The Holiday Swap

by Maggie Knox

Starlight Peak was actually a lot like a snow globe: all of them trapped inside the glass dome.

The twins had always been connected like this—​if one got hurt, the other felt her pain.

Then she reached for her glass again at the same time Jake reached for his, and her fingers brushed his. A spark of electricity crackled between them, and as their eyes met Charlie knew he felt it, too. Oh no, she thought. We could have a problem here.

“Maybe we’re all just works in progress.”

And thank you, Jake. For so many things. For waking me up. For really seeing me—​even if you had no idea who you were really seeing.

‘Time heals all things. If time fails, try cake.’ ”

Then he turned his face and kissed her like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like they were made for each other.

Loss is the human condition, they say, and no amount of medicine can change that.”

Life is short, Cassie. Too short to be wasting time worrying about how long it takes to truly fall in love, or wallowing around in your hometown when the man you love is in Los Angeles, more than likely wallowing about you.”

From now on she was going to take the time to pause in her pursuit of happiness and success and just be happy.