The Geek Who Saved Christmas

by Annabeth Albert

“I might have tinkered with your playlist. And your schematic.” I hit the other remote in my pocket, this one for the lights I’d strung earlier on the porch roof directly below us. A golden heart glowed as my heart started to thump. “You planned this?” Gideon’s voice was full of wonder. “I did,” I said gruffly. Our rooftop position made kneeling a bit dicey, so I settled for grabbing his hand. “Gideon, will you marry me?” “Oh.” A glow slowly spread across his face as his lips parted. “But I was going to ask you.” “So you were.” Somehow, I managed to keep my voice from wavering even as I wanted to pump my fist. “My method involved ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas.’” He pretended to pout, but he remained lit up brighter than the lights beneath us. “I had to preempt the flash mob.” “A few neighbors does not a flash mob make.” He waved his free hand. I held tighter to his other one, both to keep him from flying off the roof and to cover the tremor that raced through me. “Gideon…” “I’ll have to cancel the reservation for the geese.”