“Here,” her father said, handing her a brown paper package. “I think you’ll like this one.”
She set her mug to the side and carefully pulled open the paper. A beautiful leather bound book came out. The Silmarillion was emblazoned in gold leaf in beautiful flowing script.
“It’s an older book, but I thought you might like it,” Mark told her. “I know how much you enjoyed The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.”
She ran her fingers over the beautiful book. “Thank you, Dad.”
She handed him her wrapped package. “Merry Christmas.”
He tore at the paper, ripping the neatly pressed edges and making Holly smile.
“The Best of Calvin and Hobbes,” he read, smiling at the title. “Thank you, Holly.”
They hugged and Holly tried not to think of how much she wished she could give Nathan his book now as well.
“Dad, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said after a moment. She chewed on her bottom lip and finally just took a sip of her rum for courage.
“You can tell me anything,” Mark said. He held the book close to his chest, proud of his newest acquisition.
“Dad...” She closed her eyes. Better just to get this over with. “Nathan isn’t keeping ECT here. He’s back to moving it again.”
“Oh.”
The one sound held soft surprise, heartbreak, and acceptance all at once. Holly searched her father’s face, worried about what she would see there. Defeat filled his features and he seemed to age ten years in the space of seconds.
“I’m so sorry, Dad,” she told him. “I shouldn’t have told you in the first place and gotten your hopes up.”
“No, no I’m glad you did,” Mark countered. “I got to spend the last day happy. I didn’t worry about the party tomorrow as much because I thought we would have more.” Mark shrugged. “Now, I don’t have to worry.”
Holly wished she could sink into the floor. Mark was taking this too well. The fact that tomorrow’s party would be the last of the bookstore’s Christmases made her want to cry. It was a staple for the town.
It was the end of an era that she’d never thought would happen.
Not to mention all her students. She thought of Jenifer, Molly and Jake. This would be their last Christmas in Colorado. The last one in their current home. She hoped for their sake that it was a good one.
“Where’s that rum?” Mark asked, looking around. Holly handed him the small bottle on the floor next to her. Mark took a swig straight from the bottle. “Is that why Nathan isn’t here tonight?”
Holly nodded. “We decided things weren’t going to work out. And he had to work.”
It sounded lame, but it was true.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” Mark reached out and squeezed her hand. “I thought he was the one, but...”
“Yeah, me too.” Holly held out her hand for the rum and her dad handed it to her. She took a swig and then handed it back.
“Well, it could be worse,” Mark said after a moment.
Holly lifted her brows. “How?”
He reached for the rum. “We could be out of rum. And at least there’s chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen.”
Holly chuckled, even though she felt like sobbing. She’d already cried today. She didn’t want to cry. It was Christmas Eve, for heaven’s sake. People were supposed to be happy, not heartbroken.
“You going to be okay?” Mark asked her, watching her with the concerned eyes of a parent.
“We both will,” she told him. She hoped it wasn’t a lie.
He patted her arm and they both turned and stared into the fire.