Page 35 of Her Secret Santa

I think back to the Christmas list Allie made me write. I think I left it in my work backpack, or maybe it’s in one of my junk drawers. I’ll have to find it and start crossing things off. A jobanda laptop, all in one day. This is insane. I’ll need to call Allie as soon as I get home, but my first priority is telling my grandma the good news, and the best way to do that is in person

I took the bus here this morning, but decide to splurge on a cab to get over to the nursing home. I’m about to have alotmore money in my pocket, after all.

The morning traffic is kinder than usual, and I make it to the nursing home before lunch. I give the cabbie more of a tip than I usually would before hopping out and heading inside. The receptionist is on the phone, so we just wave at each other before I make my way down the hall toward my grandma’s room.

I knock lightly and head inside, too excited to wait for an invitation.

She’s sitting in her usual armchair, a heavy sweater draped over her frail form. Her face lights up when she sees me, and I rush in to hug her tightly.

“Clara, honey,” she says, chuckling softly. “You’re in a good mood, aren’t you?”

I pull away to take a seat in the chair beside her, positively beaming.

“I have some good news.”

“Well, spit it out,” she urges, reaching over to pat me on the knee in excitement.

“I got fired from the diner just before Thanksgiving.” She gasps in horror, her smile fading, immediately replaced with worry. “Allie got me a temp job for the holidays, so I’ve been doing fine. But today, I had an interview withHawthorne Enterprises, and I got the job! I’m going to be a graphic designer for them!”

She gapes at me for a long moment before laughing incredulously, shaking her head. I can see in her eyes that she’s not really upset with me, even if she’s going to pretend like she is.

“I wish you would’ve told me you were struggling,” she huffs. “I don’t like knowing that you work yourself to the bone like this over me.”

“I know,” I say with a soft smile.

She did everything for me growing up, it’s my chance to give back to her now. I’ll always do anything for her.

“I’m glad it all worked out,” she adds, her smile losing the scolding edge to it.

I beam at her, so grateful for her support that I can’t even begin to put it into words. She’s always been my number one fan, and she’s the reason I am who I am today. Without either of myparents around, it’s been me and her—and now Allie—against the world. I’ve always wanted to be just like her when I grow up, and everything I do is to ensure that I can be as generous and wholeheartedly kind as she is.

“Thank you, Grandma,” I say, leaning over to rest my head on her skinny shoulder. “The pay is really good, so I’ll be able to donate more to Brooke and the kids, and make sure everyone gets presents.”

Her weathered hand pats over my cheek affectionately, the metal of her wedding ring cool against my skin. She never took it off, even after my grandfather died. She always said he was her one true love, and she’d wait for him even in death.

The romanticism of it has always made my heart flutter, but I never thought I’d get anything like that.

To be fair, whatever is between my Elite and me isn’t exactly the fairy tale romance I always dreamed of. It’s not sharing milkshakes in a diner and dancing in the rain like my grandmother always told me stories about, but it’s a lot more than I expected it to be.

“You’re happy about something else, aren’t you?” she asks when I pull back.

I instantly blush, ducking my head down in a poor attempt to hide it. She’s always been able to read me like a book.

“It’s just been a good day,” I say.

Sure, I haven’t been able to keep him off my mind for more than a few hours at a time. I know the color of his eyes, the rumble of his voice, the wash of comfort that immediately surrounds me when I’m in his arms. But I don’t know his name, or anything else about him. I don’t know if he thinks about me the same way I think about him.

Even if all I ever have with him is moments in the dark hidden behind masks, I can content myself with that.

Thankfully, a knock at the door interrupts what would surely have been a full blown interrogation. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see one of the aides peek his head around the door, an easy smile on his face.

“Nora?” he asks. “Are you ready for lunch?”

Perfect timing. I still have to tell Allie about all this too.

Chapter Fifteen

ZADE

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