Strong Read Free Page B

the details. Her hair is still naturally blonde, although it is starting to show some silver highlights. Even with a few more laugh lines each year, my mom still looks eternally young.
    Finally, the dam breaks and I flood her with details all about the wavy-haired, copper-eyed guy who made my first trolley shift of the year so memorable. I can't stop the stupid grin that keeps taking control of my face. “He's really nice. And, well, he's kind of...” I search for the right word, “...disabled. I think.” 
    My mom's face shows a little confusion, and I try my best to answer the questions she hasn't spoken.
    “He walks with these arm crutches, and I can tell he uses them all the time. I mean, like he's not just using them for a broken foot or something. He gets around on them pretty fast. He even made his way to the top of Lover's Lookout.”
    My mom grins and asks, “Lover's Lookout? Really? Your date went that well?” She's baiting me, wanting to know all the particulars of my outing with Chase.
    “ Mom!” I blush. “I just wanted to show him around. It was not a date. For heaven's sake, I just met the guy!  And I didn't think to ask about the crutches. I mean, I thought about it, but I figured it wasn't really any of my business to ask about them on a first date. No! It wasn't a date! I mean, I didn't want to ask the first time I met the guy!”
    My mom is snickering at the fact that I'm getting flustered and stumbling over my words. 
    “Besides,” I move on, after regaining my composure, “he's not from around here. He's staying at his family's cabin on Brickstone Road. He's going back to the University of Wisconsin after the holidays. I don't even know his phone number.”
    “ Well, that's probably good. You're not ready for anything serious yet. You still have to finish college.” 
    I'm tempted to roll my eyes at that last comment, but I resist. First of all, I never said anything about getting serious with the guy. But also, it's a little challenging to feel like a “real” grown up when I'm still living with my parents. Don't get me wrong; my parents have been great about helping me make decisions for my first few years of college. But sometimes, I think they forget that I'm an adult and that college is not just an extension of high school.
    We sit and enjoy the sunlight coming through the kitchen window. No one is fooled by the late November sunshine in Eagle Canyon. It's deceptively cold outside, and without a layer of clouds, the temperature will continue to drop. I make a mental note to find my insulated gloves before I head to work this afternoon.
    Just before work, I text my best friend, Dani: Met a super cute guy at work last nite.
    I know Dani will get the message immediately, and respond almost as quickly. She lives for social connections.
    From Dani : Dish!
    To Dani : His name is Chase.  Spent 3 hours with him last night.
    From Dani : OMG. Cute?
    To Dani: OFC! He's going to med school too.
    From Dani : Marry him!
    To Dani: LOL. Not quite yet.
    From Dani : Send pics
    To Dani: OK. Got 2 work now. xoxo
    Danielle Kyle. What on earth would I do without my best friend? I was almost heartbroken when she moved to Chicago after high school, but she is incredibly faithful and, as I mentioned, very good at keeping in touch via social networks. She was here for Thanksgiving but she had to return to Chicago yesterday. I don't think I could go a day without texting her or talking to her.
     
    “ Hello! Welcome to Eagle Canyon's Christmas Lights Tour.”
    As I predicted, it is colder than last night. The sun is just setting and the mercury will continue to drop. I'm glad I remembered wool socks today. 
    In all these years, the trolley tour has only been canceled once, due to a blizzard on Thanksgiving weekend, but never due to subzero temperatures. Sam Calkins has braved the snow and cold to give the tour every single year, every single weekend from the day after Thanksgiving to the last day of