Page 71 of Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges
“The IRS doesn’t take holidays off.” I turned back to my screen. “Neither do quarterly reports.”
“Pretty sure even Santa’s accountants get Christmas Eve off.” She padded across the room in fuzzy snowflake socks. “Come on, Scrooge. The spreadsheets will still be there tomorrow… well, in a few days, because you arenotworking tomorrow.”
I caught her hand as she reached for my laptop. “Just one more hour.”
“That’s what you said an hour ago.” She pouted, and I had to force myself not to stare at her lips. “Fine. Be boring. But don’t come investigating when you hear strange noises.”
That got my attention. “What strange noises?”
She just smiled mysteriously and disappeared, leaving behind the faint scent of cinnamon and vanilla that seemed to follow her everywhere lately.
Twenty minutes later, I heard giggling coming from the direction of the living room. When I poked my head out of my wing of the house, Emery was setting bags from a craft store on the coffee table, and Max and Levi were watching her with their arms crossed.
I returned to my office before I could get roped into whatever Christmas chaos she was planning. But my concentration was shot. Every laugh or mysterious noise had me wondering what she was up to.
When Max’s deep chuckle joined the mix, followed by Levi’s distinct “Oh hell no,” my curiosity finally won out.
I found them all sitting around the coffee table. Emery had transformed it into some kind of craft station. Newspaper covered the surface and supplies were arranged with a surprising organization that appealed to my need for order.
“Finally!” Emery beamed at me. “Join us.”
I stared at the array of crafting supplies spread across the coffee table, my eyes immediately drawn to the offensive amount of glitter tubes. “Absolutely not. That’s a biohazard waiting to happen.”
“Too late.” Emery wiggled her fingers at me, already somehow covered in silver sparkles. “The glitter has chosen you as its next victim.”
I sank down next to her, knowing resistance was futile. But when I saw the blank wooden cutouts and plastic spheres waiting to be decorated, my throat tightened unexpectedly. My fingers traced the edge of a wooden star, memories flooding back from when I was younger.
“I thought...” Emery’s voice was suddenly soft and uncertain. “Maybe we could make this a tradition? Making ornaments on Christmas Eve?” She glanced at me, then quickly added, “If that’s okay. We don’t have to if-”
“No.” I grabbed her hand. “It’s perfect.”
Max reached across the table, squeezing my shoulder, while Levi nodded, understanding in his eyes. We’d all lost people and traditions, but maybe it was time to build new ones.
“Well then.” Emery cleared her throat, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Let’s see what kind of artistic disasters we can create.”
Levi immediately grabbed the biggest tree cutout and every tube of glitter available. “Go big or go home, baby.”
“You literally are home.” Max carefully selected paints and a small brush. He was already sketching something on his ornament with the precision of a surgeon.
I started hesitantly with a bell shape, but soon found myself completely absorbed. It was relaxing and soon I had it finished.
“What the hell is that supposed to be?” I eyed Levi’s creation with horror.
“It’s obviously a Christmas tree doing the Macarena while wearing a disco ball.” He added another layer of holographic glitter.
“Obviously.” Emery’s own ornament was covered in what appeared to be every color in existence, somehow working despite the chaos. “Because that’s a totally normal Christmas scene.”
“Says the woman whose ornament looks like a rainbow exploded.” I kissed her cheek.
“At least mine doesn’t look like it came with an engineering degree.” She nodded at my meticulously painted bell with its precise geometric patterns.
“And what about Max’s?” Levi wiggled his eyebrows. “Getting a little romantic there, buddy?”
Max had painted a detailed scene of the four of us decorating the Christmas tree, captured in miniature with stunning detail.
“That’s...” Emery’s voice wavered. “That’s beautiful, Max.”
“Show off,” Levi muttered, but he was smiling.
