She holds it delicately, as if it’s something precious. “I’d like kids one day.” She bites her lip and gazes up at me as we sit on the rug. “Would you want any more?”
“Firecracker, I’d have another kid tomorrow, but you need to think about college. There’s plenty of time for settling down and kids in the future.” I rub the ache in my chest, knowing it’s not fair of me to expect her to just become my wife and have my babies, no matter how much I want that. She should be off living her best life at college and having fun with her friends. Not stuck here with me. But I don’t think I can let her go now, even if I wanted to.
She stands and takes the untangled lights from me and stretches them around the tree. “I don’t want to go to college. I want to be a tattoo artist. Also, I can pierce things. I did Russell from the Dockside Grill.”
I help her with the lights. “What did he have pierced?”
“His ear. What else?” She traces the ink on my arm. A firefighter’s helmet with a faint halo above it. “Is this for your dad?”
“Yeah. A man who taught me everything about walking through fire.”
“I want to get something for my nan. I was going to ink myself, but my gear’s gone now.” For a moment, she’s quietagain. Her gaze drifts to the box, to the mismatched baubles and old tinsel garlands. “All my decorations have gone up in smoke.”
“Then we’ll make new ones.”
She looks up, eyes glistening. “We?”
“Yeah.” I smile, leaning in to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You’ve got me now. Whether you like it or not.”
Her lips part, a quiet laugh escaping. “That sounds dangerously close to a commitment, Chief.”
“Guess it is.” I reach into the box and pull out a tiny firefighter figurine, holding it up between us. “See this guy? He’s been on every tree since I was a kid.”
She traces the tiny helmet with her finger. “You kept it all this time.”
“Reminds me where I came from. And who I want to be.”
Sera’s voice softens. “You’d have made your dad proud.”
“Hope so.” I swallow hard. “And whatever you decide to do, you’ll make your nan proud.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “And me.” I hand her the angel again. “This was your nan’s ornament, just like the firefighter was my dad’s. We hang them to honour the people we love, and to remember they’re still watching over us.”
Sera presses the angel into my hand. “You do the honours, Chiefy.”
I lift it carefully, threading the new ribbon over the branch at the top. The wings catch the glow from the fairy lights.
“Perfect,” she whispers.
I look down at her face bathed in gold from the lights. “Yeah. It is.”
She wraps her arms around my waist, cheek pressed against my chest. “Feels like home again.”
“Good.” I kiss the top of her head. “Because that’s what I want for you.”
Beyond the window, the snow keeps falling. Inside, the fire crackles, Christmas music plays in the background, and I have all that I need right here. I just hope Mason will understand, because I can’t lose my son… or her. Not now, not after finally finding something worth holding on to.
Chapter Fifteen
SERA
“Why are you so sweaty?” I say as Flint leans over in bed to kiss me, the aroma of my morning coffee on the bedside table stirring me awake. “What time is it?”
“Just finished my run.” He kisses me again. “Go back to sleep if you want. It’s 7:30.”
“No, it’s been a week. I promised I’d go back to work today.”
He swipes the hair from my face. “As long as you’re up to it.”
I nod and reach for my coffee that Flint always brings me after his run. “I’ve done everything I need to do. Sorted the insurance and done what I can. There’s nothing more to do now other than mope around feeling sorry for myself while you’re at work.”
