And So This is Natale by Bruna Andrade

Author:Bruna Andrade [Andrade, Bruna & Andrade, Bruna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-09T00:00:00+00:00

Half an hour later, we were walking down the street on our way to the bakery. It hadn’t snowed yet, and the weather was nice enough that we could go on foot to the open market, where everything would be decorated. Still, Cat had a beanie and gloves.

“So, everyone starting with ‘J’,” she spoke after a few minutes of silence.

“Hm?” I asked, confused.

“Your family. They all have names starting with the letter ‘J’: John, June, Jane and James.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Not James, please…” I grunted. “Only my grandfather used to call me that, and he was an asshole.”

Cat stopped walking and grabbed my wrist, then turned to me with a serious expression. “I’m sorry,” she said, seemingly feeling guilty. The bitter memory this exchanged had evoked dissolved instantly.

I used that opportunity to turn my palm up and interlaced our fingers.

“Don’t worry about it.” When she didn’t let go of my hand, I sighed and felt my shoulders relaxing. “He was always very strict with my mom. Got worse, bitter, after my grandma died. Even after so many years, he stayed distant. The typical military man who thought all men should enlist…”

I let it hang in the air and did a dismissive gesture with my other hand. It wasn’t worth saying more. Cat made a face and huffed in understanding.

“Got it.”

“But, yes, everyone starting with the letter ‘J’,” I confirmed so we could keep talking while we walked. “My parents think they’re so funny.”

“They are great, Jamie,” she said with a laugh.

“Don’t ever say that around them, though, or else we’ll never hear the end of it.”

Even from a few feet away, we could see the stands adorned with Christmas decorations and lights. Cat was fascinated. “It’s like a scene from a movie,” she said looking around.

“It will probably get more crowded later. The schools are out, and many families come down by the end of the day to enjoy the Christmas market.”

Right by the entrance, we were offered hot chocolate with marshmallows on top. The boy giving them out said their stand also had ones with liquor that were served inside a chocolate cup. Cat turned to me with suggesting eyebrows.

“We can do whatever you want,” I told her, feeling smug.

“My mom would go nuts here,” she said after finishing her hot cocoa. “She loves buying little gifts, Christmas ornaments. It’s sort of a nightmare to travel with her this time of the year.”

She let out a sad, nostalgic laugh. I wanted to comfort her, but also knew I had to honor what we had agreed on before. If Cat wished to change that, I needed her to be clear. Me, as a man and as her boss, could mess things up very quickly. Although the need to hug her, hold her face in my hands and kiss her sadness away still remained. I suppressed it and smiled.

We walked around for some time, while Cat bought things for different members of her family. She explained, excitedly, the meaning behind each of the gifts she chose.

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