Page 73 of Tis The Season for Secrets
The thought of being able to stay in Yule, of seeing her mom and Will without the fear of being discovered, without feeling like a criminal, was too good to be true. “But I’m still a Frost.”
“By blood, yes. However, the council won’t lift the ban on the Frost family, nor you, so long as you bear the name.” Getting up off the couch, Eloise went to a small antique writing desk with the same red envelopes Juliet remembered from the chest. “That being said…” Eloise handed her a thick piece of cream paper, similar to the birth certificate she’d seen in her father’s study.
“Legacy Citizen of Yule. Juliet Heart,” she read aloud, and ran her fingers over the last name. “I don’t understand.”
“When a legacy wishes to return from the Outside, and they haven’t lived in Yule before, they’re given a legacy certificate as a way of saying this is their home, and they’re gifted their own bell. In your case, if you accept your birthright as a Heart then you can stay in Yule– you can come and go as you please. It’ll be your home whenever you need or want it, without question or fear.”
“All I have to do is change my name? And sign this piece of paper? Does this mean I can’t see any Frosts?” Juliet asked. Her first thought was of Beth. Giving up her sister would be impossible.
Eloise took her hand. “Will mentioned your sister Beth. You can absolutely still have her in your life. As to whether she’ll ever be able to come to Yule or even know about it, I don’t know. Even issuing you this new certificate is a grey area. My family have signed to say that you are under the guardianship of the Hearts to show the council that they’re standing with you.”
Juliet saw the hope in her mom’s eyes. She stared at the certificate and saw where she had to sign under a long line of Hearts. A whole family waiting for her. One signature, and she’d no longer be a Frost. She’d no longer have to bear the name of those who resented her.
Still, to change it felt like stripping herself of the only identity she’d ever known. To separate herself from her sister and even her grandmother. Yet she knew that they would want her to be happy. To find her home.
“Please don’t feel any pressure.” Eloise read the uncertainty in her silence. “This is a big decision, and we’re asking a lot of you. We’ve only just met, and I’m asking you to give up your name and to accept a new family of people you’ve never met. I’m sure you’ve got mixed feelings, given the past. I’ll be the first to admit that my family weren’t supportive of your father or my relationship. However, don’t for one second think they wanted you to be punished for our choices.”
It eased Juliet’s mind to know that her extended family wanted to meet her, regardless of the past. They were doing the right thing now. “If I sign, no one will get in trouble? Will and the Klaus family won’t be in trouble because of us?”
“My sweet girl, no. But if you decide to become a part of Yule, I want you to want it for yourself, and not just because you’re worried about others,” Eloise said.
“I want to stay, or at least to have the freedom to come and go without having to worry. It’s just a big step, and as hard as my relationship has been with my family, to just let it go…” Juliet wondered if she was clinging to the enemy she knew, rather than risk her heart with a bunch of strangers. But Lyla, Will, and even Mason, who’d risked his own reputation and broken his own laws to help a stranger, told her that as terrifying as it might be, Yule could be her second home. A new chapter.
She stared into the familiar brown eyes of the mother she’d never known. She only had one question.
“Do you have a pen?”
Eloise’s hand shot to her mouth as though she couldn’t believe it. “A pen, yes. I’ve got a pen. One second– are you sure? Do you not want some time? Please don’t feel any pressure.”
“I don’t want to dwell on the past any longer. I want us to start anew, and I want to be able to call your home my home. Given all the kindness I’ve witnessed, and the magic of it all, I don’t think I could say goodbye to it or…”
“To Will,” Eloise finished for her.
Juliet nodded. “You know about us? You aren’t upset that we broke the rules?”
Eloise shook her head. “Mrs Klaus told me after she gave you my letter. She was worried about you and Will. As much as I don’t want to share you so soon, he has a kind and loyal heart. I couldn’t be happier that you found each other.”
“I think he found me is more accurate,” Juliet pointed out with a smile.
Her mom flushed. “Sorry about that. I never expected when I sent him to look for you that you’d end up together. Who wasI kidding? I should’ve guessed, considering my own past. Like mother like daughter.”
The phrase was music to her ears. This was going to take some getting used to.
“Do you have someone?” Juliet asked, though there was no trace of anyone else in the house. She hoped her mom hadn’t been alone all these years.
“I did.” Eloise patted her hand, and the happiness in her voice was tinged with sorrow. “I was married for a time, but he passed away some years ago. The trainees at the hall have always been my children. Trust me, they keep me busy, so I don’t have time to be lonely. After my husband passed, I felt how short life was and I didn’t want to wait another day or spend another season without you. I wish I could’ve come to you sooner, but I’m ashamed to say that I was terrified of being rejected. It was easier to think of you as a possibility than not be able to live up to the idea of the mother you deserve.”
Juliet understood her hesitation. To live up to an idea was impossible. However, she hoped in time that they would learn to love each other as they were.
“To be honest, if you’d turned up on the doorstep talking about magic bells and told me that Santa Klaus was real? I probably would’ve called the cops,” Juliet chuckled, resting her hand over her mom’s.
“Enough tears,” Eloise said, tipping her head back. “Now, I’ll make the drinks and find that tape. We are celebrating.” She rose from the couch, leaving Juliet with the certificate.
She looked again at her new name. Of all the emotions swirling inside, she’d never expected such relief to settle in her heart.
Christmas EveMorning
The smell of coffee woke Juliet up. For a moment, she didn’t know where the hell she was, until she recalled all that had happened the night before.I must’ve fallen asleep while we were watching the movie.She pulled the cream blanket off her legs and went to the bathroom to wash up.
