Emmett leaves too, but Teddy lingers.
“Sorry about tonight.”
“It’s okay. I knew when we pulled up and Felix was half-naked and wearing his Santa hat that this vacation was not going to go like I planned. I just miss it, you know? All the silly things we do every year.”
A hint of understanding crosses his face.
“It’s stupid. Here I am feeling sorry for myself because things aren’t going perfectly, and you aren’t even going to see your family for Christmas.”
“You can still be disappointed. It’s important to you. Anything I can do?” He inches forward until his pinky finger curls around mine.
“I’m good,” I say. And I am. Better than good, in fact.
After everyone is gone, I go to a few stores. I still need to get Stella a Christmas gift, but I don’t find anything for her. She’s so good at picking things out for me, but I struggle with her. She always just steals my stuff anyway, which is how I talk myself into buying the new pair of shoes I find. They’ll look great with the dress I plan to wear to the dance tomorrow night. I also pick up mixers for Felix, some more groceries to hold us over until we leave, and enough cookie dough and icing to decorate a thousand more cookies.
I put onChristmas Vacation, which makes me miss my dad even more (he’s a total Clark Griswold with the crazy amount of lights he puts on our house every year), and I bake cookies.
I am pulling the last batch out of the oven when the front door of the cabin opens and Stella steps inside. Her cheeks and nose are rosy, and her hair is pulled back in a windblown ponytail. She smiles as she says, “It smells so good in here.”
Felix is the next through the door. “Holly!”
Teddy and Emmett are behind him. They all peel out of their coats and outerwear. Felix snatches a cookie from the cooling rack.
Smacking at his hand, I say, “They aren’t decorated yet.”
“So?”
Teddy steps forward and grabs one, takes a bite, and then looks at me as he says, “It’s like eating an unfrosted Pop-Tart.”
“Which is still delicious,” Felix says seriously.
I grab a plate and set it on the counter. “These are the broken ones. Eat these.”
“We got something for you too.” My brother lifts a sack onto the counter.
“For me?”
I dig in while Felix explains, “I feel bad that you and Stella planned this whole trip and I sort of ruined it.”
“You feel bad?” I question. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
One side of his mouth pulls up. “Ha, ha.”
I pull out a wad of red material and unfold it in front of me. It’s a holiday sweater. A really,reallyugly one. It has a cat knitting a stocking with the ski resort logo.
“I don’t know what to say.” I look hesitantly from Felix to Stella.
They both bust up laughing.
“We all got them.” Stella lifts the bag in her hand and takes out another sweater, somehow even more hideous than mine.
One by one, they each show me their sweaters, all equally hideous.
“These are truly awful,” I say. “Why would you buy these?”
“An ugly holiday sweater party!” Stella beams.
“Wait, really? Tonight?” Excitement bubbles up inside me.