He looked bashful and sweet as he smiled and accepted the compliment. “Thank you. You really think so?”
“I really think so. You helped make the play something special.”
“It helped that there was a certain special woman in the front row of the audience, cheering me on. Not to mention the beautiful set she designed, which madeallof us look good.”
“About that...” Anna began. She felt nervous, all of a sudden, about her news to do with her conversation with Kiki. What if Josh thought she was trying to move things too fast, suggesting she might have a potential job in Los Angeles, where he lived? He had given her an open-ended plane ticket to come for a visit, but that ticket had been round-trip.
“Hey, you okay?”
She explained about the conversation with Kiki in a rush.
“Oh,wow, Anna, that is amazing. Kiki is the real deal, and she does not dole out compliments or job offers if she doesn’t really mean them. I’m so proud of you! You really are incredibly talented, and I’m so glad someone noticed. I was going to suggest you talk to her, actually, when you were trying to figure out what your future held—but it looks like she got to you first.”
“You’re sure you don’t think it’s... too much?”
He looked puzzled. “Too much, how?”
“Because we agreed to take things slow. Taking things slow was my idea. But suddenly I’m going to be taking a meeting in LA, and maybe considering a new job there. It’s a lot, isn’t it?”
He shook his head and smiled even bigger than he already was. “I don’t want this to make you nervous, or for you to think I’m getting ahead of myself—ahead of us—but Anna, you need to know, I want you in my life. I know you want to take things slow, and I respect that completely. But I feel like I’ve been sure about you from the moment I saw you. If you want to move to LA, I’m certainly not going to complain about it. In fact, I’d bethrilled. I couldn’t think of a happier turn of events than to be near you as we both follow our dreams.”
Josh stared deeply into Anna’s eyes as music, laughter, and love swirled around them—and downtown Snow Falls glowed with the light and hope of three beloved holidays.
TWENTY
Maryam
December 26
The 5th night of Hanukkah
Eid-ul-Fitr—the feast after the month of Ramadan
Saima’s wedding day in Snow Falls!
It was amazing the difference a plan made to Maryam’s mood. For the first time in days, she felt practically effervescent, lit up with happiness like a Christmas tree. Or maybe a Hanukkah menorah. Or maybe a Ramadan crescent moon. Something that glowed, at any rate.
Her play had turned out even better than she had imagined, and Maryam could tell that people weren’t just being polite—it was an actual hit. A beaming Dadu handed her an enormous bouquet of flowers after the performance, with a smaller bouquet for Saif, who had been buzzing following the play. Azizah and Ghulam hadn’t stopped raving for the rest of the night, much to her bemusement. If her multi-faith take on “A Christmas Carol” had the power to impress herdesiMuslim parents, there really was no higher compliment.
Plus, in addition to the success of the Holiday Hoopla, she had two more delicious secrets: Saima’s wedding was back on; plus, her grand gesture was ready to launch.
The next day, her family slept in until seven a.m., which felt downright luxurious after getting up before dawn for the past month. It was Eid today, the feast after the month of Ramadan, and it felt extra special considering all they had been through.
Usually on Eid day, her family would prepare special treats, attend prayer at the mosque, and then go to the cemetery to visit their grandmother’s grave. They would usually spend the evening at one of their friends’ homes, sharing a potluck or catered dinner. When Maryam was younger, her parents would give her and her sister gifts, and all the adults would give them envelopes of money, calledEidy.
Maryam remembered when they first landed in Snow Falls, her family had worried about keeping their fast in this strange town. Now that they had spent nearly a week in the most magical, welcoming town in Canada, part of her was glad they would get to celebrate Eid with the local Muslim community. It felt right.
Azizah put the finishing touches on a meatniharistew she had cooked overnight, while her father cut up fruit. Maryam had already prepared theshier korma, the sweet, milky vermicelli pudding made with plenty of cream, sugar, and cardamom, and loaded with pistachios, almonds, and dates. It never felt like Eid unless she had a bowl of the fragrant dessert. The food was for after the early-morning Eid prayer—her family had decided to prepare this feast as a treat for the wedding party, and had extended the invitation to their new friends, as well as their hosts at the inn.
Maryam planned to announce her special surprise at the end of the meal. She couldn’t wait to see Saima’s face.
Eid prayers were held at Topkapi Café at nine a.m., and the small crowd of about three dozen people mingled and chatted in the basementmusallah. Sarah generously provided sweet Turkish tea and honey-drizzled baklava afterward.
“Your play was very touching, Maryam,” Farah said, coming up to her after the prayer service and hugging her warmly. “It felt really special to see Saif on stage, too, playing the Ramadan Host. That was the first time I really felt like I was part of a holiday pageant.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing until you’re included in the story, too,” Maryam agreed.
“Chase Taylor did a great job as the Hanukkah Host, and he’s so good-looking. Are he and Anna...” She trailed off, raising her eyebrows in a question. No one was immune to the lure of celebrity gossip, but Maryam wouldn’t be drawn in.
