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Her parents laughed "We’d need aroo?"

"Soonna have one that big, so I can buy the tallest tree here every year"

The words pierced through the air to stab Marigold in the heart Memories of her own childhood here--of that exact same proclamation to her father--flooded her system Last year had been the first year that her faing as Marigold realized … she wanted one Desperately She touched the tall Charlie Brown, letting her fingers fan down its boughs

"I do like it…" She turned over the paper card attached to the tree and winced

"Oh, that’s the old price," the boy said "I could knock off ten bucks"

It still cost way more than her mother would be happy for her to spend "I’d take it for half price," she said

"For a tree this size? You’re crazy"

"You said it’s been sitting here, unwanted, for several days"

"I said a few days Not several"

She stared at him

"Fine I’ll knock off fifteen"

"Half price" And when he looked exasperated, she added, "Listen, that’s all I can give you"

The boy considered this Considered her The intensity of his gaze le to keep her eyes on his, but she refused to relent She had the distinct feeling that she was about to get the discount

"Deal," he finally gruold said,it, as he hefted away her tree

"I’ll freshen the trunk while you pay" And then he called out, "Mo!"

So he was a Drurettably, somewhat resembled a russet potato--sat inside the wooden shack She looked up froh "Ah," she said, at Marigold’s approach "It all old said A chain saw sputtered to life nearby

The woet a discount outta old was distracted by that pressing question she had yet to ask--but as the woold’s cheeks

"Our customers usually leave with more tree than anticipated" The woh rural in a way that her son’s was not

"Oh, I wasn’t even going to buy a tree," Marigold said quickly "So this is definitely still ood salesold wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to protect the boy’s reputation with his mother Maybe because she was about to ask hier to escape this conversation while dreading the one that still lay ahead Her stolanced at her phone It was alht o’clock

The chain saw stopped, and a moment later, the boy headed toward her with the tree nestled in his ar to have to ask hiht--

"Which one is your car?" he asked

Shit

They realized it at the same time

"You don’t have a car," he said