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Tears began to pool along my lashes. I dashed them away on my shoulder.

“That man did a number on you,” my grandma muttered under her breath.

I didn’t have the energy to tell her she was right. The more time passed since my husband’s death, the deeper I realized he’d left me with scars. They would probably never heal.

“They love you. You will always be their mama, and now you’re the one who brought them to this magical town. Listen to them,” Nonna urged.

I opened my ears.

It was exactly as she’d said. Oli was prattling about how it was sneaky of me to write myself a note. Mat laughed in agreement, then they whispered how they were onto me.

“They think you’re the Shelf Elf,” Nonna revealed. “You brought them here. You made the magic. They have you on a pedestal, Rose, and no one can replace you.”

I stiffened. I hadn’t realized. “But I can’t afford to buy them computers.”

“Which was why I told my friend to take care of it. The boys need them for schooling. While I applaud your education classical, they need an education digital.”

“That’s a crap ton of money!” I insisted.

She frowned. “Language.”

With a long sigh, I muttered, “Sorry.”

“Niente.”

“You really think these gifts won’t spoil them?”

Nonna shook her head. “They were telling me last night how much they liked having a backyard to play in. Sure, those top of the line computers are more than a child needs, but it’s the simple things that speak to them.”

I slumped in my chair. “Okay….”

“And if it makes you feel better, I’ll force him to take money for the gifts,” Nonna offered. “He won’t take it, but I’ll do it.”

“It’s not really about the money, it’s….” He’s filling a missing hole. “I wasn’t looking for someone to spoil us.”

“I knew you two needed to meet.” Nonna waggled her brows suggestively. “You were both so terribly lonely. If anything, be mad at me, va bene?”

“Va bene,” I agreed.

But I wasn’t going to be mad at her. She didn’t deserve my self-doubt and corresponding temper.

“He needs you just as badly,” Nonna promised.

I let out a harsh laugh. “I don’t even know who he is!”

Nonna winked. “That’s part of the fun, no?”

No, it was most certainly not fun. It was time the mask came off. And since I couldn’t get out of the Ravello Christmas party, I would spend the evening figuring out which of the Made Men was the one breaking into our house to move the elves. The stupid, fucking elves.

***

When Nonna said she would stay up to help with the elves, what she meant was that she would sit in her recliner, insisting that we needed to wait for the nine o’clock news cycle to end, and promptly fall asleep at a quarter after.

She was old, and adorable, and had taken us in. My earlier, bitchy mood was probably PMS since my app told me my period was due in a few days. I hadn’t been regular since becoming a widow; my annual exam at the free clinic told me what I already knew. Stress made Aunt Flo unpredictable.

I put flour on a cookie sheet, moved the elvish arms to make snow angles, then set the family in a row with cookie cutters spread about.

There.