A/N: This is a  ROMANCE SHORT STORY.

*****

HAILEY

The airport is chaotic, with people hustling and bustling with their luggage to arrive at their destination. The end of the year is often a busy time for everyone, but for me, it's the moment I finally get to forget my problems and spend some time with my family.

My PhD dissertation on climate change has been kicking my butt, and I haven't seen my family since last Christmas. They live in a small town on the east coast so the two hundred and fifty miles separating us plus the demands of school made it hard for us to see each other before.

Thankfully, winter break is here and I'm ready to unwind with some great food and a good dose of family drama. My parents throw this big Christmas party every year, and as crazy as my relatives can be, I love that we all get to meet once a year.

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this..." I hear my roommate and best friend Chris murmur by my side as we navigate the crowd trying to find my parents. They said they'd be waiting by the exit, but the sea of people in front of us is making it hard to walk around.

"Oh, there they are," I say, finally catching sight of them.

"They will never believe we are engaged." Chris sighs.

"Shut up and smile, honey." I squeeze Chris's hand when my mom waves to us.

"Right..." He mumbles by my side.

"Mom. Dad." I smile as we approach them. "You remember Chris, right?" I rest my right hand on his chest, making sure my fake engagement ring is on display. I love to spend Christmas at their place, but this year I promised myself I wouldn't have my mom nagging me about how I'm screwing up my love life. Hence me convincing my roommate and best friend to go with this little lie that we're engaged.

"Of course, sweetheart." My father nods, extending his hand to Chris. "How have you been, young man? You two caught us by surprise with the big news, but I guess congratulations are in order, huh?"

"Thank you, sir." Chris shakes his hand. "It's my honor your daughter said yes." His bright blue eyes find mine for a quick second before turning to my dad, and I swear he's trying not to laugh.

"We have so much to plan and think about, sweetie" My mother pulls me into a hug, and I let out a nervous chuckle when she releases me and opens her arms to Chris, inviting him into a hug, too. "I'm so happy for you two. For a moment, I thought our Halley would never settle down."

"Mom, please. I'm just twenty-nine. I've-"

"Yeah, yeah, of course. You've been busy with your doctorate and all that. But you're turning thirty in a couple of months. It's time you start a family, and-"

"Reese, honey." My father rests his hand on my mom's shoulders, a silent request for her to give me a break.

As if...

She's been nagging me about my love life since Tom, her best friend's son, and I broke up three years ago. One would think we're in the 1950s by the way she has tried to convince me to find a man and build a family before I turn into an old spinster. Her words, not mine. She married my father right after college and, together; they built a beautiful life together.

The thing is, she put her own dreams aside so my father could build his career. She wanted to do so many things after college but she never got to them, because her family always came first. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents to death. But if there is one thing I learned from their relationship is that I want to be able to still chase my dreams after I get married.

"What, no?" My mom presses her hand to her chest. "I'm just so happy you guys are getting married. Let's get home and settle down for the night. We can talk more about the wedding tomorrow over breakfast."

"Yeah, let's do that." I skip a glance at Chris, whose eyebrows are shot up. "Come on, baby." I link my arms with his, and he shakes his head as an amused grin plays on his lips.

As we follow my parents to their car, I see a group of young women looking at Chris, then doing a double-take. He's wearing an Oxford shirt, and the navy knitted sweater I gave him for his last birthday — looking all handsome with his five o'clock shadow and just-rolled-out-bed light brown hair.

Over the years, I've grown used to the attention he gets from women. It doesn't mean I'm okay with them ogling him while I have our hands linked.

My eyes are shooting daggers at them, so when I turn to him and my parents, I don't realize my mom is studying me. She's looking at me with a knowing smile and a content expression, probably thinking I'm jealous. She was super excited when I called her to break the news about our engagement. So of course, having us here together is making her extremely happy.

But again, if a gorgeous software developer with a heart of gold doesn't scream husband material, I don't know what does.

"You're crazy," I hear Chris whisper in my ear right before getting my travel bag from my hands and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Love you too, baby." I give him a peck on his cheek, making him snort.

I might be, in fact, crazy. But as much as I love my mom more than anything, she's a certifiable nutcase. And the last thing I need is to have her put a damper on my favorite holiday.

After all, there's nothing wrong with a little lie to keep the Christmas spirit alive during the festivities, right?

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A/N: Sometimes, it's hard to express how grateful I am to each one of you. So, I decided to write this short story as a way to celebrate the holidays and my 07th year here on Wattpad. I know I say this often but you guys are truly the best readers in the world! Thanks for the amazing 2022! Here's to an even better 2023! <3

XOXO

Celeste