One
Jessica Kessler
My Darling Jessica,
Of all the things I regret in my life, not getting to know you better is the biggest. I allowed family drama to come between us, and I hope someday you can forgive me for it. Your mother and I were both strong-willed women, and we allowed a minor disagreement to destroy our relationship, and my ability to see you grow up was caught in the mix.
I know, right now, my decision to leave Hard Candy Kisses to you may seem like a burden. But I believe in time you will come to appreciate, not only the shop, but the quiet life in Majestic Falls. It’s a wonderful little place, and had I been a better grandmother, you would have spent every summer here with me.
It is my wish that you at least keep the store open through the holidays. You are, of course, welcome to sell it or shut it down. It’s yours now, but I hope you’ll give it a chance.
If you care enough to mourn me after I’ve passed, I pray that you won’t. Don’t feel bad for me. I’ve had a good life here, and I’ve been as happy as I could be even without family surrounding me.
I love you, Jessica. If you believe in nothing else, please believe this.
Grandma Doris
A wonderful little place…
Aside from the family drama and emotions I didn’t feel ready to address, that was the part of the letter that stood out.
Little. It must be since there was no way to fly directly there. I’d had to travel into Vermont then take a tiny connector to a town called Saranac Lake in New York. After that, I’d rented a car for the half hour drive to Majestic Falls.
Exhausting.
All of this was. But I would take care of this problem over the holidays then get back to myreallife.
I read my grandmother’s letter for the hundredth time when I stopped outside of town and consulted the hand-drawn map to the house she had also left to me in her will. Apparently, GPS was spotty here, so navigating there the old-school method was the only way not to get lost.
Of course, if I’d visited my grandma in the years since I’d become an adult, I wouldn’t need a map, would I? One of my hands fisted so tight in my lap that it shook. Wincing, I closed my eyes and took a cleansing breath.
I hadn’t failed her. I’d thought she had no interest in seeing me. It was a part of my life I’d shut away in a box of childhood memories and rarely touched because my early years had been a tumultuous time.
Still, it was strange how sad I was to learn of Doris’ passing. We’d met only a handful of times, mostly when I was younger, and not at all since before I was a preteen. Since I’d thought she wouldn’t care, I hadn’t even reached out to her when Mom died from ovarian cancer. My mother had been so bitter about their relationship, and I’d allowed her anger to pass on to me, though I had no idea what their feud had been about.
It was a childhood thing, taking on a parent’s feelings. Maybe as an adult, I should have put childhood things aside.
But the past was the past, and I couldn’t change it.
A knot in my throat, I tucked the letter back in my purse. With the map flat on the console beside me, I pulled back onto the road then gasped when I saw a moose standing nearby, just staring at me. The enormous animal seemed unbothered by my presence.
Carefully maneuvering past him, I continued on. My eyes darted back and forth, watching for more moose while I traveled. The scenery on the outskirts of Majestic Falls stole my breath.
Minutes later, I rolled onto Lake Main Street. Quaint businesses lined the route. To my right, I could glimpse Lake Majestic Falls between the buildings. It couldn’t be more different than the run-down, overpopulated neighborhood where I lived.
Just past the town’s main drag, I turned onto Black Bear Lane and stopped in front of a white, ranch-style home. After doublechecking the address, I pulled into the driveway. It was small and cute and looked exactly how you’d imagine a grandma living.
After a moment of taking in the area, I wrestled my bags from the rental to the front door. Trepidation tumbled in my belly as if a monster, or worse my deceased grandma, would jump from around the corner. I dug for the key I’d been given then unlocked the front door.
I couldn’t believe I’d actually come here. I mean, I worked from home, so I didn’t need to take time off from a day job or anything. In fact, I had the entire month of December free from client consultations, since I always took the holidays off. But it was totally unlike me to just get on a plane and head across the country for any reason…let alone to run a candy store at Christmastime.
I must have been out of my mind.
But here I was, in Majestic Falls, at my grandma’s place.
It was eerily still inside, and a little musty from being closed up. Wandering around, I inspected the three bedrooms, the open living room with beautiful hardwood floors, and the spotless kitchen with a bright yellow-tile backsplash and appliances that looked brand new.
The house was adorable and homey. I couldn’t help wondering what the real estate market was like out here. The home was definitely sale-ready, and I could include all the furnishings.
