I racked my brain.
Tomorrow was Christmas.
I had to somehow make it special for Noelle, despite everything that was going on outside.
I rattled off a few things that I thought could help and it wasn’t until I stopped and looked up at Chris’s face that I saw how scared he was.
“It’s too much, isn’t it?” I backtracked.
“Not at all. It’s just …. I can’t remember half of what you said,” he admitted, his cheeks turning red.
“What’s your number?” I asked, grabbing my phone.
“Huh?”
“Your phone number. What is it?”
“Holly, are you asking for my number?” Chris asked flirtatiously.
It took me a minute to get with the program and realize what I’d said and how it must’ve sounded.
“Oh my god, no! I mean. Yes. I mean … shit!”
I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole.
I took a breath.
I looked up at Chris who was still laughing at me.
I took another breath. “I was going to text you what I needed to make it easier. That’s why I wanted your number,” I explained calmly while internally dying.
“Yeah. Okay. Sure. Let’s go with that,” Chris replied, still making fun of me.
I started laughing.
I had to.
If I couldn’t laugh at myself, what was the point?
Chris rattled off his number, and I added it to my phone before texting through the list. When I tried to hand him my credit card, he looked offended.
“I can buy groceries, Holly,” he declared.
I stood up. If we were going to argue about this, I wasn’t going to do it sitting on the floor surrounded by panties while he towered over me.
“I never said you couldn't. But you shouldn’t have to. At least not for me and Noelle anyway. You’re already doing so much.”
“It’s fine,” he replied firmly, and I thrust my card out again.
“Please, Chris. Please take it,” I begged just as Noelle cried out for me. “Please,” I tried one last time, shoving it in his hand before turning and fleeing into the bathroom.
“Bloody women,” I heard Chris mutter before turning my attention to Noelle who’d tried to turn the taps off herself and managed to have the icy, cold water blasting down on her.
After Noelle was dressed in her favorite pink jeans andChristmas sweater, I took my turn to have a shower. As much as I wanted to stand under the hot water until all my worries washed away, I didn’t want to use all his hot water.
I’d just stepped onto the bathmat when Noelle barreled into the bathroom almost giving me a heart attack.
“Mom! Your phone keeps ringing,” she said, waving my cell around.
