Page 65 of Single Dad's Christmas Cookie

“Let’s try the next set of apartments.” I took Amelia’s hand, and she started singing as she skipped along next to me.

29

NOVA

Iwas still on the phone with Veronica when there was a knock on my door.

“Hey, hold on a minute. Somebody’s pounding on my door.” I tossed the phone on the bed and yelled, “Give me a second!” as the pounding continued.

I put my feet back into the fuzzy slippers, which were slightly warmer and therefore more comfortable this time, and found a robe to wrap around me. Whoever was on the other side of the door was going to have to get me with my hair the way it was.

I practically stumbled my way through the apartment. The smell coming from the kitchen was still there. Maybe I needed to take the garbage out. It looked like I was going to have to spend a good part of my Christmas morning cleaning the kitchen.

The knocking continued.

“Yes, yes. Give me a second.” I looked through the small peephole and only saw the top of someone’s hat. It didn’t give me enough to go on, but the hat somehow looked familiar.

I was too tired to think clearly to ask who it was, so I pulled the door open.

“Surprise!”

I stood in shock as Veronica smiled and danced in front of my door. Of course, the hat looked familiar. I had just seen it on her head.

“Well, aren’t you going to say anything?” she asked.

I reached out and pulled her into a hug. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“The boyfriend whisked me away for a white Christmas, and he did not disappoint.”

“He whisked you here? How did he know?”

“I had to see you. It wouldn’t be Christmas otherwise, and I knew you weren’t coming home, and your parents certainly weren’t going to come up and see you.”

“So you came to me for Christmas?” My eyes started tearing up. “I can’t believe this.”

My heart felt warm and wrapped in love. Whoever said platonic love wasn’t real didn’t have a best friend like Veronica. I hugged her again, rocking back and forth, almost violently in exuberance.

“Come in, come in, come in. It’s too cold out there.” I stepped back, tugged on her arm to drag her into the apartment. She followed, and I closed the door.

“Sorry about the smell. I haven’t been able to figure out what it is. I’ve barely been home the past few days. We had a huge snowstorm.”

I hastened to straighten up my small living room and give her a place to sit. Not that my living room was a mess. I hadn’t spent much time at home. I pretty much spent all day with Bryan and Amelia and only came home to sleep.

“The phone!” I ran into my bedroom and picked up my phone, showing it to Veronica as I turned it off and ended the phone call that was still connected.

“Very clever,” I said. “What are your plans for the day?” My mind was completely blown and not certain what to do next. Veronica was here.

“I don’t have any food,” I practically cried. I was overwhelmed and so happy.

“That’s fine. We can go out,” Veronica said.

“I’m so happy you’re here. Tell me, how did he know to bring you here?”

“When I told the boyfriend I missed you, he suggested why not come up for Christmas day?”

“But last minute tickets had to be expensive.”

Veronica pressed her hands to her chest, one on top of the other. “Apparently, he made travel plans as soon as I told him you weren’t coming home. He let me think that this was my big, bright idea, but he had it planned for a few weeks.”

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