Chapter 16
Christmas morning arrivedsoftly, like the house was holding its breath.
The scent of gingerbread cookies drifted through the air, mingling with pine and the faint sweetness of hot chocolate warming on the stove.The tree lights blinked lazily, ornaments catching the early light, casting fractured reflections across the walls.
Morgan was already awake.
Michelle followed seconds later.
Their feet pounded down the hallway, the sound sharp and joyful, and then—
“Mommy!It’s Christmas!”
Paper tore.Wrapping crinkled.Laughter erupted in bright, uncontrolled bursts that filled every corner of the house.
I sat cross-legged on the floor near the tree, mug in hand, watching them with a full, aching heart.Aunt Ruth lingered by the fireplace, robe pulled tight, her eyes soft and knowing as she observed the chaos unfold.
And then there was a knock at the door.
Firm.Familiar.
I didn’t need to look.
Morgan and Michelle beat me to it, skidding across the hardwood, their excitement overflowing.
“Mister!”Michelle squealed as the door flew open.
Creed stood on the porch, a dusting of snow on his coat, a stack of neatly wrapped boxes in his hands.No suit.No armor.Just dark jeans, a thick sweater, and that unmistakable presence that shifted the gravity of a room the second he entered it.
Morgan wrapped herself around his legs.“You came!”
“I told you I would,” he said, his voice warm, steady as he bent to greet them—setting the gifts aside before lifting Michelle into his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.
My chest tightened.
He stepped inside, brushing snow from his shoulder, the door clicking shut behind him.Christmas wrapped around him, music humming low from the speakers, the glow of the tree, the heat of a house already full.For a moment, he just stood there like someone measuring the shape of a life that wasn’t quite his.
