Page 6 of Grumpy Girl and Poinsettias

The paramedics start asking people to move back.

He grabs my hand and squeezes. “I hate doctors and hospitals. Please…”

“But, I have to…” I’m torn at what I need to do.

Mari kneels in front of me. “Hey, Noel, we were at Sip Happens when someone came in and told us what happened. Are you okay?”

I’m so thrown by everything that I can only nod.

The EMTs come in and take over, assessing my hero.

“I’ll take care of cleaning everything up,” Mari says.

I stand up and face Mari. “I’m so sorry. This guy snuck in, and I was watering the ferns. I rounded,” I start to re-live the experience and my chest hiccups, “the corner. He had a weapon in his jacket,” I wail the last sentence and her eyes widen.

Mari envelopes me in her arms and holds me tight. “It’s okay. Breathe, Noel. Breathe. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”

“I don’t know if I should go with him. He wants me to. He’s the only reason the money got knocked out of his hands.”

Mari chooses for me. “How about you go, and we’ll clean up, then I’ll drive your car to the hospital? Croix can pick me up.” Croix being her new boyfriend who always comes in to help change out the lightbulbs. I’m sure Mari could do it, but it’s like she enjoys the help from him.

Overwhelmed, I ask, “You sure?”

The man is loaded into the back of the ambulance. His hazel eyes lock on mine.

“Go. He saved the business and maybe you.” She shakes her head. “Noel, if that robber turned back, he could’ve hurt you. Please don’t ever do that again.”

“But he stole—”

Mari pulls me into another hug. “You are always worth more than whatever is in that drawer. Money is money. There is only one Noel.”

My eyes mist up, and the tears roll over the edge. “The last place I worked at fired me when money was stolen.

Mari squeezes me. “We’re not firing you, but you are taking off the next couple of days. You need to decompress from this, maybe even talk to somebody.”

I will.

Croix, Mari’s boyfriend, hands me my bag and helps me with my coat. As soon as my arms are in the sleeves, I realize how cold I was. The coat is like a hot pad against my body.

“Thank you, Mari… Croix.”

Together they chime, “Merry Christmas, Noel.”

I run over to the back of the ambulance and get it.

“You’re his girlfriend, right?” the EMT asks while taking some vitals.

“Yes.”

They are setting him up on monitors and holding gauze to his head where there’s a small break in his skin.

My hero’s head lifts as I slide closer to him. I get lost in his eyes again.

“Hi. I’m Evan.”

I smile. “I’m Noel.”

The EMT stops. “I thought you said—you know what… doesn’t matter. Not my circus, and not my monkeys. Merry Christmas.”

---