Page 10 of Mistletoe & Magic
“FOR DAD. Eat it or we hex you. -Junie and Ivy
I let out a laugh. Then, I peel back the foil and close my eyes. Chicken casserole, and it smells like heaven.
The counters are clean, and the sink is empty. The table is bare except for a candle I don't remember owning. There are no piles of mail or dirty dishes stacked next to the sink. The floor’s been swept. Hell, the rug even has vacuum lines on it. I don’t remember the last time this room felt like something more than a space we just pass through on the way to doing something else. Right now, it feels like coming home to an actual home. Hell, she did this in one day.
I heat the food and eat standing up, one hand braced against the counter. I barely taste it. I just inhale it like a man who’s been starving and didn’t know it. Every bite unravels a little more tension from my spine. The long day melts off of me.
I finish, rinse the plate, and tuck it in the dishwasher that, somehow, is empty, all the dishes done and put away.Then I lean back against the counter, cross my arms, and look around.I thought about telling her tomorrow that I didn’t need her. That I didn’t need anyone. I should be able to take care of my house and kid.
But I need someone who can pick up the pieces when I can’t. Someone who can remember to fold the towels, keep the library books from being overdue, and make dinner that doesn’t come from a box in the freezer.
Junie needs Ivy here. She deserves this, and I know I realistically can't do it all. And it makes me mad that I can't. I wanted to give her everything and not have her feel like she was missing out on anything. But I know I can't. I can't give her the Christmas that she deserves or the home that feels like this.
I never thought help would show up like this, all light and warmth in a way that cuts right through me. She’s smart, sure, but that’s not what gets to me. It’s the way she shines, the wayIvy brings life into every room she walks into. I wonder idly what happened to her bonehead boyfriend.
Frankly, I don’t care as long as he’s gone.
I’ve caught myself watching her at her mom’s table, or in the bookstore, and sometimes I almost believe I could have that kind of brightness in my life.
But she doesn’t belong here, not in this quiet ruin I’ve made of things. Not in the wreckage of everything I’ve failed to give Junie since her mom left us. She deserves more than shadows, and that’s all I seem to have left.
But she’s here. And somehow…everything feels lighter after just one night.
I grab my phone, which I had thrown on the charger in the kitchen, and step out onto the quiet back porch. The cold slaps my face, but I like it. It helps me focus. Helps me push past the part of myself that wants to crawl back into my shell and ignore what’s happening.
I scroll to my mom's name and hit call.I know she’ll pick up because she usually stays up late writing, like the night owl that she is. That was part of the problem. Having her come here early in the morning was hard on her. No wonder she advocated for Ivy so hard. She picks up on the first ring.“I was wondering when you’d get around to thanking me,” she says, voice bright, cheerful, and entirely too smug.
“I believe you forgot to loop me into your plan,” I tell her. “I thought you were staying with Junie tonight.”
“I have a book due. Ivy stepped up.”
“You hired her without checking with me. I could’ve just taken Junie to the barn with me."
“I did it because, you know, Junie needs this. Visiting the barn occasionally is fine. But I am guessing she had a fun time with Ivy, even though you don't want to admit it. She needs tobe at home and have a routine and be on a schedule,” she says in her authoritative mom voice.
“That's not the point,” I mutter, pacing the porch. “I don’t need a stranger in my house.”
“Ivy’s not a stranger; she’s family. She’s known Junie for a long time. And more importantly?Youneed her.”
I silently fume because she’s right.
“She did lovely tonight, didn’t she?” Donna asks. “I bet she even got Junie to go brush her teeth without a fight, didn’t she? And Ivy is a wonderful cook. I bet she even made a great meal? And now Junie is fast asleep?”
I close my eyes and sigh. “Yeah. She seems good.”
“Then stop fighting it.”
“She’s not permanent,” I argue.
“She doesn’t have to be. Why can’t she stay through the holidays? Help you get your feet back under you? You’re barely getting by, Remy, and you know it. You can’t keep going like this.”
I run a hand through my hair. “I don’t want Junie to get used to someone who’s just going to leave.”
"You're overthinking this, son. It's a win-win. Ivy needs this, Junie needs this, and God knows you need this. Just embrace it," she says, sounding tired. I know she's also burning the candle at both ends right now, which is why I feel guilty that I had asked her to help so much.
I run a hand over my face and stare up at the stars.
“She’s not Sloane, sweetheart. You’ve got this farm and Junie to think about," she says quietly.
