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“I know. I love it. I just love it after ten AM.” She kissed Elizabeth’s temple. “We should get up, or she’ll just come back in.”
“I’m borrowing your hairbrush again,” Elizabeth told her.
“Borrow whatever you want.” Palmer slid out from under her and ran her hands rapidly over her face. “Okay. I’m ready. Time to be jolly.”
“Jolly?” Elizabeth laughed.
“Yes, jolly. It’s Christmas.” She turned around and winked at Elizabeth.
“Hey, Palmer?”
“Yeah?”
“Merry Christmas,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“You saidmerry. We’re converting you to our American ways.” Palmer moved quickly to tickle Elizabeth’s sides.
Elizabeth moved onto her back, and Palmer moved to straddle her, continuing to tickle the woman. Elizabeth laughed and laughed. Palmer smiled down at her and stopped tickling her until she stopped laughing. Then, Elizabeth just stared up at her, and if the door to Palmer’s bedroom weren’t open, Palmer would’ve leaned down and kissed her. She’d been thinking about kissing Elizabeth practically every moment of every day since she’d first uncovered Elizabeth might actuallywanther to kiss her.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said instead, running her hands over Elizabeth’s stomach over her borrowed sleep shirt.
“So am I. I didn’t know how much I needed this until I got here.”
“We should get down there,” Palmer told her as Elizabeth began running her hands up and down her thighs and under the shorts she’d put on to sleep in. “Because that feels really good.”
“Yeah?” Elizabeth asked, using her fingernails to drag teasingly over Palmer’s skin.
“Yeah. And I’m trying to behave myself since the door is open, so let’s go.” She gave Elizabeth’s stomach a playful smack. “Oh! Before you get up… hold on.”
“Get up. Stay here. Get up. Stay here,” Elizabeth teased.
Palmer jumped off the bed, made her way down the hall, and returned with what she’d been after. She sat down on the side of the bed and turned to Elizabeth.
“I picked this one last night for you. It didn’t come from my dad’s stuff. My mom grows her own herbs for work and cooks with them here, too. I remember she told me once that rosemary means remembrance,” Palmer explained, holding out the sprig of rosemary she had left in the bathroom the night before to give to Elizabeth this morning. “It’s not as pretty as the flowers I’ve given you, but I wanted to give you something today to remember your family. I hope that’s okay.”
Elizabeth looked at the small token and then met Palmer’s eyes. Palmer watched her smile softly.
“Thank you,” she said.
“I’m sorry you can’t have this Christmas with them. But, Elizabeth, I’m so glad you’re here, spending it with me.”
Elizabeth nodded, taking the rosemary from Palmer’s hand, sitting up, and then placing the gentlest of kisses on Palmer’s lips.
“Where are you guys?” Camilla’s yell came from not all that far away.
They pulled back, laughing at Palmer’s sister.
“Let’s go, Your Majesty. The Princess awaits.”
???
“Do you like it, Cami?” Palmer asked.
“It’s beautiful,” the girl said.
As expected, Cami had liked all of her gifts, including the magic set and VIP membership to the fan club for her favorite boy band of the moment that Palmer had gotten her. It came with an autographed picture that she knew Cami would love. Her sister had loved the gifts their parents had gotten her and the ones that had come from Santa, but her favorite gift of all had been the tiara that Elizabeth had not only given her but had added to it Princess lessons from herself and remotely, from Victoria. She’d even gotten Victoria to record a sweet video for Camilla that included when, where, and how to wear a tiara. Then, Elizabeth had taught her how to wave, how to sit, and how to sip her tea, which Camilla didnotcare for.
Palmer’s parents had received gifts from Elizabeth as well. Her father had been given a membership to the Dad Science Lab, which was a monthly science kit delivery specifically for dads to share with their kids, as well as a book signed by a prominent botanist. He’d loved it. Palmer’s mother had been given a box of St. Rais exports that were hard to come by, as well as a promise to send them to her as often as she’d liked if she decided she wanted to use any of the ingredients in her restaurant. Elizabeth had also gotten her a cooking-with-kids kit. She’d thought of everything. Palmer’s father would get to share science with his daughter, and her mother would get to share her love of cooking with Camilla.
