Page 12 of Stay this Christmas
Seemed a rosy view, considering the only change I’d made so far was admitting that Ineededa change. Still kind of a big deal, though.
“Wow. Everyone’s so serious,” Eliza said. “I was thinking she’d conquer her fears by riding a motorcycle or something.”
She scribbled away, but when she went on writing for too long, I peeked again.
“Naked Twister?” I screeched.
Over on their couch, Eden and June laughed at Eliza’s saucy suggestion.
My youngest sister’s haughty expression reflected zero remorse. “You said you want to learn some new skills.”
“Cross that off.”
She drew a line through her improvisation, and wroteKiss a stranger. Hardly an improvement.
“Eliza!”
“Would you rather it saidKiss an old friend?”
Of course she would circle back to Sam. “It’s not supposed to bethatkind of a list.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “How aboutKiss someone under the mistletoe?”
My instinct was to tell her no way, but I closed my mouth. Mistletoe would be unavoidable throughout Magnolia Ridge. I could probably cross that one off tomorrow if I walked slowly enough through town and didn’t get too choosy. Nobody said the kiss had to mean anything.
“I guess it can stay.”
“Anything else?” June asked.
I thought for a minute. “How about…make a new friend under sixty.”
Couldn’t think of the last time I’d spent quality time with someone other than the three women in this room. Probably had something to do with the wholenot leaving my house except for workthing.
“Sounds perfect,” Eden said.
Eliza handed the paper to me with a flourish. “There. Your list of things to do before your birthday at the end of the month.”
She’d writtenHarper’s New-Me Listacross the top. I read through the items, excitement mixing with a hint of dread with each addition. “This is a lot to do in a few weeks.”
I’d been slipping deeper into the predictability of my routine for the last couple of years—suddenly, I thought I could just shift gears and tackle all of this in twenty-five days? Dread overtook excitement, and my stomach seized up.
“It’s ten things.” Eliza batted away my concerns. “Anyway, you can always double up on some of them. Combine getting out of Magnolia Ridge with naked Twister.”
She gave me a slow wink, and laughter bubbled out of me against my will. Eliza could be a flirty goof, but I loved her.
“I get it, I get it. I’ll see what I can do.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“With everything else, I mean.”
Her eyebrows fell again. “I swear, I’m the only fun one in this family.”
Eden chucked a throw pillow, hitting Eliza’s shoulder. “We’re all fun. And we’re all behind you, Harper, whatever you need.”
“Thanks, guys. Now, let’s watch that hot ghost fall in love.”
I swiveled my chair to have a better view of the TV, but my eyes stayed glued to the list in my lap. Just ten things. I could do this.
