Page 176 of The Holiday Fakers
“Oh,” Mom continues. “But youwilldiscuss it?—”
“Erica …” Dad says, more firmly this time.
“Yes, yes. Sorry,” she mumbles, then folds wrapping paper in her lap as if nothing just happened.
“Grandma wants more grandkids,” Martha says to Marv. “And Aunt Piper and Uncle Brody are her best bet.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. But next year, when my new mommy arrives, she’ll have a baby with Daddy, and I’ll get a little sister.”
“What?” Dad stops in his tracks, and I remember he was out of the room when Martha told us about her wish at the Hideaway Spring.
“I’m quitting my job and my apartment in Brooklyn to move to New Zealand with Brody,” I say loudly. “The showrunners offered me a job as a concept artist on the production, and I’ve accepted.”
The room erupts—Mom crying, Mia whooping, and most others clapping or cheering. Martha scans the room, trying to decide how to react, while Brody gazes at me like I’m his entire universe.
“Oh, honey, I’m so happy for you!” Mom cries, rushing over to envelop me in a tight hug. “You have to tell us everything!”
Excitement bubbles out of me like champagne from a shaken bottle as I recount how the showrunners reached out after fans went wild for my drawings.
“And so they should,” Harper says with a proud smile. “You’re truly gifted.”
Everyone is thrilled, and their love and support make me even more excited about the future.
Presents are forgotten as I’m bombarded with questions. I thought Mom would be upset about me being away from Hideaway so long, but she seems to think this means I’ll be home more than when I was working in Brooklyn.
“Your mom’s right,” Mia says. “You’ll have more time off, so we’ll see more of you, not less.”
“Yay! And you’ll be right next door to us!” Martha says, clearly picturing New Zealand as just another neighboring state, like New Hampshire.
“We can chat more at dinner,” I say. “We’re forgetting the presents.”
“Yes,” Martha agrees, grabbing Dad’s hand. “Come along, Santa.”
I sit back down, and Brody puts his arm around me, pulling me close. Contentment runs through my veins like warm molasses. I’ve got the best family and friends, and now, the best boyfriend, too.
He unwraps the Christmas tree ornament I bought him at the market like it’s the most precious gift he’s ever received, his face lighting up with a smile.
“Thank you. I love it.” Then he pulls a flat package from behind the couch and hands it to me.
“What’s this? You’ve already given me all my presents.”
“This is an extra surprise my elf friend and I have been working on.”
“Your elf friend?” I glance around the room. Marv looks innocent enough, but Mia wears a knowing grin. “What did you do?” I ask.
She shrugs. “The usual—was awesome and made people’s dreams come true. Same old, same old.”
It feels like a hardback book, but when I tear off the paper, I gasp, then burst out laughing.
It’s a photo book, and the cover is the picture Mia took of Brody and me at the town dance, right after I told him about the New Zealand job. We’re grinning at the camera like we might burst with happiness, our hair tousled and lipstick smudged around our mouths.
“Oh, Aunt Piper …” Martha says, wrinkling her nose. “You look like clowns.”
“Very happy clowns,” I reply, smiling, before opening the book.
It’s a collection of every photo taken of us since we arrived in Hideaway Harbor as fake boyfriend and girlfriend: the first-night family photo, the calendar reveal at The Perfect Package, us hugging at Love at First Sip, our first kiss in the town square during the carols.
