#Chapter 249: Snow & Masks

Abby Karl’s raised eyebrow tells me that my suggestion has taken him by surprise. “A masquerade party?” he asks, his voice filled with skepticism. “I don’t know, Abby. That’s a strange request, at least for a holiday party.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair. The memory of our first Christmas party together as a married couple is still floating through my mind, and it’s filled my heart with a warmth that I’m not sure if I want to express for the sake of coming across as too much of a softie. “I just figure it could be a way for me to go without raising too many eyebrows,” I say with a shrug. Karl looks at me for a few moments, and I can practically see the gears turning in his head. “It’s just… with the election announcement coming up, I’m not so sure,” he says as he leans back against the long dining table behind him—it’s a beautiful mahogany, and all of the matching chairs have tufted seats made out of a classy golden-beige color that I picked out when we were