My jaw drops. “What? Noelle, how much did you pay them?”
“Don’t worry about it. It will be the best Christmas they all will ever have.” She smirks.
“How much?” I demand.
“Five thousand each.” She shrugs.
“You’re ridiculous,” I say, still in shock that she did that.
“Yeah, well, I might not have had a chance to ask you to come here if I hadn’t. It was worth every penny.” She kisses my cheek.
Emma and Oliver walk into the room, holding hands, and I glance at Noelle.
She leans into me and says, “Oh yeah, yesterday, they told everyone that they are together. Have been for years now. Of course, we didn’t care at all, and we couldn’t be happier for them.”
“Aw, they are cute together,” I say.
Muffin immediately starts chewing on one of her stocking stuffers.
Noelle drops Katy’s presents in front of me and I open them to find a fuzzy blanket, candle, Amazon gift card, and the funniest gift of all—Kit Kats.
I enjoy watching everyone open their gifts and look at each other with such joy and love in their eyes, and it catches me by complete surprise when Noelle drops a small box into my lap.
“What is this?” I immediately ask, trying to guess what she got me.
Sitting beside me, she clasps her hands together. “Open it.”
I tear the rose-gold wrapping paper off of the box and take the gray lid off.
“If you don’t like it, I totally get it. I saw someone online making them, and I messaged them, convinced them to take my order first and ship it the second it was done. It arrived yesterday. My mom wrapped it—don’t expect that level of wrapping from me in the future.” She chuckles.
“When did you order it?” I ask her curiously.
She shrugs. “Our first night here.”
Displayed in the box is a necklace with my name—my name. This necklace doesn’t say Mrs. Claus or Nic’s wife—now ex-wife. That’s all I have been for the last few years, and before that, I was completely invisible, moving from foster home to foster home.
The shadows of others always fell over me, sometimes by choice. But no one ever took the time to reallyseeme. Not like Noelle. She sees parts of me I haven’t even discovered yet.
“It’s perfect,” I whisper and pull it out of the box, immediately wanting to wear it.
I belong to no one other than myself. That is what this necklace represents. I’m no one’s anything. I am Kat, and that is all that matters.
The necklace feels like wings, like freedom.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out.
Nic: The house, effective December 26, is yours completely. I’m also having my assistant prepay for electricity, water, garbage, and Wi-Fi for a year, so you can get on your feet. Let me know if you need anything. Merry Christmas, Kat.
Nic will always hold a place in my heart. He really is a good guy somewhere down inside that robotic exterior. But he isn’t the guy for me, and I’m not the girl for him. And I think we will always have a friendship to some extent.
I wonder how long Nic and I would have stayed in an unhappy relationship if it wasn’t for Noelle. He was never really happy either. I think he liked the company, and it was easy because I went along with everything. He is a control freak, and I was always happy to oblige every request of his.
He needs someone who will challenge him and push him out of his shell and comfort zone. I’m not her, and we both knew that. I’m glad that we are finally free of each other.
“Everything okay?” Noelle asks as I type a response of gratitude and holiday wishes, thanking him for everything.
I show her the text. “I hope you really do like me because I’m officially your permanent neighbor.”
