53. ’Twas The Night Before Christmas

53

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

QUINN

There's nothing more exciting than watching a festive Christmas movie in your garland-festooned living room at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Scratch that, there's nothing more exciting than watching a festive Christmas movie in your garland-festooned living room at midnight on Christmas Eve when you know, any hour now, your magical husband is going to slide down the chimney and kiss you madly.

I've got hot cocoa to keep me up, kettle corn to keep me fed, and Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel to keep me company. I'll never get tired of this movie. Never, ever.

It's the perfect treat after a grueling yet rewarding weekend of performances with the coalition kids. Their holiday pageant went off without a hitch, thanks in large part to me, which is why, in the New Year, Kacey and I plan to discuss potential full-time employment with the nonprofit. I'm excited to ring in a new chapter for my career.

My phone pings with a text from Veronica. Included is a video of Luca and Milo coming in from her mom and stepdad's backyard with mud all over their snouts and paws. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals she's captioned it.

Me: Adorable!

Veronica: Has your husband come yet?

Me: Wouldn't you like to know…

Veronica: *rolls eyes into infinity*

Veronica: Off to sleep with the fresh-out-of-the-bath puppers. Keep me posted. Love you!

Me: Will do. Good night. Love you too!

I switch over to my text thread with Mom, which has grown robust since our phone call before Thanksgiving.

Through these texts, I found out that Pete, her new boyfriend and the guy she spent Thanksgiving with, is not some pack-a-day casino card shark like I assumed. He's a veterinarian who was in town for a conference at the convention center and staying at the hotel her casino is in. He was losing miserably at the penny slots when he ordered a drink from Mom. They struck up a conversation that lasted until her shift ended. I'm happy for her.

I pop a gif of a present opening and the words MERRY CHRISTMAS springing out of the box into the text chain. Wanted to be the first to say it to you! I type alongside it. Really looking forward to your visit.

I set my phone on the end table and press play on the movie, which I know entirely by heart at this point. I'm quoting along, still laughing at every schlocky bit.

Yet the longer the movie plays, the more my excitement wanes and a niggling sense of déjà vu takes over the room. It's almost twelve-thirty . Am I being stood up again like last year?

I started the movie shortly after eleven. I thought, given that he asked me to tell his parents to stay up, he'd be flying through our town right around now.

At the finale of the movie, when Buddy and Jovie hold their baby next to Papa, reunited and happy in their new home at the North Pole, a familiar mixture of anger and worry bubbles up inside me. I tamp it down with more hot chocolate, more kettle corn, and I switch to the Hallmark Channel for some sentimental sweetness to counteract the uneasiness I'm sitting with.

Eventually, I've watched so many snowbound hotties hitch their wagons and kiss before the credits that the predictability lulls me toward sleep. I try to fight it off. I think, No, Patrick's on his way. He has to be.

But the last thing I see before I drift off isn't Patrick appearing out of a cloud of gold dust, it's Lacey Chabert kissing a brown-haired man under the mistletoe, just like the one I hung as per Patrick's request.

That should be us, I think sullenly, before conking out.