Page 65 of Gotta Have Mistletoe

It’s over.

Max and I stand in line at the gate. Max flicks his gaze mournfully around the airport.

Max’s Nintendo Switch beeps. He removes it, then he swallows hard. He glances at the line. It’s getting shorter.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Max says.

Max hasn’t asked me to go to the bathroom suddenly in years. I frown. “You just went to the bathroom.”

“I need to go, Dad. It’s an emergency!” Max jumps up and down. Around him, the passengers’ eyes widen.

“There’s a bathroom on the plane, kiddo. We’re almost there.”

Max frowns. “I want to use the big one.”

With that, Max jogs away.

I hurry after him. “Max! Max! Stop right this moment.”

Max stops on the landing.

Huh. That worked.

Max points. “Look, Dad.”

I join Max. “You know, that’s not where the bathroom is.”

I pick Max up.

“But Dad! Look!” Max points, and I realize that the energy of the airport has changed.

King Erik and Anders are hauling a Christmas tree through the airport. People record them on their phones.

I stare, stunned.

Erik is in the airport. Erik is in the airport with a tree.

I grin.

“We’re here!” Max shouts, waving his arms. “Look!”

Erik looks up, and for a moment I wonder whether he’s carrying a tree through the airport for a reason entirely unrelated to me, and he’ll wonder why I’m not on the plane yet.

But then he sees me, and so much joy moves over his face, that I know, I know that he’s here for me.

Erik and Anders wave.

My eyes burn. I sniffle.

The security line parts for him, and he shoves the tree through the machine. It beeps wildly. No wonder. It has tons of metal ornaments on it. Needles fly everywhere, and Erik bounds up the escalator. Ornaments drop and bounce over the airport.

Finally, he stands before me.

“You’re here,” I say.

“Glen Garland,” Erik says. “Please don’t get on that plane.”

“You brought a Christmas tree.”