The Dear Kasey Letter

I Feel A-Salted

We were a week away from winter fest, the largest festival the town of Bowmont puts on. People from neighboring towns come to enjoy and embrace the Christmas season. The fest is complete with ice sculpture contests, a gallery of decorated theme trees to awe, line dancing, all kinds of food, music entertainment, and carnival games for the kids. I looked forward to this every year, especially this year now that Jax was home. The two years he were gone, the festival brought back memories of the years we'd always gone together. Last year, I didn't even go as the year prior chapped my ass for about a solid week after, ruining my family's Christmas.

The last few months having my best friend back has been nothing short of amazing. I still, to this day, owe it all to my mom and her turning all Buddha on me. If it weren't for her, I shutter at the thought of where mine and Jaxs' best friendship would be at this point.

"Hey, mom," I peeked my head around the door of her room, the incense smoke making me cough. "Can't you open a window or something when you burn that hippie stuff?"

She smiled, turning a piece of purple stone over the smoke, "You know once a week I clear my stones, Kasey, and it's too cold to open the window,"

"At least turn a fan on," I coughed, waving my hand in front of my face.

"What do you need, sweetie?" She asked. "Don't want you to die standing in here," she said, sarcasm dripping from her words. I had to get my wit from somewhere, right?

"Jax had to go do something for his mom," I shrugged. "And so I was hoping we could bake or shop or something?" I crinkled my nose. "Orrrr whatever,"

My mom's hand stopped, she stared at me silently for a moment. "And you didn't go with him?"

"Shocking, I know," I smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Something about the post office, and it would be boring so he insisted I spend some time with you,"

My mom closed her eyes and smiled, placing her hand over her heart. "I've always loved that boy,"

"So, do you have any errands or anything we could go do?" I asked, my mom hopping from the bed excitedly.

"As a matter of fact, I do!" She chimed. "With your dad working late and you so busy with Jaxon, we haven't gotten our tree yet,"

* * *

"You know, most people wear boots or at least close toes shoes in the snow, Kasey," she glanced down at my feet, her fingers touching the needles of a Blue Spruce.

I wiggled my toes in my birkenstocks, then smiled. "Putting my feet in any other pair of shoes would be betraying to my dogs,"

"Yeah, well, your red dogs are barking in protest," she laughed.

I smiled, scanning the trees. My eyes landing on a perfect White Pine one in the corner of the lot. "What about that one?" I asked, pointing.

"That's a nice one, sweetie," Mom smiled, taking the lead toward the tree. I crossed my fingers as she is extremely picky and my toes are cold.

I stood in the distance allowing my mom to do her investigating on the tree. It was perfect, I dare her to find one single solitary thing wrong with this tree.

"It's perfect, isn't it?" An unfamiliar guys voice said. I turned my head to the right as a young male came to stand next to me. "I have been wondering when someone would notice it," He smiled, looking at me.

He was extremely attractive, standing about six-feet tall -I know this because he is about as tall as Jax- with blonde hair that swept across his forehead, and green eyes. I quickly looked around to see if he were talking to someone else. Guys. Do. Not. Talk. To. Me. Ever.