Christmas at Thistlecombe Cottage

Chapter 9

Maya hadn't expected to start her day with a note stuck to her phone. A knot formed in her stomach, as it brought back memories of the last note she'd received from her now ex-boyfriend just before the holidays.

But this was note was different.

"Gone to the market to get ingredients. Made you breakfast."

Next to her phone on the coffee table was a hearty spread of bacon, eggs, bread, and a pot of coffee.

She threw the blanket above her head and let out a giggle and a squeal.

After their little moment on the roof last night, Maya and Asher had stayed awake on the couch, huddled together under Maya's blanket, talking for hours. It hadn't even occurred to them to get Asher's blanket from the bedroom, as they'd been satisfied with each other's warmth. They'd stayed up until the early hours of the morning just talking.

It had reminded her of the summers she'd spent with her parents when she and her sister were kids and they'd rented a villa on a beautiful beach in the Philippines. They would all stay in the same room, usually the one with a beautiful view of the beach. After a fun but exhausting day, she and her sister would easily fall asleep to her parents talking about anything and everything. The next day, early in the morning, they would wake up to find her parents still talking, still in the same place, like they'd not slept. Even after being together for years and years, they never ran out of things to talk about.

Popping out from under the covers, she picked the tray up from the coffee table and rested it on her lap. She got her phone and quickly took a photo of her breakfast, posting it on Instagram. It was the first post she'd made on the trip, and she'd done it mainly to assure her loved ones that she was alive and well and having a good holiday. But she still had no intention of spending any more time on her phone, and she made a mental note not to check any comments or messages until she had some extra time. Turning off her notifications, she dug in and enjoyed her hearty breakfast.

If it weren't for her appointment with Mrs. Bramble and Ellie, Maya would never have left the comfort of her couch. She would've hunkered down and just waited patiently until Asher came back to join her again. But they only had a few days left before the Winter Festival, and there was still a lot of work to be done, so she reluctantly got up and got ready.

Today she was testing the winter walk with Mrs. Bramble and Ellie, who'd offered to be the guides. They met at the patisserie, where Janine insisted they pack a few warm croissants, and then set off.

Their first stop was the museum, where Ellie rehearsed telling the Christmas story of Thistlecombe Village, with Mrs. Bramble providing a few notes and anecdotes in between. After the museum, they walked past the beautiful cottages, stopping briefly at Thistlecombe Cottage to share its special history.

They then proceeded to walk into the woods. It wasn't too cold, and the ground was dry enough for a walk; they hoped it would remain dry until the Winter Festival.

The winter walk ended in the glasshouse ruins. Even if Maya had already been there before, the place still took her breath away. She pulled out her phone to take pictures, only to find a slew of notifications taking over her screen.

They were a mix of missed calls and messages from Nate. A lot of them.

"We need to talk. Call me as soon as you get this."

"Please pick up, Maya."

"Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I need to talk to you. Call me back, please."

It was like a reflex, a force of habit developed over three years. Before she knew what she was doing, she was already calling him back.

"Nate?"