"Great," Claire replied, her face lighting up."And you?"
Emma sighed, rubbing the back of her neck."It would have been great if I didn't have to grab Mia from Bernie's," she muttered."He knew about today but he didn't care.He promised he'd take her to The Nutcracker, but…" Her voice trailed off.She looked down at the ground, kicking at the snow."Sorry.I don't mean to vent."
"No, it's okay," Claire said softly, setting down one of the baskets and reaching out to touch Emma's arm."I'm here if you need it.We all need to vent sometimes."
"Ditto," Emma replied, managing a small smile before bending down to pick up some more items.
I stepped forward then, feeling an urge to help that I couldn't quite explain."Let me," I said, reaching for the heavy basket in Emma's hands.
She looked up at me, surprise flickering across her face before she nodded and handed it over."Thanks," she said quietly.
"No problem," I replied gruffly.
The basket was heavier than it looked, filled with all sorts of baked goods and trinkets that Emma had brought to sell.I hefted it easily and turned towards Claire's car, ready to load it in the trunk.
Emma followed behind me with another basket, her steps slow and weary."Bernie's always like this," she muttered as we walked."Always making promises he can't keep."
Claire glanced over at her with concern."I'm sorry you had to deal with that today," she said.
Emma shrugged, though the sadness in her eyes was hard to miss."It's just how it is," she said.
I loaded the basket into the trunk and turned back for more.The work felt good—gave me something else to focus on besides my own thoughts.
As we continued packing up the booth, the silence between us felt comfortable, almost companionable.Emma's venting seemed to ease some of the tension in the air, and Claire's reassuring presence made everything feel a little less heavy.
We walked to Emma's car, the cold biting at my exposed skin.Emma turned to us, her eyes reflecting gratitude.
"Thanks again," she said, her voice soft.
I nodded."No problem."
She glanced up at a nearby tree and tilted her head slightly."Huh."
Claire followed her gaze, and her eyes widened slightly."Oh."
I looked up to see what had caught their attention.There, hanging from one of the branches, was a sprig of mistletoe, part of the town's Christmas decorations.
Emma's lips curled into a teasing smile."I guess this is my cue to leave," she said, with a playful glint in her eye.
With that, she climbed into her car and drove off, leaving Claire and me standing beneath the mistletoe.
Claire blushed, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink than the cold could account for."Ironic, huh?"she asked, her voice almost shy.
I didn't see the irony.My eyes dropped to her lips again, drawn to their softness.This time, I didn't resist the pull.
I stepped closer and took her hand gently in mine.Her breath hitched as our gazes locked.Slowly, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.
The kiss was gentle at first, a tentative exploration of something new and unexpected.But as she responded, our kiss deepened, filled with unspoken words and shared warmth against the winter chill.
For that moment, everything else faded away—the cold, the town's curious eyes, my own fears and reservations.There was only Claire and the way she fit so perfectly against me.
When we finally pulled back, our breaths mingled in the cold air.Her eyes were bright, filled with something I couldn't quite name but wanted to explore further.
"That was..."she started but trailed off, unable to find the words.
"Yeah," I replied softly."It was."
We stood there for a moment longer before reluctantly stepping apart.The world around us slowly came back into focus—the distant sounds of laughter and carols reminding us where we were.
