“Why—” Emma forced her voice to lower. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“He begged us not to. And then when wedidtry to tell you, you yelled at us.”
Emma grimaced. “Yeah, that—that sounds like me.”
She sat down on the carpet, mind reeling. Four or fiveyearsago. She’d had no idea. She thought about his desperate expression the last time he came to her house, his wing stopping the door from closing.
Please, he’d said, voice rawer than she’d ever heard it.I need—please. We were everything.
“He said he missed us, too,” Bitsey continued. “Me and your father. It was very sweet. He even started crying.”
Emma laughed shakily. “Are you sure? He never cries. I’m surprised he can squeeze out a tear for a movie.”
“Well, he did.” Bitsey reached out of the screen, coming back with the tiny Christmas tree and holding it between her and Glen. “Anyway, how are you doing? Are you going to that party?”
Emma swallowed. She couldn’t stop imagining Arthur in an empty mansion on New Year’s morning, maybe slumped in a bathtub, maybe on a bed, tears rolling into his fur. Why the hell didn’t he callher? Would she have picked up? She liked to think she would, even just to yell at him for daring to do it.
“Emma?”
“Yeah,” Emma said, voice only wavering a little bit. “I’m—I’m gonna go.”
“Oh, good,” Glen said. Then, after yet another pointed look from Bitsey, “And how are you feeling about that?”
“Fine,” Emma said. Then she sighed. “I mean, not fine. But I’m not dreading it. I just need to get through tonight.”
One more night with this strange new version of Arthur at arm’s reach. Then he’d go back to his life, and she’d go back to hers. And neither of them was going to do anything stupid to jeopardize that.
* * *
Luna emerged through the crowded common room with a warm mug of eggnog. It was topped with melting whipped cream and chocolate flakes.
She pushed it into Emma’s hands and leaned in to yell over the din. “Told you I’d save you some! Are you a hugger yet?”
Emma held the mug in front of her like a shield. “I said I was being more open. I didn’t say I was turning into a hugger. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“Fine by me,” Luna said, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder and almost hitting a human Emma recognized as part of the camera crew. There was a bunch of the crew scattered around, mostly keeping to their groups while all the extras stood in their own clumps. The extras hadn’t originally been invited, but apparently, Luna had pulled some strings.
Luna gave her a friendly shoulder pat instead. “You’re coming to dinner tomorrow, right? We’d love to have you.”
Emma pictured a table full of the Musgrove family, with all their yelling and laughing and teasing. It sounded nice, if a little overwhelming.
“I’m not great with big groups,” she admitted. “But I’ll definitely drop by. Thanks again for the invite.”
“Of course!” Luna twisted to look through the crowd. “I’m going to go see my husband. The nephews talked him into a contest to see who he could throw the farthest, and I have bets to cash in on. You’ll be okay if I dash off?”
Emma nodded, clutching her eggnog and reminding herself that she only had to stay for ten minutes. If she still wasn’t feeling it, she could go home. Out of this damn crowd and away from the danger zone of possibly running into Arthur.
“Toodles!” Luna started weaving through the crowd.
Emma sipped her eggnog and almost choked. The sweetness was almost completely overpowered by the liquor.
“Pretty intense,” said a voice next to her.
Emma turned. Daisy was squeezing between the makeup artists to stand at her side, tugging Hazel behind her.
“I couldn’t finish mine,” Daisy continued, ears twitching like they sometimes did when she was stuck somewhere very loud. “If I wanted something that strong, I’d drink shots. Hazel’s loving it, though.”
Hazel let out a whoop. She was swaying to the music, her elbows and hips knocking into anyone unfortunate enough to be standing close, which happened to include Daisy and Emma.
