It was going to be a glorious Christmas vacation. Mara could feel it deep inside. Everything from the planning stage on had gone perfectly. And when she had stepped out of the SUV and glimpsed the clapboard cottage framed by fir trees draped with glistening snow, she knew this had been a great idea. She and her two girlfriends were leaving the stress of college behind them for a few days; they were going to revel in the crackling of logs in the stone fireplace and in drinking lattes while wrapped in cozy quilts and in watching the twinkling of the lights they had brought to hang on the Christmas tree they were going to cut today.
This was the first Christmas that she had been excited about in several years. Holidays had never been the same since the plane crash that took both of her missionary parents on one awful day. She had been teetering on the edge of depression for months. How could one adjust to such a loss? And in such a way that Christmas brought joy instead of the deep pain of memories which could never be repeated in real life? So when this chance had come to spend the Christmas break in the woods of Minnesota at a cottage owned by the aunt and uncle of her best friend, she had been more than eager. And now here they were! She could hardly wait to delve into the chili simmering on the stove and then enjoy a little threesome Bible study and some Christmas carols with Jean’s guitar accompaniment by the fire.
She stirred the pot of chili, turned it way down and called back toward the bedrooms. “Come on, girls! Let’s go get that Christmas tree!”
Kelley and Jean came rushing into the front room, stuffing their arms into their heavy winter coats. Mara grabbed her own coat and then sat down on the bench beside the door to pull on her outdoor boots. But she could only find one. She felt around with her hand under the bench but came up empty.
Getting off the bench, she knelt down and peered into the small space. Nothing. She sat back and pulled her knees up to her chest. Where could it be? Shoes just didn’t walk away up here, did they? What in the world?
The other girls were winding their scarves around their necks and pulling on gloves. “Hey, what’s up, Mara? Why are you sitting on the floor? Let’s get out of here!”
Mara held up her thickly-socked foot and gestured to it. “I find myself bootless. Have either of you seen it?”
They shook their heads, then Jean held up a hand. “Oh, wait a minute! Remember last night, after we stopped at the little store to get groceries? Your boots were in the back on the floor. Maybe when we were getting everything inside, one of them fell out.”
“That’s possible, I guess. But now what? Guess I can go in one of my flats!”
“Girl, you will get frostbite! You haven’t tromped through these woods in deep snow like I have. Believe me, you need boots!” Kelley insisted.
“Guess I’m not going then.”Mara started to pull off the other boot when a knock sounded on the door. She reached over and opened the door, a swirl of frosty air gusting inside as she looked up to see a figure in a parka, corduroy pants and a muffler. He was holding something out in front of him by a string—her boot.
He smiled. “Hi. My name is Jensen Miles. I found this last night in the parking lot of my uncle’s store. He remembered you and that you had said you were staying up here in the Swenson’s place. We figured you might need it.” He quirked an eyebrow at her bootless foot. “And since I’m the assistant pastor of the local church, I wanted to make sure you were taken care of.”
She smiled back at him. Maybe Cinderella was going to the ball after all. “Well, thank you! You saved me from sitting home alone.”
As the other girls crowded in and leaned over her shoulder, Mara couldn’t help asking. “By the way, how are you at cutting down Christmas trees?”
