Zoe walked in the front door and threw her bag on the ground. She pulled her shoes and coat off and let both of them fall to the floor. She didn't bother to pick them up, instead she walked over them and went straight towards the kitchen.
Evan sat at the table and Zoe smiled tiredly.
"There she is!" Evan said happily. Zoe giggled as Evan hugged her.
"How was your day?" Evan asked. Zoe groaned and sat at the table.
"I sat through meeting after meeting today and somehow I'm exhausted." Zoe said. Evan put a plate of noodles and a pair of chopsticks in front of her.
"I already ate but I'm going to sit with you while you eat." Evan said. Zoe smiled and picked up the chopsticks. She picked the noodles up with the chopsticks and Evan smiled.
"What did you do today?" Zoe asked.
"Let's see, I am completely booked for Christmas photos." Evan said. Zoe smiled and tapped his knee with her foot.
"That's amazing!" Zoe said happily. Evan smiled as Zoe yawned.
"You look absolutely exhausted Zo. Come on baby, I've got a nice fire going in the other room." Evan said.
Zoe smiled and picked up her bowl, following Evan into their living room. Evan sat down on the couch and pulled Zoe into his arms. Zoe giggled softly and continued to eat her noodles. Evan kissed the top of Zoe's head.
"So, what were your meetings about?" Evan asked softly.
"Ugh marketing and health and safety and new ideas for design." Zoe said. She closed her eyes and Evan chuckled.
"Well, you sound enthusiastic." Evan said. Zoe sighed and finished her noodles, putting the bowl on the coffee table. She buried her face in Evan's chest and listened to the flames crackle.
"We should do this every night. Every night until we get old and die." Zoe said. Evan smiled at the sound of exhaustion in her voice.
"Until we die?" Evan asked. Zoe nodded.
"Yes until we die." Zoe mumbled. Evan ran a hand through her hair and she looked up at him.
"Okay, we need to talk about Christmas. Our parents are staying here and I don't know if I feel comfortable telling Connor and his wife Meredith that they need to stay in a hotel." Zoe said.
"Okay so then we do this, we have two spare rooms and a pullout couch. Your parents and Connor can take the spare rooms, my mom goes on the pullout. There, problem solved." Evan said.
"Evan Hansen! You cannot tell your mother that she's sleeping on a pullout couch! Our parents are flying in from Columbus to be with us on Christmas and Connor and Meredith are flying from Marietta and I don't want you to put my family first." Zoe protested.
"Zoe, sweetheart, have you met my mother? She will bend over backwards for anyone-"
"That's exactly what I'm talking about! Baby, I don't want your mother bending over backwards for my family." Zoe said.
"Babe, my mother-"
"I am not letting my family's needs come before your mothers!" Zoe said.
"Compromise; I'll talk to my mother and see what she says." Evan said.
"Evan I'm not sure-"
"Baby, trust me. I know my mother. As long as everyone else is happy, she'll be delighted." Evan said. Zoe looked at him.
"I don't know Evan, I can talk to my mom-"
"And we both know your mother. And your father. And this is the first Christmas here with both of our families and I want it to go well." Evan said. Zoe sighed and kissed him
"Okay. But if there's any problem, promise me that you'll tell me!" Zoe said. Evan smiled and pulled out his phone, dialling his mother's number.
"Oh you're doing this now." Zoe said softly.
"Hi Mom, no I actually just have a question. Zoe is a little bit stressed out because we're a little pressed for space this Christmas- no no no Mom, you don't need to stay in a hotel! We just have a pullout couch and- wow okay, awesome. If I give Zoe the phone, can you tell her those exact words? Thanks Mom!"
Evan passed Zoe the phone and Zoe smiled.
"Hi Heidi." Zoe said.
"Zoe, sweetheart, I am perfectly fine to sleep on a pullout couch. Don't you worry about me." Heidi promised. Zoe smiled and laughed.
"Heidi, you're amazing." Zoe said. She heard Heidi laugh and she chuckled.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Zoe asked.
"Sweetheart, I would be happy sleeping on the floor. All I want is to spend Christmas with you two." Heidi said. Zoe smiled.
"Okay. Thank you Heidi." Zoe said. Heidi laughed.
"You are absolutely welcome honey." Heidi said.
"When do you fly in?" Zoe asked.
"My flight gets in on the 20th." Heidi said.
"Okay that's great! Because my parents and Connor also get in on the 20th!" Zoe said.
"Perfect! I'll see you two then!" Heidi said. Zoe smiled.
"Okay. Thanks Heidi."
"Anytime sweetheart." And Heidi hung up. Zoe passed Evan his phone and Evan kissed her on the cheek.
"Who was right?" He teased.
"It's called being hospitable." Zoe said laughing as Evan kissed her on the jaw.
"You're the hospitality queen." Evan said.
"Exactly. Which is why I didn't want your mother sleeping on a pullout couch." Zoe said.
"And what did my mother say?" Evan asked with a smirk on his face.
"She said she'd be happy sleeping on the floor as long as she was here." Zoe said. Evan kissed the top of her head and Zoe rested her head on Evan's chest. She smiled and looked into the fire.
"Can we do this?" Zoe asked.
"Do what baby?" Evan asked.
"Can we have all these people over for Christmas without the house burning down?" Zoe asked. Evan looked at her. She looked up at him and he kissed her.
"Of course we can. You're the hospitality queen." Evan said. Zoe smiled as Evan kissed her temple.
"I am aren't I?" Zoe said proudly. Evan kissed her temple again and smiled.
"You're damn right you are." He said. Zoe smiled and looked back at the fire.
"We can do this." Evan whispered. Zoe smiled and felt Evan wrap an arm around her waist.
"Let's do this until we die." Zoe said. Evan smiled.
"Okay, we'll do this until we die."
