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Maggie walked into the apartment automatically as he threw his arm out in a wide, welcoming gesture. “Thanks. I did, um… I didn’t realize it was a party I was attending.”
He laughed. “Nothing’s a party until it is.”
She woodenly removed her coat and hat. Katie’s apartment, with the ten or fifteen people in it that Maggie hadn’t expected, was especially warm, particularly in contrast to the outside world.
She’d thought the walk and the place only felt strange because of the weight of what she was going to do and say. Now, though, nothing about it seemed familiar. It was like she was on a set she recognized, but it was so full of people she’d never seen before that she was certain she was in the wrong place.
And the guy who smiled like Katie was still looking at her. Even though there was no sign of Katie herself.
“Indeed,” Maggie agreed, unsure of what else she could say in the situation.
He laughed. “You look just like she did when we showed up.”
“Huh.”
Maggie’s brain worked hard to put the pieces together. If Katie looked the same way Maggie felt, she hadn’t known all of these people were coming. She hadn’t invited Maggie to some odd party she hadn’t mentioned she was planning.
Maggie looked around the room again, searching for the familiar pieces of the space. She spent almost as much time here as she did at her own apartment, it shouldn’t have been difficult.
Her eyes landed on the table and there was the first sign that this evening had not been a planned party.
It was set for two people. Beautifully so. Gold charger plates Maggie was certain were new and red napkins with little white snowflakes on. Water glasses, wine glasses, and… champagne flutes.
She and Katie had drunk champagne together before but not at a table that looked exactly like a romantic date in Katie’s apartment.
And definitely not with a dozen other people randomly around.
The noise of the people gathered there was loud, but it hushed slightly as the guy who’d let Maggie in laughed and called towards the kitchen, “Specks, your friend’s here.”
Maggie followed his line of sight and, as the crowd parted, she finally caught sight of Katie, and everything started falling into place. This was Katie’s family. Here. In her apartment. Unexpectedly.
They usually didn’t even visit her individually, let alone as a huge group. Katie was the one who’d moved away and into a busy city they complained about. She was the one who went back to see them.
But they were definitely all here now.
Katie met Maggie’s gaze, looking at her like she was the lifeline Katie desperately needed. It did nothing good for Maggie’s aching, pounding heart. There was no way she’d be able to come clean tonight. Not with all these people here.
Though, at least Katie was looking at her relatively normally again. As normally as one could after their apartment had been invaded, at least.
Maggie set off towards her, shimmying through the sea of people. Katie’s apartment was a decent size, but it wasn’t set up for a crowd, especially not with the Christmas tree up.
“Nice to meet you, Maggie,” the guy behind her called, sounding more than a little amused.
Maggie glanced briefly in his direction, waving in agreement. She wasn’t sure she did agree, but it was the polite thing to do. She wasn’t even sure that constituted a meeting. She just felt like she was missing something massive and he knew exactly what it was.
She made it to Katie who was standing over a pot on the stove. Now abandoned to the side was a little tray with their Christmas mugs on. They’d bought them a couple of years ago. Matching, magical Christmas mugs. One set for Katie’s house and one set for Maggie’s. They used the ones at Katie’s far more frequently.
The tray was beautifully set with little bowls of add-ons for hot cocoa. Had Katie been making them a mini hot cocoa bar? On top of the ridiculously intimate and festive dinner table she’d set up? Maggie’s heart ached painfully.
Whatever Katie’s plans had been, they’d been thoroughly scuppered now.
The rest of her mugs had been taken out and were lined up haphazardly along the countertop.
“Hey,” Maggie said, more than a little cautious. “Are you okay?”
Katie shot her a look that was just for the two of them. Without a word, she told Maggie the answer to every question Maggie had about the situation—Katie had no idea everyone was coming tonight. This wasn’t what she’d had planned. And she wasn’t happy about it.
“My mom decided to bring family Christmas to me,” she said. Her voice was light and unbothered on the surface—she was well-practiced in schooling her tone—but Maggie knew her better than most. She heard the cracks underneath.
