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“I have？ Look at your shoes；” Vanessa shot back。 Ruby wore a pair of burnt sienna–colored Dansko clogs； cutoff sweatpants； and the same red woolly cardigan that she’d worn on Christmas。
“They’re not weird； they’re fortable。 You’re the one wasting your youth。 I already had mine。” She sniffed； tucked her boob back inside her shirt； and passed the baby to Vanessa。
“Hi； Bunny！” Vanessa cooed； inhaling the sweet scent of Johnson’s baby shampoo； which Ruby used despite the fact that Moxie had approximately three strands of hair。 Moxie felt reassuringly heavy in Vanessa’s lap。
“Listen； you’re acting like you’re in mourning or something。 Live a little！ I’ve been given the night off from Piotr’s family and I intend to use it for good。” Ruby grinned。 “Let’s buy some slice and bake cookies and listen to Christmas music。 I’m not ready for the holidays to be over yet。 What do you say？”
“I’m in！” Vanessa smiled and then headed up the winding staircase to the sleeping loft。 Their California king…size bed was immaculately made； with a white duvet cover contrasting with the black bed frame。 Vanessa wasn’t sure when she’d slept there last。 It felt too big by herself； so she often curled up with Norma on the couch。 She pulled a scarf from her closet and wrapped it around her neck。 Her sister was right。 Maybe she had gone a little bit overboard with the reclusive…widow thing； acting like Hollis was a ship captain lost at sea instead of a film director caught up with editing。 It would be good to get out for a little bit。
“Ready！” Vanessa yelled down the stairs as she ran her fingers through her long hair。 Her index finger caught on a large snarl。 “And FYI； I didn’t take a shower today so sorry if I smell；” she called as she ran down the steps。 She reached the bottom and gasped。
There； standing by the elevator； his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face； was Hollis。
“Okay； we’ve already got our first date planned。 Shower； here we e！” Hollis grinned。 He had slight bags under his gray eyes； as if he hadn’t slept in months。 He wore a black leather jacket and his trademark fedora over his thick dark hair。 He stood there casually； like he’d only been gone a matter of minutes—not months。
Vanessa didn’t say anything。 She felt like she was going to cry。 Even though it was practically a scene from a terrible chick movie； she couldn’t resist running to him and wrapping her arms around him tightly。 She lifted her face up until her mouth met his。
“Remember； there’s a kid watching！” Ruby called from the couch。 Moxie gazed； entranced； at Hollis。
“Hi；” Vanessa said dumbly； staring up at him as if he were a vision。
Courtesy of too many Scrubbing Bubbles fumes？
“I couldn’t wait a month。 I don’t want to be in Iceland。 I want to be with you；” Hollis said simply。
“You’re back？” Vanessa asked。 “For good？”
Hollis nodded。 “Unless you’re hiding a boyfriend somewhere。”
“Just Paul Morrissey。” She gestured to the DVD case on the coffee table。
“We’ll leave you alone；” Ruby said； bundling Moxie back into her snowsuit。 “Maybe there’s a movie about talking penguins we can see。”
Vanessa didn’t even notice her adorable niece and sister as they made their way into the elevator。 She was too busy kissing her boyfriend。
Beats mopping the floor。
survivor
“Do you think Jenny will choose RISD or Pratt？” Serena asked； taking a thoughtful sip of her organic chai。 She and Dan were seated at a small table in Blue State Coffee； one of the cute coffee shops on Thayer Street in downtown Providence。
“Pratt；” Dan said confidently。 His hair was sort of shaggy—Serena hadn’t been able to drag him to John Barrett’s—and he wore a rumpled blue cotton oxford shirt and jeans。 He looked slightly homeless； but to her； he was absolutely adorable。 “Jenny’s wanted to go there since she learned how to draw；” he said proudly。
“I didn’t have a clue when I was her age。” Serena wrinkled her nose。 “But I guess it just depends on the person。 Blair always knew she wanted to go to Yale…。” She trailed off。
“Have you spoken to her？ Is she in New York for the holidays？” Dan asked before emptying the last of his double espresso from his mini porcelain cup。 It made him feel like a character in Alice in Wonderland。 The espresso was his second； and they’d been in the shop for less than an hour； hanging out while Jenny took her RISD tour。 She was due back any minute。
“I don’t know。” Serena shrugged； thinking of her and Blair’s huge fight last winter。 A blowup between them wasn’t anything new—they’d been fighting since before they could properly form sentences。 But their arguments usually blew over quickly。 This one hadn’t。 Blair had gone to study abroad at Oxford while Serena had gone to Yale； and they hadn’t spoken since last January。 “It doesn’t matter。 I just hope she’s had as good a year as I have；” Serena added； smiling at Dan。
She and Dan had gotten together the previous winter break； and the relationship had quickly turned serious。 By April； Serena was spending most of her weekends at Dan’s Upper West Side apartment。 They’d sit at the tiny kitchen table； studying together； or go to the coffee shop on his corner and read。 Dan was a junior at Columbia and Serena wasn’t quite sure what she was at Yale。 She’d just started in September； but she’d carried over a few credits from courses she’d taken at the New School earlier that year。
Being at Yale was more plicated than she’d thought it would be。 It was strange living in a dorm when she was used to having her own apartment。 She felt years older than her fellow freshmen； and it wasn’t easy to get back into studying mode； especially since she’d only taken fun classes at the New School； like screenwriting and New York in Literature。 She liked reading books； but she’d never been one for taking tests and writing papers。 And even if she did go back to the city every weekend； it was hard to be separated from Dan from Monday to Thursday。
She did miss acting； but she didn’t miss having an agent and a publicist and getting followed around and pointed at everywhere she went。 Her first few weeks on campus； she’d get the occasional second look or stare； but she’d quickly found a degree of anonymity she relished。 Yale students were so busy with their own lives that for the most part they couldn’t get worked up over a girl who was an actress once。
“Another cup？” Serena teased； noticing Dan’s jittery hands。
“Nah； I’m good；” Dan said； missing her sarcasm。 Sometimes； like right now； Dan still couldn’t believe Serena van der Woodsen was his girlfriend。
She laced her fingers in his as she gazed absentmindedly out the window。 It was starting to snow； and the flakes swirling around the Gothic buildings of the Brown campus were very romantic。 It reminded her of playing in the snow with Nate back in high school。 It made her want to start a snowball fight； but Dan wasn’t really the roughhousing type。
Dan’s cell buzzed in his pocket。 “It’s Jenny。 She’s meeting us at the car。”
“Let’s go。” Serena stood and made her way out of the coffee shop。 Together； they headed to the parking lot and settled into Dan’s blue Buick Skylark。
Dan rested his hands on the steering wheel and leaned back into the bucket seat as they waited for Jenny。 He was suddenly glad he’d had the two espressos。 He loved Jenny； and he loved Serena； but the two girls together had made for an exhausting ride up。 They’d bothered him every fifteen minutes to stop for coffee； snacks； and bathroom breaks； making what should have been a three…hour trip more like five。 Dan didn’t want a repeat performance on the way back； especially since the snow was starting to stick to the ground。
Jenny bounded in the back door of the Buick； looking red…cheeked and radiant。
Wonder why？
“You’ll never guess who I ran into—Nate Archibald！ Isn’t that crazy？ He was going to take the train back to the city； but I figured we could just give him a ride；” Jenny said without taking a breath。 Her gaze landed on Serena。 Oops。 In her excitement； Jenny had almost forgotten about Nate and Serena’s plicated history。 To her； Serena was simply Dan’s girlfriend。 Would this be weird？
Of course it will！
Dan narrowed his eyes at the dark blond； green…eyed figure outside his car。 Nate Archibald was the asshole who’d broken Jenny’s heart three years ago； and had broken Serena’s heart just the year before。 Dan had only heard the vaguest details about what had happened； but he knew Nate was bad news。 What the fuck was he doing here？ “Actually； I think we’re pretty full—” Dan began。 He racked his brain； trying to think of some lie to prevent Nate from driving home with them。 A weight limit？
A no…assholes rule？
“Natie！” Serena squealed； peering out the window at Nate。 “What are you doing here？！” Serena couldn’t believe Nate was right in front of her。 She’d hardly thought about him this past year。 She knew she should still be mad at Nate after what happened last winter； but it all seemed so far in the past。 Besides； she could afford to be generous。 If Nate hadn’t made her so miserable last year； she’d never have reached