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After that, ar me a Bavarian Reindeer

It’s a ind froh ride, then lunch at Gingersnap’s before ice skating at the rink over at the River Place shops And the ice skating is like solide along and when I stu and Christ and it’s all so perfect it feels like I’m on a movie set

It’s the kind of day that feels like it shouldn’t be real, especially when it ends with another Christmas marathon while I help him decorate his Christmas tree with Uncle Joe’s old ornaments We find a few that have pictures of Ryan on thee Ryan could But we laugh about thes them proudly on the tree

It’s later, when he’s fallen asleep next toRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, that I realize that this is it This is hi to stay

He’s the kind of present that I’m scared to open completely The one where you peel away the paper a little bit at a time, just in case someone swoops in and takes it away The kind of ornament that you love tooit up on one of the branches

What if it falls? you think What if it breaks?

But I guess that’s the thing about Christmas

Sometimes, you just have to believe

Chapter Twelve

I’s in the world that irls It’s that Christ that I chase every year, that warmth and joy, but with more frequency

But today I’m only mildly excited to talk about the book we read this month I’ The one where Ryan and I are clearlyhiether, but it’s clear We are meant to be We are like hot cocoa and marshmallows We just fit

“Y’all, he’s like a real-life Hallush as I sit down “We are so in love!”

I expect this announcement to be met with applause or, at least, a round of “Oh, my God!” But instead, Sutton and Lexi just look at each other and then look down at the table

“What?” I ask “Did so?”

Sutton fingers the tip of her blonde braid “No, nothing happened to Linus”