Truth was a sweet girl who wanted nothing more than to escape the busy bustle of New York for the quieter landscape of Water Ridge.
Her handsome brother, Chadley, lived there with his two-storey house and young daughter, Destiny. Destiny looked just like her dead mother; as everyone kept saying whenever they saw her.
Chadley needed Truth to comfort him since it was coming up to Christmas. With his wife, Samantha, dying of the lack of Christmas Spirit several years ago, Chadley withdrew on what was supposed to be the happiest day of the year.
His house, once filled with laughter and merriment, was now sad and withdrawn as Chadley himself.
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Truth saw what it was doing to Destiny the moment she stepped out of the bright yellow taxi in her black high-heels and deep red coat.
It always snowed in Water Ridge, but was never cold enough to make anyone really worry about the aesthetically perfect powder covering the town.
When Truth held her brother, she could feel the sadness within him, like he had a hole in his heart. He always sighed and forced a smile at the end of each sentence. He looked like a sad puppy dog. She squeezed Destiny tight and saw her force a smile back hopefully.
Truth knew she was here for a reason other than to get away from her work. She was an editor for a fashion magazine, and knew she could get the best winter snaps in this tiny town her brother conveniently happened to also live in.
Dragging her massive bags inside, Truth was given Samantha's old room. With Chadley and Samantha sleeping seperately thier marriage, Truth was given her own space filled with happy photographs and memories of a woman that had died so terribly. She swore she could still hear her laughing in that very room.
Truth couldn't dwell though. She had to get into town to find the perfect place for these photos she was supposed to get for work.
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Reaching town in Chadley's borrowed car, it was obvious Truth didn't belong. She high heels clicked on the cobblestones and had everyone staring at her when she spotted a massive Christmas tree in the centre of the town being decorated.
Everyone else was hanging festive ornaments outside thier own streetside shops to breathe life into the tiny town consisting only of the town square.
Truth pulled out her bulky camera from her handbag and steadied it at the tree. She liked using the vintage thing to make her look sophisticated. Her phone had no service anyway. It was like she stepped back in time when she came here.
Suddenly, a face appeared into her view and startled her. Gasping and stumbling back at the chiseled jaw, Truth almost fell into the only puddle in town before a set of strong hands caught her to help her back to her feet.
Truth was blown away by her savior. Brown hair curled at the front, a green sweater, long red scarf, and denim jeans; this man was hot enough to melt the snow around him.
And he had a candycane tucked into his front sweater pocket. Truth tried to keep her cool.
He could choke me with my camera strap and I wouldn't stop him, she gulped.
The man's fingers pushed a strand of chocolate brown hair from Truth's face. They both giggled, feeling a spark.
The man was in charge of decorating the tree for the year. He was hard at work hanging candycanes from the endless branches. There was even a gigantic gingerbread star at the top that was tirelessly created by the local baker decorating his store. It was nicely iced with pigeon shit.
Everyone was in the Christmas Spirit here. Truth admired how different it was from dirty, loud New York.
If only her work didn't hold her back. She could live carefree here forever....
But, no! Truth was dedicated to her work! She grabbed the shot of the tree before taking more pictures of the unsuspecting locals smiling and chatting.
Each photo on her screen was perfect. The magazine would love these. None of them even knew she had taken the photos.
Truth saw the man was still watching her when she decided to leave back for home.
She hadn't even gotten his name, but she felt her cheeks flush at the sight of him in her rearview mirror when she left him standing there.
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Truth was reminded about the dreary memories of Chadley's wife when she returned to the dark house.
Destiny played with her dolls on the stairs, sighing dramatically when Truth passed to see her brother.
Convincing him to enjoy the festive season was impossible. He believed Christmas itself killed his wife, so he refused to celebrate it.
Destiny wasn't much easier to convince. She started every sentence with 'ever since mum died' and finished it with a guilt-laden look to Truth.
Christmas was dying in this poor child's soul. Truth knew she had to bring the spirit back somehow before it died forever.
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The next morning, Truth went to town again.
Fuelled with determination, she found the local coffee shop in town and meekly entered.
Despite being the only one in town, locals were gathered around window-seated tables or looking elsewhere. Truth saw that the man behind the counter was none other than the same one decorating the tree yesterday.
Truth needed her Pumpkin Spice latte. The man, confused and obviously from the small country town, didn't know what language she was speaking. Instead, he offered her what he thought was similar; Nutmeg Almond latte.
With the drink order, Truth gave her name. The man smiled and scribbled something on the cup before she spaced-out watching the children outside playing in the streets.
When she heard her name called, Truth took her cup from the man, thier fingertips touching.
He also handed her a flyer for the tree he had been decorating that she took to an empty table by the window to study.
The tree in the middle of the town was due to be cut down by a heartless city man in three days. The town was trying to partition to keep it there by arranging meetings at their only hall and trying to find ways to keep the grand pine surviving.
Nobody had come up with an idea yet. Truth drank her latte as she judged the locals and thier precious tree.
When she went to take another sip, Truth saw that the man had turned her name into a question.
Smiling at it, she read the scrawl.
Truth be told, I think you are cute.
There was a number under it that began in 555.
Obviously real. Truth looked to the man who gestured for her to turn the cup around.
His name was Teatree. And he fit all that in within just a few seconds too.
He really was talented.
Truth finished her drink and recycled the cup, taking the flyer with her.
She couldn't get involved with a local. She was devoted to her work and had to get photos of the prettiest things in town for her magazine to use.
Truth wandered back to the tree, pondering it under it towering over her.
She head a cough and turned to see the man was beside her, holding out a small bag.
Apparently, she had forgotten her free biscuit that came with every latte.
The coffee shop wasn't busy. The man wasn't in a rush to get back.
He stayed to ask what she was doing. When Truth told him, he joked that she should take a photo of him since he was the prettiest thing in town.
Truth laughed and grabbed her shot of Teatree under the tree, grinning at the memory.
Despite Truth obviously not being a country girl, Teatree liked her. He unknotted his apron to rush it back to the coffee shop so he could leave his shift to be with Truth instead.
Money didnt matter to Teatree. He told Truth he would live in the moment every day if he could and warm himself with the cheer spread throughout town.
He even pulled out a guitar he stashed in the Christmas Tree's lower branches so he could sing to Truth a song he told her he had just made up by looking at her beauty.
Everyone was impressed. They all gathered to watch Teatree and sing along, even though they wouldn't possibly know the words. They were even choreographed to the song, dancing and holding hands in swaying rings around the couple.
Truth felt herself slipping further from the city and into the arms of this country boy.
She blushed and waited for everyone to leave so she could. Teatree was disheartened and watched her leave once more.
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Truth knew how she could save Chadley and Destiny from Christmas itself.
She slapped the flyer onto the table and blurted about her experience at the tree with her new interest. She was convinced that just seeing the tree and feeling the spirit from the community would make Chadley realise the importance of Christmas once more.
Chadley was hesitant, but Truth pushed, pointing out the Exposition Fair coming to town tommorow. Destiny begged her father, and he had no option but to agree because she used her dead mother against him as something she would have wanted to do.
Truth slept easy that night, smiling through her manipulation and another chance to see Teatree again.
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The day of the fair came with Truth already ready to drive everyone into town to enjoy it.
She made sure to park them near the tree so that they could walk to the local coffee shop. Teatree was already there, ready to leave his shift to be with Truth, but not before her new favourite drink she had only tasted once; Nutmeg Almond Latte.
Chadley wasn't sure of Teatree or the way he looked at his sister. When they smiled or giggled, Chadley grew defensive and tried to break them apart.
Steering Truth and Destiny to a window table, Chadley scowled up at Teatree coming over to hand Truth her free biscuit in the bag.
Thier hands touched again, but this time, Teatree placed his other over Truth's to hold it within his warmth.
Chadley saw something was going on between the two and didn't like it. He huffed and grumbled when Truth nibbled the free food and caressed the bag.
Teatree was Chadley's nemesis. Chadley had the dead wife, while Teatree had the tragic backstory. Chadley wanted to protect Truth from the heartache of losing a loved one to the lack of Christmas Spirit, while Teatree wanted to make her believe in something that couldn't be found in a city.
Truth frowned when she felt something else in the biscuit bag. She ruffled through it to find that Teatree had placed a snowglobe inside that had the tree as its centre piece. When she shook it, the tree was covered in snow, just like it was outside the window.
Suddenly, it hit Truth.
She gasped at her realisation and dragged both Chadley and Destiny from the shop towards the tree.
Truth knew how she was going to save it!
Holding up the snowglobe, she shook it again to have the snow fall. Comparing it to the real tree, Truth could tell from the way the snow fell and the structure of the wood that this particular tree was an endangered Old Pint Oak, and would be illegal to cut down.
Chadley admired his sister and the tree itself. He could feel the spirit of Christmas warming him the longer he looked at the candycanes and gingerbread star.
He hadn't appreciated the tree before. He used to when Samantha was still alive, but now he felt that familiarity returning when he pulled his family close to the sound of sweet carols in the streets surrounding the fair they wandered into to enjoy themselves.
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Truth has won a gigantic teddybear she happily carried. Teatree had been lingering nearby to watch Truth Ace every game she touched. Only when she saw him in the shadows once more did she leave her brother to approsch him instead.
Even though he wasn't working, Teatree came prepared with a piping hot cup of Nutmeg Almond latte with the same line across it he had first used with Truth.
They sat on a table beneath some trees to watch the fair as they sipped thier drinks. Teatree wrapped half of his scarf around Truth and pulled closer to her to keep her warm.
She hadn't been cold once, but suddenly she was shivering and needing to snuggle against him to avoid hyperthermia.
They decided to leave the fair and head back to Teatree's house to warm up. Chadley would know where Truth was going since he saw her leave with her gigantic teddy in her arms.
Teatree owned a cosy little log cabin that was also two storeys. It was so fresh and new, it couldn't have been built more than two years ago.
Truth found photographs along the fireplace of Teatree witb his parents. Instead of leaving them alone, she decide to pry for her exposition.
Teatree reflected on how his own mother was killed in a freak christmas tree accident. With the gigantic tree toppling over after being cut down, his father had dived in to save his wife, but had also been crushed in the process.
The blood had decorated the snow-covered candycanes to give them thier stripes. Teatree volunteered to hang candycanes every year as a tribute to his sweet parents.
Truth was touched. She kissed Teatree and tasted his peppermint breath. They snuggled by the fire and Truth fell asleep on Teatree's shoulder as he pushed the hair out of her face.
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The town had gathered around the tree on the day of its felling.
The evil city man responsible for cutting it down was already there with papers stating he was allowed to.
Chadley and Destiny were there too when Truth and Teatree arrived.
Truth, with all of her city blood, rejected the New York ways of ignorance and leapt in to protect the tree. She blurted out her findings to the shock of everyone who had lived in this town for generations.
The man realised he couldn't cut the tree after all and got his men to leave.
The town cheered for Truth and her exposure that saved thier tree. Chadley wiped tears of joy at the one thing that made him believe in Christmas, and his love for his family again. He even had caught the eye of a pretty woman who worked the newspaper store who waved at him.
Destiny cheered for the spirit of Christmas and how joy filled her life once more.
Truth was so overwhelmed and ecstatic that she declared she was quitting her high-paying job and giving up her wonderful studio to move with Teatree into his log cabin.
She would bake biscuits to put with people's drinks for a living. Anything for love.
Everyone celebrated as it snowed. The sound of bells rang through the air as Truth laid her head on Teatree and smiled up at the cliche that was a Hallmark Christmas movie.
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