Christina surveyed the long snow-covered wharf. All the other shops were closed. She’d had a very successful business day, but as she turned the sign to CLOSED, locked her door, and leaned against it, she was exhausted, body and soul. Money was not everything, and on Christmas Eve, she longed to be with people she loved.

She checked her phone. Mimi had called to wish her Merry Christmas and to say she was closing her shop and heading home.

Janice had called and asked Christina to return the call as soon as possible.

Christina sighed. Now what? She might as well get it out of the way. Reluctantly, she tapped “Call.”

“Oh, um, hang on,” Janice said, sounding overwhelmed. “I’m just…I’ll just…”

Christina waited.

When Janice spoke again, she sounded as if she was shut in a closet. “Christina, sorry, I’m just cooking and everyone’s around and I don’t mean to interfere but I want you and your friends to know that Oscar’s wife also sang soprano. She was extremely talented and often soloed in their church choir. Oscar was overcome with emotion hearing Harriet sing—well, we all were, really. She was amazing. But Oscar was so deeply touched that when you all left, he shut himself in his study for hours.”

“Oh, Janice, I had no idea. We certainly didn’t intend to upset him.”

“I think it was good for you all to come. He won’t talk about it, but I can tell the carols broke through his reserve. Only a little, but still…”

“Thanks for telling me, Janice—”

“No, no, I’m coming, don’t put it in the oven yet!” Janice called. The phone went blank.

Christina smiled, warmed by Janice’s message. She’d call the others tonight—or maybe not. It was Christmas Eve. Janice was obviously surrounded by the family as she made dinner. Mimi would be with her family. Jacob and Harriet were probably together.

And she hadn’t heard from Andy.

Should she phone him? When she refused Oscar’s offer yesterday, maybe Andy had become discouraged with her. Disenchanted.

Returning to her spot behind the counter, Christina gathered together her bank bag and her credit card machine and her stacks of signed receipts. She was too tired to deal with all this right now. She wanted to sit down with a nice glass of wine and…and what? Sit alone in her living room, crying in front of Mittens?

Her friends often had Christmas Eve parties, but they started and ended early so the children could wind down and be put to bed.