"Hey ho- nobody home; meat and drink and money have I none- still I will be very merry!" Harlow sung the verse for the fifth time, staring at herself in the low lit bathroom mirror. Completing her final warm up for her voice, Harlow applied her lipstick. She nervously checked over her hair once more before leaving the bathroom. She had a few minutes before the start of the Christmas parade and made her way towards the float. It was adorable. The semi-truck flat bed was carefully decorated with garland, holly berries and poinsettias. What made Harlow smile was that the flat bed was hooked up to a pick up truck. It had never crossed Harlow's mind that a normal truck could pull a flatbed that long.
As she moved towards it, Harlow paused to take it all in. It was the first Saturday of December, and she couldn't believe it.She had become so comfortable in St. Dalton so quickly. When she looked around the town- at the shops and all the people-Harlow felt like she was home.
"Hey, you ready Harlow?" Kelly Green, the owner and head instructor of St. Dalton Dance Co, greeted Harlow with a hug. Harlow fumbled with her white knitted cap as they pulled away. "Yeah, I'm all set." Kelly smiled, "I'm glad to hear that, we're excited for you to sing. Thank you for doing it."
Harlow was humbled, and smiled as she responded. "No, thank you. I've only been here a few months but everyone has been so wonderful to me. You are all so kind and welcoming. I'm really grateful. " Kelly and Harlow headed to the back of the flat bed together where her male soloist, Greg, was climbing up the steps. When he spotted them, he smiled. "Good morning ladies!" He then held a hand out to Harlow as she came closer. Taking it, Harlow climbed up.
"Thanks, and good morning!"
"Of course, ready for your first Christmas parade?" Harlow nodded, surveying her surroundings. "I am, I'm excited. You?"
"Always, Christmas is my favorite time. Here you go." Greg held out a microphone to her. Harlow took and turned it on; testing it. Greg had lovely, soft dark chocolate skin with hazel eyes and a dimple chin that could kill. If it wasn't for the fact that he was already engaged; Harlow would have fallen flat for him. However, Greg's fiancé was one of the sweetest people Harlow had met. They were one of the town's hair stylists and had helped Harlow with her hair for the parade.
"You look nervous." Harlow gave a chuckle at Greg. "That obvious? I'm just a little, but who doesn't get nervous before a performance?"
"Oh, I know, I've been helping Kelly out for six years and I still get butterflies during the first song." As he said that, his fiancé Nat came over. "Just came to give a good luck kiss!" Greg leaned down and kissed Nat quickly. "Thanks babe." Nat wrapped their arms around Greg's neck in a quick awkward hug. They gave a quick wave before leaving the two alone once more. Kelly then popped up from the front of the trailer, and called all the dancers to attention, giving them one final pep talk. They would be following the float. Greg and Harlow took their spots on their decorated fold-out chair, smiling at each other. Someone had decided that each seat would be covered in rainbow tree lights, making both of them glow. Literally.
"Santa Clause won't make me happy with a toy on Christmas day!" Harlow waved the crowd as she sang, smiling and swaying her body. "I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know-" She noticed Colton in the crowd at that point, goosebumps rising on her arms. He stood with Kida, the little girl he had been with on Halloween, on his shoulders at the street's curb. Jess and his other friends were also there, enjoying the entertainment. When their eyes met, her smile faltered but the performer in her kept going. " Make my wish come true-all I want for Christmas is you! You, baby." Unable to tear her gaze from him, she all but sang the line to him. Greg's gentle tap on her leg broke the trance and Harlow turned to watch him sing the next verse. Though she didn't look back at Colton's direction, she knew he was still watching her.
Besides the small hiccup when Harlow saw Colton, the overall parade had been a smash. Greg and Harlow sung through their five songs nearly three times; harmonizing perfectly each time. By the time their float reached the end of the route, the sun was down and people were gathering in the town square for the Town Lighting ceremony.
The float had just stopped moving, and Harlow was barely able to hug Greg goodbye. Edwards' grip on her hand was so tight- that she all but fell down the steps from the float. He pushed them through the growing crowd, and rushed to the area behind the main stage.
She ducked under the curtain that marked the tiny area just as the town's mayor walked out onto the stage. The Mayor had her yearly speech to give before Harlow would sing the tree lighting song. According to Edwards they had exactly seven minutes sharp to prepare.
Viviana was waiting for Harlow, a small book light hanging from a corner casting broad shadows over her face. Viviana smiled and held up Harlow's make-up bag in her hand. Using their phone's flashlights, Viviana helped touch up Harlow's sparkling eyes and carefully reapplied the red stain to her lips. As she did, Harlow adjusted the tie on her jacket and adjusted her knit cap once again. Viviana handed Harlow a scarf, and she carefully wrapped it around her neck.
"You're all set, don't worry, you'll be great. I'll be out there with my family watching." Giving her a quick hug and air kiss, Viviana left Harlow before she could say a word. Left with her own thoughts, Harlow paced. She had been practicing this song for weeks now, she knew the material and everything. Still, she was nervous.
The curtain suddenly opened, and a woman with a clipboard and earpiece motioned for her to come out. Harlow felt the wind of the night blowing as she exited the area. She silently took a microphone held out to her by the earpiece woman, following her. They stopped at the bottom of a set of stairs, just shy of the audience's view.
"And now," The mayor's voice was strained, forced to sound too jolly. "Performing with The Cord, this year's Christmas Crier Harlow Write!" As the crowd applauded, the ear-piece lady motioned for Harlow to go up the stairs with a small "Go,go,go." Harlow thanked her and made her way up the steps.
The band was already in place, having been providing music before the Mayor's speech. The crowd clapped, and Harlow gave the band a small wave before turning to the crowd. She continued to smile as she took her place in the center stage. All the town lights around her faded, to where there was only a soft glow on her. Glancing over the darkened crowd, she assumed the whole town must have actually turned out for this event. That amazed her. Behind her, the band played the intro chords, and she started to sing.
When approached about the Crier position, Harlow had asked Edwards to choose the song for the lighting event. With some sly convincing, Edwards and the Mayor agreed to let her sing Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson. What had sold them on it was Harlow's vision for the actual tree lighting. Moments after the second round of the chorus, there's a music break where the tree lighting would occur. She would sing a soft land, before belting it out.
Swaying on the stage, she started to come to the moment. The band was playing the break and she shook and swayed her hips to the music. Turning, she faced the unlit tree, holding up a hand to it. She made eye contact with the band members, who smiled in anticipation.
"And then; one day; everything changed- you're all I need" Harlow took a deep breath in preparation for the following belt "Underneath the Tree! Oh yeah!" Spinning on her heels the towering tree and the town lit up in a rainbow of beautiful lights. Harlow took the 'Clarkson' route to the rest of the song, using it to belt out notes and enjoy herself. When the song finally ended, the crowd cheered and few people even whistled. She thanked the crowd, giving a small bow before rushing from the stage. Harlow handed her microphone back to the earpiece woman at the bottom of the stairs as the band went into their next song.
Edwards was also there to greet her. He wrapped her in a hug, giving her a string of compliments. "Thanks Edwards, it was really thrilling!" Before Harlow knew what was happening, Viviana had rushed up behind Harlow and wrapped her arms around her. Harlow stumbled but Viviana kept her up. "You were so freaking amazing Low! I'm so proud." Viviana released her and moved for a front hug; when Harlow hugged her back, smiling. "Thanks, I feel so proud!" Harlow laughed. "Auntie and Uncle thought you were amazing too! Come on, they're waiting for you with hot cocoas with our name on it!"
As the two went off to meet up with the rest of Viviana's family, Harlow couldn't help but think back to her performance. Though most of the crowd had been nothing but a dark mass, there was one face that she was able to make out. It was near a dimmed street light, and his eyes never left her. She saw him watching her, and smiling proudly. She wasn't singing the Christmas love ballad to him specifically, but the way he looked at her made it seemed like she was. It gave her butterflies in the moment.