Page 89 of The Santa Rules
“It was your idea,” Isaac says.
“This is so cool. Can I customize my tier to include anything I want?”
“You can,” Isaac says, grabbing the phone and walking her through the other parts of the app. He’s so excited to show it off, talking animatedly about it, and I can’t help but tear up a little. “And there are message boards to connect with other parents, share recipes, and find volunteer opportunities.”
She turns to me. “This has everything we talked about that night in the bar. And more. You listened to everything we said, and you made it real.”
“It’s the magic of Santa, and you’ve been a good girl?—”
“Gross, guys.”
“Wasn’t being dirty that time.” I laugh and then continue. “You are so good to others, and you deserve some of that goodness to come back to you. And this is a great way to share your idea and spread the magic of Santa with everyone.”
“Thank you,” Bella says, pulling me and Isaac into a three-person hug.
“This is the best Christmas ever!” Avery squeals as she runs over to us in her princess dress.
Bella is beaming ear to ear as I scoop Avery in my arms, and she gives me a big hug.
“And I got everything I asked Santa for.”
“You asked him for the princess palace, I take it?”
She nods enthusiastically. “But I also asked him for another gift. A secret one.”
“What was that?” Bella asks, coming up beside us. She leans into my side and I wrap an arm around her waist.
“I asked Santa for a family. And we’re like a family. We do stuff together, like Christmas.”
Oh, my fucking heart. I love this little girl so much. And the life we’ve created. And the family the four of us have forged.
EPILOGUE
Bella
“Is it supposed to be this bumpy?” I ask nervously as we reach our cruising altitude.
“I can’t believe you’ve never been on a plane before,” Hardy says as he squeezes my hand over Avery’s seat.
“I’ve been on a plane before, but not many. And none this bumpy.” I clamp down on his hand. I’m trying to sound brave so I don’t scare Avery, but I’m failing miserably, and I’m worried I won’t make the two-and-a-half-hour flight without shedding some tears.
My fear of flying was always a point of contention with my ex, and we would only take trips that were within driving distance. Or he and Isaac would travel without me. But I’m determined to overcome this and try new things with Hardy.
Isaac threads his hand between the window and the seat in front of me, and I grab it with my other hand, thankful for both of my guys.
“It’s only bumpy over the mountains, then it gets better,” Avery says, leaning against my arm.
“Great, even the six-year-old is braver than me,” I say with a self-deprecating laugh.
“I think you’re incredibly brave,” Hardy says. “I know how hard this must be for you, but you’re doing it anyway. That’s brave.”
Huffing out a breath, I silently agree and focus on my breathing. I’m not sure what’s got my nerves so twisted, but it likely goes back to my accident with my mom. I get nervous when driving in the snow, and apparently nervous in the sky.
Once we clear the mountains, the ride does get smoother, and just as I’m getting relaxed and comfortable, we start our descent into Los Angeles.
Hardy planned a trip to California for us while we’re on summer break. I’m pretty sure it was Avery who begged to go to Disneyland until he finally relented. It’s our first trip out of the state together as a family, and I couldn’t be more excited. Well, except for the flying part.
When we land, and I kiss the ground for a solid five minutes—figuratively, of course, because ew, gross—we take a rental car and head out to explore the city.
