Night had fallen and the real bonfire was burning merrily in the back courtyard when Abigail snuck up behind him and put her arms around him. “You win after all,” she said. “Thisisthe best Christmas ever.”
“Every Christmas with you is the best Christmas ever,” he told her.
“Should I remind you of that when you start to go crazy next year?”
He pulled her around to hug her, resting his chin on top of her head. “Put it in the calendar.”
“Will do.”
“And I’ll put in my calendar,Remember the love of your life is going to start worrying about you freaking out about Christmas about now.” He kissed her. “And then—”
He paused, suddenly aware of a hushed whispering behind him. A moment later, the air erupted with cheers.
“Happy birthday!”
He turned, Abigail in his arms. All his friends and family gathered behind him, smiling hugely.
“Oh no,” he said jokingly.
“Ohyes,” Opal announced with a mock-stern expression on her face. “You thought we were going to forget?”
“I—” He looked down at Abigail. “Were you in on this?”
“Did you thinkIwas going to forget your birthday?”
“But… it’s Christmas…”
“And that isn’t the only thing worth celebrating.” She tucked her hand into his. “Are you ready for more presents? More songs? More cake?”
He gazed down at her. “More of everything,” he said.
There was one surprise left to come. After the surprise birthday party, even the most energetic of the kids were starting to have trouble keeping their eyes open—and some adults, too.
“We’ll come back in the morning to help tidy up, but I think it’s time we were going,” he told Opal.
“Good idea. We’ve got the spare room set up here for Ruby.”
“What?”
His sister raised her eyebrows at him. “Look. How long have I been your sister now?”
“Almost exactly my entire life, except for the week you lived in the tree-stump out back pretending you were a lost mermaid princess?”
“Never tell anyone about that. But yes. Your whole life. So don’t think I don’t see what’s going on here.” She sighed deeply, giving him the big-sisterly smile-scowl he knew and loved. “I mean, chances are Idon’t. Obviously, the whole family curse thing plagued us our entire lives, and with the deadline being your birthday and your birthday beingChristmas, that was weird and stressful, and I guess I never figured out how much of you being crazy over Christmas was legitimate and how much was a reaction to that—”
“Look, sis, I can think of better times to psychoanalyze me—”
“All right, all right. I’m just saying.”
“And I do love Christmas. Legitimately.”
“Good. And we love you. Legitimately. So, here’s your birthday present, little bro. From all of us. Yes, even whoever that is asleep on the porch.”
“The party?”
“Nope. This.” She thrust an envelope into his hands. “Now go and enjoy it.”
Abigail came up beside them. “What’s that?” she asked.
