“My friends want to go out and we can go with them or not go with them but I just think, we, we need a break from the family,” Harper said to Abby as the two of them were sitting on the bed in Jane’s old room.
Once her mom found them and finished talking Harper looked at Abby. “I’ll see you later?”
Abby nodded.
*****
Halfway into dinner with her parents and the guests her father was trying to impress Harper did her best to put on her front but she realized it was not her best at all.
She stood up much to her parents surprise.
“Honey,” said her mom, “are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Harper replied. “I’m sorry I just have to go.”
Her mom looked at their guests and then back at Harper, “Harper, we’re kind of in the middle of something here. It’s really important.”
“I know and I’m really sorry but I just have to go. You all have a good evening.” Without waiting for another word from her mom Harper walked away.
*****
“Abby,” Harper called out as she found her walking down the street.
Abby turned and was surprised to see her girlfriend standing there. “What are you… how did you find me?”
Harper shook her phone.
Abby nodded. “John, of course. What happened to dinner with your parents?”
“I left.”
“You left, just like that?”
“Yeah. I had something more important to do.”
“Like what?”
“Like be with you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You haven’t eaten yet have you?”
“I was just about to.”
“Perfect, neither have I. It was taking too long. Come on I know a place a couple of blocks from here.”
Abby smiled as the two of them walked together. Things had been slightly challenging since their arrival but now it was nice to see Harper put in some effort for them to have some alone time together. She’d been right earlier, they needed a break from everything. Abby just wasn’t really sure if that would happen or not. Now that it was she was willing to make sure to spend all of her attention on only Harper.
The two of them arrived at the place Harper had chosen and ordered something. They had talked on their way and continued to talk. Nothing was off limits and there was not a single subject that they could not talk about.
Harper laughed, “No I’m serious, when we were kids Jane was always playing this joke on us where she would put sticky putty in our stockings. Sloane and I would fall for it every time. Mom hated it and so did dad obviously but it was Jane’s way of having fun and ours.” Harper then stopped and looked at Abby.
“What?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Should this include an ‘uh-oh’ from me?”
“That all depends on the question. Well I know, I know you don’t really talk about your parents much or Christmas for that matter but do you have any good memories with them?”
Abby looked down at her half empty plate of food that she was finished with and then took a sip of water. “Yeah I have a few. You know I was nineteen when they died. It was right around December when it happened so it’s kind of the reason I avoid the whole Christmas thing.”
Harper shook her hands, “Abby I’m sorry I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” Abby smiled, “my um, my mom and I would bake Christmas cookies the night before on Christmas Eve. She would make too many like always but she was adamant that Santa would take most of them. She even left out some carrots and celery for the reindeer because she believed they needed treats too. I stopped believing in Santa when I was five but my mom always kept the magic alive. She always loved this time of year because of that magic. When they died I kind of stopped seeing it.”
Harper smiled and reached across the table. “Well hey, maybe I can help you to believe in it again.”
Abby smiled too.
They were soon interrupted by the sound of Harpers phone. She looked down at it and saw a text from one of her friends. She turned the phone over.
“Aren’t you going to get that?” Abby asked.
“It’s not important.”
“Harper, if you have to go-,”
“What are you trying to get rid of me,” Harper teased.
“I just thought.”
“Well whatever it is you’re thinking don’t. I want to be here with you, really.”
Abby smiled. Despite their situation being with Harper was so easy. She knew that Harper wasn’t forcing herself to be with here. It was all so natural to her, to both of them. She was grateful and just maybe she could find that magic again.
After dinner the two of them continued to walk. They came to a stop with a light post and Harper smiled. She brought Abby in and kissed her deeply. When they broke apart Harper smiled.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”
*****
The next morning Harper shook Abby awake.
“Abby, Abby,” she said to her.
Abby turned around to face her. She sat up, “everything okay?”
“Yeah I just wanted to make sure you were okay, we were I mean.”
“Why wouldn’t we be?”
“I don’t know I guess I just wanted to see if you were okay, about us spending time with each other last night. I kind of started to have doubts and-,”
Abby smiled and took hold of Harper’s hands, “Last night was perfect. If anything I should be thanking you.”
“Thanking me for what?”
“For leaving dinner with your parents and bailing on your friends. You didn’t have to.”
“I know but I wanted to. All I’ve ever wanted to do since we got here is be with you and I know it’s complicated and not the most ideal.”
“Maybe not but we kind of are making this work. I mean I hate being in the closet again.”
“Yeah a closet I’m pretty much shoving you into. Look, I’m going to talk to my parents okay. I just need to find the right time but when I do I want you to be with me when I tell them.”
“Hey, I will be, I promise.”
Harper smiled and leaned into Abby, their lips meeting. “Last night was kind of amazing though wasn’t it?”
“It was perfect.”