Epilogue
N eve laughed as she attempted to get up from on top of Alba only to be pulled back down again into another kiss.
“Not yet,” Alba murmured against her mouth as she wrapped a leg around Neve.
“We’re going to be late,” she whispered back, making no effort to pull away again.
“What, like they’re not going to wait for us?”
“They might not. What if we miss the gift exchange and you end up not getting anything?”
Alba scoffed. “I’d be more disappointed if they cost me my first time giving out couple gifts.”
Neve hummed contentedly. When their friend group had decided to do a holiday gift exchange, the last thing Neve had been expecting was how excited Alba would be to give people a gift from both of them. Inside, she’d been every bit as excited, but Alba had never been one to do that. Neve had been a little overwhelmed to realize that not only were things in life different for her now that she was with Alba, but they were for Alba too. When Alba was with the right person, it turned out she was the queen of giving out gifts as a couple. She’d even gone so far as to watch gift-wrapping tutorials online and gotten Neve into them too.
Now, they had a pile of some of the best-looking gifts Neve had ever seen in her life waiting by the door as they were supposedly getting ready.
Alba’s phone started buzzing from the bedside table. She groaned, reaching a hand back, over her head, to grab and answer it. She didn’t even look at the display before saying, “Zainab.”
“Are you two still at Neve’s apartment?” Zainab’s voice called down the phone.
“Mm. Yes, we’re still at our second home.”
Neve giggled as Zainab started chastising Alba for their impending lateness. She loved the tiny apartment she’d moved into after moving out of Charlie and Alice’s place, Alba loved it too, but it was one of two homes they seemed to share. Alba still lived with Zainab, and she and Neve split their time so evenly between the two places that they basically lived together between them both. Zainab liked to feign frustration with them when she wanted them for something but they were at the ‘wrong’ apartment.
In this particular case, though, her frustration was merited.
Neve clambered off of Alba and the bed, taking Alba’s free hand and pulling her up too.
Alba shook her head. “We’re heading out the door right now. We’re not even going to be late.”
“It takes seventeen minutes to get from Neve’s place to the bar. You’re definitely going to be late.”
“We’ve still got twenty minutes… Seventeen is less than twenty, you know?”
“Yes, thank you. I did actually pass elementary school math.”
Alba laughed as they both grabbed their coats. “So, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is I know you and there’s no way you’re out the door yet. Then it will take you ten minutes to get to the car because you’ll keep stopping to kiss your girlfriend, and then you’ll be late.”
Alba smirked. “You’re only this bothered today because it’s Kai’s first big friend event as your partner. Calm down. I’m not going to ruin it for you. Even if I am a few minutes late because I’m kissing my girlfriend, that’s just clear messaging that the two of you can stop to make out any time you like.”
“Alba.”
“Zainab.”
“You’re insufferable.”
“I know.”
“Get here now.”
Alba laughed and slipped her phone into her pocket, making it clear Zainab had hung up on her. She pulled Neve in for a quick kiss. “She says we have to get there now.”
“I heard.” Neve reached up to brush a hair out of Alba’s face. “Right now, though? Do you think we should teleport, then?”
“Nah, she can wait.” Alba kissed her again before releasing her and they set about gathering up their gifts and heading to the car.
The weather outside was freezing cold, a biting wind blowing through. It wasn’t snowing, but Neve wouldn’t be surprised if it started while they were out. When she was younger, snow had been her favorite kind of weather. These days, she found she was partial to a thunderstorm. Though, in the middle of December, she found she didn’t mind an impending snowstorm, especially not if it meant days spent snuggling up inside with Alba. And, if they stayed at Alba’s place, they’d get to laugh and chat and play board games with Zainab and Kai, too.
Life looked a lot different this year than it had last December. Neve was really enjoying it. She finally felt like she fit into the world. Thanks to Alba, she had the friend group she’d always wanted, at work she’d gotten more open, taken Alba to numerous work events, and even stuck up a little asexual pin Robin had gotten her by her desk. But, best of all, she had Alba. Even in the moments where she felt insecure or inadequate, Alba was there by her side. Maybe Neve still wasn’t what most people considered normal, but she no longer felt as bothered by it. She’d found her place and her person. She loved more than she’d ever known possible, and she got to spend every day building the exact life she’d told Olive she wanted, all with Alba.
Life felt miraculous.
“Do you want to drive or shall I?” Alba asked as they approached Neve’s car.
“You can,” Neve replied, shooting her a sweet smile. She still hadn’t gotten over the pleasure of having Alba drive her car. It was an odd thing to be sentimental about, but it felt intimate and wonderful to her, and, after everything, she was holding tight to every tiny, precious, invigorating piece of intimacy she got to experience with Alba.
They climbed into the car and Alba whipped an envelope out from the passenger seat before Neve could sit on it. “What’s this?”
Neve looked at it. She’d forgotten about it, honestly, even though she’d only gotten it yesterday. “Oh. It was sent to work.”
“Christmas card?”
“Mm. Check the return address.”
Alba flipped it over, stared at it for a minute, and looked back at Neve. “Charlie sent you a Christmas card to work?”
“Seems like it.”
“Well, I suppose that’s the benefit of her not knowing either of your addresses, but so much for leaving you alone.”
Neve shrugged. She was honestly relieved it had only been a birthday card and a Christmas card since she’d made it clear she wanted space from Charlie and Alice. “It’s whatever. I just thought I shouldn’t dispose of it at work in case someone else opened and read it. I don’t know what it says, but you can never be too careful.”
“Indeed.” She tossed the envelope onto the back seat and started the car. She’d made it more than clear how she felt about Charlie and Alice—Charlie especially—but she’d also made it clear that she’d support whatever decisions Neve made about them moving forward. The whole thing had made it a million times easier for Neve to actually make her own decision and officially cut off contact with the two.
Neve turned the radio on, flipping to a channel playing Christmas songs. They were celebrating multiple holidays with their group, but the two of them were particularly excited to be spending their first Christmas together and had become somewhat insufferable as they got into the festive spirit together. Neither of them cared what anyone else thought, though. They were happy and enjoying it together, and that was all that mattered.
Alba drove them to the bar, one that had become deeply familiar to Neve since she’d started hanging out with Alba’s friends. It was where most gatherings and events were celebrated, but it still lit a fire in Neve’s heart when she thought about the first night she’d spent with Alba there. Zainab’s birthday, the two of them holding hands, dancing together, racing to Tariq’s car, their almost kiss.
Every time she kissed Alba in that bar, that same jolt of nervous excitement fizzed through her body, making her feel every bit as alive as she had staring into Alba’s eyes on a crowded dance floor that seemed to cease existing around her.
It had become one of her favorite places in the world. Not least because it was often filled with some of her favorite people.
They made it to the bar—three minutes late, which wasn’t too bad, considering—and found their friends. Zainab and Kai were already there, as were Robin and her girlfriend, Kristen, but the others hadn’t made it yet. Neve suppressed a smile as she caught the pointed look Alba shot Zainab and the eye roll it elicited in response.
Kai eyed the pile of gifts. “Of course these two waltz in here looking like they’re entering the gift-wrapping world championships.”
“Is that a thing?” Robin asked as the others laughed.
“No need to be jealous,” Alba said smugly. “We’re both just incredibly talented.”
“Are you sure you should be taking that as a compliment?” Zainab asked with a smirk.
“Definitely.”
Zainab shot her a look and Neve’s heart felt full as Francisco and Tariq joined them, adding their gifts to the growing pile. Nobody had needed to announce that they were officially together to Alba in the end, but they still liked to tease her about how long it took her to figure it out. Neve was on Alba’s side, though—she’d been too busy to notice because she’d been preoccupied with falling in love herself.
“Hey, you’re all getting hand-carved stuff from us, so it’s clearly just a night of skilled gifting,” Robin said, Kristen nodding along.
Neve bounced slightly, excitedly, as Alba reached out to lace their fingers together. The bedside tables in their new apartment had been gifted to them by Robin and Kristen already. They were ridiculously talented and made beautiful pieces. If they were handing out more tonight, Neve couldn’t wait to see what they’d come up with.
The rest of the group started filtering in and someone offered to get drinks from the bar.
Neve snuggled close to Alba as Alba leaned in to whisper, “Come with me.”
She nodded, readily following as Alba tugged her towards the dance floor. This early in the evening, it wasn’t being used as a dance floor, but Neve still knew exactly which spot they were standing in when Alba turned and pulled Neve into her arms.
She smiled softly. “I asked the owner for a favor.”
Neve looked at her inquisitively. “What kind of favor?”
“Something to mark my favorite spot in the whole place.” She looked up.
Neve followed her gaze, craning her neck back to look.
Tied to the rafters, right above the spot where they’d danced together all those months ago, was a sprig of mistletoe.
Alba looked back at her, blushing slightly. “Seemed like the right place for it.”
Neve’s teeth bit into her bottom lip. Her heart felt full enough to explode.
She was excited about whatever gifts were about to be exchanged, but she knew no physical gift was going to beat the gift she’d already been given this year.
One of Alba’s hands moved to brush against Neve’s face before her fingers weaved their way into Neve’s hair. “I already got all of my Christmas wishes to come true this year, but maybe I can still wish for a kiss?”
Neve blushed, giggling happily. She nodded. “As many as you like.”
Alba leaned in slowly, not caring who saw them. She held Neve’s gaze until she was too close, the tips of their noses brushing together, their lips grazing teasingly as they whispered, “I love you.” And, when Neve wasn’t sure she could take the suspense any longer, Alba kissed her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered and Neve kissed her back in the exact same way.