“I’ll make sure he gets home safely,” M3 assures me, looking right into my eyes with those Cary Grant eyes of his.
“And would you mind checking his condo to make sure his electricity is on? If it’s not, please bring him back here, because it’s too cold for him to be home alone with no heat.”
M3 smiles and gives me a quick hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s completely safe and warm before I leave him.”
“Thanks,” I say as I watch M3 make his way down the front walkway. Thankfully, Cooper had the presence of mind to put out rock salt during the night, and the sidewalk isn’t a sheet of ice.
As M3 reaches his car, Cooper and Sy head down the stairs.
“Thanks again for hosting us, Ivy,” says Cooper, opening the door to his apartment. “This is definitely going down in history as an unforgettable Christmas party.”
“Agreed,” I say laughing. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to top this one.”
Cooper steps inside his apartment, and then, it’s just me and Sy.
Sy grins widely. “Ivy, thanks again for inviting me. It might be my favorite Christmas party of all time.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know about that,” I tell him. “There are a few things I would do differently if I had the chance.”
Sy nods thoughtfully. “I know the feeling. But you know, I think everything will work itself out, given time.”
“Maybe.”
Sy is quiet for a several moments, and he looks out the front door, his gaze fixed on something I can’t determine.
When he looks at me again, his gaze is sharp and focused as he shakes his head. “You can’t get caught up in perfection, Ivy. True, there are things that you can always do differently, but you have to focus on the things that really make a difference in the grand scheme of things, not the frivolous little mistakes. In my opinion, everything about this party was exactly right, and I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
Sy is generally a lighthearted person, and always soft spoken. His emphatic tone here gives me pause, and I let his words sink in.
I can see his point.
Maybe eventually we’ll all look back on the events of this party and be able to overlook the freezing temperatures, dimly lit rooms, delayed dinner and the awkward exchange between me and Giuseppe…and instead, see nothing but warm memories.
I nod at Sy. “You might be right.”
He hugs me. “I know I’m right. Now, get some sleep and take your vitamins. I’m sure we’ll have a busy day at work tomorrow, and I can’t have you getting sick!”
I laugh. Leave it to Sy to work the bookstore into a conversation.
“Ok. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow.”
I watch as Sy climbs into M3’s car and the car drives away, then I climb the stairs back to my apartment.
Inside the house, I flip the television off, turn off my Christmas lights, extinguish all of the candles, and ignore the table full of dirty dishes.
I turn the lights off in the kitchen and head straight to my room, where I climb into bed and pull the covers over my head.
I’m almost completely relaxed when I realize I didn’t turn the music off, and Ella Fitzgerald’s lively rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is wafting through my apartment.
Too tired to get back up, I ignore the music and close my eyes, remembering Sy’s take on the entire party.
And the more I replay the events of last night, the more I agree with Sy.
It wasn’t perfect, but I think everyone would agree that we all had a merry little Christmas.
And as for me and Giuseppe…well, maybe next year all our troubles will be out of sight.
The End
The Beginning
The story continues with
Ivy Stratton & the Time Machine Book One: How to Forget Your (Boy)friend
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How to Host a Holiday (The Prequel to Ivy Stratton & the Time Machine) Page 7