This morning feels like a year ago.
Driving here feels like a few minutes ago.
I don’t know anything anymore, except that I want to do that again later and I want to be with Cleo Jones forever.
“Let’s get you off the floor, Dummy.” She nudges me, and I can feel her slipping away.
I let her pull me up onto the mattress and wrap myself around her, both of us cocooned in the comforter.
With her in my arms, there is peace on Earth and mercy mild.
When I wake up, Cleo and I are in the exact same position I remember falling asleep in. Her hair is a glorious mess, and my body is…sore. But also, possibly, ready for more. Eventually. When I carefully free my arm from under her and reach for the bedside lamp to turn it off, I nearly jump out of my skin.
There’s an elf doll. Sitting against the lamp base. She must have snuck in that little fella inside her coat pocket.
I glance over at her, and she appears to be sleeping soundly.
But then a smile slowly spreads across her face.
This woman is magical, and I can’t believe she’s mine.
That elf better report back to Santa that I’ve been a good boy, because I’m about to do something really good for my girl again.
EPILOGUE - CLEO
December 19
One Year Later
What a year this has been.
As well as being LA’s most in-demand children’s party entertainer, improv coach, a top Etsy seller, and the owner of a triplex fixer-upper apartment building in the Huntington Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, I am also officially the associate producer of a blockbuster feature film.A Very Alien Christmas,starring Shane Miller, grossed over four hundred million dollars over the Thanksgiving long weekend. Things moved very quickly in the new year, once Elijah brought some of his formerThat’s So Wizardcrew on board to package the project with talent. Things don’t usually go that smoothly when it comes to studio productions, but it’s like it was meant to be.
And Elijah is the new president of production at Streamflix.
More importantly, we have both been very proud and happy with our titles and positions as boyfriend and girlfriend.
He’s still a grumpyass mofo most of the time, but he has a good heart, and he always makes it known that his heart belongs to me.
I moved in with him half a year ago, which was five months later than he wanted me to, but I didn’t want to rush things. It was fun to go through the dating phase. Even more fun? Hiring Franklin to decorate my office in the house and requesting a sparkly organizational unit for my crafting supplies. And a wardrobe for my costumes. And cardigans. He delivered all of the above—with sarcasm and class.
Alyssa and Barry are out of town for their one-year anniversary, so we get Paxton for the holidays. Elijah and Paxton are the directors of entertainment tonight. They ordered Chinese food, and we ate it in the family room while watchingIt’s a Wonderful Life. Elijah swears he doesn’t hate it nearly as much anymore. Now we’re enjoying hot chocolate and the karaoke machine Elijah got me for my birthday this year. I serenaded them with three songs in a row, and now I’ve been instructed to take a seat and enjoy the melodious vocal stylings of Paxton Abrams.
Elijah excused himself a moment ago and has returned wearing the Christmas vest my mom sent him. It hits below his waist, and there’s a felt elf hat sewn on. It looks like there’s a naughty elf doing something nice to him in his pocket. He and Paxton have a whispered conversation in the corner, and then they both pick up their microphones and Elijah selects the very familiar music for “Last Christmas.”
Elijah speaks into the mic. “Good evening. This is a little parody song that Paxton and I wrote together, for Paxton to perform solo. Please pay close attention—thank you.” Elijah puts down the mic and joins me on the sofa so we can watch Paxton perform.
He pushes his glasses up his nose, even though they fit his face perfectly, and sings to me.
“Last Christmas, we gave you our hearts
And for every day since, it’s a wonderful life!
This year, to save us from strife,
Elijah and Cleo should be husband and wife!”
Paxton holds his hand out, gesturing to his dad, while he repeats that verse. Elijah gets down on one knee in front of me and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a small box and opens it, holding it up to me. “Cleo Jones, will you please marry me and make me the merriest grumpy mofo on earth?”
