Chapter 46

Mallory sighed. "Could we just decorate the tree, please?"
Jocelyn sat quietly after that, waiting for Mallory to finish stringing the lights. After all, they couldn't start decorating the tree until the lights were on. As she waited, her thoughts went to Caden. If he had something else to do, then why was he texting her off and on all day? She quickly pushed the thought aside.
"Done!" Mallory replied, standing by the tree. "Why don't you start decorating and I'll get some more hot cocoa. Would you like some?"
Jocelyn shook her head, surprised that Mallory was actually trying to get along. "No, thank you. But you go ahead."
Jocelyn started decorating the tree and Mallory walked back in, holding her hot chocolate.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to sit down for a bit. Then I'll help you decorate."
Mallory blew across her hot chocolate. It was the first time in a long time that she remembered Mallory actually being nice to her. Usually, she spent her time running to this audition or that. Maybe she had finally come to realize that you couldn't work continually. If you did, life would pass you by. It was a lesson that Jocelyn had learned lately, too. If her time with Caden hadn't taught her anything else, it was to take time to live your life.
"No problem," Jocelyn replied, hanging one of her favorite ornaments on a branch.
As she decorated the tree, memories of decorating the Christmas tree with her mother and father came to mind. She wished her mother were still alive. If she were, Jocelyn would curl up beside her and talk to her about Caden and Mallory. Jocelyn had always talked to her mother about everything. Her mother had always been kind, patient, understanding, filled with humor, and always had good advice. Her mother always knew what to do.
Their mother had always told Jocelyn to be patient with Mallory, too. That one day, Mallory would "grow up." But over the years, that prophesy had never come true.
"There," Mallory said as she hung a red ornament, bringing her from her reverie.
Each spent the evening lost in her own thoughts as they decorated the Christmas tree. Although it was okay, Jocelyn missed her mother. When their parents were alive, their father would string the lights and then he would sit back and watch as their mother orchestrated decorating the tree with the girls.
"What are you thinking about?" Mallory asked, out of the blue.
Jocelyn sighed, debating on whether or not to tell her, but then relented. "I was just thinking about Mom and Dad." Jocelyn smiled at the memory. "How Dad would string the lights, and then Mom would decorate the tree with us." Jocelyn glanced over at Mallory. "Remember?"
Mallory nodded. "Yes, I remember. I was just thinking the same thing." Mallory hung another ornament on the tree. "Remember how Mom used to sing Christmas carols with us? I used to love to listen to her sing. She had a beautiful voice."
Jocelyn reached for a gold ornament, attached a hook, and hung it on the tree. "I loved to hear her sing, too." Jocelyn reached for another ornament and then paused. "Mallory, what happened to us?"
Mallory hung an ornament on the tree and shrugged. "I don't know." She looked over at Jocelyn and smiled. "Sibling rivalry, I guess."
"No, that's not it," Jocelyn replied, shaking her head. "I was never jealous of you. I was always proud of what you had accomplished."
Mallory smirked, turning her attention back to the tree. "I haven't accomplished much. At least, not what I wanted to." Mallory sighed. "But some day-."
Jocelyn hung a silver ornament. "Mallory, have you ever thought of just staying in Christmas Cove and making a life here?"
Mallory looked at her as if she had just slapped her. "What? And give up my dream of being a star one day?"
Jocelyn sighed. "Then you should actually make plans to move to California or New York and do it. Stop talking about it."
Mallory held up her head. "I'm working on it."
Jocelyn finished hanging another ornament and let her arm drop to her side. "Mallory, you don't need anyone to go with you. If you want it badly enough, it'll happen. Then no matter what happens when you get there, you'll know that at least you tried."
Mallory smiled and then gave Jocelyn a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "You'll have to come out to visit me."
Jocelyn noticed that she didn't say "us." "Oh, I will. If I had a sister in Hollywood, you can bet I'll visit- especially if she becomes a big star."
"Fingers crossed."
Jocelyn smiled. "Fingers crossed."
Mallory stopped hanging an ornament, her hands in mid-air. "Jocelyn, have you ever thought of moving away?"
Jocelyn shook her head. "No, Christmas Cove is my home." She looked over at Mallory and smiled. "I'll live and die here, I suppose."
"Then, promise to visit me in California."
"I will." Jocelyn looked over at Mallory and pulled her in for a hug. "Let's try and get along. We're all the family we have left."
Mallory pulled back and smiled. "Okay," she replied, and then looked over at the tree. "And right now, we have a tree to decorate."
Jocelyn and Mallory spent the rest of the evening decorating the tree and sipping hot chocolate. While they were decorating, Mallory had turned on some Christmas music and they ended up singing as they decorated. Jocelyn hoped that she and Mallory could always get along like that. But she knew that as temperamental as Mallory was, it would be short lived. But Jocelyn knew to enjoy it while it lasted.
***
The next day, Jocelyn rose early, showered, and dressed in a red business suit and heels, grabbed her coat, and headed downstairs. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, her phone buzzed. Jocelyn checked to see who it was and sighed. It was a text from Caden.
What are you doing today? Want to go to the North Pole?
Jocelyn sighed, but clicked it off without answering. As much as she'd love to, she couldn't do that to Mallory, and she couldn't do that to herself-. get her hopes built up just to have her heart smashed to pieces. No, she and Mallory were getting along for once and Jocelyn wanted to keep it that way. The night before had been the first time in a long time that Mallory had actually been civil to her.
Jocelyn poured herself a cup of coffee, slipped on her coat, and headed out the door. In the car, Jocelyn's phone buzzed again. Jocelyn sighed, knowing that it was Caden again. It was pretty sad that no one else texted her but him. Unable to resist, she picked up the phone and looked at it.
Or we can do hot cocoa at Santa's Café.
Jocelyn threw her phone down on the passenger seat beside her. When she stopped at a traffic light, it buzzed again.
Or we could go skiing. Then he included a wide-mouthed emoji.
"Wow. You really won't give up, will you?" she asked aloud and then turned off her phone.
Although she and Caden had always been friends, it was more than that for her. But she was determined not to stand in Mallory's way. She tucked her phone into the side pocket of her purse just as the light turned green.
The snow was still falling in white puffs along the road. Although it was beautiful, it made driving difficult. But she didn't have far to go, thank goodness. For a moment, she thought that maybe she should move to California with Mallory. At least then she could look out for her. And going to Hollywood parties would be a plus. But as she thought of leaving Christmas Cove, her heart ached. No, if Mallory was going to move to California, then she would do it without her. For what it was, Jocelyn had built a life for herself in Christmas Cove and she had no intention of leaving it.