Page 51 of Holly Jolly Heresy
“It’s not finished yet,” Molly explained. “Sabrina said it could take up to a week for the clay to dry properly and then I have to glaze everything, and until they finish drying they’re too fragile to move. But I didn’t want to wait a week for you to see it, so I went out this morning to borrow Kyla’s camera. I was going to bring you a picture after Mass this morning.” His throat worked as he swallowed repeatedly, his eyes locked on the dining room table, but he hadn’t said anything. “Of course, now I know you wouldn’t have been at Mass anyway.”
“You made me a nativity scene?” he asked, cutting off her rambling.
Her stomach fluttered and she pointed at each of the ill-formed, half-dried clay sculptures in turn. “Mary and Joseph are Santa and Mrs. Claus. There are reindeer mixed in with the cows. It’s a little hard to tell because only Sabrina really knows how to sculpt and Tessa said it wasn’t all that different from modeling chocolate, but Jo, Kyla, and I struggled. Anyway, that is supposed to be baby Jesus wearing a Santa hat.”
“Are those elves wearing angel wings?”
She nodded. “They’re the wisemen. I wanted to show you, we can make it work. I know I won’t always understand, but your faith is one of the things I love about you, Caleb. We can find a way to blend the secular and the sacred. At least, I’d really like to try.”
He tore his eyes away from the chaotic nativity scene, his brow furrowed. “But you quit your job.”
“I’m in love with a priest. How could I keep working for the Church that says I shouldn’t love you?”
He cupped her jaw, his eyes softening. “You love your job.”
“I love my students. That doesn’t change, even if I’m not their teacher anymore. I’ll find a new job. One where I don’t spend all day trying to protect my students from rules I don’t agree with.”
“Jo said you’re leaving…”
“Jo is convinced she needs to find a new roommate because I’m going to want to live with you instead.” She smiled. “She’s not wrong.”
His eyes darted between hers. “What about Boston?”
She shook her head. “I turned them down. I am officially unemployed.” Her smile matched his own.
“That makes two of us.”
He pulled her into his arms, holding her close and burying his nose in her hair. She turned her face into his neck, breathing in the pine and sandalwood scent of his skin. It smelled like Christmas miracles. Like home.
“I don’t want space, Caleb,” she said, fisting her hands in the back of his shirt. “I want you. I was scared. I’m sorry.”
He breathed in deeply, exhaled slowly, the rise and fall of his ribs against her chest a comfort. “Last night, when you didn’t come to Mass—”
“I’m sorry.”
“Shh. There’s nothing to forgive. When you didn’t come, I found myself praying, harder than I’ve prayed in years. And do you know what happened?” He pulled away to look at her and she shook her head, searching his eyes. “I heard my answer, clear as day. Whether it was God, or my dad, or just my own heart—it doesn’t matter. I heard it.”
“What did it say?”
“’Believe.’” He stared into her eyes, the corners crinkling as a smile overtook his face. “I believe in you and me, Molly, the way I believe there is more to this life than I can see. Because I canfeel it. Because something that makes me feel this way can’t be wrong. I love you.”
“I love you.”
He kissed her deeply, slowly, because they had no need to rush, no need to hide. Joy overtook her as she sank into his kiss and gave herself over to the magic of loving—and being loved—by him.
“Even if I thinkDie Hardis a Christmas movie?” he teased, skating the tip of his nose against hers.
“Even then, you philistine.”
He chuckled, the sound deep and warm, like coming home or curling up in front of the fire. Like her very own Christmas miracle.
“Merry Christmas, Caleb.”
He grinned against her lips. “Merry Christmas, Molly.”
Epilogue
The following December
