The One Who Holds Me (Sovereign Love #4)

27. Alex

27

ALEX

NOW

M elissa’s bell goes off again at the end of our Friday staff meeting and our heads snap in her direction at the far end of the table. How she has worn coordinated red and green outfits every day this week is beyond me. I can’t help but wonder whether she has a designated closet in her house filled with Christmas-themed clothes.

“It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” she sings in a high-pitched voice as she raises a white shoe box wrapped with red and green ribbons. “It’s time to pick your Secret Santa for this year.” She shakes her head as she speaks, her Christmas tree earrings dangling in the process. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that has made me as excited about Christmas as Melissa has.

I can’t complain, though. As an adult, I’ve often yearned for my childhood days when I used to look forward to enjoying Christmas rather than looking at it as a time to spend money on food and presents.

Being here at Madu Health has reminded me of the importance of community, unity, and togetherness. I don’t know if Melissa believes in God, but her simple actions have also helped me to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas—the faithful love of God, not just toward me, but everyone else around me.

“Y’all know the drill.” Melissa’s voice pushes my thoughts to the side. “Can I please ask each of you to step forward and pick a card? I have to remind you not to tell the person whose name you’ve picked because it ruins the surprise. Even if you pick the name of your arch-nemesis, we encourage you to stick with it because this might actually be a chance to salvage that relationship.”

Neil chuckles as he wraps his arm around Melissa’s shoulder. “But of course, if you absolutely dislike the person you’ve picked, you can swap with someone else.” Neil winks at us.

Laughter and chatter fill the room as everyone walks up to Melissa and picks a card from the box. Everyone except me. Given that Melissa and Neil are staring in my direction and whispering to themselves, I think they’ve figured out I haven’t picked a card yet, so I better get out of here while I still can.

“Alex.” Neil’s voice comes from behind me and I pause in my tracks, only a few inches away from the door. This is why I should’ve left as soon as the meeting was over.

“Yeah?” I turn around slowly to look at him as Melissa leaves the room carrying the box with her.

“Were you really going to leave without picking a name? Come on, man, where’s your Christmas spirit?”

I shrug and tuck my hands in my pocket. “Well, let’s just say gift buying is not my forte. I’ve only been here a month and I don’t think I know anyone well enough to buy them anything.”

“Come on, dude. You know it’s not a big deal.” He walks beside me as we get out of the room. “It’s not about getting the perfect gift. It’s about the experience. In fact, being part of this will help you get to know people.” We pause in the corridor of the open-plan office.

“I’d like to believe you, but didn’t I just see Melissa walk away with the Secret Santa shoe box?”

Neil smirks. “Yeah, but that’s because we took it upon ourselves to pick a card for you.” He sticks one in my pocket and taps it before walking to his desk. I wait until I get to my office before taking out the card and opening it. To my surprise, the name I least expected is staring back at me on the card. Olanna Madu—The Boss Lady.

A jittery sensation takes over me and without even thinking about it, the perfect present for her comes to mind. I didn’t get the chance to give it to her two years ago, but this is how I know God is at work.

I have to make sure I do it right this time. There’s a reason we fell in love the last time and I know she still has feelings for me too, but I don’t expect her to admit it anytime soon. I need to earn back her trust. It’ll take time, but it starts with this. My gaze drops back to the card in my hand. This is more than just a Secret Santa gift exchange. It’s a mission to get back the love of my life.