"...so good."

Something in what Michaela was saying finally broke through to Anya.

"Yeah, he does. Makes you wonder where he got the suit."

Michaela turned around in her seat to give her cousin a look of pure confusion from across the table.

"What? What does that have anything to do with his playing?"

"You said he looks good, right?"

"No." Michaela's confusion was increasing and she was looking at Anya like she had suddenly sprouted a second head. "I said he sounds so good. I didn't know he could sing. Or play the piano."

"Oh. Yeah. He's been playing since we were kids."

Manny's voice and his delicate touch on the ivory keys were nothing new to Anya. The very sound of his voice ringing through the dining hall fit right in with the rest of the Christmas traditions. It was the sight of him in a neat black suit and tie that was a rare occurrence.

"He's good."

Michaela's casual judgment of Manny's talent was a major understatement and the evidence was in the rapt attention of the rest of the diners.

The dining hall had filled by the time Anya returned to reality and found a way to bypass the shock of seeing Manny behind a piano once again and singing in her dining hall. His voice floated over the head of the diners and added a magical touch to the official beginning of the Christmas celebrations.

Michaela struck up a conversation with Gloria, who had appeared at her seat at the head table, wearing something other than her chef's jacket and hat, going to far as to brush the flour out of her hair and don a holiday-appropriate outfit.

It was mandatory for all senior staff to join together at the head table and enjoy a meal together with the rest of the guests for the few days around Christmas.

Gloria did a good job playing guest but Anya knew she was itching to hurry back to her kitchen and start yelling at an underling while stressing about the dessert buffet that was due to arrive soon.

While Anya was stuck staring at Manny, Frank had also appeared at his spot. Seated next to Anya, he had swapped his traditional flannels and snow boots for a nice suit and dress shoes. Anya knew he only kept a set for the holiday season but he always seemed to enjoy dressing up for the occasion, if only to accommodate Eve's wishes.

He gave Anya's arm a nudge and she turned to look at him, the faint smell of hay still stuck in his salt and pepper curls and floating down to Anya's nose.

"You good?"

As a man of few words, Anya could see the slight hint of concern in his dark brown eyes. He had taken a glance at her plate and found that none of the food she had gotten up to get from the long buffet table had been touched. It felt like it had been weeks since Anya had seen him that morning in the barn, there to do their daily check-in on how things were running.

"Yeah."

To ease his concern, Anya grabbed her fork and started to move around the food on her plate. Frank gave her a nod of approval and turned to take up a conversation with Eve about the plans for sleigh rides for the guests and the amount of snow they were due to have.

Anya was left with no one to talk to. She would have made a poor conversation partner anyway. Her brain told her hands to move some of the food to her mouth and she found she was eating without any real conscious thought. Her eyes moved around the room, looking out at the multitude of guests, the chatter of their conversations falling on deaf ears.

Her eyes spotted Luke and his family where they were all seated across the room but didn't stop to linger. He was laughing at something his sister was saying and Anya didn't see his eyes fly over to her as soon as her gaze passed him by.

Without any intention, her eyes landed once again on the small bandstand set up in the corner. It didn't help that it lay right in her line of sight.

Anya didn't work very hard to keep from staring at the sight of Manny behind the grand piano, his voice singing out some Christmas carol Anya was sure she knew. Her mind wasn't too focused on recalling the name as it was being barged with a flood of memories.

It was with the sight of Manny, the sound of his voice and the overall holiday ambiance that triggered the flood and sent Anya back in time.

Anya had spent so many Christmases at the Inn but there were a few in particular that she remembered more than others. She couldn't help remembering the first Christmas after her parents' car accident. The wound was still fresh and Anya was barely coming out of the shock of it all two months later.

She had moved in with Eve and her grandfather, Christopher, almost immediately and was only just starting to find her way around the expansive inn she was now supposed to call home.

The Inn was never short on guests and Anya was constantly dodging luggage and the staff that hurried them to and fro across the front hall.

There was snow on the ground outside, Thanksgiving had come and gone, and the guest list was growing daily. Anya heard every room was filled and believed it. The only place she had found so far that offered relief for the constant stream of people was the barn.

It was among its four walls that Anya found quiet, the essentials for a grieving twelve-year-old. The warmth of the animals and the constant scent of hay offered comfort and a distraction from the gaping hole Anya was sure would never go away. When the pain started to hurt her stomach, she knew it was time to visit Frank.

All Frank knew was about farming and so that was all he ever talked about. Anya didn't mind as Frank seemed the only grown-up around who didn't look at her with concern or something resembling "I'm sorry." Anya had heard those two words enough, farming was a welcomed change of subject.

On that particular Christmas Eve in question, Anya had returned from the barn to clean up before dinner and found a dark red velvet dress on her bed waiting for her. A note on it said, "I hope it fits. Love, Grandma." Anya tried to smile at the gift but took it to change instead.

She was grateful for the dress when she entered the dining hall. All the guests around her were dressed up and Anya knew she had nothing to wear in the suitcase up in her room. Half of her clothes were still at her parents' house, somewhere in storage and to be dealt with some other time.

There was even a kids choir being set up in front of the bandstand, the band behind them ready to offer accompaniment. They started singing just as Anya took her place beside her grandfather at the head table. Christmas carols were the main theme and the soft voices filled the air, grabbing each guests' full attention.

For the finale one of the older boys in the group stepped forward to the microphone set in the center of the group. With the accompaniment of the piano and backup harmonies offered by his fellow choir singers, he sang out a soulful rendition of "White Christmas" unheard of from a boy of twelve.

The whole guests clapped when the song ended, the young boy taking a low bow in response. Anya joined in with the applause, the song still ringing in her ears. Eve leaned over as food was pronounced ready and people started moving towards the buffet.

"There's a table set up especially for the choir and any other kids staying here. There are several kids you now go to school with sitting over there. Why don't you go join them?"

Anya looked from Eve over to her grandfather who gave her a wink and a sweet smile.

"Go on, Anie. Go make some friends. You don't want to hang out with us old folks all night. It could be fun!"

Anya didn't feel like arguing and so nodded and got up from her seat. With a plate full of food, Anya took one of the free seats at the kids' table at the very end, several seats from any of the others. The very thought of moving closer made Anya's stomach erupted in an explosion of nerves. She focused instead on trying to eating here.

"Hi."

Anya looked up to find the boy who had performed "White Christmas" taking the seat beside her, his plate piled high with food.

"Hi."

Anya didn't make any other response.

"My name's Manuel. But you can call me Manny. What's yours?"

"Anya."

"Nice to meet you, Anya. My sister said I had to come and sit next to you. You're the new girl at school, right?"

Anya nodded.

"Cool."

And that was their first conversation. Manny started eating and seemed resolved to the fact that Anya wasn't going to be saying much. Anya found she was eating just to try and keep up with him. It was the most she had eaten in two months.

The night wore on and Anya had pushed her now empty plate to the center of the table long ago. A few kids had disappeared to go play games somewhere else in the Inn. The adults seemed ready to keep talking for hours. Dessert was promised to come sometime soon and so Anya assumed she would just sit in silence until it did.

"I'm bored."

Manny sat up from where he had been slouched in his seat, complaining only a moment ago how full he was.

"Follow me but wait a few seconds before you do."

Before he could give any more instructions, Manny slid from his chair and hurried towards the swinging doors that led into the kitchen. He was bent at the waist, an attempt to hurry out of the room without being seen.

Anya had just enough time to glance over at the head table and find her grandparents laughing, deep in conversation with their tablemates, before a sharp whistle was sent her way. She turned and found Manny just inside the swinging doors, motioning for her to hurry.

With nothing else to do, Anya slid from her chair in the manner she had seen Manny and hurried towards the same swinging doors.

"Wait for me by the pantry. Don't get caught."

Manny moved along the perimeter of the kitchen, avoiding getting in the way of the staff moving about to get dessert out on the buffet. Anya went in the opposite direction and stood near the large pantry, out of the way of all the activity, staying as small as possible to keep out of sight.

"Get out! Now! Get out or I'm telling Mom! Manny! I'm serious! Leave!"

Manny appeared at Anya's side, already running in her direction. He grabbed her arm with his free hand and kept moving, forcing Anya to match his pace. She noticed something tucked underneath his arm but couldn't ask questions as they moved through the back halls of the Inn.

He finally slowed when they entered the front lounge, empty of all guests and any activity. Manny stopped and looked around just in case, seemingly pleased with himself for pulling off such a daring deed.

"What did you get?"

Anya was talking through labored breathing. Manny nodded towards the window seats that lined the large windows that looked around onto the front-drive and the glowing town below.

"Sparkling cider. You want some?"

He opened the bottle with his teeth and took a swig. Taking a seat opposite where he now sat, Anya took the bottle he had passed to her. The drink was delicious and the bubbles traveled up Anya's nose, making her laugh and cough at the same time.

"It's good, huh?"

Manny was laughing at her and it kept a smile on Anya's face.

His dark brown eyes were glowing in the low light and his neatly combed curls for his performance were now shooting out in every direction after his daring escapade.

"Who was yelling at you?"

Anya nodded back in the direction of the kitchen to indicate what she meant.

"My sister. She works here. She seems to think one day she'll run that kitchen but right now she just washes dishes. Thinks she's all high and mighty because she graduated from college and wants to go to cooking school. In my opinion, she's still a total loser."

"I've probably met her. But I don't know anyone here. There are too many and all of them are busy all the time. And they're all so old. Except Frank. He's still old but he's never really in a hurry."

"I know Frank. He runs the barn. He took me out shooting once. I got the largest turkey he's ever seen. They served the bird here at the Inn last thanksgiving."

Manny's eyes give grew bigger as he told his story. Part of Anya didn't believe he had actually shot the turkey himself. Especially as it was his first time out shooting. But the way Manny told the story, anyone would have believed him.

And so the two of them spent their first Christmas together, swapping stories back and forth while they shared a bottle of sparkling apple cider. It took Anya awhile to contribute her own stories, but once she did, it was as if everything was fine. Like she was okay even though her parents had just died. With Manny, it seemed like everything would eventually work out for the best.

They didn't know it at the time but it was the first night of what would become a life-long friendship.

That night in front of the windows seemed like a lifetime away. Manny had grown up but still retained that boyish charm. It had been a few years since she had last seen him but it was obvious in the way he had suddenly reappeared back in her life that that same charm was still a dominant feature in Manny's personality.

He caught Anya looking at him and met her gaze while singing out the final note for the night. With a quick thank you, he gave the room a wave and walked off the small stage to a round of applause.

He paused at the swinging doors that led into the kitchen and met Anya's eyes once again. A crazy notion popped into her brain, an idea so crazy she shooed it away immediately. It seemed to her as if that first night, just two kids running around the inn causing trouble, was something he was remembering as well.

He had disappeared into the kitchen by the time Anya dared glance over again and so she wasn't given the chance to disprove her crazy idea. And so, try as she might, it stayed planted at the front of her brain, nagging her and keeping her distracted while she tried to rejoin the table conversation and enjoy the delicious dessert Gloria had prepared.