Instead of succumbing to the tears, Celeste stood abruptly, pushing her chair back with enough force that it bumped againstthe wall. She needed to fix this. She needed to get back to Hollyridge, to the life she hadn’t realized she needed until it was slipping away, possibly forever.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she grabbed her coat from the back of the door. The usual calm, collected persona she’d mastered over the years felt impossible now, replaced by a desperate urgency.
She wasn’t going to lose this forever. She couldn’t.
As she stepped out of her skyrise onto the busy street, the crisp air nipping at her skin, the cacophony of Christmas music was louder now, clear and joyful. What once made her cringe inside, now gave her a glimmer of hope.
She was going back.
And this time, she wouldn’t hold anything back.
10
IVY
The soft glow of the Christmas lights filled the room with a gentle warmth, but it did little to ease the cold ache in Ivy’s chest. She sat by the window, her knees tucked up to her chest, and watched the snow fall outside. Each flake drifted down like a whispered promise, delicate and fleeting, settling on the ground to form a pristine white blanket. The sight was peaceful, almost magical, but tonight, it felt unbearably quiet. Too still.
Ellie’s voice broke through the silence, her excitement bubbling over as she wriggled around the living room, adding the last touches to the small pile of presents beneath the tree.
“Mommy! This one’s for you!” she chirped, holding up a gift she’d wrapped herself—clumsily, but with such pride that Ivy couldn’t help but smile.
“Thanks, sweetie,” Ivy said, her voice soft as she rose from her spot by the window. She took the gift from Ellie’s hands and placed it gingerly under the tree, its lights twinkling in the shades of red and gold. The scent of pine filled the room, mingling with the warmth from the fireplace. It should have been comforting. This was their Christmas Eve tradition—justher and Ellie, spending the evening in their cozy little home, watching the snow fall outside.
But this year, something was missing.
Her heart felt heavier than usual, weighed down by the memory of Celeste. It had been weeks since their confrontation, and Ivy had tried everything she could to push Celeste from her thoughts, to move forward for Ellie’s sake. But no matter how hard she tried, the ache remained, a constant reminder of what could’ve been.
She sighed and sank back into the couch, watching as Ellie hung the final ornament on the tree, her tiny face glowing with joy.
“It’s perfect, Mommy!” she declared, stepping back to admire her work.
Ivy forced a smile. “It sure is.” But the words felt hollow, like the room itself—too quiet, too empty without Celeste’s presence. She wondered if she’d ever be able to fill that space again, if she’d ever stop replaying that day in her mind, wondering where, exactly, it had all gone wrong.
The crackling fire filled the silence, but even its warmth couldn’t chase away the cold ache inside her. She missed Celeste. As much as she tried to deny it, told herself she’d done the right thing by sending her away, Ivy’s heart still longed for her. And that hurt more than anything.
Ellie plopped down beside her, wiggling her toes under the blanket Ivy had pulled over them both. “Do you think Santa’s coming soon?”
“Any minute now,” Ivy replied, brushing a stray strand of hair from Ellie’s face. Her daughter’s smile was infectious, and for a moment, it was enough to make Ivy’s heart feel a little lighter. But the weight of Celeste’s absence lingered, like the faint echo of a song that had once filled the air.
A sudden knock at the door broke through the moment, jolting Ivy from her thoughts. Ellie perked up instantly, her eyes wide with excitement. “Maybe it’s Santa!”
Ivy frowned, her heart suddenly pounding. Nobody ever came to their house on Christmas Eve—not without calling first, not without a reason. She slowly rose from the couch, her legs unsteady beneath her as she crossed the room to the door. Another knock, this time soft but insistent, echoed through the quiet house.
She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the doorknob. And then, with a deep breath, she pulled the door open.
Celeste stood on the doorstep, bundled against the cold, snowflakes clinging to her dark hair. Her cheeks were flushed from the winter wind, and her breath came out in visible puffs, but there was no mistaking the vulnerability in her eyes. Ivy’s heart skipped a beat, her pulse racing as she took in the sight before her.
For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The cold air rushed in, mixing with the warmth of the house, and Ivy’s breath caught in her throat.
Celeste held out her hands, trembling slightly, a folded piece of paper clutched between her fingers. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I…I called off the project.” She unfolded the paper and handed it to Ivy, her hands shaking. “It’s the deed to the bakery. It’s yours. I couldn’t… I couldn’t take it from you. From the people you love. From the people who love you.”
Ivy’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the paper. Her eyes blurred with tears, and her throat tightened. She looked up at Celeste, struggling to find words, to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her.
Celeste took a shaky breath, her eyes locking with Ivy’s. “I’ve been miserable without you. Without both of you. I thought Iknew what I wanted, but none of it means anything without you and Ellie. I love you, Ivy. I’m in love with you, and I’m ready to give up everything if it means being able to be with you.”
The snow continued to fall softly around them, the world outside quiet and still. But inside, Ivy’s heart raced, her pulse thudding in her ears as Celeste’s words sank in.
She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. All she could do was stare at Celeste—the woman who had broken her heart, who was now standing on her doorstep, offering it all back to her, trembling with raw emotion.
