Page 41 of Not Like Christmas At All
“So? Miller and I fell in love in a week,” Zee says nonchalantly, popping a roasted carrot into her mouth.
“I—we—” Gen stammers.
Sliding my hand under the table, I lace our fingers together, squeezing gently. “You’re the exception, Zee. Not the rule. Some people need more than a week to fall in love, but to answer your question—yes, Idohave very strong feelings for Gen.”
Our conversation quickly shifts after that to resolutions for the new year, and finally, to wedding planning.
Gen rests her head on her hand, staring dreamily at the glittering diamond settled on Zee’s ring finger. Miller proposed on Christmas, and the girls have been gushing over the proposal on and off through dinner.
“So.” Zee clears her throat. “We know we’ve only been engaged for, like, a minute, but Miller and I have something we want to ask each of you.”
She looks over at Miller, who grins at his fiancée. “This may come as a shock to both of you, but you two are the most important people in each of our lives. This relationship better work out between you guys because?—”
“Because we want you to be our maid of honor and best man!” Zee finishes for him, too excited to let Miller finish his sentence.
Gen shrieks with excitement, launching out of her chair. It scrapes against the floor, toppling over, but neither of the girls notice. Her and Zee collide in an embrace, full of bouncing and squealing.
Miller and I shake our heads, then pull each other into an embrace of our own. “Of course I’ll be your best man.”
“Good,” he says, clapping me on the back. “‘Cuz I don’t have a brother. Or friends. So it’s you, or no one.”
“Wow, I’m so honored to be your only option.”
Later, when the girls have dried their tears and Miller and I have cleaned up from dinner, we get comfortable in Gen’s living room with a stack of board games.
After several rounds of Cards Against Humanity, HeadBandz, and even a round of Life, Gen turns the TV on. We all stand as the pre-recorded ball drop ticks down, the last two minutes of this year vanishing before our eyes.
My heart hammers in my chest, excitement and nerves melding together. Gen leans against me, and I wrap my arms around her waist, swaying gently as we wait.
The countdown reaches thirty seconds.
Then twenty.
Zee and Miller are in their own world as they watch the countdown. I turn Gen in my arms, guiding hers around my neck.
Kissing her softly, I let the world fade away just as I hear Zee shout, “Ten!”
“It’s too fast for ‘I love you’s’,” I whisper against her lips, “but I want you to know how much you mean to me, Genesis.”
“Seven!”
“There’s nothing more important to me than you, and I know it’s crazy, but I mean it when I say I’ll never let you go. Next year, or whenever you’re ready, it’ll be us asking them to be in our wedding party?—”
“Four!”
“—Because make no mistake, Gen. You and I are forever.”
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
Miller and Zee erupt into cheers, but all I hear is Gen’s soft whisper of my name as tears fill her eyes.
Bending slightly, I lift her effortlessly into my arms. Her legs wrap around my hips as I cradle her.
Then I steal her first kiss of the new year, kissing her slow and deep—like a silent promise that I’ll always be hers.
Like she’s my beginning, my end, my forever.
Like she’s already my wife.
