Page 29 of Home for the Holidays

Iris remembered the embarrassment of her first high school crush all too well. She was a senior, and Chanel was a sophomore. They were in the end-of-year musical together. Iris was never an amazing singer, but she could act. Chanel, on the other hand, had a magnificent voice. Listening to her sing made Iris’s insides melt. They became fast friends—inseparable, actually. She had had to dodge quite a few questions from her mom about their friendship.

Why are you two so close?

What about your other friends?

What about your guy friends? Y’know, the one you said you liked?

Don’t you think it’s weird to hang out with a sophomore when you’re a senior?

How do her parents feel about this?

Are you sure there’s nothing else going on? I’m concerned.

Ugh.

The relationship ended when Iris dropped Chanel off at her house after a night of hanging out. The electricity in the air was hard to forget, and the way they had looked at each other for a second and a half too long was something Iris continued to kick herself about. She, stupidly, had done the same thing as Zac. She had freaked out and immediately stopped hanging out with Chanel. Unfortunately, she hadn’t had the decency to send her a letter.

As they waited for Evan to arrive, Iris’s eyes landed on the picture frame on the side table next to the couch: Oscar, Adrien, Zac, and their mom.Heidi. How apropos was it that the first woman to ever literally take her breath away was someone she had absolutely no chance in hell with. It perfectly topped off her relationship history. Of all the stupid things Iris had ever done in her life, it was always getting hung up on an unattainable older woman that took the cake.

Her therapist was going to have a lot to unpack at their monthly session in January. She laughed to herself as she pictured Dr. Fields’s face when she told her how she had engaged in a faux relationship and ended up crushing hardcore on her faux boyfriend’s mom.

“What are we watching?” Heidi’s voice startled her, and Iris jumped.

“Good god,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Heidi said with a laugh. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Iris could see her in the reflection of a mirror hanging on the wall next to the TV. She was standing behind the couch, behind Iris, and all she could focus on was the fact that her hands were resting on the cushion next to her head.

“A Christmas Carol, Gramma,” Nora whispered. “Shh.”

“Oh, sorry, sweetheart,” Heidi said as she moved around the couch and sat on the seat next to Iris. “Is this the one with Mickey?”

“Gramma, yes. Please, no talking,” Nora said with a huff.

Iris chuckled as Heidi pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key. She aimed her attention back to the movie, to Scrooge McDuck and his wake-up call from Jacob “Goofy” Marley. When Iris heard Heidi’s small chuckle, she tried to, as nonchalantly as possible, turn her head so she could look at her, at her hair, which was still perfectly curled. She’d changed out of her button-down from earlier and was wearing a black turtleneck sweater. It was tight across her chest, and when she breathed in and out, Iris’s eyes were drawn to the way the sweater hugged her, to her angled jawline, her chiseled cheekbones, her perfect nose, her black-framed glasses. How was it possible that this woman was so fuckingstriking? Everything about her was captivating. Even the way she clearly hadn’t relaxed—her left hand was balled into a fist. The desire to touch her was so strong, but that would be insanely stupid. They were nowhere near that level of closeness, nor would they ever be. In a few days, Iris would go back to her sad, lonely life in New York City and never come back. She’d leave all of this newfound excitement in the dust, including Heidi and her intriguing, well, herintriguing everything. They wouldn’t have a friendship. They wouldn’t sit and talk for hours. They wouldn’t discuss their pasts or find out what made each of them tick.

As Scrooge McDuck peered into Fezziwig’s Christmas party, Iris could tell that Nora had fallen asleep on her. Her little body felt like lead.

“Heidi?” she whispered, and when Heidi snapped her head toward Iris as if she’d been waiting for that very moment, something inside her leaped for joy. “Is she asleep?”

The smile that came across Heidi’s face was stunning.“Oh, yeah. She has passed out. Do you want me to take her?”

“I can take her to her bed if you’re okay with that.”

“Of course,” she whispered as she stood. “I’ll show you where it is.”

CHAPTERTWELVE

Heidi watched as Iris placed Nora’s small body on the bed with care. Nora didn’t usually cling to anyone new, so it was a good sign that she had fallen asleep on Iris. Iris had to be a good person—why else would Zac be interested in her? Or, at least, that’s what Heidi told herself. When she realized that Nora’s little hands were twisted in Iris’s dark hair, she sprang into action and helped untangle her small fingers, making sure to not pull. Nora didn’t stir at all.

“She likes you,” she whispered once she finished.

“She’s a very cute kid.”

Heid glanced at Iris in the dimly lit room, at the way the corner of her mouth was pulling upward. “She latched onto you.”

“Kids always love me for some reason.”

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