Elizabeth jogged up the stairs, something she did repeatedly every day. Of course, she could have ridden the elevator but she reserved that for when she had an armful of books she couldn't see over. That or when delivering books via cart or dolly.
Arriving in the kid's section she looked around, setting her small stash of paperbacks on the checkout counter. "Natasha, it looks great!" Smiling wide with the kind of smile that reached the eyes and lit them up like they are filled with moonlight on new fallen snow. It's summer but she always wears Christmas earrings, those that dangle being her favorite. Today she had on snowmen.
Lucky for her, here in Briartown, who she is and what she is wasn't something laughed at or seen as out of place. In fact Leo, one of the chefs at Theo's Grill, kept five items on the menu year around that screamed the winter season and Christmas. It was something sweet and he had become a good friend. There was an inkling of more, maybe, and it was yet to be seen if it went anywhere.
"Thanks! I got Travis to help me paint the mural and we had no problems building all the pieces. I think it really does look passably like a tree fort. The kids are going to love it."
"That's my hope." Elizabeth stepped around to the other side of the counter and unashamedly checked Natasha's work labeling new arrivals. The boss, she was particular about efficiency and productivity. Fun, but purposeful, was basically her motto. She offered the younger woman a thumbs up. They all had been working hard to offer up the Tree Fort as a reading spot for the kids. Not only that but it was the place where they wanted to hold both the daily and weekly storytime hours. Though they were aimed at different age groups both were for those young enough to enjoy the change in that corners' scenery.
Elizabeth began sorting the books she'd brought up. Most of those were returns and a good half were on reserve lists. This meant that check-in and filing would be a longer process. Not that she minded. Humming Christmas songs softly under her breath she worked diligently until she'd whittled down the stack to only a dozen or so books. Her hair, pulled back into a ponytail, bounced as she plopped onto one of the adult sized chairs. Finally sitting, she sighed.
Natasha glanced over, as did two kids browsing through the stacks. Everyone who looked Elizabeth's way got a slight wave of her fingers and a smile.
"You're not planning on staying late, are you?" asked Natasha.
Closing her eyes, she said, "There's always so much to do. I only stay late when things need done."
"And what if you need done?" replied Natasha in a conspiratorial whisper. Then, in a normal volume, she continued. "Why don't you leave early and go have dinner at the Grill? Hang out and talk with Leo. Maybe say hi to some of the regulars or even Derrick. Maybe do it before it's late and you're too sleepy to have an engaging conversation." She chuckled.
Elizabeth shook her head. "Why are you so interested in my love life, or lack thereof?" She opened her eyes to try and glare but failed. The woman just wasn't the glaring type.
Natasha shrugged, standing and gathering up the books she needed to shelve. "Maybe because you can have one and I haven't had a date in months."
"Not my fault," mumbled Elizabeth. As she sat there, body still for the first time in hours, the air filled with Christmas scents. Apple cider and cinnamon, evergreens, a fireplace. It was evidence, of course, of who she was. Most thought her eccentric and strange but also sweet, kind, and overly joyful.
There were worse things a woman could be called.
"Well, I promise to think about it."
"Don't think. Just do," said Natasha as Travis arrived to cover the desk.
"Just do what?" he asked. He was always curious, the high school senior with his blue hair, gentle eyes, and muscles many other men were jealous of.
Natasha answered before Elizabeth could. "I told her to leave early. Spend time with people instead of books."
He nodded, chuckling as he plopped down into a desk chair and pulled himself closer to the desk. Immediately he started working on the Library's bi-weekly newsletter, in particular the teen and under section.
The Montague Library was a fairly decent sized building sitting on the boundary line between Bracken Woods and The Shade, the local name for the part of Briartown that housed mostly low-income residents in homes in need of far more than minor repairs.
"It's good advice. You really should. Think of it as being a role model if that makes you feel better." He shot his boss his best, most charming, grin.
Luckily for her, and maybe for him, she was immune to his charm but she still chuckled, offering up a smile to them both. They were right and she knew it. She did tend to get caught up in her work. "Oh, fine. I'll go." When she stood, for a moment snowflakes fell. Her staff were used to this oddity, so they didn't bat an eye. They just smiled, knowing it was a sign that the head of the Library was excited.
As she walked away she was back to humming, this time the song clearly recognizable as Winter Wonderland.
Natasha had disappeared, off to fetch more books, but Travis laughed. Elizabeth was certainly a unique woman. She was quite a bit older, and not his type, but he knew her well enough to believe that anyone who ended up in a relationship with her was going to be a lucky person.
Elizabeth, with no idea she was the focus of her employee's thoughts, closed out her workstation, said her goodnights, and left early for the first time in weeks. Maybe months.
As she walked out the door the air filled with the sound of jingling bells, something that occasionally happened when the resident Christmas Witch crossed thresholds.
Distracted, and accustomed to it, Elizabeth didn't even notice.