“Everything’s fine,” Holly assured her quickly. “I’m actually… I’m here. At the hospital.”
There was a beat of silence, and then Mack’s voice, filled with disbelief and joy. “You’re here? Now?”
“Yeah,” Holly said, a smile spreading across her face. “Can you come down? I’m in the parking lot.”
“I’ll be right there,” Mack replied, and Holly could hear the smile in her voice.
Holly stepped out of the car, the cold air nipping at her cheeks as she made her way toward the hospital entrance. Her eyes scanned the area, searching for a glimpse of teal hair in the sea of cars and late-night visitors.
And then, there she was. Mack burst through the sliding doors, her eyes wild and searching until they locked onto Holly. For a moment, they both stood frozen, drinking in the sight of each other.
Then, as if pulled by some invisible force, Holly’s feet carried her forward, her pace quickening with each step until she was practically running. Mack matched her stride for stride, and they collided in the middle of the walkway, arms wrapping tightly around each other.
Holly buried her face in the crook of Mack’s neck, breathing in her scent. She felt Mack’s arms tighten around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Mack whispered, her breath warm against Holly’s ear.
Holly pulled back just enough to meet Mack’s gaze, her heart swelling at the joy and wonder she saw reflected there. Without a word, she leaned in, capturing Mack’s lips in a kiss.
It felt like coming home to a place Holly had never known existed. Mack’s lips were soft yet insistent, and she marveled at how familiar this felt, how right, despite the newness of it all. Her fingers traced the curve of Mack’s jaw, committing every detail to memory—the smoothness of her skin, the delicate hollow beneath her ear, the pulse that fluttered beneath her fingertips. The comfort of Mack’s embrace, the way their bodies fit together, it all felt too perfect to be mere coincidence.
As she lost herself in the kiss, Holly’s mind wandered to the chain of events that had brought them here—a snowstorm, a crowded airport, a shortage of motel rooms. What were the odds? Had the universe conspired to bring them together? Holly had never been one for grand notions of fate or destiny, but in this moment, with Mack’s arms around her, she found herself reconsidering.
As they slowly pulled apart, their eyes locked, both of them slightly breathless. Mack broke the silence first, her voice soft and uncertain. “So…where do we go from here?”
Holly’s lips curved into a smile. “You know, this might sound crazy, but I can’t shake this feeling that we were meant to meet. Like all those little coincidences weren’t really coincidences at all.”
“Yeah. I’ve been thinking the same thing, and…” Mack paused. “If I’m honest, I missed you today and with every minute that passed, I wanted to see you more.” She took a deep breath.“Look…I don’t know exactly where we’re going, but I know I want to go there with you.”
Holly felt a rush of emotion as she took Mack’s hands and laced their fingers together. “I’d like that,” she whispered. Their eyes met again, and in that moment, surrounded by the soft glow of hospital lights and gently falling snow, she embraced the prospect of new beginnings. In the blue depths of Mack’s eyes, she saw a universe of possibilities—laughter shared over morning coffee, quiet nights spent reading side by side, and many more Christmases to come…
Perhaps there was some greater force at work, guiding them toward each other, or perhaps it was simply the magic of the season, turning strangers into soulmates in the span of a few snow-filled days.
“Merry Christmas, girlfriend,” Holly murmured.
Mack laughed softly, the sound warming Holly from the inside out. “Merry Christmas, girlfriend.”
Epilogue – Mack
Mack tried to wiggle her way out of Maude Mistletoe’s enthusiastic embrace, but the older woman’s grip was surprisingly strong.
“Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you two again!” Maude exclaimed, finally releasing Mack only to immediately pull Holly into an equally exuberant hug. “And together! You know, I’ve always had a knack for putting the right people in the right room at the right time. It’s a gift. And you two…well, let’s just say I had a feeling about you from the start and the Mistletoe Motel works in mysterious ways.”
Mack chuckled, both at Maude’s crazy statement and at the sight of Holly’s slightly overwhelmed expression as she was enveloped in Maude’s arms. A year had passed since they’d been stranded in Watertown, forced to share a room at the Mistletoe Motel. Now here they were, back again by choice to celebrate their anniversary. It wasn’t the most romantic choice for a getaway, but it certainly felt fitting and even oddly romantic.
Mack took in the motel lobby. Nothing had changed. The same over-the-top Christmas decorations covered every available surface, strings of twinkling lights crisscrossed the ceiling, and tinsel garlands framed every doorway and window.And then there was Maude herself, resplendent in a Christmas sweater that put all others to shame. This year’s creation featured a three-dimensional Christmas tree, complete with actual tiny ornaments dangling from the knitted branches.
“We’re so happy to be back,” Holly said, reaching for Mack’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “We couldn’t think of a better place than Watertown to celebrate our anniversary.”
Mack nodded in agreement. Although it wasn’t the most comfortable option, there was something undeniably charming about the Mistletoe Motel, with all its kitschy glory, and it held a special place in their hearts now.
“Oh, you two are just the sweetest,” Maude gushed. She bustled behind the reception desk, rummaging through a drawer. “Now, let me just find your key. I’ve got you in Room Fifteen again—I assumed you’d want the same room? I saw your name on the reservation, Holly, so I made sure to keep that one free for you. Now, I should warn you, we haven’t quite gotten around to renovating that room yet. But don’t you worry, we’ve made sure to tape off those peepholes this time.”
“That’s perfect, thank you,” Holly said, while Mack tried not to think too hard about the state of that particular room.
“It’s no trouble at all, dear,” Maude said as if she’d done them a favor. “I noticed you’re only staying the one night. Are you sure you don’t want to extend your stay? There’s no storm this year, so we’re having a special Christmas Eve bonfire in town tomorrow night, complete with s’mores and hot cocoa!”
“That sounds lovely, Maude, but we really do need to head back tomorrow,” Holly explained. “We drove here to make sure we’d be able to spend Christmas with our families this year.”
