Felix kicks off his shoes and pulls a sweatshirt over his head. “No can do. I’m going to jump in the shower and then I have to go to Scottsdale. Mom texted last night. Apparently, she has carpet cleaners coming today.”
“Did you tell her you were here?”
“No. Just said I’d take care of it.” He shrugs.
It makes me smile, thinking of Mom worried about the cleanliness of her floors while on the beach.
“Are you coming back?”
“Yeah, we’ll be back later tonight.” He raises his voice, “Yo, Em, Luc. We’re leaving soon.”
Stella comes out of the bedroom, her eyes still half-closed. “You’re going home?”
“Just for the day.” He grabs a Gatorade from the fridge.
“Can I come with you? I want to do a load of laundry and grab some warmer clothes. I forgot how cold it gets up here.”
“Uhh...” Felix starts, “it’ll be tight, but I guess we could squeeze you in.”
“She can have my spot,” Teddy offers. “I’ll stay here.”
I glance between Stella and Teddy. “Stell, you can’t leave. We were going to watchHome AloneandHome Alone 2today.” My cheeks heat. I know it sounds silly, childish even, but it’s atradition. We always dedicate one day in the week leading up to Christmas to watch those two movies together.
“We’ll do it another day,” she promises.
“I could come too, and we could watch it on the drive.”
“No,” she says too quickly, “you should stay here. We’ll watch the movies tomorrow.”
She smiles, eyes wide like she’s trying to communicate something. Usually, I know what she’s thinking, even without that look, but right now I have no clue.
“Okay. I guess I’ll bake cookies today and we can decorate them tonight.” That’s another one of our traditions I look forward to every year. I like to bake. Stella hates to touch the oven, but she sits and talks with me while I do it. Occasionally, she even helps decorate them.
My sister steps closer and grabs my hand. “Holly, can you help me find the concealer?”
“It’s in the makeup case.”
She takes a step toward the bedroom, tugging me with her. “Show me. I couldn’t find it.”
“We’re leaving in twenty,” Felix calls after us.
She drops my hand and shuts the door behind us. I walk straight over to the makeup case and pick up the concealer.
“I don’t need the concealer.”
“Then why did you ask me to help you find it?”
“So you would stop going on and on about cookies and movies. You are going to be alone all day with Teddy.”
My face floods with heat, and I glance to the door. “Shhh!”
“Holly, this is the perfect opportunity.”
“Spending the day alone with Teddy is the perfect opportunity to what?” I throw my hands up in the air. “I still haven’t mastered talking to him without feeling like I’m going to pass out.”
“So don’t talk. Tear off all his clothes and kiss the man.”
“Oh my god, Stell. Shhh.” My face is on fire.