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“What else did I say?” She stared at the TV, not really seeing it, just needinganything elseto look at than Katie.
She breathed a laugh. “Just that you liked it here, which I already knew.”
“Okay.” Maggie took a steadying breath. She couldn’t remember a word of that conversation. She was going to need to be a million times more careful being sleepy and talkative around Katie going forward.
She supposed she was glad her former, sleepy self had at least had the wherewithal not to blurt out exactly why she liked it here, or all of the reasons she wanted to see Katie for Christmas.
“Okay,” she said again. “Well, yeah, that’s true. This is my home, you know? I want to spend important holidays here, with the people I love.”
“Right. And, if this is the first step towards that, I’m always going to support you. I’m really glad you’re doing what you want instead of what some random relatives want from you.” She laughed. “And, hey, if you want to stay slightly closer by and attend a family Christmas, you can go see my family. My mom would never leave you alone again, but she’d be delighted to have you. She’ll think you’re the daughter she never had.”
“She has you.”
“Not when I’m missing Christmas she doesn’t.” She laughed, shaking her head.
Maggie was overwhelmed. She knew Katie was joking. Her family was pushy, but they didn’t disown her for missing Christmas. But, the idea of meeting Katie’s family at Christmas was too much. As much as Katie attempted to maintain their privacy by not throwing Maggie into all that, they both knew it was going to happen at some point. Even so, meeting the family of the best friend you were secretly in love with at Christmas felt… a little too much, even just as an idea.
Katie laughed again, pulling Maggie backwards into the cushions. “Don’t worry, you know they’re going to love you when they finally meet you, but I’m not just going to abandon you there for Christmas.”
“Good to know,” Maggie said, her heart and her head both still feeling fuzzy and confused.
She couldn’t help relaxing into Katie’s side, though. It was the most confusing of things. Being close to her was both something that Maggie craved and something she always worried made her creepy, given her feelings. But, despite all of that, it was still Katie, Maggie’s best friend, and it just felt natural to relax with her, to melt into her embrace. There was no fighting it, even though Maggie worried about the day she finally found out and whether she’d feel differently about it then.
Katie pulled her closer, into a hug. “Whatever happens, I’m proud of you, I’m here for you, and I love you.”
“I love you too,” Maggie replied, trying desperately to mean it only platonically, and failing miserably. Maybe she was supposed to say something, to warn Katie so she didn’t do things like this without understanding how much Maggie meant them.
“And we’ll always have our Christmas celebration. Just me, you, and nobody else. None of that confusing mess.”
“Yeah.” Maggie smiled through the whirlwind of emotions. She always loved her Christmas celebration with Katie. No matter how busy they were, what other work or travel plans they had going on, they always found time to have their own, private Christmas together. It was Maggie’s favorite part of a whole season she loved.
“And I’ll be at the airport to meet you after your flight to pick you up. You can complain all you need. I’ll look after you.”
Maggie’s heart pounded, longing. “You have work. You’ll be tired.”
“I’m never too tired for you.” She squeezed Maggie tightly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Maggie was pretty sure Katie was starting to lose the battle against sleep. She, however, was wide awake, and, no matter what, she didn’t think she was ever getting over Katie or moments like this.
Chapter Seven
An hour and a half after waking up, Katie’s painkillers had kicked in and she was feeling fine. She snuck around the kitchen making buttermilk pancakes, trying not to wake Maggie. After everything Maggie had done for her yesterday, Katie more than wanted to return the favor by spoiling her a little too—because Maggie really had been spoiling her all night with being here, dinner, the cookies and hot cocoa, and then snuggling up to watch movies until Katie physically couldn’t stay awake any longer.
While she might not have managed to stay up all night, even on her days off, she was an early waker. And she was determined to have breakfast on the table before Maggie woke up.
She blasted Christmas music through her headphones as she moved around the kitchen, whipping cream and flipping pancakes. She loved her job and she wouldn’t give it up for anything, but she did wish more mornings were like this—maybe minus the period, but other than that, it might have been her perfect morning.
When everything was ready, she piled two plates high with pancakes, whipped cream, and copious amounts of red and green sprinkles she’d bought on an impulse because she knew Maggie would love them.
If she really thought about it, half the things in her apartment were bought because she knew Maggie would like them, but Katie liked it that way. She wanted Maggie to feel happy there.
She quickly made coffee and, once the breakfast bar looked perfect and ready to go, she crept back into the bedroom, kneeling on the edge of the bed as Maggie slept on, blissfully unaware.
She smiled and traced a finger lightly over Maggie’s hand. “Maggie,” she whispered. “Wakey, wakey.”
Maggie let out a deep sigh, shifting slightly.
“Maggie… I made breakfast.”
