“Might want to lock that away instead of leaving it in your truck for anyone to nab,” Nolan suggests, his expression uneasy as he looks at the enchanted weapon.
“Yeah, don’t get offended if I stay on this side of the room,” Felix jokes, pretending to skootch further back, except he bumps into the couch instead of going through it.
“What the…” He trails off, looking behind him, and then down at our hands, which are now laced together.
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you, Felix,” Mildred states with an amused smile.
“You can see me?” he gasps, his grip tightening around my hand.
“For the next few hours, everyone can see you… and touch you,” I announce with a huge grin. “Merry Christmas—er, Happy Yule. Whatever. Open your present.”
The rest of the guys seem to be at a loss for words as they watch Felix pick up the small box beside him. It’s more than being stunned—they seem frozen, fearful that if they move it won’t be real anymore.
“I can’t feel the paper,” Felix comments, clumsily tearing at the wrapping paper.
“Unfortunately, I was only able to make you solid,” I explain, gently touching his shoulder. “You’re still a spirit.”
He glances at my hand and smiles. “I still feel you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m special,” I mutter with an eye roll.
“How?” Kaleb utters, finally daring to speak. He leans forward in his chair while his hands grip his knees, both wanting to reach out and fearing to do so.
“Open your present and find out,” I reply, nodding toward one of the boxes next to his feet, while also trying not to cry as I notice the others slowly inching closer.
Kaleb grabs the package and starts unwrapping, his gaze bouncing from the gift in his hands to Felix fumbling with the box he’s holding.
“Want me to help?” Nolan asks Felix from his new position on the couch cushion right behind me. Despite his effort to sound normal, there’s a wetness to his normally smooth voice.
“I got it. I got it,” Felix insists, tugging on the lid. “It’s just hard when I still can’t feel my fingers.” He glances up at Nolan with an amused smile. “Are you just going to keep creeping over like some weird stalker, or are you going to ask for a hug?”
“I’ll show you weird stalker,” Nolan laughs and sniffs, then glomps on top of Felix, both of them tumbling to the ground.
I quickly grab Felix’s gift before it’s squashed from them wrestling.
“No fair!” Felix exclaims when he’s pinned to the ground. “I only have ghost strength, which apparently isn’t much.”
“No body. No muscles. Sorry!” I yell, giggling over Nolan’s overexaggerated victory.
After dropping a sloppy kiss on Felix’s cheek, Nolan cheers, “You’re real, dude. Really real.”
“I got that,” Felix grunts, shoving at Nolan who’s sitting on top of him.
Intrigued by the new person, Mr. Mischief jumps from Mildred’s lap and starts licking Felix’s face. He seems confused, licking Felix a few more times before jumping onto Felix’s chest to sniff and bat at his clothes that don’t really move.
“Not the cat too,” Felix wails, laughing and sputtering as he turns his head side to side to avoid getting licked and sniffed more.
Connor silently kneels on the ground and retrieves the cat, awe and joy radiating through him from witnessing Nolan’s and Felix’s antics. The cat snarls with displeasure and leaps from Connor’s hands. His tail whips in the air a few times before he scurries up into his cat tree to play more with his illusion ball.
“I don’t think he likes you, Con,” Nolan chuckles, finally getting off of Felix.
Felix leans up on his elbows and mumbles, “Age old story. Dogs versus cats. Lifelong enemies.”
“But you could end the cycle, man,” Nolan teases dramatically, then crawls to my side to hide from Connor’s stare. While Connor helps Felix to his feet, then lifts him off the ground in a big hug, Nolan murmurs in my ear, his voice filled with deep sincerity, “Thank you. I… thought I’d never get a chance like this again. If he doesn’t make it, at least we’ll have this night thanks to you. I’m grateful.”
“Don’t give up hope,” I reply, resting my head against his shoulder. “This is only the beginning.”
He hesitates too long for my comfort before agreeing, “Right. Just the beginning.”
