Epilogue
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Millie couldn’t wait for sunset. The first night of Chanukah. It came earlier this year, which was fine by her. At eleven years old, gifts were very much her thing, and she had no intention of that ending.
This year, however, she’d been trusted with a super-secret task for her sweet Uncle Leo, not that he appreciated the moniker. And while she had been known to ruin a secret, or two, she knew when one needed to be carried out perfectly according to plan.
Which was why she currently messed with the family game of dreidels, in quiet stealth mode. She’d snuck away from the others and needed to act fast, before her whereabouts as the sole child was questioned.
“What are you doing here? Messing with the gelt?”
Millie swallowed a squeak. Andie stood in the doorway, arms crossed. Her pseudo aunt, the best aunt in her family by far, and not because the other aunts were her great-aunts. Andie had continued to date Leo and be a part of their family over the past year. She’d started working at the temple preschool, which Millie liked, because if she got to temple early and Andie stayed late, she got a few minutes with her. Andie also had gone back to school, which Millie also liked because they sometimes got to do homework together.
And Uncle Leo had been happier since he started dating Andie, though some of that might have to do with taking over the business from Grandpa Glen. All Millie cared about were her favorite people being happy, and occasionally taking her out for ice cream.
She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I’m making sure it’s all here and no one had planted any unhappy surprises.” Sure, there was a surprise in store, though only a happy one.
“Uh-huh.” Andie checked behind her before making her way into the room. She bent and dropped her voice. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the surprise your uncle is planning?”
Millie did her best to swallow her reaction. “What surprise?” she blinked, working on the angelic expression she’d perfected years ago.
Somehow, Andie saw through her. “I think we can both agree that while your uncle is a very talented man, he doesn’t have your knack for keeping surprises in check.”
Millie relaxed. “Of course. He did not get that skill at all. Skipped right over him. He tries, though.”
Andie nodded. “Exactly. Which is why I already found that small item you are about to put in my gelt bag.”
Millie’s hand closed around the ring in her pocket. She tried to read Andie’s face, but didn’t know the endgame here. “Do you need interference? Oh no, you don’t plan to say yes do you?” A new urgency consumed her. This couldn’t become a bad start to Chanukah, it just couldn’t!
Andie placed her hands on Millie’s shoulders. “Shh.” She glanced behind her, but they were still alone. “I do plan to say yes.”
Millie couldn’t help it; she squealed and flung her arms around Andie. Her soon-to-be-real Aunt Andie.
Andie chuckled. “But, I think your uncle needs to work at it a bit first.”
Millie let go. That she could handle. “What do you have in mind?”
“Don’t put the ring in my bag.”
Millie opened her mouth. Closed it. “But why? He’ll be upset.”
Andie moved to the table, picking up the bag of gelt that belonged to Leo. “Because I plan to beat him to it.” She slipped in a piece of leather that looked like the cuff that Andie always wore.
“No way!” Millie placed both her hands on her mouth.
Andie gave her a look, that teacher look that said to behave. Millie knew it well. “Are you going to be okay?”
Millie nodded, still holding her mouth. Then, because she wanted to, she hugged Andie again. “I’m so glad you’re joining our family.”
Andie held Millie tight. “Me too. It’s been so nice having a family again.”
Millie knew that Andie didn’t have much of any family, certainly not these big happy gatherings that Millie loved, and so did Andie. Her family was nearly complete.
And when the sun set, and her uncle was engaged, she’d use her opportunity to make a wish on his menorah that had to be magic. Because she had a second uncle, and that uncle deserved happiness, too. Last Chanukah Leo met Andie. This year Dean would find his partner, too.
Millie was sure of it.