Another light round of applause trickled through the sea of people I was looking at before I lifted up my flute of champagne into the air.
“As we go into a new year and a new adventure with this company, I hope you will carry this same positive attitude and approach to life that I’ve been given by this wonderful woman. As Miss Abby…”
Holy hell, I didn’t even know this woman’s last name. She’d impacted the whole of me and changed me for the near future, and I didn’t even know her full name.
“In the words of Miss Abigail, ‘None of the greatest things in life are easy to come by.’ Invest in yourself, invest in your happiness, and watch how it will repay you in kind. I hope you will consider supporting our charitable causes, and I hope you all have a wonderful evening.”
I settled the microphone back into its stand as people tipped up their glasses and cheered. The applause that came from the ballroom floor shook the walls, and my cheeks were burning from smiling so much. I made my way to Mac who opened his arms to me, and I clapped his back before the two of us talked in hushed tones.
And for the first time in our friendship, we talked about something other than work.
Chapter 22
Abby
My eyes opened Christmas morning, and a smile crossed my cheeks. Snow was beginning to fall outside, and I could smell coffee brewing downstairs. I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders as I made my way into the bathroom. After a little bit of cleaning up, I’d be ready to sit around in my pajamas all day and simply take in being around the people I loved. Today was the day I would give no thought to my future. I would simply allow myself the ability to enjoy what was around me. Then, tomorrow, I could wake up and dive into the decision I had to make.
And thinking about that decision reminded me of Colin.
I started thinking about how lonely he probably was. How he was sitting alone somewhere in a rental house or a hotel with no one to spend Christmas with. I wanted to reach out to him, but I didn’t have his number, and soon, my father knocking on the bathroom door completely pushed thoughts of him toward the back of my mind.
“Breakfast is ready, sweetheart!”
Opening the door, I threw my arms around my father. He smelled like cinnamon rolls and peppermint coffee, and I inhaled his scent deeply. I smiled into the crook of his neck as he wrapped me up tightly in his arms. Then the two of us made our way downstairs and into the kitchen.
“Merry Christmas, Abby!” my mother exclaimed. “Want some coffee?”
“Only if we can drink it by the Christmas tree,” I said.
There were presents underneath the tree, but we were too wrapped up in the Christmas parade. We all sat on the couch and watched it together as my mother commented on all the musical performances. My father critiqued the floats as my mother ogled over the dancing and singing happening on television. The only thing I could think to myself was that this was how Christmas should be.
It should be spent doing absolutely nothing with the people you love.
We opened a few presents, and I felt a somber mood blanket me. This was the first Christmas ever that I didn’t have presents for my parents, and I had to hold back tears. I unwrapped beautiful gifts from them. A wonderful jacket and a gift card to my favorite restaurant. Boots I’d been eyeing for months and pants that fit me perfectly. I threw my arms around my parents and held them close, and before I could catch myself, I was apologizing for the lack of presents I had for them.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, honey,” my father said. “Having you here is enough.”
“Yeah,” my mother said. “Having you back home means so much to us, even if it’s during times like this. Trust us. You’re the best gift we could’ve ever wished for.”
The rest of the day was wonderful. We finished the peppermint coffee and cinnamon rolls before Mom made her infamous turkey salad sandwiches for lunch. We ate until we couldn’t eat anymore, then we decided to finish the day off with a movie marathon. We were going to watch the rest of the Christmas movies Mom didn’t get to watch before today, but eventually, Colin rose up from the back of my mind.
“Let me go do something real quick,” I said.
“Everything okay, honey?” my father asked.
“Oh, yeah. Just need to go see about something.”
Bounding up the stairs, I ripped open my door. I didn’t have Colin’s phone number, but I was sure I could find his contact information online. I opened my laptop and began typing in his name. Then, I started navigating my way through his website. It took me some time to nail down any sort of contact information for him, and it wasn’t actually his.
It was his secretary’s.
Nevertheless, I opened up an email and sent him a Christmas email. Even if he was alone, I wanted him to know that he was being thought about. I wanted him to know that someone had their mind on him this Christmas season, and as I sent the email, I hoped it would make him smile. It wasn’t anything fancy or extravagant, but I made sure it was heartfelt.
I went back downstairs and found my phone, hoping my email inbox would ding at any moment. I tried paying attention to the movie, but the only thing on my mind was hearing back from Colin. If he was the workaholic he claimed to be, then he would be in his office. Sure,
