Ghosts of Christmas (Steamy Bwwm Holiday Romance)

Moisture gathered in the corners of my eyes. I swallowed down hard.

Young Me raised my teddy bear in the air. “Mommy, Santa brought me a teddy bear! I’m going to name him Foxy.”

Dad chuckled. “But it’s a bear, baby.”

“Yes, but Foxy is an awesome name.”

“Why?” Dad grinned.

“Because it’s the name of the pretty girl on the wall in your office.”

He laughed and checked his phone again. “All right, baby. Foxy Brown is good inspiration for a teddy bear.”

“Mommy, see.” Younger Me wagged the teddy bear. “Meet Foxy.”

“That’s great, Ivy.” My mother turned to Dad with a worried expression. “Who just called?”

He moved his attention from the big phone. “Huh?”

“Is that work calling you?”

“Oh.” He shut the phone off and placed it on the stand next to him. “Yes. It was work.”

A skeptical expression took the place of mom’s worried one. “Why don’t you call them back?”

Annoyance covered his face. “Because I don’t want to ruin our Christmas. Why? Would you like me to call my job? Would that make you feel better?”

Mom crossed her arms over her chest. “Sure. Do it right in front of me.”

Younger Me stopped playing with the new bear and turned back to my parents.

“Ivy is here.” Dad gestured to me. “Let’s not do this in front of her.”

“Okay.” Mom got up, hurried over to Younger Me, grabbed her little hand, and rushed her to the door. “Ivy, don’t you want to see what Santa gave Holly?”

“Um.” Younger Me held the teddy bear close. “But what about my other toys?”

“You can open them later, sweetheart.”

“That’s enough.” Dad stood. “Don’t rush Ivy out of here. She hasn’t even finished opening all of—”

“How dare you have that bitch call you on Christmas morning!” Mom yelled back.

Younger Me backed away from Mom.

Dad gave me a weak smile and glared at her. “Gloria, I said it was my job.”

“Sure, it was.” Mom marched over to him. “Show me! Prove it!”

“I’m not doing that. You’re ruining Christmas with all this paranoia.”

Younger Me closed her eyes tight and hugged her teddy bear harder as if she had the power to disappear with one blink.

And the spiritual part of me, watching the scene, shook in fear. The glow in my hands dimmed. I stepped back, getting behind the ghost. “I-I don’t want to be here.”

The glowing man turned and faced me. “Maybe we should follow you.”

“What?”

He pointed to Younger Me rushing out of the house with the teddy bear.

“Look what you did!” My father stormed away and headed to the bedroom. “Once again you ruin—”

“I ruin things?” Mom headed off after him. “You’re the one that won’t stop cheating!”

I didn’t look their way. I crossed my arms over my chest and listened to their screams.

“And you wonder why I cheat!” Dad roared back. “We can’t even have a nice morning without you starting an argument.”

“That bitch started the argument by calling you on Christmas morning. She knows you’re married. She knows she’s not important or do you tell her that she is.”

“I’m not doing this anymore with you.”

“Oh, you’re doing it!”

Glass smashed.

“I forgot how much they used to argue.” I inched away. “I forgot all of this. . .”

“We remember what we want.” The glowing man’s hair darkened.

I plead with him. “I don’t want to be here. Take me back to Finland—to my villa.”

“The lesson isn’t done.”

Mom cried out. “What does she give you that I don’t?”

“Peace and sanity,” Dad yelled back. “That’s what.”

Mom cried. “How can I give you peace and sanity when all you do is create chaos in our marriage!”

“I’m getting out of here.”

“What?!” More glass smashed. “Don’t you dare leave us on Christmas.”

“There’s no Christmas anymore. You ruined it, Gloria!”

I hurried away, not wanting to experience this anymore. I ran after Younger Me.

It snowed outside, but I didn’t feel cold. I found her footsteps on the ground. She didn’t run to the front of Holly’s house. She’d fled to the back.

I hurried that way and spotted her climbing into the opened window. Snow covered those little brown feet.

“There you go.” I gave a sad smile. “You’re supposed to have on your slippers, little Ivy.”

I hurried over.

Young Saint and Holly whispered as they helped her inside. They had excited rushed statements all dealing with the new toys they’d received. Younger Me held a sad smile and nodded her head. Young Saint shut the window.

I stared at the window in a daze. “They. . .I mean. . .we. . .all look so adorable and so. . .innocent.”

The glowing man grabbed my arm and jerked me forward.

Screaming, my body hurled toward the house. As soon as I thought I was going to hit the siding, I covered my face. Nothing happened. I opened my eyes. We landed in Holly’s bedroom. There, Younger Me sat with her legs crossed, listening to Holly and Saint talk more about their Christmas presents. Neither twin asked why she’d come. They were probably used to me sneaking into their room when my parents argued.