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The date was December twenty third. Two days until Christmas, and Dave was getting a tow in to town. It was a town he’d never been to before, a quaint little place with the classic small down town, the front windows of every shop decorated to the nines and greenery wrapped around the lamp posts. Not a Walmart in sight for another fifty miles. It had recently been dusted with snow, which had people out shoveling and waving at their neighbors who were also shoveling.
It was called Warren’s Hollow, nestled in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. It was tiny compared to Dave’s usual big city, but it looked to have everything pretty well self contained. A dentist, a grocery store, a coney island type place and a place to get your hair cut. It only had three stop lights, but Dave mused there were worse places to break down. It could have been even smaller, only two stop lights.
The tow truck brought him to the only mechanic’s shop in town, and lucky for him, there was no wait. The truck backed Dave’s car in to one of the bays and the salt and pepper haired mechanic got a look at it while Dave paid for the tow. He was left waiting around after that, sitting in uncomfortable waiting room chairs looking at two year old magazines and a 1998 bikini girl calendar on the wall. He would almost guarantee Miss December didn’t look like that any more.
It had been about an hour of drills and lights shinning under the car before Mr. Fix It was wheeling himself out from under Dave’s red Toyota on a dolly, and rejoining him in the room.
“Your steering column is rotten on the inside. I’m gonna have to tear it all out and replace it. It’s a real shame, it looks like you’re gonna be stuck here a while. It takes a while to get parts out here, especially in winter on account of the roads are steep and icey,” explained the mechanic, wiping grease off his hands on his coveralls. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ll have them by Christmas.”
“S’alright,” Dave replied. “It can’t be helped. I was headed to New York City to see my sister but she didn’t miss me last year, she won’t miss me this year.”
“Car gave you that much trouble?” The mechanic asked. Dave shook his head.
“Nah. I work in Huston for a big media company, I’m trying to get a comic of mine published. I don’t get many holidays away from it.”
“That’s a shame,” the mechanic tutted. “Say, we’ve got a swell bed n’ breakfast in town, I could take you down there if you’d like. It’s sort of the only place to stay if you’re from out of town.”
“Sounds like I’ve got no choice,” Dave shrugged.
The ride over the bed and breakfast as silent. Dave had wanted to use the time to call his sister, but apparently the cell service died once they got off the highway. The house was up a long driveway, the fence on both sides twisted with garland and lights that glowed in the early evening light. The house itself was boxy, about three stories, and the wrap around porch was given the same treatment as the fence. Dave got out of the mechanic’s truck and thanked him, grabbed his suitcase from the truck bed, and walked up the wooden front steps and beat on the bright yellow door.
“It’s open!” Called a voice from inside, and Dave twisted the knob.
The door opened to a foyer, framed on each side by oil paintings of spring time gardens, and white washed urns with Christmas greenery inside. A small desk was at the end, where the room opened up to other rooms in each side, one a living room with a Christmas tree so large it reminded Dave of something from National Lampoon, and the other a quaint little kitchen.
Seated at the desk was a man around Dave’s age, looking cozy in a blue plaid flannel. He looked up when Dave entered.
“Hello! Egbert and Son bed and breakfast, how can I help you!” He asked with a bright smile. Dave had been cold from the outside, but seeing this stranger grin so wide like that, well, it made his heart melt.
“Uh, Hey. Yeah, Name’s Dave. Dave Strider. I guess I need a room for the night?” He said, a bit awkwardly. He was cute, Dave realized belatedly, after he’d already gone all soft.
The man looked puzzled for a moment, pulling out a book and opening to a paper clipped page. “Do you have a reservation?”
“Uh, no. My car broke down out of town and the grease monkey is saying he can’t fix it until after Christmas. Not that he wasn’t totally the nicest car guy I ever meet, I haven’t meet that many, honestly? But you get it. Uh,” Dave stammered, realizing he was rambling.
The guy sort of pulled a face at him, and then looked up at what could only be a key rack. An empty one. “I’m sorry. We’re full.”
Dave deflated. “Dude said this was the only place to stay in town.”
“Well, he’s right. But it’s also two days to Christmas, people are in town to see family,” he answered with a frown. “But I guess... I do have one spot I can put you. I’m not really supposed to. It’s not exactly a room just yet, but we’re in the process of converting the basement in to more room space. There’s a pull out down there, but nothing else.”
“I literally have to take it, you do know that don’t you?” Dave replied.
The guy shrugged. “I guess. There’s also no lock on the door yet. So, uh, I guess I’ll show you the way.”
The basement was through the kitchen and down a flight of stairs. It was very incomplete, with cement floors still, and no ceiling, baring the refers of the floor above it. There was drywall on the walls though, not painted but there, and there was a door on the room. Good enough, Dave supposed after the day he’d had. The pull out couch was white and not pulled out, but it looked like heaven. Dave dropped his bag and flopped down on it without further delay.
“I’ll bring you down some blankets and pillows, maybe like, a table? If I can find one? We can talk about price later, I’ll have to call my dad and ask him what he thinks,” the owner said.
“So I take it you’re son, in Egbert and son?” Dave quirked an eyebrow.
“That’s me! I’m John, by the way.”
“Thanks, John,” Dave bid. John shut the door on his way out. Dave heard his footsteps headed up the stairs, and he pulled the hood of his hoodie up over his head as he leaned back. He made a quick phone call to tell Rose what happened, and though she was upset, she understood.
There was a knock on the door shortly after he hung up. John was back with the bedding.
“Here’s these,” John said, turning everything over to Dave. “I uh. Heard you on the phone. Sorry. About your plans. And for accidentally eavesdropping. That’s gotta really suck.”
“It’s chill. My sister gets its,” Dave replied, though it didn’t feel very chill. He was feeling pretty down about it. “I moved to the city to follow a dream. I make comics, I wanted to be published. Maybe it was more of a wish. Whatever. She wanted to be an author. She gets it. Except, now she’s published and somehow I ended up helping other people with theirs at a media company and not working on my own.”
“Was it worth it? Moving I mean,” John asked.
Dave didn’t answer for a moment. “I dunno. Maybe.”
“Oh, uh. Okay,” John nodded, realizing he had overstepped. “Just, uh, shout if you need anything?”
“Yeah. Thanks again. I’m gonna take myself a siesta here, catch you later,” Dave replied. John gave him a wave good bye and was gone without further delay. Arranging his bed didn’t take long after that. The blanket was soft and the pillow cool, and Dave fell asleep to the hum of the water heater.
When he awoke, it was the next day. Sun shone in through small windows. Today was Christmas Eve, he remembered. He listened for a moment, but the house seemed quiet except for a occasional foot step. This place was a bed AND breakfast right? So, Dave reasoned, there was food upstairs. He changed his clothes and climbed the steps.
Dave found John in the kitchen, standing over the stove. The table in the dining room was set, but there was no one around. He watched John from afar, watching the poor guy idly poke at the sizzling food in the plan, and sigh.
“Morning,” Dave bid, deciding to join him in the kitchen.
“Oh, hey,” John bid, his tone sounding down. Dave noted the way his shoulders sagged too. “I’m making eggs and bacon. If you wanna sit down until it’s ready, I’ll bring it to you. How did you sleep?”
“That was like the pull out couch of the gods. I was out like a light,” Dave said. He did not go sit down.
“That’s good,” John nodded, and his mood did not pick up any after hearing the good news he had a satisfied customer.
“So, what’s up?” Dave asked finally.
“Huh? I already told you, eggs,” John replied flatly.
“No, no. I mean like, you’re all sad and shit. What’s up with that?” Dave tried again.
“Was it that obvious?” John asked.
“Dude, it was like a fuckin, I dunno. Flashing light on top of a bull horn on top of a confetti canon. Except it’s sad confetti. Little frowny faces burst out and boom,” Dave clapped his hands to accentuate the boom, “covered in them.”
“Oh, um. Don’t worry about it,” John tried to pass him off.
“Come on, man. I asked. I wouldnt of asked if I didn’t want to know,” Dave pressed.
“Oh, well. It’s just I usually spend Christmas Eve with my family. My dad was supposed to go get my grandma and bring her here for the holidays, but she ended up getting sick and he’s taking care of her. It’s nothing serious! Just a little cold, but my dad still didn’t want to leave her. And of course I can’t leave if we have customers, but since everybody else staying here is gonna be with their families in town on Christmas, you know, it’s really looking like I’m gonna be here all alone. Nobody even came to breakfast.” John spit it all out at once, and after he realized what he’d said, his cheeks colored a little, embarrassed.
Dave knew the feeling. He’s spent so many Christmases, and Easter’s and fourth of July’s and birthdays alone in Huston, no family to share it with it. It’s hard. And it’s sad.
“Hey. You defiantly aren’t alone. And I came to breakfast,” Dave reassured. “You wanna maybe like, I dunno, dick around a little? You said you can’t leave cause of customers, and I have none car, left broken steering wheel, but I’m sure there’s something around here that could keep us entertained, right?”
“Oh. Ha ha, yeah? I’m sure there’s something. Sure. Okay.” John replied, a small smile quirked his lips.
Something turned out to be shoveling snow. After they ate, they walked out to John’s back garage where there was apparently space for his dad to park inside. John wanted to have the driveway clear for him when he arrived home, and Dave agreed to help. He wasn’t exactly dressed for the weather, but he also had noodle arms from his desk job and shoveling had him huffing and puffing. He didn’t stay cold, heaving snow over to his side and off the driveway.
“Have you ever shoveled snow a day in your life?” John asked, observing him.
“I’m from Texas, remember?”
“Uh-huh. You also said you family was in New York, where it snows,” John countered. “You kinda suck at this.”
“Look, John, do you think Superman was good at it the first time he flew?” Dave huffed.
“Dude you are not Superman,” John laughed. “You aren’t even like, Superboy. You’re like, the kid who thinks he’s Superman and jumps off his moms dining room table and breaks his leg.”
“You wound me, John,” Dave replied, hand over his heart like a truly offended southern belle.
“Ha ha, sure, you big dork!” John grinned.
Dork? John of all people had the nerve to call him a dork? That was the last straw. Dave leaned down and grabbed a hand full of snow, reeled back, and pelted it straight at John’s head. Rose could eat her words because he so could aim. It hit John straight in the side of the head.
John’s laugher cut off, and he stood stunned for a minute, and then he grinned. “Oh, it’s on.”
After that, it was a flurry of snowballs. John’s aim was worse he but threw harder and packed his balls tighter, but Dave could run faster, thanks to not having a snow suit on. Snowballs flew through the air, hitting the garage, a set of wind chimes, and each other.
Dave made a strategic move to hide behind an old oak tree, only for John to sneak up on him and shove snow down the back of his coat. Dave bolted, running across the yard to duck behind another tree and fire snowballs right back at him.
Their tracks ruined the perfect blanket of the yard, snowballs pelting off every surface, even each other, the light fluffy snow exploding on impact in to powder. Their laughter was visible, puffs of warmth in the cold air. It was a wonderful way to spend a morning. Dave wished it could have lasted the whole day.
They broke for lunch, eventually, and in the afternoon, they really did finish shoveling. Eventually, they both ended up on the step of the bed and breakfast’s gazebo, watching the sun go down on a short winter day. Both silent, observing the orange hue glimmer off the snow.
Dave’s clothes were damp from so much time outside and he was starting to shiver, and John took notice. He unzipped his top layer, a heavy skiing coat, and handed it to him. Dave gladly accepted.
Dave had known this guy exactly one day, and he already didn’t want to leave. John was kind and funny, and he didn’t cook a half bad either. Eventually he’d make Dave dinner, too, and they could eat together again. Just them.
This didn’t just happen, right? You didn’t just fall in love like that. That only happened in movies.
Dave couldn’t move here. It’d be impossible. He had a job in the city. An apartment. But on the other hand, he hadn’t moved up in the company since he’d been hired. At this rate he would never achieve his dream of having his own comic strip if all he did was pitch it over and over just to be told ‘maybe next year, Dave’. And this town? It was charming as shit. He’d be closer to Rose, he though, but not really. That was more him trying to convince himself that he really /could/ move to the country, start new. Find love.
The lights of the gazebo must have been on a timer, because they came on, illuminating the yard. The white lights glowed like tiny stars. There had to be a thousand of them. Dave could make a thousand wishes. Start with one.
“Hey, John?” Dave started.
“Yeah?” John replied, looking over.
“Does this town have a newspaper?”
“Of course. Why?”
“Do you think maybe they’re looking for a cartoonist?” If there was a job for him here, he could stay.
John grinned at him, big and genuine and his cheeks rosy. “I dunno. But if you want, day after Christmas I’ll take you to go see. Maybe uh, we could catch a movie after?”
“I’d like that,” Dave smiled back.