After all the horrible things I’d said to get her to leave, what could I say to convince her to come back to me?
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I spied Mari’s name on the screen when I fished it out. Cringing as I lifted it to my ear, I let out a long sigh before I answered.
“Hey, Mari.”
“Feliz Navidad, Primo!”
I pulled the phone away from my ear at my cousin’s boisterous greeting.
“Technically, no it’s not. I guess someone got into Abuela’scoquitoearly.”
“It’s delish this year—wait, what’s wrong?”
Jesus.Mari always had radar, and she’d relentlessly fish it out of me, so it was pointless to even attempt to lie.
“Victoria and I broke up.”
“What? What happened?” She yelled before a loud slam of a door made me wince.
“It’s a long story—”
“And I have nothing but time. Go on.”
I went through the whole horrible story, picturing Mari’s jaw clenching after each gasp. When I repeated back all I’d said, I felt nauseous and even more hopeless. Mari unloaded a mix of Spanish and English as she laced into me.
“So, she didn’t freak out about your time in jail, butyoudid, and then you kicked her out of your life. And now she’s not even working at the shop anymore, so she’s totally gone, right?”
I cupped my forehead. “That’s a brutal, but correct, summation, yes.”
“You have to get her back before Christmas.”
An incredulous laugh escaped me. “Which is tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. You have time, and you need to do this big, too.Hugegrand gesture. The holiday may even work to your advantage. Give her the most awesome, thoughtful gift.”
My eyes fell on the Wonder Woman doll. I at least had that, but how did I get her to see me to give it to her in the first place?
“Other than falling to my hands and knees and begging, I have nothing, Mari.” I scrubbed a hand down my face. I’d beg all night if I thought it would work.
“I bet you do. Think. What can you do for her specifically on Christmas that would show her how much you want her back?”
My head jerked up as an idea came to me.
“Are you still friends with Eric at the mall?”
“The Eric who manages the Santa booth? Yes, but Santa stops seeing people today, I believe. He usually closes it then.”
“Can you get him to open it for me for tomorrow afternoon? I’d only need it for a couple of hours. I think I have a way to get her back.”
“Hell yeah, I’ll message him now and get back to you. But only if you promise me that you’re not going to be a jackass and let her go ever again.”
“That, Mari, I can promise you. I’m hers, for as long as she wants me.”
“Good! Now you have work to do, go!”
I smiled when she ended the call, the spark of hope in my chest making me sit up a little straighter.
It was bittersweet pulling open the door to the comic book store. It wasn’t even a month ago that we’d been here after I won that stupid contest. It was our beginning, and I’d make damn sure there wouldn’t be an end.
