“Let’s check it out.”

She goes and gets the hook from somewhere in her kitchen while I test the weight of the wreath in one hand. It’s pretty heavy. Can one of those little temporary hooks really hold this thing?

I give it a shot, rising up to press the sticky side of the hook firmly onto the wall after Amelia gives it to me. The wreath is massive. I got her one of the biggest ones we offer because why the hell not. For the first time in a while, I used my employee discount and purchased it for her.

After the hook is in place where she wants it to go, I carefully set the wreath on it, taking my time to release it, in case the greenery might plummet to the ground. I let go of the wreath slowly, backing away from it a few careful steps at a time, secretly pleased to see it remain in place.

“There you go,” I say, turning to face her. “What do you think?”

“It’s gorgeous,” she says on a sigh. “I love the pinecones and the red ribbon.”

“We have more elaborately decorated ones, but I thought this one suited you best,” I tell her. Simple yet beautiful.

Like her.

Her smile turns more intimate. “Thank you. I wasn’t going to get myself a tree this year, so this is the next best thing.”

I shove my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, suddenly a little uncomfortable. More like feeling awkward. I don’t know why, considering we’ve admitted to each other that we want this relationship. I still feel a little out of my depth though sometimes.

More than anything, I just—I want to do right by this woman, and not scare her away. Or drive her away. I still worry about the rebound remark, though I remind myself constantly to get over it. She’s giving me a chance, just as I’ve done for her, and neither of us seem to be going anywhere. “I’m glad I could put a smile on your face, Amelia. It’s all I ever want to do.”

She’s silent for a moment. So am I.

Then she smiles.

And so do I.

“Are you tired?” she finally asks.

“Exhausted,” I answer.

“Me too.” She pauses. “You want to just stay here and order in a pizza? Maybe watch a movie?”

“That sounds perfect,” I say, relief filling me. It’s not that I don’t want to take her out and treat her right, but I am really tired. I’ve been going nonstop this last week and the upcoming week is more of the same thing, even as Christmas draws closer. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who wait until the last minute to get a Christmas tree.

Amelia’s been at her family’s store pretty much every single day too. Working nonstop during the holidays for businesses like we do, it’s constantly busy. I can’t wait for December 25th, only because I won’t have to deal with anyone wanting a tree for another year.