Holiday Magic

by Tl Reeve

  Okay. He freaked out on me. “If he asks, I’m still going on the cruise. I’m not going to stand around waiting for him to come to his senses. I can’t stand by as life passes me by anymore. Thanks, Lisa, it was nice meeting you.”

  “Wait! Don’t give up on him. He loves you. I think he’s very overwhelmed right now. When you get back from your cruise, talk to him then. I’m sure he’ll be finished freaking out by then,” she begs.

  “We’ll see. It’s time to leave. Bye.”

  I hang up before Lisa can speak again. I press the icon to call an Uber, and my phone dings. I open the text icon and pull up Lisa’s text: Please don’t take off your ring yet, and open the second envelope.

  I look at the envelope under the small tree and leave it there. I don’t have time to open it and I don’t want to. I drag my luggage down the hall to the elevator, and when I reach the lobby, I drag my luggage out the front door to the waiting Uber.

  I call Tina on the way to the port and make arrangements for her to pick me up next week when I get back. My eyes start to fill with tears, and I look up, sighing to keep them at bay. I’m on vacation; I’m not going to cry over him.

  We pull up to the port, and the driver helps me get my luggage out of the trunk and up to the check-in area. After checking in, I walk up the gangplank, with the assurance that my luggage will be waiting for me when I get to my room.

  I walk through the door of the cruise ship, and I’m given my room number and further instructions. Instead of checking out my room, I decide to go up top and find a spot to wave to the people as we pull off the dock.

  I find a spot and lean against the railing, trying to keep Dominic out of my mind. I look at the area where the passengers are boarding and further out. In spite of everything, I’m excited to go on this cruise.

  “Waiting for your fiancé?” a female voice says from behind me.

  I turn around and end up face to face with a gorgeous blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman. “Fiancé?”

  “I see that humongous ring on your finger. It’s so pretty.” She lifts my hand, examining the ring.

  “Thanks, but he’s not coming.” I fan my face with my other hand, trying to keep the tears at bay.

  She looks at me. “What did he do? I bet we’re in the same boat. I was supposed to get married today, and he left me at the altar. I decided to come anyway without him. I can’t stand to have people looking at me with pity in their eyes.” She holds out her hand. “By the way, I’m Justice.”

  I smile. “Justice?”

  She laughs. “My parents wanted me to be a lawyer, so they decided to start with my name.”

  “Are you a lawyer?”

  She shakes her head. “Nope. I’m in medical school.”

  “That’s cool! Are they happy?” I ask.

  She’s already shaking her head again. “Nope. They wanted me to grow up and take over my dad’s law firm. I told them they should have had another child. Now what’s your story?”

  “He proposed to me yesterday and ran off to his sister’s house this morning before I woke up.” I fill my cheeks with air and blow. I blink and look up again, still trying to keep the tears at bay.

  “Why didn’t you go over his sister’s house?” She tilts her head.

  “She lives in Chicago.” My hand goes to my stomach.

  “Oh.” Understanding dawns in her eyes. “We’ll hang out on this trip. I’ll share all my honeymoon stuff with you. We can have couples massages, a romantic dinner, we can even get mani-pedis together. What do you say?” Justice loops her arm through mine.

  I nod, my spirits lifting some at her positivity. “Okay.”

  “What’s your name and why are you still wearing the ring?” she asks.

  “I’m Maia, and his sister begged me not to take it off yet. She also told me to open the second envelope. I didn’t,” I tell her.

  She tilts her head at me questioningly. “Second envelope?”

  I nod and explain to her about the first letter and what it said. Then I tell her about the second letter and explain about his sister telling me to open it before leaving.

  “And you didn’t open it? Why not? The letter said that he loved you and he’s sorry. I bet that second letter had something good in it.” She frowns. “My letter said that he didn’t love me and he couldn’t go through with it. I can’t understand how you can take the time to pick a ring, ask someone to marry you and plan a whole wedding, only to decide on the day you’re supposed to say ‘I do’ that you don’t love them. The whole process took a year and a half.” She’s shaking her head.

  “Why aren’t you more upset?” I ask.

  She sighs. “Because after I examined my feelings, I decided that I didn’t love him either. I think I could fall in love with him, given the chance, but for the most part, I was just going through the motions because my parents loved him so much. I decided that I’m going to take this cruise, and when I come back, it’ll be a new start for me. I’ll finish medical school and become a doctor. I’ll live my life exactly the way I want to, so I can be happy. Forget my parents or anyone else who doesn’t like it.”

  “Me too. I’ve lived my life alone, for most of it, so from now on I’m going to experience things and live life. I don’t have time to wait for someone to get on the same page.” I nod my head once.

  “Cool! We’ll hang and be friends. Where do you live?” she asks.

  “Here in Florida. You?” I lean a little closer to her.

  “Washington State.” Her eyes light up. “We can visit each other!”

  I nod, enjoying our conversation. “We can.”

  The loud horn interrupts our conversation, and we wave at all the people on the dock as we pull off.

  We spend the week using Justice’s honeymoon perks and touring the different stops. Everyone is told to not wear diamonds or anything of value outside the ship, due to some of the areas not being so good, so I buy a gold chain and put my ring on it around my neck.

  Once a day, I get a text from Lisa giving me an update on Dominic. I don’t know how I’m getting them, but when we get off the ship onto one of the islands, they’re there waiting for me. Justice reads them with me and tells me I should forgive him. We’ll see.

  We make another friend on the ship, a guy named Ricardo. He tries to hit on us at first, but we shut him down quickly. He helps us navigate the ship and keeps other guys away from us. In return, we’re his dates or his wing women when he sees someone he likes. Also, since he has a small cabin at the bottom of the boat, I give him mine and share with Justice, since her room is twice the size of mine.

  The last evening at sea, we’re invited to eat at the captain’s table. It’s closest to the stage, and we’re treated to an Elvis impersonator. The food is delicious, and although it seems everyone else at the table is uptight, the captain laughs and jokes with us the whole night.

  We pull up to the dock happy and tired. Other than the texts, because of Justice and Ricardo, I’m able to put Dominic and our situation out of my mind.

  We walk down the gangplank with Ricardo standing between us, an arm around each of our shoulders. “I’m going to miss you two. I had so much fun with you.”

  “We had fun too,” I tell him with a smile.

  “We have each other’s telephone numbers. We have to get together at least once a year,” Justice says.

  “And talk at least once a week.” Ricardo smiles.

  I nod. “Definitely.” I notice a guy waving at us with a frown on his face. I point in his direction. “Do either of you know him?”

  Justice’s eyes get wide. “Justin?”

  “Is that your guy?” I ask.

  She nods. “What is he doing here?”

  I shrug. Ricardo looks at him. “He wants you back. He’s here to come get his woman.”

  We both stop and turn to him. “How do you know?” I ask.

  “Look at his face. He’s frowning because my arm is around you.” He pulls her closer to him. “He’s tryi
ng to figure out what I am to you. Since I also have my arm around Maia, he’s wondering who she is.” He takes his arms from around us and points behind me. “So is that guy.”

  I hear a clanking sound before my arm is grabbed. I’m able to look up just in time, before Dominic crushes me to him and his lips slam down on mine.

  Dominic

  “What did she say?” I ask Lisa. My heart drops when I realize what I’ve done. I hope she doesn’t leave me.

  “Who?” Lisa looks at me innocently.

  “You know who. Maia. I know you talked to her,” I growl.

  “How do you know that?” She crosses her arms.

  “Lisa!” I grit my teeth.

  She rolls her eyes. “Okay. She’s fine. She’s going on the cruise anyway. I have a feeling that she didn’t open the second envelope, even though I told her to. I also told her to keep the ring on. She told me that she doesn’t have time to stand around and wait, so my suggestion is to go get your woman.”

  “I am. I’ll be waiting for her when she gets off the boat.” I sigh. I really shouldn’t have left her in the first place.

  “Good. You also need to figure out what you’re going to say to her, because she may not forgive you as easily as you think,” Lisa says as she walks away.

  I go and see Tina the day before she’s due home. I walk into the restaurant and ask to sit in her section.

  She walks to the table and sits across from me. “Don’t tell me. You want to pick her up at the ship.”

  I nod.

  She sits back, crossing her arms. “Tell me one thing. You’re not going to freak out and leave her again, are you?”

  “I freaked out, but I didn’t leave her. I left her a second envelope, but I don’t think she opened it,” I tell her.

  “She didn’t tell me anything about a second envelope. What was in it?” She leans forward, waiting for my response.

  I explain to her what’s in the second envelope, and she immediately agrees to let me pick Maia up. She also feeds me on the house.

  Here I am, impatiently waiting for my fiancée to get off the boat. I look across from where I’m waiting, and there’s a guy tapping his hand on his leg. He’s just as nervous as I am.

  Finally, the boat finishes docking and they get the doors open. People start walking down the gangplank. I search the crowd for Maia and don’t see her yet.

  Finally she comes into view. A guy has an arm around her shoulder and another woman’s too, walking between them. Maia points at the guy across from me, looking at her two companions. They stop off to the right of the gangplank, letting other people get by, both women looking at the dark, good-looking guy as he speaks.

  I make a beeline for Maia, and right before I get to them, the guy points at me. I drop my cane and grab my fiancée’s arm, pulling her against me, slamming my lips down on hers. I feel her respond immediately, kissing me back intensely. Then she seems to realize what she’s doing and pulls away from me. I immediately feel the loss.

  She steps back from me. “So you talked Tina into letting you pick me up.”

  I nod.

  She turns to the two people she was walking with. She gives them a hug, thanking them and saying she’ll talk to them next week.

  Then she turns back to me. “Let’s go.”

  I pick up my cane and follow her to the luggage area, picking up her luggage and taking it to my car. I open the car door for her and watch her as she gets in before closing it behind her. I open the trunk, put her luggage inside, walk around to my side of the car, and get in.

  The drive to her apartment is made in silence. She doesn’t speak to me, and what I have to say needs to be said where I can give her all my attention. We pull up to her apartment complex and she goes to get out of the car.

  “No.” I place my hand on hers.

  She pulls away but doesn’t move. I walk around, opening the car door for her, then get her luggage, not allowing her to pick it up when she tries.

  I follow her up to her apartment, and she tries to stop me at the door. “I can take it from here. Thanks.” She goes to pick up her luggage, and I notice she doesn’t have on her ring.

  I push myself into the apartment. “We need to talk,” I say grimly. I pull the rest of the luggage inside, and she sits in one of the dining room chairs. “Where is your ring?”

  “Why? You’re the one who left me,” she responds.

  “I did, but I didn’t. What I did was a big mistake. I freaked out. I need you to open the second envelope,” I tell her.

  “Why?” she asks again.

  “Please open it,” I beg her. “It’ll explain so much.”

  She huffs, picking up the second envelope from under the small tree. I see her face change as she looks up at me then down at the envelope, opening it and pulling the tickets out. She holds them up, looking at me.

  “Read the note,” I tell her.

  She reaches into the envelope and pulls out a piece of paper, unfolding it. I mentally recite the note as she reads it.

  Maia,

  First of all, I’m sorry to put you through this. I love you with all my heart, but after last night, I’m scared. Making love with you was so intimate, bringing us so much closer, so I have to step away for a couple of days. I’m in Chicago, and I’ll be home in a few days and we can discuss our future. I do love you and still want to marry you.

  Love,

  Dominic

  “I never left you in the way you think. I still had and still have every intention of marrying you. Those tickets are for next weekend. We can get married in Vegas, since neither of us has big families. Tina and Thad will be there, as will Lisa and her family.”

  My heart finally lifts in my chest as she stands, running over and throwing her arms around me.

  “Where is your ring?” I ask again.

  She lifts a chain from around her neck. Hanging on the end of the chain is the ring I gave her. I take it from her, sliding it off and putting it back on her finger.

  “Never take this off again.”

  “I won’t.” Her voice catches.

  “I love you, and I never stopped loving you. I got overwhelmed and ran away. I’m sorry—it’ll never happen again. I’ll talk to you next time, I promise.” I hold her to me.

  “You scared the crap out of me. I had to literally put you out of my mind last week so I could function. I refused to open the second envelope because I was scared to know what was in it. Never do that again.”

  Tears are falling from her eyes, and I reach up to wipe them away.

  “Never.”

  Epilogue

  Maia

  One week later

  Whoever said that weddings in Vegas aren’t romantic doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Even though are a total of twelve people at my wedding, including Dominic and me.

  I wear a knee-length white form-fitting dress with lace at the shoulders and down the arms. There are also lace panels at the bottom on each side, and I wear a pair of silver strappy sandals. Tina and Lisa both ask if I want a traditional wedding dress, but I decline, loving the fit of this dress.

  I tell Ricardo and Justice about the wedding, and they insist on coming. Ricardo gives me away, walking me down the aisle of the small chapel. Dominic looks handsome in his black tux as he waits for me in front of the podium.

  When he finally met Ricardo, he was relieved. He thought I’d dated him on the boat. When he found out I gave him my room, his eyes about bugged out of his head until I explained to him about staying with Justice because her room was twice the size of mine.

  Justice brings Justin with her. She told me that she’s giving him a second chance because he apologized and just felt they needed more time to get to know each other before getting married. So they’re doing just that. When her mother tried to get them to set another wedding date, they both declined.

  I reach the front of the podium by Dominic, and Ricardo hands me over to him. We decided to write our own vows, so the minister
has his say and then gestures to us. Dominic starts.

  “From the day I met you, I knew my life would never be the same. I never thought I would find a woman who would share my life. Then you came along and immediately brightened my life. Your love completes me. I love you in ways I never thought I could love anyone. You have my heart, forever.”

  I place my hand on his arm, gazing into his eyes. “Dominic, the day I asked you to Thanksgiving dinner was a turning point in my life. Until then, my life was lonely. I didn’t go out, and the closest person I had to friend was Tina.” I glance her way and smile. “I had just resigned myself to a lonely life. You make me want to live. You make me want more out of life. Thank you. I love you. You have my heart, forever.”

  The minister has us exchange rings and pronounces us man and wife. When he gives us the go-ahead, Dominic leans me back and places his lovingly lips to mine. When he pulls back, he whispers, “I love you.”

  I smile. “I love you too.”

  Dominic

  Four years later

  I see my wife walk down the stairs toward us, looking around.

  “Mommy!” Our two-year-old daughter, Janie, waves her arms from my lap.

  Maia sees her and walks toward us, sitting down when she reaches us. Janie climbs into her lap, rubbing her belly.

  “This is one thing I hate about being pregnant. I live in the bathroom. Did I miss anything?” she grumbles.

  I rub her back, “Only three more months to go, and our little man will be here. You didn’t miss anything. They’re about to start now.”

  As if on cue, the lights go up and the graduates walk into the auditorium and to their seats. “There’s mom.” Tyler points in the direction of the mob. I don’t even try to find her. There are so many graduates.

  After they are seated, the ceremony starts. We sit through a few speakers before the graduates walk the stage. Finally, Tina’s name is called, and we yell and clap for her as she gets her degree. She and Maia are both due in about three months. Maia always reminds her that she’s lucky she got pregnant when she did. They swear their babies will be best friends.