Page 7 of Holly Jolly
The man I never got over asked me to spend Christmas with him. As hesitant as I was, spending another holiday alone wasn't what I wanted. Ethan's mother was a Christmas Queen. Like many of the women in town, she liked to go all out for the holidays.
Caution needed to be used, though. Twenty plus years had passed and both of us had changed. No one stayed the same person as a teenager as an adult. The feelings were still there, but that doesn't mean it would work out.
I remembered the feeling of his hand in mine and the way he made me laugh with his silly jokes. But I also remembered the pain of our breakup, like someone sliced open my chest and ripped out my heart, leaving an empty hole that no man had been able to fill.
I was scared to feel that way again, but at the same time, couldn't say no. He was the same man I loved so deeply all those years ago and something told me this time, if I allowed him to, he would put it back together again.
So, I was between a rock and a hard place currently. He was just visiting and would be going back to Texas after the holidays, so it was important to keep myself under wraps. It would be easy to get swept off my feet again. Ethan had always had a way of making me feel like the most special girl in his life, and I was sure that hadn’t changed. So, I needed to go into this tomorrow with an open mind and protected heart.
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
782-987-4567: Don't forget how intense my mother is during this time of year.
I knew exactly who it was so I saved him as contact in my phone. Everyone in town knew how over the top his mother was during this time of year. Even without her son and husband, she made sure to go all out.
Me: Christmas of Senior year was epic! You remember she made us those matching ugly sweaters...
That Christmas was one to remember. She had this big idea to do couple pictures and knitted us matching sweaters, and they were so ugly. We both didn’t want to hurt her feelings so we just acted like we loved them. It had always been our own private joke. Heck, I think I might even still have that thing somewhere.
Ethan: Now I gotta see if I can find those old photos of us… talk about hilarious. Although, you can make anything look fantastic.
There he went. His charm was something he had always been good with, but I couldn’t just let him know off the bat that I still had feelings for him. He needed to speak up first.
Me: Yeah, yeah. Whatever.
7
Ethan
December 24th
The Christmas music started at promptly eight in the morning, and I could hear mom down there already doing something in the kitchen. Did she ever sleep in? I grabbed my phone and headed downstairs.
“What in the world are you doing? It’s only eight. Don’t you want to sleep in a little?” I asked, grabbing a mug from the cabinet and filling it with freshly brewed coffee, before sitting down at the island.
“Honey, I don’t sleep in. Every hour I’m asleep, it’s one that I’m wasting. There’s so many things to do today.”
There she was. It had started. I could see her doodling a list over there on the notepad and tried to sneak a glance.
Bake gingerbread cookies. Watch Home Alone. Build gingerbread house. Make a ham. Watch a new Hallmark movie. Go Christmas Caroling.
That’s quite a list she had, and it seemed like a lot to get done in one day, but with me and Holly around, it was plausible.
Me: It’s Ethan. Ready whenever you are. Mom’s already in the kitchen making a list of things. Come prepared. 1504 Quartz Ave
I downed my coffee to be efficiently awake for her arrival, and mom just stared at me.
“What’s going on with you?”
“Just gotta get dressed. Be right back.”
I ran up the stairs into my room and opened my suitcase. What the heck was I going to wear? Normally, I didn’t put that much thought into my wardrobe, but it was Holly. Who knew crushes can last throughout adulthood? She had only gotten more beautiful. I got to spend the day with her and my mother was going to enjoy having her around again. Just like old times.
I couldn’t choose between the blue Polo or the gray one. Veronica always said that the gray one brought out my green eyes, so I automatically go with the blue out of spite. Over my head and around my shoulders it fell, and then I slipped on my black slacks.
The doorbell rang and I raced down the stairs to answer, but my mom beat me.
“Hi,” she said, looking around for me.
