Page 40 of The Holiday Disaster

The emcee was announcing something on the stage, but it sounded muffled to us since we were too far away and the music blaring from the speakers had overshadowed the voice.

We walked toward the stage to see the emcee stepping off and a band getting ready to start their set. They began with a rock rendition of a popular Christmas song.

Everyone scattered from the stage, spreading out on the main square with the large Christmas tree in the middle as they danced their hearts out. I turned and held a hand out to Ethan. “May I have this dance?”

He laughed and placed his hand in mine as he pulled me to the free area around the Christmas tree that had become the dance floor. Neither of us were particularly good at dancing, but we still busted out all the moves we did have. It didn’t matter that we probably looked ridiculous. We were laughing and having fun as we danced in each other’s arms.

The song quickly ended with the band beginning another one, but Ethan pulled me off the dance floor. “I need a break and a drink,” he said, his breath coming out in short huffs. He tugged at the red scarf he was wearing, revealing pink skin underneath.

“You’ll catch a cold,” I said, rearranging the scarf back on his neck. I led him to one of the benches next to the Christmas tree and nudged him to sit. “Wait here. I’ll get us something to drink.”

“I’ll come with you,” he said as he stood, but I pushed him back on the bench.

“I’ll go. I want to take care of you.” He finally nodded at my words. The happy smile that had his face blushing was too alluring as I bent down to give his cheek a peck. “I’ll be right back,” I said before heading toward the drink booths.

Jim’s farm had a drinks booth set up selling their hot chocolate, so it was a no brainer that I headed over there. They did have the best hot chocolate in the state, after all.

There was understandably a long line. I pulled out my phone to entertain myself while I waited, when a figure caught the corner of my eye.

Austin was standing to the side of the booth, leaning against one of the tall poles that hung the speakers as he drank his hot drink and stared to the front of him.

“Austin!” I called out, waving at him. He glanced over, but his gaze quickly flicked back to the dance floor like he was reluctant to tear his eyes off of whatever he was looking at. With one last glance full of emotion, he broke his gaze as he walked over.

“Hey, glad you were able to make it,” I said when he came to my side. “Are you having fun?”

“Yep, it’s been a blast,” he said without any enthusiasm in his voice. He shrugged his shoulders, his gaze flicking back to the main square before falling to his shoes. I glanced back to see what could have made him so down, and the answer was obvious.

Jim was dancing by the Christmas tree with a pretty lady in his arms. They were grinding against each other like it was a dance club instead of a Christmas party.

I gave Austin a pat on the shoulder, catching his attention. “Chin up. Like they say, the Doves of Destiny will lead you to your fate, right?”

He chuckled. “That’s just a silly story used to lure tourists. No one actually believes in that stuff.”

I pulled out my keychain from my pants pockets and dangled it in front of him. “Hey, you never know. You may be surprised.”

He moved up with me in the line. There were only a couple people in front of me now. “Maybe,” was all he said before turning to the topic of our flight. I told him we were leaving tomorrow, and we added each other on social media.

“It’s your turn,” he said as we got to the front of the line. I ordered two hot chocolates, and they quickly rang me up and brought me the drinks. “Let me know if you two are ever in town again. I’ll see you later,” he called over his shoulder as he rushed off.

I stood there holding the hot chocolates as I watched him stride to the dance area. Jim had stopped dancing with the woman and was now standing there alone, looking around for something. He lit up when he saw Austin walking toward him.

I watched for a few more minutes, chuckling as Jim drew Austin into a bear hug. Jim’s actions were exaggerated and he had tripped a few times, so I had a hunch that he was either drunk or tipsy. However, the joy when he spotted Austin was unmistakable.

They laughed and hugged each other like long lost friends. It was the kind of relationship without any barriers. I knew that whatever happened between them in the future, they would be okay.

We were all growing and learning more about ourselves every day, and sometimes it was a surprise what life threw at you. If you were lucky enough to come across something precious, all you could do was grab it with both hands and cherish it.

As I walked back to where Ethan was waiting for me, I had the sense that I was walking toward my future. He stood when he caught sight of me and waved his arms as he rushed to me.

My legs sped up as well as I tried my best not to spill our drinks in my haste to get to him. Ethan’s laughter rang alongside the rock band as he crashed into my chest and held onto me tight.

It took us almost ten years to get to this moment, but here we were. And I was going to make damn sure we’d always found our way back to each other.

TWENTY-SIX

ETHAN

We sat on the bench, sipping our delicious hot chocolate and cuddling against each other as we watched the other partygoers laugh and dance. I wasn’t normally someone who liked loud places crowded with people, but the energy here was addicting, and it made it all the better that I was here with Kingsley.

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