Page 78 of Holly Ever After

Guilt swells in my chest as I nod in agreement.

“And you, son,” she takes my hand, “are a complete fool.”

What the fuck?

“Don’t look at me like that. Like a complete moron. You’re smart, but sometimes you are utterly stupid.”

“Jesus, thanks. Please tell me what I did this time?”

“I might be struggling with my memory, but my eyesight is just fine.”

She stays silent as if waiting for me to catch on. I arch a brow.

I’m clueless.

“Holly. The way you look at that girl. The way you’ve always looked at her.”

My heart thuds, and I'm momentarily speechless. “Ma, you're imagining things.”

She rolls her eyes, a grin pulling at the corners of her lips. “I may have not been the best mother, but I know my son. And I can still recognize the tension between two people. You practically burn holes in each other with those glares.”

“So, what are you saying?” I chuckle nervously, trying to divert her from the road she's traveling down.

“I'm saying that sometimes the line between love and hate is very thin. So thin that you could cross it without even realizing. It’s like you’re both a powder keg, just waiting for the right spark, the right moment. And then—boom!—everything changes, and all that tension turns into something far more volatile...or something far more beautiful.”

I look into her eyes, and it feels like I'm the one who's been seen, like she's looking into the very depths of my soul. It's both comforting and disconcerting.

“You're talking like a poet.”

She squeezes my hand. “You two might have your differences, maybe even deep grudges, but sometimes those passionate feelings can flip into something else, something you might not be ready to face but perhaps should.”

My mind goes back to last night, to the feel of Holly's lips on mine, the way her body melded into mine, and then how she looked at me with her stormy eyes afterward.

My mother gives me a knowing look. “You don’t have to lie to me. But whatever is going on, don't mess it up. Don’t let your fears dictate your actions. If there’s a chance for something real with her, don’t let it slip away. You might regret it for the rest of your life.”

I swallow hard. I've had my fair share of regret, and the thought of adding Holly to that list terrifies me.

I don’t say anything, but she knows I understand.

She smiles, her eyes filled with a blend of mischief and wisdom that only a mother could muster. “Good. Now, let's see if these doctors are any good.”

Thirty-One

Holly

“Jackie, for the love of God, we are not buying inflatable elves for the lawn!”

“Why the hell not? They're cute, festive, and they'll make your Mom’s house the talk of the town.” She pouts while holding up two ludicrously large inflatable elves, each grinning as if they know a secret you don't.

“Those things are the stuff of nightmares.” I try to navigate around a mountain of tinsel that someone abandoned in the middle of the aisle.

My mom, ever the diplomat, chimes in, “How about we compromise and just go for some extra lights instead?”

Jackie considers this, deflates a little—much like I hope those elves will—and then nods. “Fine, but I'm holding both of you responsible if we lose the unspoken but intensely serious neighborhood Christmas decoration war.”

“It's a burden we'll have to bear.”

We're at Gary's Seasonal Wonderland, the all-year-round holiday store that has somehow managed to stay in business in our small town for over a decade. I’ve always loved this store, but my feet are aching after a morning of gift shopping.

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