The Good Ones

Chapter 31: Falling In and Out of Love

If someone had told Mavis seven months ago that she could ever be this happy, she would've laughed in their face. Now, as she watched the scene playing before her eyes, she had to pinch herself to know she wasn't dreaming.

After spending several paychecks at the Christmas shop in the North Pole, Mavis went all out on the decorations. Green garland, laced with white lights and fresh poinsettias, hung on every inch of Alex's walls. Wreaths with holly encircled lit candles and sat on every table and in every window. The spruce tree Mavis and Alex cut down from the Cherry Creek Mountains sat next to the pellet stove. Silver and gold tinsel wrapped around it's entire length. The lights from the multicolored bulbs twinkled and reflected off the ornaments hand painted by elves. An angel wearing a white robe spread her arms at the top of the tree. With three elves in the room, the magic of Christmas was as real as real could get.

Archimedes and Thato sat in the middle of the living room on a bed of torn wrapping paper, entranced by National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation playing on the tv. Mavis and Alex sat in kitchen chairs to one side of the couch. Alex was busy tuning his guitar and mouthing the words to Christmas songs while he did so. He took intermittent sips of egg nog from the coffee mug Kevin had gifted him, black with white letters that read A Nice Big Cup of I'm the Fucking Boss.

Mavis's parents and sister occupied the couch. Ned was in deep conversation with Kevin, who was sitting on the floor in front of him, about his adventures in Australia. Every time Kevin moved, the bells on the elf hat Mavis had gotten him for Christmas jingled. Caroline and McKenzie were alternating their attention between Alex's mad guitar skills and Kevin's charm. Pookie, not having a family to go to for Christmas, was sitting in a chair on the other side of the couch. He was constantly shooting googly eyes at Caroline, who looked like Mavis's older twin.

McKenzie stopped and knelt by Mavis on her way to the kitchen to get more egg nog. She whispered, "I just can't believe you."

"What do you mean?" Mavis whispered back.

"You have a monkey for a pet, you're working at a ranch with the freaking King of Wildlife as the head biologist, and you're boinking your boss. Who are you, and what have you done with my boring sister?"

Mavis swatted McKenzie away. Immediately upon their arrival to the Spur H, Mavis's family had picked up on the fact that there was something going on between her and Alex. Mavis denied these allegations with no success. Next, she told her family to not speak of the relationship to anyone and to pretend like it wasn't even happening. Alex was her boss and she would get fired if the news got out. (In reality, they were trying to keep their continued relationship a secret from Aurora.) Mavis's mom and sister nodded politely and verbalized their understanding of the situation. By the next morning, Mavis had received at least twenty text messages and phone calls from family and family friends, congratulating her on the good news and asking if there was a ring involved.

Caroline leaned closer to Mavis. She loudly whispered, "If you think I mind that you're sleeping with your boss, I don't. If that's the only way I'm going to get grand babies out of you, so be it."

Mavis buried her face in her hands. Dear God, they were not having this conversation right now.

But, of course, her mom wasn't finished. "Now, Mavis, I think Alex is handsome, and my grand babies are going to be so precious..."

"Mom," said Mavis. It'd been from Caroline who Mavis had inherited the inability to whisper. She peaked at Alex. He wasn't missing a cord on his guitar, but was turning as red as a beet.

"The Greatest One is displeased," Thato observed. "What has your mother said to offend you?"

"Yeah," said Archimedes, peering at her over a mountain of wrapping paper. "What did she say?"