The Weeks Between • HS

Week 26: Part 2 • Nola

Anne is waiting outside the front of her house as we pull up. Just like all the houses we've passed on the way in, it is completely transformed, but it is for every season that I've seen it. Boughs of real evergreen are tied to the eaves of the house surrounding the front door. Pinecones, that I'm sure have been picked up from around the yard, are now being used as festive holiday decorations on any surface that will hold them. I can see that there are Christmas lights lining the roof of the house, but there is still too much daylight to be able to see the full effect of how it all comes together. I'm sure it's beautiful.

It makes me think of the difference between her house- one decorated with love and a passion to use what her yard gifts her as decorations, and my childhood. A company would show up right after Thanksgiving and dozens of workers would take over the exterior of our house and decorate with whatever 'theme' my mom had chosen that year. Our trees were never fun because they had to match the 'theme'. I think that's why I loved the fun trees at my grandmothers house. It's probably why I love the tacky trees with colored lights and mismatched ornaments now. Regardless, you can see the love and care in Anne's decorations.

"Nola, so nice to see you again." Anne greets me with a warm hug, giving Hattie a little pat on the back. As we disconnect, the girls run past Harry and me to get to her.

"Annie! Annie!!" Mia screams as she jumps into her arms. Harry picks up Lottie to get her at the same level as her sister in an attempt to gain equal attention from Anne. Anne finishes giving hugs to Mia while she tells her about sledding at Pinnacle. Then, she trades with Harry and ends up with Lottie in her arms as they finally move the greeting embraces inside.

"How was the drive, darling?" she asks Harry, who she still has yet to touch, as Lottie wraps her arms around Anne a little tighter.

"It was good- nice to take a break in the middle, but it made for a long day for Nola and me." When Anne finally sets Lottie down, she hugs her son and tells the two of us to go upstairs and take a little rest before we have dinner. Harry made arrangements for us to eat in a private room at a small restaurant in town that he claims has some of the best handmade pasta (pasta that even rivals Ada's), so even though my stomach is already growling, I am more than happy to wait so that I can be extra hungry for that food. Harry, on the other hand needs something to tide him over.

"Do you have any biscuits?" he asks and Anne laughs at him. Harry is rarely unhealthy in his choices, but I've noticed that all goes out the window when he is 'home' at Anne's. He eats all the carbs, and though she doesn't make too many unhealthy sweets, he happily devours them while we are here.

"Of course, but I made them with maple syrup instead of sugar. You'll have to let me know what you think." He goes to raid her kitchen, like a teenage boy. He lifts the heavy glass dome off the pedestal tray that the cookies are arranged under. He gives one to each of the girls and they run off to sit next to Anne. He grabs a stack of them and his mom shoos us upstairs while the girls are entertained. We raid the fridge for some water bottles before going up to Harry's bedroom.

"What are these cookies?" I ask him as he allows me to take one from his handful.

"Apple cinnamon oatmeal raisin." 

"Ewww," I say, scrunching up my face. "No chocolate?"

"Nope," he says, then practically shoves is in my mouth. "Don't tell me they're gross until you've tried them." I take a bite of the cookie and my face displays how wrong I've been.