UNEDITED
Between his semi-committed addiction to smoking and his role as CEO of Elemental Coffee, Cassian Russell has spent the majority of his life running one of the most popular coffee shops on the Island with his best friend, Jake Swift. After a...
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Penelope
Halloween was fun to celebrate with Cassian. Despite his calamities, he was encouraging and never stopped smiling at the waves of kids we experienced. It was adorable to watch him play the part of Milo, spewing out random, garbled words to make it seem like he was speaking Atlantean. The kids ate it up, complementing Cassian and I on our costumes. One of the older ones said we looked cute as a couple. The comment bothered Cassian—he stuttered and blushed—but he regained his composure soon enough. After that, we realized we were out of candy. Cassian ran to the grocery store to grab more, and some chips just in case. It was a miracle to find candy on Halloween. The trick or treaters kept on coming until around eleven, and Cassian's smile never faltered. Nor did we run out of candy.
He rocked his costume, too. Although I will never admit it, I chose for Cassian to wear a muscle shirt so I could stare at his arms. His usual workout routines have given him muscles that don't deserve to go unnoticed. That being said, I wouldn't force him to show them unless I knew he was comfortable with it. Which he is. He makes sure I notice his arms whenever we go for a dip in the hot tub. I never fail to.
Now that Halloween is over, we've stepped into the early days of November. It's time to get back to business. As I step out of Cassian's SUV, I smooth the front of my skirt. The tights I'm wearing are thick, creating a barrier between my skin and the chilly breeze. The forecast is calling for snow tonight, which isn't surprising. I've seen snow in the Okanagan before Halloween.
"Are we still setting up the Christmas tree?" Cassian asks, jogging around the front of the SUV.
"Yes," I reply. I'm four days late with setting up my Christmas decorations. I usually do it on November first. It's been a tradition in my family for generations. I helped Mom and Dad set up theirs over the weekend, but Cassian and I didn't have time to set up ours in the rental house. We were unsure of how long we'd be staying in West Kelowna, but also because we don't have a tree yet. Work has been busy, and we haven't found the time to find a tree.
"You know," Cassian chuckles, "I find it crazy you set up your Christmas decorations so early. I'm more of a mid-November person."
I shrug, adjusting the positioning of my binder. Along with my binder, I've also brought my camera. Er... Hanna's old camera. She gave it to me before she left for Toronto after graduation. I thought it was sweet of her to recognize how much I enjoy taking pictures. My skills don't compare to Hanna's, but at least I'm capturing memories. The camera she gave me takes much better pictures than my iPhone. After Cassian and I have completed our daily trip to Utterly Uncorked, I'm going to upload these to my laptop and send them to Jake. He wants to see some before and after footage. Jake was scheduled to come visit, but I convinced him not to. We need someone on Vancouver Island to maintain the coffee shop. He also needs to stay with Gemma. The last thing I want is for them to be separated while she's pregnant.
"It's a family tradition," I reply. "The earlier we set up the Christmas stuff, the longer we get to enjoy it. Plus, it makes the house feel homey. You also don't have the stress of decorating in December on top of preparing the meal, Christmas shopping, and finding space for relatives when they visit. I also love the frosted cranberry candle from Bath & Body Works." I pause, exchanging a glance with Cassian. "Do you want to come pick out a tree tonight?"
