No reason to glance at the fire station whenever I drive by…
but I still do.
The Christmas tree stands tall in the coffee shop window, glittering with white lights and cinnamon-scented ornaments. Every morning, customers compliment it, and I smile, pretending it doesn’t make my chest ache a little every time I plug it in.
He hasn’t come by once.
Not to the coffee shop, and not to dinner at the ranch.
I tell myself it’s good. I tell myself this space I asked for is exactly what I needed.
But every night, when the lights dim and Mia is asleep, the quiet feels too heavy, like I’ve shut out something I wasn’t supposed to lose.
So I throw myself into work and into being the best mom Mia could ever ask for… but nothing fills the hollow ache I keep pretending isn’t there.
At five p.m., I pick Mia up and head to the Hawthorne Ranch. I see Penny’s car parked outside, and Mia practically launches out of the backseat the moment I unbuckle her.
“Lily! Josh! Look what I made for you!” she shouts as Josh opens the door with a grin.
“Hi!” I laugh softly, taking in the scene. Lily is placing freshly baked Christmas cookies onto a plate while Josh scoops Mia up, spinning her in a circle.
“The house was so quiet without you, Mia. I’m glad you’re back,” he says, kissing her cheek. She beams, glowing under the affection.
My own father never picked her up. He barely spoke to her, unless it was to tell her to sit still and go with the servant.
“You made us something?” Lily asks, kissing Mia’s other cheek.
“I made a kissmas painting for you!” Mia wiggles to get down, then unzips her little backpack and proudly pulls out her artwork.
“Oh wow, that is a beautiful work of art, Mia.” Penny comes over and hugs her, studying the painting like it’s a Van Gogh.“I love it!”
“Who are all these people?” Lily asks, standing beside Penny and Josh, who are still admiring it.
I walk over and look more closely. Mia painted evergreen trees in the background and, in front of them, nine big figures and one small figure, all smiling.
“That is you, Josh,” she says, pointing.“And that is Lily, and Dex, Ethan, Cas, Jace, Penny, Grace… and here,” she taps a woman in a red dress,“this is Mommy. And I’m next to her.”
“Oh wow, this is gorgeous. I’m going to frame this one,” Josh says, making her beam.
“Really?” she asks, eyes wide.
“Of course,” Lily says, hugging her.“It’ll hang in my favorite room in the entire ranch.”
Mia gasps.“Where?”
Lily points to a spot beside the refrigerator.“Right there, where I can look at it while I cook.” She winks.“Good spot?”
Mia nods so hard her pigtails bounce.“Yes!”
“I’ll buy a frame first thing tomorrow,” Josh says.
“It’s really beautiful, Mia.” I run a finger over the woman in the red gown, she’s wearing a crown.“Why a crown?” I ask gently.
“Because you’re a queen,” she answers simply.
My heart warms.“Where did you get that idea?”
“Ethan said I was a princess and you were a queen.”
