Christmas Confection Perfection: Day #6 – November 26, 2025
Day #6 – Footprints in the Snow
Mary
By midmorning, she’d heard from three friends, her mother’s neighbor, a dozen unknown numbers, and Kurt (a few more times). Kurt’s message read: Call me ASAP.
She didn’t have the heart to talk to him yet.
She had finished her runs as quickly as her legs could move and had sported the biggest scarf and hat she could find in her closet. She just needed to be invisible until all of this blew over.
She poured another cup of cocoa, sank into her couch with a fluffy quilt pulled up to her chin, and watched the snow fall outside her window. Maybe she could disappear under this blanket.
Her cheeks flushed at the memory Ashton, his calm humor, those grey-green eyes. She wondered if he had seen the video yet. She hoped not.
Then her phone buzzed again with a new comment: Does anyone know who the guy is? I ship them already.
She groaned and sank deeper into the couch. Maybe if she stayed very still, the internet would forget about her. Better yet, maybe the universe would forget about her.
But deep down, she already knew, the internet never forgets…and the universe seldom does either.
***
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sound jolted Mary from a deep sleep…a sleep full of ridiculous dreams where she chased Ashton around with her little red wagon, tripping him again and again.
She sat up, blanket cocoon falling away, and blinked at the fading light outside.
Another BANG! rattled the door.
Mary pushed herself up off the couch, based on the waning light outside her living room window it was settling into evening now and she had ignored to world for the majority of the day.
She opened the door to find Kurt in the hallway, looking both relieved and buzzing with energy.
“Oh, right,” Mary said upon seeing him. She had forgotten all about their dinner plans.
“You’re alive!” he said, sweeping into her apartment without waiting to be invited.
Mary instinctively patted her messy hair. “I fell asleep…”
“I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”
“I fell asleep,” she repeated, but he was already scanning her living room.
“Mess in here. Mess in the living room,” Kurt said absently.
Mary glanced around. A few pillows out of place, the red wagon parked in the corner, some flour and sugar bags waiting for the kitchen, it was hardly a mess.
“A mess for what?”
Kurt shrugged, “videos.”
“I just film in the kitchen. I cleared a spot for the tree in there,” she said. “Don’t you think it’ll look perfect by the window?”
“Babe, who puts their tree in the kitchen?”
“Bakers,” Mary said with a smile, “who spend a lot of time in the kitchen.”
“Actually…” Kurt’s expression shifted, “that’s a great branding idea…”
Kurt thought for a moment, Mary watching him expectantly.
“Speaking of which, did you see that you went viral?” He finally asked.
Mary groaned and marched back toward her coach to fold up her blanket. “Hardly the highlight you make it sound to be.”
“I checked your subscribers list and you gained over one thousand followers today.”
“I did? You did? You check on my channel?” Mary felt her heart swell a little at the gesture.
“Well after seeing your video hit social media this morning, yeah.” Kurt nodded.
The fluttering in Mary’s chest faded. “I am not sure I am up for dinner tonight.”
“Hey, don’t get mad.” Kurt walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, I just get excited about this stuff.”
She turned and looked up at him as he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. She nodded, he did and it was hardly fair for her to hold that against him.
“I wanted to celebrate with you.”
“I don’t feel much like celebrating. I feel really embarrassed.”
“Don’t, honey.” Kurt tried to comfort her by wrapping her up in a hug. “Just look at it as a gift. Your channel has extra followers and it will all get forgotten as soon as the next big thing happens.”
“A kangaroo.” Mary muttered into his shoulder.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Mary pulled away. She didn’t want champagne or attention, she wanted quiet. Maybe normal. Maybe dumplings. “How about I make up some dumplings and we stay in and celebrate my subscribers?” she said.
Kurt hesitated, then smiled. “Yeah, okay.”
Mary scuttled into her happy place.
As she disappeared into the kitchen, Kurt’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it, smiled, but did not mention anything as he followed in after her.
***
After Kurt left, Mary scrubbed the counters, changed into warmer clothes, and started loading up the supplies she would need for the cocoa stand at the Christmas tree lot. Opening night was always the busiest and she would need to bring extras, plus the distraction was helpful.
By the time she reached the tree lot, the city was starting to freeze again for the night and the slushy sidewalks were starting to crunch under her boots. Her wagon rolled obediently behind her, loaded with cocoa mix, cookies, and the kind of cautious optimism she’d been forcing all day.
The “Red Wagon Girl” headlines had slowed, but not by much. Every time she opened her phone, another meme or comment popped up. She had finally stopped looking. If she did not look, it was far easier to pretend the world had gone back to normal.
Jack and Elsie waved from behind the rows of evergreens as Mary arrived; each of them bundled in matching plaid scarves. Mary waved back, glad they seemed normal and not star struck…or mortified. Maybe things would go back to being normal sooner than she thought.
The glow of the string lights and the faint scent of pine were enough to ease some of the embarrassment still clinging to her. Almost.
“Mary, the cocoa queen,” Jack called, spreading his arms wide.
Mary smiled as she ducked under a strand of lights getting to the older couple.
“We’re gonna have more customers than we can handle tonight” Jack declared. “It’s day one and I can just feel it!”
“I have enough cocoa to feed an army!” Mary gave Jack a big smile, his enthusiasm catching.
Elsie smiled at her husband. “Ashton’s just finishing with the lights in the back, and then we’ll be ready to open the gate.”
Mary’s stomach gave a small, treacherous flutter at the mention of Ashton. It was nerves because of the viral video…that’s what she told herself. Nothing more.
She glanced toward the far end of the lot where Ashton was perched on a ladder, adjusting a star over the main tree. The lights reflected off his coat, making him look haloed in gold and pine.
The tree lot glowed like a tiny pocket of Christmas magic, but Mary’s stomach was still doing nervous pirouettes. Maybe it was the cocoa. Or maybe it was the man she was trying not to watch.
As if sensing her eyes on him, Ashton stepped down from the ladder, turned and looked at her.
For a long second, their eyes met.
Then Ashton smiled, warm and easy, walking over to where the group stood. “Evening, Delivery Truck.”
Mary tugged at the wagon handle subconsciously. Did he know about the video?
Ashton came up and motioned to the lights. “Are they to your liking, Aunt Elsie?”
Elsie beamed at her nephew, “like a professional did it.”
Ashton feigned hurt, “who said I am not a professional?”
“They look fine, Ashton.” Jack interrupted the silly exchange, “Els, let’s go open the gate and get this show on the road.”
Mary glanced at Ashton as Jack and Elsie walked away.
Mary opened her mouth to ask Ashton if he knew about the video, but found that she could not form the words.
“I’d better get to my station,” Ashton said with an easy grin. “Busy night ahead.”
Mary nodded, the question dying on her tongue. She watched him walk away, silently scolding herself for being such a coward and for swallowing so many butterflies.
She argued with herself as she pulled the wagon to the cocoa station and started the warmers up.
She had Kurt. Kurt… Kurt. Yes, Kurt. A ten-month relationship with Kurt. She repeated his name like a mantra, as if it could drown out the quiet pull toward the footprints Ashton left in the snow.
Come Back Tomorrow to Unlock Day #7!