“Surprisingly, just fine. When they told me about the cruise, I was actually happy for them. I know they must have been saving up for a long time to be able to go. It was obvious they were afraid it would upset me, and I halfway expected to be upset with them myself, but as they told me about it, there was this sort of… peace, I guess…and I just knew it was going to be ok.”

“Sounds like God gave you grace to keep a good attitude.” Miss Harriet turned to put a teapot away on a cabinet shelf, then turned back around with a smile on her face. “You know, Dearie, on the one hand, I am sorry for you to miss the chance to spend Christmas with your parents, especially since you’ve only just begun to rebuild your relationship with them. But on the other, I am delighted you’ll be here, because…Katherine, how would you like to spend your Harborhaven Christmas with me?”

Katherine’s eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around Miss Harriet, completely forgetting about the dripping dishrag in her hand. “Oh, Miss Harriet! I couldn’t think of anything nicer than to spend Christmas with you!”

“Nor I than to spend it with you, Dearie. And you must tell me all about your Harborhaven Christmas traditions, so we can do those, and then, if you don’t mind, I’d like to show you what a real English Christmas is like. What do you think?”

“That sounds wonderful!”