Chapter 167
I had been peacefully lost in the pages of a book when the tranquility was shattered by the sound of
my door mming open. Startled, I looked up to find Aria bursting into my room, her face flushed
with excitement, and her chest. heaving with anticipation.
“Evie!” Aria cried, her voice tinged with a manic energy that I couldn’t ignore. “You won’t believe it!”
I bookmarked my book, setting it aside, and turned to her, concern etched across my face. “What’s
wrong, Aria? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She didn’t bother with pleasantries. “The holiday market ising back to town this Saturday!”
I furrowed my brows, my mind racing to make sense of the news. “Holiday market?”
Aria’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she spoke, her words tumbling out in a rush. “They used to
set up different shops around town during this time of the year, but they stopped years ago! I guess
someone took over the funding because. now they’reing back and we can’t miss it!”
Her infectious excitement began to wear me down, and I couldn’t help but smile. despite my
reservations. The idea of revisiting the holiday market, a ce filled. with cherished
admit, it sounds intrigu from Childhood, was enticing. “Okay, okay, Aria. I’ll
admit, it sounds intriguing. But remember, it disappeared for a reason, and that reason might still be
there.”
Aria waved her hand dismissively, her enthusiasm undeterred. “Oh, don’t be such a worrywart,
Evie! It’s just one day, and it’ll be so much fun! We can’t let this opportunity pass us by.”
As I watched her, I couldn’t help but be drawn in by her excitement. Aria had always been the
spontaneous one, dragging me into adventures I would never have dared on my own. She was the
embodiment of living in the moment, something I had forgotten how to do. Perhaps it was time for a
change.
With a sigh, I gave in to her infectious enthusiasm. “Alright, Aria, you win. I’ll go to the holiday
market with you on Saturday.”
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You won’t regret it, Evie! It’s going to be amazing!”
So the ught hug.
The day finally arrived, and Aria practically dragged me out of bed with the enthusiasm of a child on
Christmas morning. She had insisted we wear matching scarves that she had bought herself, very
much giving in to the holiday cheer.
As we approached the entrance to the market, the air was alive with the scent of freshly baked
goods and the sound ofughter. The familiar twinkle of lights hung from every stall, casting a warm
glow over the scene. It was as if time had stood still, and I couldn’t help but be swept up in the
nostalgia.
Aria’s eyes sparkled with delight as she surveyed the scene. “Evie, isn’t it beautiful? It’s just like I
remember.”
I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips. “It’s gorgeous.”
We strolled through the market, taking in the sights and sounds. There were stalls selling
handmade ornaments, artisanal choctes, and intricate wooden toys. Theughter of children
echoed through the air as they rode the carousel, their faces lit up with joy.
As we passed a booth selling hot cocoa, Aria grabbed my arm excitedly. “The hot cocoa was
always amazing! Wanna get some?”
I nodded, my heart warming at her excitement. “Let’s get some.”
We stood in line, the anticipation building with each passing minute. Aria chatted animatedly with
the vendor, who had a twinkle in his eye as hedled the rich, steaming cocoa into two Styrofoam
cups. As he handed them to us, he winked and said, “On the house,dies. Wee back to the
market.”
Aria and I exchanged surprised nces before thanking him profusely. It seemed that everyone in
town was just as thrilled as we were to have the market return.
We found a quiet bench to sit on, sipping our hot cocoa and watching the world go by. Aria leaned
in, her voice filled with wonder. “Evie, I can’t believe we almost missed this. I know you’ve probably
never been, but it’s a day worth.
remembering.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re right. This was exactly what we needed.”
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After a few extra sips of cocoa, we were back on our feet and wandering through the stalls once
more. The collections were on the expensive side, so I kept my observation strictly hands–off.
Aria, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with excitement as we approached a booth selling
handmade ornaments. “Evie, look at these! They’re beautiful!”
I nodded, admiring the delicate craftsmanship. As she drooled over the different. designs, I nced
around at the different vendors. My heart nearly stopped beating when I saw a familiar face
amongst the crowd, lingering just a few feet
away.
Timothy was standing by a booth adorned with a beautifully crafted model train set, his eyes fixed
on it with a childlike fascination. As it zoomed through the tiny little city, likely meant to emte our
own, I found myself entranced by his interest in something so small yet detailed. It made me mourn
the gift he’d given me, now reduced to broken ss.
When I looked back at his face, I was stunned to find that he was looking right back at me, his hazel
eyes wide with wonder. I turned away, pretending to upy myself with the ornaments before
eventually abandoning that stall altogether and drifting along with the crowd.
“Evie?”
He was already by my side, following my pace before I could go any further. I turned to face him,
my heart racing, and forced a smile. “Timothy? I didn’t expect to see you here.”
He chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that had always made my heart weak. “I
could say the same about you. I never thought they’d have another holiday market after so long. I’m
enjoying the festivities.”
I nodded absently. He still hadn’t seen the email, likely still diligent about waiting. for some free time
in his schedule. I could just tell him to his face, but he looked like he was enjoying himself at the
moment.
At this point, perhaps it was best that it looked like aplete stranger had sent them. I’d kept it
from him for too long, and my guilt was growing by the second.
“So, how have you been, Timothy?” I asked, trying to break the silence.
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He shrugged, his expression distant. “Same old, same old, I guess.”
There was so much I wanted to say to him, so much I wanted to exin, but I didn’t know how to
broach the subject.
Timothy’s gaze kept drifted back to the model train set, and he nodded in its direction, “I used to
have one of those as a kid.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”
His eyes lingered on the train set for a moment longer before he turned back to me, a wistful smile
on his face. “They were pretty expensive, so I saved up enough money to get my own. I could
barely take my eyes off of it whenever it would chug around like that.”
I cracked a smile. “You could still get one, you know. Treat yourself.”
Timothy chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m too old for that now.”
I wanted to reach out to him, to tell him that it was never too reach for the thing that you want…or
the person that you want, but the words caught in my throat.
I mustered up the courage to address the elephant in the room. “Timothy, I never congratted you
on your engagement and pregnancy. I should have said something sooner.”
Timothy’s smile widened, and he reached out to pat my shoulder, then let his. hand linger. “It’s
alright, Evie. You don’t need to. But I appreciate the sentiment.”
“Oh.” I felt more relieved than what was probably appropriate. “I just figured…”
Suddenly, Timothy’s gaze shifted, and he pointed towards the center of the square. “Look, the light
show is about to start. It’s the best part.”
I followed his gaze and saw a massive tree adorned with thousands of colorful lights standing tall in
the center of the square. As we watched, the lights began to sh in time with the music, creating a
mesmerizing disy of dancing colors.
The sky above the tree erupted in a burst of brilliant fireworks, their vibrant colors. painting the night
sky in a breathtaking disy. Timothy and I stood side by side, our eyes fixed on the spectacle
above us, lost in the beauty of the moment.
For a brief, fleeting instant, the world around us faded away, and it was just
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Timothy and me, sharing a moment of wonder and awe.
For a fleeting instant, our fingertips brushed against each other, a touch so brief that it felt like a
whispered secret. We both jerked back as if shocked, our eyes. locking for a moment before we
averted our gaze.
Just then, Aria appeared, holding a tray of pretzel dogs. “Hey, Evie! I lost track of you. Look what I
found!”
Aria’s cheerful voice shattered the spell of the moment, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret
as I watched Timothy step back.
Aria’s eyes widened in shock as she saw Timothy standing beside me. “Timothy? What are you
doing here?”
Timothy seemed caught off guard by the question, his expression briefly clouded with uncertainty. “I
was just heading out, and I ran into Evie here.”
Aria’s curiosity was palpable as she looked between us. “Oh.”
Timothy nodded, his gaze shifting ufortably. “Yeah. It was nice seeing you both.”
With a polite nod, Timothy excused himself and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Aria
turned to me, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of mischief.
“So, Evie, what was that all about?”
I sighed, my heart heavy with conflicting emotions. “Evidently he likes the holiday market too.”
Aria’s grin widened, and she gave me a knowing look. “Uh–huh.”
I rolled my eyes, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. “Aria, it’s not like that. We were just
talking.”
She shrugged, her expression teasing. “Sure, Evie, whatever you say.”
As we continued to explore the market, I couldn’t help but feel torn about what had just happened.
The touches were only brief, but they had left me feeling embarrassingly flustered. It felt strange,
like I was emotionally perusing with another woman’s man knowing that those two hardly liked each
other to begin
with.