The Road Back To You {COMPLETED}

Chapter 15

When Sully arrived at the Gillies brownstone, he found the usual Christmas accoutrement with which the city at large was normally decorated: a wreath on the front door with plastic red berries and a velvet bow on top, strings of colorful lights outlining the windows and synced to race each other, and spray-on snow fogging up the panes even though real snow would descend upon the city soon enough. When he looked down the block to either side of him, he saw that the neighbors had ornamented their home with similar adornments.

Sully paused on the Santa Claus-themed welcome mat, his fist inches away from the Gillies front door, and looked down at himself. Spencer’s tie was probably the newest thing he was wearing. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d purchased clothes for himself and even then, he’d acquired the pieces from the type of sleepy thrift store only the brave could enter, because its old people scent was so overwhelming it felt like you were inhaling ghosts with every breath. Sully always left the place coughing and with a dire need to drink an entire bottle of water, as if to wash away the remnants of senior citizens from days past.

For a moment, he almost dropped his fist and stepped back. He thought about that Sesame Street song he used to see on TV when he was younger: One of these things is not like the others. Which one is different? Do you know?

 

Before he could answer himself, the door opened, throwing a rectangle of golden light onto the concrete stoop. Cadence stood before him. She looked like a doll, the type a little girl might hope to find under the Christmas tree. She was wearing a dress with a satin headband in her hair. The lights from inside her home hit against her backside, giving her a glow that was more than angelic.

“I saw you walking up from my window,” she said. “I was waiting to hear the doorbell.”

“I was looking at all the decorations,” he lied, craning his neck back to take in the window lights again. “It looks good.”  

If she disbelieved him, she gave no indication. She only offered a slight smile and led him inside. The fireplace in the sitting room flickered and cackled, creating shadows against the walls and then restructuring them into new shapes each second. On its mantle hung four red-and-white stockings: Dad, Mom, Cadence, Olive. A tree stood proudly in the corner, garnished with gold and silver ribbons and decorations. An angel sat upon its apex, glittery wings outstretched, its halo alight, and its arms outstretched as if to suggest all were welcome. The entire room smelled like pine needles.

“Wow,” was all Sully could think to say. Not even the Miller’s had gotten around to their holiday decorating. Though according to Spencer, that was mainly because they were pacing themselves as to not overwhelm Haley. They also wanted to incorporate any traditions the younger boy had upheld with his family but that of course required talking and from the sound of it, Spencer was only in the beginning stages of wrangling words from Haley’s mouth.

“The Gillies love Christmas,” Cadence explained. “Mom? Dad? Sully’s here.”

It was a stupid thing, he knew, but hearing his name in Cadence’s voice left his stomach in a mess of knots. He almost didn’t notice it when Mrs. Gillies appeared and said, “Sully. It’s so nice to see you again.” She was followed by her husband and the man’s square jaw and square shoulders had never looked squarer. He kept his hands pocketed and that’s when Sully first caught on that this wasn’t going to be the lighthearted dinner affair he’d seen in his mind.