Catching a glimpse of a legendary all-white reindeer is supposed to bring good luck.
Not for Georgia Greene.
As Georgia makes her way home for Christmas, a white reindeer dashes across the road in front of her, causing her to crash her car into a...
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Felix
It didn't take Georgia long to get ready, and for that, Felix was thankful. While he waited, he got the old truck out of the barn. It may have been old and rusted in places, but it was still in pretty good shape. It even had a half tank of gas; his mom must keep it topped up for use on the farm.
For Felix, seeing the truck again was like seeing an old friend, one he'd had a falling out with. He knew its features as well as his own, but there was too much history there for it to be a comfortable reunion. And, of course, it reminded him of his dad—in fact, the cab still smelled strongly like him—of leather and pine and home. The scent washed over him as soon as he opened the door. Felix had to lean away and take a deep breath of fresh air to stop it all from overcoming him. He took another deep breath to steel himself and climbed inside. The truck protested the first few times he turned the key but eventually sputtered to life. The roar of the engine was another jolt of familiarity.
By the time Georgia emerged from the house, the truck was running smoothly, warming up for the ride through the cold and Felix was waiting, trying to ignore the memories all around him. As she walked towards him and the truck, Felix could see the furrow in her brow, and the tightness in her jaw. She didn't look happy about their upcoming trip together. He understood why. He couldn't imagine she was excited about sharing a car ride with the stranger who had seen her naked—almost naked—even if it was an accident.
He really did feel bad about that. Though his mom had pestered him to apologize, he really did want to make it up to her. He wished there was some way that he could magically make her feel more comfortable, but he couldn't think of anything. Maybe it didn't matter; once she got her car, she'd be on her way, and she'd never have to see him again. He'd just be a bad memory of a rude jerk on a cheesy farm.
Still, he'd do what he could.
He rolled down the driver's window—having to put in some elbow grease to get the old manual crank to turn—when she got close enough to hear him.
"Did you bring your car keys?"
"Yeah, of course," she said like it was obvious. She pulled them from her pocket and held them up as proof.
"Good," Felix replied as she put them away again. "If your car is in good condition, you might be able to just drive it back."
"Great." She gave him a stiff, insincere smile and headed for the passenger side.
Yup, he thought. She definitely does not want to be anywhere near me.All the more reason to get on the road. The sooner we go, the sooner we're back.
He began to roll up the window again when he spotted his mom running out of the house, carrying something in her hands.
"Wait!" she called to them.
Felix paused and wondered what she was up to now. Isn't one scheme enough for today?
By the time she reached them, his mother's panting breath was coming out in great white puffs against the cold air. Through the open driver's window, she handed him two red paper cups. The cups were branded with the Nissen farm logo, the same ones they'd use to sell hot chocolate and cider to their customers out of the old shop attached to the house.
