Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys
The apartment smells like warm sugar and popcorn, mixed with faint cinnamon drifting from the candle Mac lit earlier. Fairy lights twinkle along the shelves, reflecting off the glass of our wine. I sink into the sofa, knees tucked beneath me, blanket draped around my shoulders, and Mac crouches at my feet painting my nails a deep, glossy red. I can feel her brush moving slowly, carefully over each nail.
“You always paint like this?” I ask softly, letting her work.
“Every time,” she says with a grin, tilting her head to catch the light. “Precision matters. Your claws are official now, Sera.” She giggles at her own words, and I feel warmth bloom in my chest.
I pour us each a glass of wine, the clink of the glass like punctuation in the quiet room. Popcorn sits between us—sweet and salty, just the way Mac like’s it—and we curl closer under the blanket as the first Christmas rom-com flickers to life. I’m mesmerized by the lights, the laughter on the screen, and thesmell of cinnamon and sugar in the air. It’s overwhelming in the best possible way—my first proper Christmas.
Mac glances at me, brushing a loose strand of my hair behind her ear.
“Sera…tell me. How are you really doing?”
I swallow, fingers curling around the blanket.
“It’s…different. Everything is different. I’ve never…celebrated Christmas. My father didn’t…well, we didn’t. This—” I gesture around the cozy chaos of the room, the lights, the wine. “It feels…like I’m allowed to just…exist and be part of something. It’s magical...sometimes overwhelming.”
Mac smiles, soft and patient.
“You deserve this, Sera. And Trey…how’s it with him? You seem different lately.”
I pause, curling my fingers around the blanket, feeling the warmth of wine and the cozy glow of the room.
“It’s…intense,” I admit softly. “Trey. He’s passionate. Like, in every possible way. Not just physical—but everything he does, it’s all-consuming. He’s brought out a side of me I never knew existed.” I glance down at my painted nails, biting my lip. “I…he’s awakened things in me I didn’t know I could feel. He makes me braver, stronger. And he’s…he’s all mine when he’s here. Every inch of him, every part of me…we fit in ways I never imagined.”
Mac sets the brush down, studying me, a knowing smile curving her lips. “I see it. You’re glowing.”
I nod, fingers tugging at the blanket.
“Yeah…he’s not just changed how I feel. He’s changed how I see myself. I…did things with him I’ve never done with anyone else. Never thought of or wanted to. I’ve…experienced things…real passion, real touch. It scares me how much I feel for him, how I want to be more.” My cheeks warm at saying it aloud, but there’s pride in it too—pride in the fact I let myself exist fully with him.
Mac reaches over, squeezing my hand gently.
“It’s like surrendering yourself to another.”
I smile, letting the warmth settle in my chest. “I don’t want to lose that. Or…Trey. It’s terrifying, but…amazing.”
Mac laughs softly, nudging me with her shoulder.
“Exactly. That’s the part you hold onto. Christmas, wine, movies, facemasks—it’s all the fluff. This? This is the core of what matters. The living, breathing, beautiful part of you Trey uncovered.”
I pop a kernel into my mouth and pause. Sweet, salty…soft, then crisp. My eyes widen.
“This…is amazing.”
Mac laughs, settling beside me in her flannel pajamas, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. “It’s a Christmas classic, Sera. You’re officially a holiday convert now.”
I pop another handful, letting the sweetness melt into the edge of my nerves, the cozy room, the glow of the film playing faintly in the background. I feel comfortable, something I didn’t know I could be.
“I feel…different,” I admit quietly, eyes still on the screen. “Being here, with you, doing normal stuff…like this. It’s…nice.”
Mac nudges me with her shoulder.
“I enjoy spending time with you too sister, sister.”
I shift slightly, leaning back into her warmth, letting the blanket slip just a little. I glance at her.
“Can I ask you something personal?”
