Page 108 of 12 Days of Mistletoe

“Yes. And we love Bonnie,” Marlene says.

“Yeah.” Jackson wraps an arm around Evelyn and chuckles. “I wouldn’t have fessed up.”

“Very sweet of you,” Jocelyn says.

Elliot shakes his head. “What about the part where we really are together now?”

“We kind of figured you were,” Evelyn says, shrugging one shoulder.

“Figured how?”

“Dude, you made out at your grandma’s party.” Parker laughs. “That’s either real or nuts.”

“Yeah, that couldn’t have been fake,” Jackson says, still laughing.

And while I don’t know how to feel about this new development, I’m not anxious. They knew. No one hates me. In fact, Marlene said they love me.

“Gran,” Elliot moans. “What was the purpose? Why did you tell them all and still make Bonnie and I go through the motions? Why am I always left in the dark?”

“Oh stop,” May says with the wave of her hand. “You enjoyed every single motion. Besides, I knew you were right for one another. I told you that. I just needed to help get this ball rolling. Had it been up to you, you’d have taken your sweet time, and we still wouldn’t have our Bonnie.”

Our Bonnie.In a strange way, I feel so wanted by everyone in this room. Despite Elliot’s annoyance with his family, I feel his desire for me too. It’s a new sensation, one I’ll never get used to.

He has seen me at my best and at my worst. And he’s still here.

I slink my hand back into his and peer over at him. “We’re good,” I tell him. “They know. That’s all we wanted.”

“Right,” he says, but his cheeks are flushed, and Noel has planted herself right between his legs, her head on his thigh. Still, he peers from his family to me, and every wrinkle of his scowl softens. He sighs, leaning close. He presses a kiss to my temple and pats Noel’s head.

“Well, that won’t do. All those lessons and you’re kissingher head?” Gran digs into her purse sitting on her lap and pulls out something green and plastic and— “I’ve kept this on hand since we began, just in case.” She tosses the fake garland of mistletoe to Elliot. “Kiss her like you mean it, Elliot!”

And he does.

epilogue

BONNIE

My dress flowsaround my legs. My new high heels pinch my toes and make me long for some slippers. I will be taking these shoes off before the night ends. That’s a promise.

Jocelyn and Evelyn sit in front of me in this dressing room. They don’t see me. I’m not even sure they know I’ve arrived at the church. They’ve been so kind to me, and they’ve welcomed me into their family with open arms despite the mess Elliot’s ex made. Despite the fact that we started out pretending.

“I’m not worried. Are you worried?” Jocelyn says to Evelyn.

“Of course I’m worried. Between the two of us, I am the worrier,” Evelyn says. “This is all just so sudden—don’t you think?”

“It is,” Jocelyn says, rubbing her hands together. “But I think they love each other.”

She isn’t wrong. I may be new at love, but I can honestly say that I now know what love is.

“But a New Year’s wedding? Why not date a little longer?”

My brows knit—and I decide I better make myself known. “Hey,” I say, walking up behind the pair.

“Oh, Bonnie! Hey, we didn’t see you there,” Evelyn says, a hand on her non-existent baby bump.

“I noticed.” I grin at the pair—for once, I’m not the anxious one in the room. “Stop stressing, you two. It’s going to be fine.” Calming someone else’s nerves is new for me. But I don’t feel nervous today. I don’t feel anxious at all. Just happy. These New Year’s plans were a surprise for me and Elliot too, but I’m so grateful to be here.

“Where’s Noel? Maybe I need her.” Evelyn peers around me.

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