Christmas and Tchaikovsky

Chapter 1

"It's coming on Christmas; they're cutting down trees...." Libby hummed along to the Joni Mitchell tune piping through the shop sound system as she placed the last ornament on the tree for the front window display. As she stood back to survey her work, the delicious smells of orange cranberry scones filled the air. Her best friend and baker, Artie, was quickly filling the dessert case for today's customers.

"It's a bit off center, just like you." Artie called across the shop. She was wiping her hands on her ever-present apron as she came and stood by Libby.

"What is? The tree?"

"No, the star."

Immediately Libby saw, as usual, that she was correct. You could always count on Artie to point out any imperfections. She called it the curse of her Indian grandmother, Sahana. Libby considered it a blessing as no book or coffee mug was ever out of place with Artie around. Jokingly, Libby told her that she always had job security between her eye for details and her gift of keeping the dessert case full.

Adjusting the star, Libby was pleased with the overall look. It was always a walk down memory lane each year as she unpacked the antique Christmas ornaments, lovingly fingering each one as she found the perfect spot for it to hang. Originally, these ornaments graced their family tree, but since her dad helped buy this place, they both agreed it would be a fitting shrine for them to grace the tree for Books and Beans. Libby had dreamed since her teenage years of having a shop where two of her favorite things existed together – books and coffee. Her dad had always told her if you are going to dream, dream big. The day of the grand opening was one of the happiest days of Libby's life. She had found the perfect cozy spot in the heart of East Nashville, the latest hotspot in Music City. Riverside Village was always full of musicians and artists looking for a break, as well as college students from one of the universities in town. There was never a lack of foot traffic.

"What did I tell ya, Libby girl? Dream big, work hard and anything is possible." He whispered in her ear that day. This month it will be three years since his passing. Three years since she had heard his laugh or argued over their two favorite football teams. It still felt like it happened yesterday. No one had ever even heard of Coronavirus, or Covid-19 as it came to be known, when a pandemic spread across the globe in 2020. Libby could not believe it when her dad had tested positive. They both felt it seemed nothing more than the flu, but when he had to be admitted to the hospital, they both knew it was something far more serious. Libby was not even able to be with him in person. She could only talk to him on the phone. Even up until the end he kept saying he would be home pestering her again in no time. The hospital allowed her to mask up and visit through the window the night he passed. That was the night her life changed forever. She was now completely alone. Libby's mother had passed away when she was a baby, and Reggie had raised Libby on his own and on a policeman's salary. Reggie had one sister, but they were never close, so it had always just been the two of them. She had spent the rest of the pandemic in a daze of tears, sleep, and more tears. It was the potential loss of her little shop that had finally pulled her out of the vortex of grief and gave her the motivation to keep moving. Even though the store had to remain closed, she opened an online bookstore and somehow managed to keep things moving until the world re-opened slowly in 2021.

"Libby!"

Snapping back into the present, Libby turned and walked toward the coffee shop in the store. Artie was looking at her with that scrunched up face she had when she was impatient.

"Sorry, what?"

"I have been talking to you for five minutes....I was asking about today's special. Where were you? Dreaming about Mr. Wonderful again?" Artie was rearranging the creamer station for the umpteenth time.