The Holly and the Ivy

Dressed in a Snow White Gown

Holly stared at her mom, blinking, but unable to say anything. It had been a crazy day, and dealing with a protective parent was not something she had wanted to add to the list.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally recovering from her shock. Even though the ride from the North Pole was fairly quick in the sleigh, her family tried to minimize the amount of trips they took in it. Especially this close to Christmas.

"Mistletoe called me. She said you had been gravely injured," Holly's mom explained.

Holly turned to glare at Mistletoe, who held up her hands defensively.

"Adam was hysterical and kept saying there was blood everywhere!" she exclaimed. "How was I supposed to know you just cut your hand?"

Holly closed her eyes in frustration.

"I'm sorry Mistletoe worried you, mom," she said calmly, after regaining her composure. "I'm fine. Just cut myself when chopping up something for dinner with Adam. See?"

Holly held up her stitched hand. Her mother surveyed it, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"Holly, when have you ever been clumsy with a knife?"

"I was..." Holly paused, searching for an appropriate response. "Distracted."

"By Adam?" her mom asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Something like that," Holly muttered.

"You can't blame her Mrs. Kringle," Mistletoe interjected. "He is fine. Like capital F, fine. His smile is brighter than the North Pole on a sunny day. And he is so funny..."

"See mom," Holly said quickly. "Nothing to worry about. Everything is perfectly okay and under control."

Holly's mom looked between the two girls with the suspicious look of a mother who knew she was being lied to. Holly knew that her mom sensed something was off; she just hoped her mom didn't suspect what it was.

Of course she didn't. No one knew. And no one ever would.

"Okay," Holly's mom said finally. "But I made the whole trip here, and I'm not going to tell your dad to come get me right after he dropped me off. I'll get a hotel downtown, and then we'll spend some time together in the city tomorrow. It'll be fun."

"Sure," Holly agreed immediately. "I don't have plans tomorrow. So we could have a day out, the two of us, and then you could go home tomorrow night."

"You're not going to invite her to the dress fitting?" Mistletoe blurted out. Holly shot the elf another glare to try to get her to stop talking, but it was too late.

"Dress fitting?"

Holly made sure to force a smile before answering her mother. "Apparently Adam's mom knows of a boutique downtown and wanted me to go try on some wedding dresses," she explained.

"And you weren't going to invite me?" Holly's mom asked, her tone pointed.

"It...it was a last minute thing," Holly replied defensively. "And I forgot about it after everything that happened tonight. But if you want to come..."

"To see my only child choose her wedding dress?" her mom said, her tone still sharp. "Of course I want to come."

Holly's uncomfortable smile became more difficult to maintain, but she tried as hard as she could. "Great," she said. "I'll let Adam's family know. It's the day after tomorrow."

"I think Holly would look amazing in a ballgown with lace," Mistletoe said to Holly's mom. "Like she came straight from a fairy tale."

Holly's mom gave Mistletoe a small smile and nodded, but her gaze was still solely fixed on Holly. It was a look that told Holly her mother knew something was up.