Page 75 of Maybe This Christmas
Despite her not having a biological family, she’d never spent the holidays alone.Before Davis, she’d flown to Texas to spend the holidays with Aniyah and her family.Still, she’d always had that hollow place where she missed the feeling of family she’d never had.
She decided to embrace her aloneness.On Christmas Eve morning, she left the apartment early for breakfast.A few flakes of snow drifted past her on her way to her local coffee shop.
An odd sort of melancholy tugged at her as she walked.No matter what, nothing about this neighborhood would be local to her after next week.She’d always felt a little out of place here, even after she’d committed to marrying into this life with Davis.
She looked down at her empty ring finger.Funny how she hadn’t really noticed its absence while she was at Sky House.
She didn’t really miss it now.Perhaps the certainty that came with living with Davis.Even though he’d told her she wouldn’t have to work when they’d moved to New York, she never would’ve taken him up on that offer.Her gut instincts would’ve never let her fully depend on anyone but herself.
Obviously, her gut instinct had been right about that.She could only imagine the shenanigans he’d have pulled if she’d moved to New York and changed her mind before he’d gotten her down the aisle.
She hunkered down in the corner of the café with her coffee and croissant.Instrumental Christmas music played in the background.Several staff members wore Santa hats.She felt a pang of longing for the Christmas she’d given up when she fled Sky House.
She’d taken the coward’s way out.She knew that.But wasn’t it best that way?Caleb probably would’ve tried to come up with a plan to help her out.Or, god forbid, loan her money or something.That wouldn’t solve the issue—making her beholden to him.That was exactly what she was hoping to avoid.
She brushed off those thoughts and began working on her résumé, sending requests for references to colleagues and old bosses, updating her career-focused social media, and scouring for jobs.With it being the holidays, she didn’t expect to hear much until January.But she felt better knowing those emails were on their way.
The job market was discouraging.She’d been at her last job for nearly five years.It seemed as if the job search had changed almost completely since then.Jobs paid less but wanted you to do even more for your wage.
She reached into her bag, pulling out a brightly colored to-do list notepad.She added the following to her list—
Search for a recruiter??
Look into Master’s degree programs??
Work in a stationery shop?
The first two options failed to enthuse her, and the third wouldn’t pay the bills.But having options was the way forward.By the time she left the café, it was mid-afternoon.Not in a huge hurry to return to Davis’ cold condo, she decided to stop at the grocery store to get the ingredients for a holiday dinner.
Just because she was alone that didn’t mean that she couldn’t be festive.Besides, she was used to making the best out of a bad situation by now.
* * * *
“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
After he’d ended the phone call with Aniyah, Caleb had swept into action.He wasn’t in his right mind.That’s why he’d asked his mom for help with his plan.
It wasn’t his fault.She was standing at the front desk and noticed him “whirling around like one of those Turkish dancers,” in her words.Somehow, that had turned into Lainey roping in the rest of the biddies.Babs, Inez, Tiffany, Tinesha, and the newest and most reluctant biddie, Sabrina’s former roommate, Eleanor, were all in favor of ditching their families on Christmas Eve to help with his hair-brained plan.
Well, to be fair, it wasAniyah’splan.He was just following it.He had no idea if Emma would embrace him or slam the door in his face.
Aniyah knew Emma better than anyone.She was sure it was the former.But even if it was the latter, he could say that he tried.He’d never force someone to be with him.She was running scared, thanks to Davis’ threat.He hoped she’d see that they were in this together.Whatever help she needed, he’d be there to support her.
So now, he was circling Emma’s block, desperately looking for street parking that would fit the van, trying to ignore their bickering behind him.
“Aniyah says there’s a garage around the corner.Just park there.You’re never going to find street parking at this time of day, not even on a holiday,” Inez said.
“Yeah, and it’s probably forty bucks an hour,” Caleb muttered to himself.
“Now is not the time to be miserly, Caleb,” Babs cut in.
He turned to his mother in the passenger’s seat.“I still don’t know how all of you didn’t have plans tonight.”
“Look, Christmas is every year.There will never be another opportunity for us to see you make a romantic gesture like this,” Lainey replied.
“Or see me make an idiot out of myself.”He flicked on the turn signal as they approached the parking garage.“I swear to god, if I see any of you with your phones out, or god forbid, startgoing livewhen we see Emma, I will flip my shit.”
“Language,” Lainey chided.
