She hugged me, and we both cried, two strangers connected by loss and a moment at 35,000 feet.
‘Spend Christmas with me,’ she said finally. ‘No one should be alone at Christmas!’
The next morning, we sat in the sunny kitchen, sharing stories over coffee and homemade brownies. The kitchen smelled of vanilla and spices, warm and welcoming in a way my basement flat could never be.
‘Rebecca made these buns every Christmas,’ Mrs Peterson said, passing me another one. ‘She insisted on making them from scratch, even though I told her the ones from the shop were fine.’
‘My mum was the same when she made her Sunday pancakes,’ I smiled. ‘She said the secret was love.’
‘Your mother sounds like she was an amazing woman.’
‘She was. She taught art at the community centre, you know? Even when she was sick, she worried about her students missing class.’
Mrs Peterson nodded, understanding with a glance. ‘That’s the hardest part, isn’t it? Watching them worry about everyone else until the very end.’
I felt better because I had found someone who understood exactly what it meant to have such a huge void in your life. Someone who knew that grief doesn’t follow a schedule, and that some days are harder than others — and that’s okay.
‘Evi,’ said Mrs Peterson, setting down her cup of coffee. “I have a proposal for you. The family business needs a new personal assistant… someone I can trust. Someone with a quick mind and a kind heart.‘ She smiled. ’Do you know anyone who would be suitable? Perhaps someone named Evi?”
I looked at her in surprise. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Absolutely. Rebecca always said I worked too much. Maybe it’s time for someone to help me share the load.’ She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. ‘What do you say?’
Looking at her hopeful face, I felt something I hadn’t felt in months: a spark of possibility. Maybe Mum was right when she drew me looking at those birds. Maybe home really is what you build together, one little piece at a time.
‘Yes,’ I said, squeezing her hand in response. ‘Yes, I’d love that.’
As we hugged, I knew my life was about to change. This Christmas, I found my family again. And while nothing could fill the void my mother left behind, maybe with Mrs. Peterson’s help, I could build a new home… one that honours the past while giving hope for the future.