A Mate for Christmas

Friends & More

Morning arrived, but clouds covered the sun; it was 9 am, and Maeve was awake. Maeve stretched as she slowly sat up from her bed; her red hair was slightly disarray. It was Monday, and a few things happened after the late Thanksgiving dinner. Patrisha, Maeve, and Laoise went to Long Beach Towne Center. Black Friday hasn't been as successful as in previous years ever since the pandemic hit. It was also found that some stores didn't have many discounts. However, many people were doing early shopping or snooping around. Maeve remembered how the center was getting decorated for the holidays, and it was something she enjoyed seeing.

Yet, it was difficult for her to enjoy the preparations for the Christmas holidays since she wasn't going to be with Stephen anymore. Patrisha and her mother did their best to lighten up her mood. They went to Ross, Michaels, Barnes & Nobles, and more; it got her mind off from Stephen. The women found some things for themselves and returned to Maeve's house. Once home, Laoise surprised her daughter by bringing a fake Christmas tree and decorations.

Since it was late, the women decided to rest, and they slept at Maeve's house to ensure she would not be alone. On Sunday morning, the women woke up early to decorate the house's interior and outside. It took three hours to decorate, but the time was worth it. On the outside, simple multi-color lights were connected to the side of the roof, and small plastic statues of Santa Claus, reindeer, and angels were put in the front yard. Inside, the fake green Christmas tree was put in a space between two sofas in the living room. The tree was decorated with yellow lights, red ornaments, red poinsettias, and red bows. The doorways were decorated with fake pine doorway arches that had some yellow Christmas lights. The kitchen and parts of the living room cabinets had some plastic or glass Santa Claus, reindeer, miniature Christmas trees, and religious figures. The house windows were decorated with Christmas-themed stickers.

Maeve's home made her feel warm and at ease. Once out of bed, she did her hair and changed her clothes. Yesterday morning, she sent an urgent message to the school regarding her absence and the need to use a week of her sick time. She knew that the Principal would not be happy, but Patrisha wasn't afraid to speak her mind to the Principal. The Principal and other teachers respected Patrisha and feared her; she was a force to be reckoned with. She was given an email that a last-minute substitute was hired and that she was expected next week.

The young woman sighed in relief as she made herself pancakes and began to eat them. Then her phone rang; it was her mother. "Hey, mom."

"Good morning, Maeve. *Cough* I was calling to see how you were doing."

"I'm good, mom. I told you often that you don't need to call me constantly. I'm going to be fine." Yesterday, Laoise insisted she sleep over to ensure her daughter wouldn't be alone. However, Maeve eventually convinced her mother that she would be fine and that she would be going to an event using the app that Patrisha recommended to her. Last night, Maeve looked through the app and was amazed by the many events happening in different cities, especially since Christmas was close. There were a couple that caught her interest, but the first one she chose would occur in two hours.

"So, which event are you going to?"

"A group event is happening at the Botanic Gardens at Palos Verdes. I heard that the gardens are beautiful, especially during the holidays. The gardens are decorated, and the Christmas lights make the garden glow at night."

"I'm so happy and proud of you. I want you to go and have fun. Be open-minded."

Maeve chuckled; she knew her mother meant well, but she was still healing from the breakup. "Don't worry, I will. I will call you when the event is over." The duo hung up, and Maeve continued eating until she was done. She washed the dishes and then looked up the directions to the Botanic Gardens. Maeve always wanted to visit, but Stephen always seemed uninterested and told her to go alone. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Stephen wasn't interested in what she enjoyed or wanted to try. That should have been a red flag for her, but love blinded her from the truth. 

When done looking at the directions, she looked through her messages; nothing from Stephen. "What am I doing? How could I expect him to message me back?" Yet, Maeve had some hope that he would text or call her. He apologized while breaking up with her but asking about her well-being would have been nice. It was over, and Maeve had to accept it eventually. She shook her head as she went to her email and downloaded the ticket she purchased online. "Well, it's time to go."

Maeve left her home, got in her car, and drove off on the open road. Palos Verdes wasn't far from Long Beach, which would take her twenty-seven minutes to arrive. The morning traffic wasn't bad since many kids were already in school, and people were working. The cool morning air hit her face and lifted parts of her hair; it made her feel free and relaxed. The radio station played some Mariah Carey Christmas songs, making her feel the holiday spirit. Ten minutes went by, and she got off the freeway. She finally entered the streets of Palos Verdes; the map showed her where the Botanic Garden was, and to her luck, it was by some beautifully built apartment complexes. 

She turned to a left lane, where a few curves had long and lustrous trees. Green leaves flowed down on the concrete ground. At the end of the path was a parking lot, but to her surprise, there were many cars. Maeve drove by, where security guards guided drivers to different parking lot sections. A female security guard motioned Maeve to stop, which she did. The guard went by the window and smiled. "Hello there, welcome to the Botanic Gardens. Are you a wedding guest?"

"Wedding guest? Oh no, I'm here to tour around the gardens. I have my ticket here," Maeve said while motioning out her phone.

"No problem. You can park around this area; the other parts are for wedding invites only. Have a wonderful time in the gardens."

Maeve drove to parts of the parking lot and found an available spot in five minutes. She turned off her car and went to the app to see if there were any messages. A couple from the event organizer said she had already arrived and was already by the entrance. She took a deep breath. "Alright, this is the first step to move on. I'm just here to meet people and have fun."