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“Ah, girlie. Your mum and I always wondered when he’d notice you weren’t simply his childhood buddy.”
“I don’t think he has,” she admitted miserably.
“Well, he’s a fool if he doesn’t see how beautiful and perfect you are. Do you still have feelings for him?” Her dad studied her. He’d never been the type to chase her boyfriends away, but he never complained when she dumped one of them, claiming the boy or man hadn’t been ‘worthy of his girlie.’ He would probably love for her to date Brad, and Arianna could imagine their mums had schemed toward such a day.
“Too many feelings for him.” Love, frustration, longing, anger … She mulled it over in her brain, knowing she was in for a grilling. Brad’s secrets or mistakes with Levi’s fiancée weren’t hers to share, and she didn’t want to open up the wound of how he’d treated her just yet, so she left it at that.
Her dad didn’t disappoint. He started directly into the questioning. She shared as much as she could about the past week and the attack last night and Brad rescuing her. Leaving out some details confused her dad and made him wonder how Brad couldn’t be with her. She finally admitted that he cared for her and had asked her forgiveness for leaving, but he didn’t love her.
They talked for so long they missed the Christmas market and ordered pizza. Nothing was resolved when he gave her a final hug and headed home, but at least she knew her dad was firmly on her team, as always.
That night, she had multiple texts and missed phone calls from her royal friends and Faith, Hope, and Chad. She appreciated their concern but wished Brad had been the one to reach out.
The next day, they did all the traditions that Mum had always insisted on. Apparently, when Arianna was small, she had been miserable waiting for Christmas morning and driving her mum insane, asking, ‘Santa now?’ over and over again. So Mum had instigated indoor and outdoor activities, filling every minute of Christmas Eve.
Arianna and her dad did them all, even though they felt a little silly having a snowball fight, but the ice skating and walk along the river both went well. They played a myriad of card games, read Christmas books and delivered gifts to children at the hospital, set up the hot cocoa bar, decorated sugar cookies, and took plates of decorated sugar cookies around to residents in the retirement center. Arianna’s sugar cookies were masterpieces. Her dad’s were very boring. They laughed that nobody wanted his.
By nine, they were on her dad’s couch watchingHow the Grinch Stole Christmas. Arianna was exhausted, but it had been a wonderful day. They’d missed and reminisced about Mum, but these traditions always made Arianna feel close to her.
She’d only thought of Brad every other minute. Her heart raced as she thought of him saying, ‘Only every other minute’ when she’d asked if he ever thought of their first kiss eight years ago.
Her dad slumped on the couch next to her. “I’m too old to fit that much into one day,” he muttered. “Can you take pity on me and bring me one ofmybeautiful cookies and some cocoa?”
“You’re the only one who will eat those cookies,” she teased as she went to his kitchen.
“Lucky me, then.”
She laughed and made up a plate of cookies and made them each a hot cocoa. As she settled down on the couch next to her dad, she couldn’t focus on the silly movie and could hardly swallow a bite of too-much-sugar.
“Why don’t you go find him?” her dad asked.
She glanced at him. “Brad?”
“No. Santa Claus.” He smiled and took the cocoa from her hand and set it on the side table. “You obviously love him. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice.”
Arianna drummed her nails on her leg. If she went to him, did that mean she’d forgiven him? Was she swallowing her pride and begging him to love her? She knew he cared for her, but what if he didn’t share the intense love that wanted to burst from her?
“There are some things you left out of your story,” he continued.
Arianna’s eyes widened.
“I’m a dad. I know things.” He grinned proudly and then got serious. “I know you’re longing for him.”
“But what if he’s not longing for me?” He should’ve come for her. Right? But then she thought of her parting words after she had kissed and then slapped him.
“Then he’s an idiot. I’ll whoop him, and you’ll move on.”
She smiled. Very few people could ‘whoop’ Brad, and her dad wasn’t on that list.
“Go talk to him. Even if it doesn’t end the way you’re hoping, it’s better to know what he’s thinking rather than put thoughts in his head. Sometimes men can’t express deep emotion easily. Present company excluded, of course.”
Arianna stared at him. It would hurt if Brad didn’t want her, but wouldn’t she rather know? She had to move on or move forward. Somehow.
“Okay.” She stood, and her dad stood with her. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
Resolve filled her. It was time to talk to him. Tellingly, she hadn’t even thought about if she could forgive him, only if he loved her. She could forgive him, and she could admit the truth.
She wanted to be with Brad. If he loved her back.
