Free Rock'n Tapestries by Shari Copell

again, a sound of pure delight that bubbled up from a happy place
inside me.  It was one of those days that I was just glad to be alive.
     

     
    Tapestries
was beautiful when we were done.  There were lights and a tree in the foyer,
blue icicle lights hanging from the mirror behind the bar, a huge eight-foot
blue spruce stood in one corner of the dining room (complete with wrapped presents
beneath it), and mistletoe hung from the lights over the booths. I sighed and
clapped my hands together.  A job well done.
    Thankfully,
we hadn’t been very busy that night, what with everyone out shopping.  With all
the extra hands, we’d gotten everything up in record time.  The holiday spirit
inside Tapestries would’ve made even old Mr. Scrooge smile.
    Willow
came up beside me, dusting her hands together.  “I finally got the lights on
the foyer tree working.  I had to replace the one strand.”
    “It
looks wonderful!” I was beaming.  “I love Christmas.”
    “Me
too.  Hey, you on tomorrow?”
    “Yeah,
as always.”
    “See
you then.” Flashing a smile, Willow disappeared through the foyer door.
    Asher
came out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a blue-and-white dishtowel. 
He’d been cleaning the spouts on the liquor bottles in preparation for the
crowd the following day.
    “You
just about ready to go?” he asked me.
    “Yep.” 
I took one last look around the room, glowing brightly in whites, blues, and
golds.  Even the elf sitting on the bar shelf looked happy, his knees drawn up
to his chest, eyes shifted to the right. I smiled warmly at Asher. “Thanks for
everything today.  It went a lot easier with you here.  You are a handyman of
the highest order.”
    “Oh,
so you think my working here is a good thing now, do you?” His eyes
twinkled merrily as he stared at me.
    I
pretended to give it some thought, and he tickled me.  I laughed and dodged
away from him. “Why, yes.  Yes, I do.”
     

     
    “For
such a small woman, you sure do put away the groceries.” Asher eyed my three
tacos and two burritos as he sat down in front of me with his tray.
    “Well,
I didn’t have any lunch, really. Just a small salad that Marybeth shoved under
my nose on my way through the kitchen once.  I was busy and forgot to eat.”
    “Who
forgets to eat?” Asher laughed.
    “I
do sometimes, when I’m doing something I love. Like reading, walking, or
decorating for Christmas.”  I picked up one of the tacos and took a big crunchy
bite.  As I was chewing, I came up with a great idea.
    “Hey,
would you like to go Christmas shopping sometime?  Or are you done already?” 
    He
got this sad, startled expression on his face and dropped his gaze from mine. 
“I don’t really have anyone to shop for.”
    “Oh,
c’mon!  No uncles or grandparents or cousins?  No one?”
    He
shook his head and gave me an unreadable look.  “My family dwindled down to
one—me— when my mother died.”
     I
stared at him, horrified at the thought that he would spend the most wonderful
family-oriented day of the year alone. “What do you do on Christmas Day then?”
    “I
do put up a small tree, mostly because my mother loved Christmas. I decorate a
little. I cook a turkey breast and watch the parades. Last year, I bought
myself a brand new Les Paul guitar from Pianos N’ Stuff up in Blawnox.  I
wrapped it and everything, though it wasn’t much of a surprise when I opened
it.”  Asher gave me a weak smile. I felt my heart crack cleanly in half. 
    I
dropped the taco onto the paper on my tray and wiped my hands with a napkin. 
“That settles it. You’re coming to our house for Christmas.”
    His
mouth dropped open then snapped shut.  “Oh, I couldn’t possibly...I don’t want
to intrude.”
    “I’m
not taking no for an answer.”
    “Chelsea...”
    “There
is no way I’m letting you spend Christmas alone.  Don’t even think about it. My
parents would be horrified if they knew you sat home by yourself. It’s