Page 13 of A Home for Harmony

She did it all the time. Christmas Eve wasn’t even a holiday.

Erica hemmed a bit. “I’ll come back tonight.”

“No,” she said, marching her sister toward the door. “You’re literally six houses down the street. If the boogeyman scares me, I’ll come running to get you. I mean it.”

Her sister would have no idea how true that was.

She’d gotten another message five days ago. Not an email this time, but a private message on Instagram. She was positive it was the same person who had been sending emails, but again, different names and a new account. The signature series of emojis was always the same. Smile, hug, heart. There was no way multiple people did that every single time.

Whoever this was, wasn’t that smart.

Erica rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you come with us tonight?”

“No,” she said. “I’ll meet Tucker’s mother and Norman tomorrow. Seriously, Erica. I’ve got work to do. Christmas Eve isn’t a holiday, it’s just one people have turned it into because family is normally around. I’m going to prep some food for tomorrow anyway. I’ll have my fill of everyone then.”

They were having Christmas Day here. She and Erica, her father, brother, and Daisy would join them along with Tucker, his mother, Clara, and Clara’s boyfriend, Norman. They’d spent Thanksgiving with her mother and thankfully got to avoid that frustration this year for Christmas.

“I’m not sure,” Erica said. “I just realized this is your first Christmas morning you’re going to wake up alone.”

“And this is your first Christmas morning you’re going to wake up with a man you love. That is way more important. Erica, I appreciate it. I really do. But I get to sleep late and get up on my own time. There is no rushing down the stairs to see what Santa brought anymore.” Her sister was standing there in the doorway in her jacket bundled up now. Even to just go a few houses down in her car. She moved closer and hugged her. “Go have fun. I mean it.”

“I’m being silly,” Erica said. “And babying you and you hate it. I know.”

“That’s right,” she said, nodding her head. “I’m not a baby.”

She’d heard that enough in her life and was over it. She hated it at eighteen. At twenty-six, it was the one thing to make her want to scream when she never lost her cool.

Not never.

Just not often.

Her mother had the ability to make her lose her patience.

She’d never lived alone and, in her mother’s eyes, she probably never would.

“You’re not and I shouldn’t treat you as such. We are going to Tucker’s grandfather’s house shortly, then we’ll be at Tucker’s. I mean it,” Erica said. “If you decide you’re bored, just walk down and join us for a glass of wine.”

“I’ll think about it,” she said, knowing that would get her sister out the door. She gave her a little shove to get her moving and then went back to her office to get some work done.

It wasn’t even three yet, but she was going to clear her emails so that she could take tomorrow for herself other than a few quick posts wishing everyone happy holidays.

Around five, she called it a day and went to the kitchen to scope out dinner.

After ten minutes of opening and closing everything she could in the kitchen, she decided to order out. She’d be doing enough cooking tomorrow for brunch.

But once she’d decided to order, she had to narrow down what she was in the mood for.

When had she ever been this indecisive in her life?

Her mother would say she’d never been any other way, but that wasn’t true.

She always knew she wanted a marketing career, but no one supported or believed in her.

Until recently. Her siblings believed in her.

They encouraged her and she was pretty damn successful, if she said so herself.

“That’s right,” she said, talking to thin air and nodding her head. “I’ve got more money in the bank than ever before and it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m living in my father’s house for free.”