Page 78 of Home for the Holidays

“Everyone,” Heidi said with authority. “Listen to me, please. I am a lesbian. I’ve been into women my entire life. I’m just coming out, though. Right now. On Christmas.” She sighed. “And I’m in love with Iris.”

The entire family gasped and pivoted to look at Iris, who suddenly felt as small as possible. She twisted her face and held up her hand to wave. “Hi,” she said softly.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Zac was, unsurprisingly, outraged. “What thefuck?”

“Can you watch your language around Nora, please?” Karen asked softly. “I know we’re all having a moment, but, y’know, she’s only six.”

“I’ve heard that word before, Mommy,” Nora whispered. Iris lost the fight against the small smile tugging at her lips. She covered her mouth as nonchalantly as possible.

“Iris, what is my mother talking about?” Zac was glaring at her now, which made hiding her smile even more necessary.

“Zac—”

He immediately cut her off. “No, don’t even start with some stupid line about how you didn’t mean for this to happen, that it was inevitable, that you tried to stop it. If that is at all what’s going to come out of your mouth, you might as well shut the hell up.”

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Heidi said as she moved quickly in front of Iris. She reached back and put her hand on Iris’s arm. “She doesn’t deserve that. Neither of us do.”

Zac’s mouth fell open. He looked around at the rest of the family, who didn’t seem nearly as crazed as he was. Except, of course, for Sandy, who didn’t look crazed, but certainly didn’t look happy. “I can’t believe this is happening.” He huffed. “You’re going to do this to me?” He was staring at Iris now. “You’re my best friend. She is mymom. Seriously?”

“Zac, that’s not fair.” Iris tried to take a step around Heidi, but she gripped her tighter. “Neither of us meant for this to happen. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true.”

“I’ve heard enough.” He pointed at Iris. “You’re no longer welcome here. You need to leave. Now.”

Iris’s entire body felt like it’d been hit by a truck. “Zac, come on, please listen to me.”

“I never want to talk to you again, Iris Abbott.” He was glaring at her with so much anger in his eyes that she was scared. “You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”

“Zac,” she whispered as she held back her tears. “Don’t say that. You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do.” His hands were clenched into fists at his sides. Iris glanced at Evan, who was clearly beside himself. “Leave.Now.”

“You can’t tell her to leave. This ismyhouse, Zachary.” Heidi sounded like she was about to cry.

“I’ll go,” Iris said softly as she squeezed Heidi’s hand. “It’s fine.” She maneuvered through the family, feeling at once bereft and boneless. There was no use fighting with Zac. Arguing would make everything worse and would lead to her breaking down, which would make it awful. She wouldn’t allow herself to break down in front of them. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Heidi was in the attic in a flash. “You can’t leave like this,” she said, breathless from both the stress and the climb.

Iris folded the last pair of pants on the bed and shoved them into her suitcase. “Heidi, I am not staying. We both knew this was going to happen.”

“So that’s it?”

“What are we supposed to do?” Iris shouted, arms spread wide. “You think me staying is a good idea? Come on.” She scoffed.

“Please do not leave like this.” Heidi had never begged anyone before, but she was ready to get on her hands and knees if it meant Iris wouldn’t leave.

Iris zipped her suitcase and set it on the floor. “Listen, we both knew this was how this was going to play out. We literally talked about it. Numerous times. This is our reality now. I knew it was too good to be true, and you have way too much to clean up with Sandy. Like, had I known all of that”—she waved her hand toward the stairs—“I would have never started this.”

“That’s where you draw the line, huh? Not me being your best friend’s mom, but me being in a weird situationship with my best friend? That seems pretty crappy.” Heidi was crying now—big, sloppy tears—and she hated herself for it. “You know this is real, right?” Her question had no effect on Iris, who tried to step around her without answering, but Heidi stopped her, hands on her arms, and said again, “Tell me this is real.”

“You’re the most real thing that has ever happened to me, Heidi.” Iris’s eyes had filled with tears. As she blinked, they started to roll down her cheeks.

“Don’t leave.”

“I can’t stay. I’m sorry.”

Before Heidi could get a word out through her tears, Iris was gone.

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