"Ken--" Jo choked,
and pressed trembling hands to her face as it flushed cherry red.
"Say yes?"
Everyone cheered as Jo
held out her hand, and he slipped the ring on her finger.
Maurice cheered with the
rest of them, but it was an effort. The sound caught in his throat and he wilted
a little inside. He retreated to the edge of the counter, to sit and kick his legs
and watch the decorating party turn into an engagement party.
"Maurice." Lanie
wheeled over and pivoted her chair so she could watch everyone else gathered around
Jo and Ken. With all the noise of talk and laughter, it was a given no one could
hear her talking to him. "Tell me something."
"Sure." He could
barely tear his gaze away from Holly, who had her arm around Jo and nearly bounced
up and down with excitement, chattering away.
"How serious are
you about Holly?"
He thought about making
a joke, but that defense no longer worked. He wilted a little more. "Serious
enough to hurt."
"I think you're just
what Holly needs."
"Hah! Five inches
tall, invisible and impossible to hear, and we can only talk four times a year,
if we're lucky. Yeah, she needs me like a..." He couldn't think of something
miserable enough to compare himself to.
"Holly needs an enchanted
prince, and you're pretty close. The question is if you'll stick around after you
get your size and your magic back. I don't want you hurting her."
"Never!"
Lanie studied him solemnly
for several long moments, then a slow smile graced her face. She nodded. "That's
good enough for me. Let's see what we can do to get the two of you together."
"It's gonna take
a miracle, that's all I can say. "
"Maurice..."
Mischief lit her dark eyes. "It's Christmas. It's the season of miracles."
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