Page 215 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
Up ahead on the right was his house lit in green,
the brightest house of all houses he ever had seen.
And one by one, along the cul-de-sac, they stood hand in hand,
the loving people of Kringle, next to a large marching band.
And they sang and they cheered and they stood in Christmas glory,
and right in the middle of it all, the girl of his heart, his very own Storee.
And he puzzled and thought, and he puzzled some more.
Then Cole thought of something he hadn’t thought of before.
“Storee,” he thought, “maybe I judged her all wrong.”
“Maybe she is the one with whom I truly belong.”
Max pulls his truck up to the curb and glances at me. “Go get her, man.”
“But…”
“But I was wrong. And this?” He gestures to my lit house, to the town caroling together…the marching band. “This was all her. This was her doing. She loves you, man, and I’ll be damned if I let you miss out on being with someone who cares this much and tries so hard to make things right. Now go get her.”
I look out through the windshield. Storee shivers in front of me, wearing her parka, winter hat, and mittens. Taran and Cindy are behind her while the rest of the town patiently waits.
“But the lights—”
“It was Taran.”
“Taran?”
Max nods. “Let her explain, hear her out. I promise she won’t hurt you.”
I look Max in the eyes. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
If I’m going to trust anyone, it’s going to be my best friend.
With a curt nod, I open the truck door and shut it once I’m out. I tug on my shirt, adjusting it as I approach Storee. In the light from the houses and the streetlamps in the distance, I can see the red of her nose and the water in her eyes.
When I step up to her, she whispers, “Hi.”
“Hi,” I say, unsure of where this is going.
“Um, I’m not very good at this kind of grand gesture, but after editing so many Lovemark movies, I think I might have an idea.” She clears her throat and holds out her hand to mine. I take it, and she brings me over to her lawn. The town continues to sing while she speaks softly.
“Taran was the one who took the lights down. I had no idea she did it until she confessed. It was stupid, and she did it because she thought you were using me. That, uh…that you didn’t have real feelings for me, and I tried to convince her that wasn’t the case. But then after the argument this morning, I thought maybe, maybe it was the truth—”
“It’s not.”
“It’s not?” she asks, hope springing in her eyes.
I shake my head. “It’s not.”
The smallest of smiles passes over her lips. “Okay, um, well, that’s good to know because, well, I have this thing I have to tell you, and I’m nervous, but I need to tell you.” She looks me in the eyes. “I didn’t realize just how lonely I was, Cole, until I came here. Until I saw you. Until there was that level of connection, of comfort I always seemed to feel whenour eyes met. When I was younger, I didn’t understand what that feeling was, but now that I’m older, now that I’d thought I’d lost it, I can tell you exactly what it is.” She brings my knuckles up to her lips and she kisses them softly. “I love you, Cole. These feelings I have for you are unmistakable. It’s as if whenever I see you, the air in my lungs is refreshed, my pulse is revived, and my soul feels at peace. I don’t want to lose that…ever.”
