I swat his arm with a dish towel, laughing. “Behave. We’re cooking for everyone.”
He grins, unrepentant. “Later then.”
The easy teasing makes my heart feel light. Around us the lodge buzzes with life. Rhett carries in more firewood and stacks it neatly by the hearth. Gavin helps set the long table, placing plates and silverware with careful precision. Chase and Harlan bring in extra chairs from storage. Wyatt tells a story about a hunting trip gone wrong that has everyone laughing, even the children.
When the food is nearly ready, someone puts on soft music from an old speaker in the corner. The scent of roasting turkey and baking bread fills the entire lodge. I stand at the counter stirring the mashed potatoes, feeling a deep sense of belonging I haven’t experienced in years. This is not blood family. This is something chosen. Something built on protection and kindness and shared meals. I watch Harper bounce Poppi on her hip while she checks the oven. I see Kayley holding Aidan with such fondness. Fiona and Emma argue good-naturedly over how much garlic goes in the green beans. The men move around them with comfortable familiarity, helping without being asked.
Thorne comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. “You okay?” he asks quietly.
I lean back into him. “Better than okay. This feels like… home. I just wish my sister could be here too.”
He presses a kiss to the side of my neck. “She can. When this is all over we can get her.”
“Really?”
He steps closer. “Yes, Sadie. She needs to be here with you.”
I smile, a warmth spreading through my body. “Thank you.”
When everything is ready we all gather around the long table. The children sit in highchairs with their smaller plates. Poppi ends up in Harper’s lap, happily gnawing on a soft roll. The food is passed family-style, bowls and platters moving from hand to hand. The turkey is golden and juicy, the mashed potatoes creamy with just the right amount of butter, the green beans smoky from the bacon. Fresh rolls disappear quickly, and Emma’s apple pie, served warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream, earns cheers from everyone.
Conversation flows easily. Stories are shared. Boyd tells about the time he tried to fix the old generator and ended up covered in grease. Rhett shares a quiet memory of his first winter on the mountain. Silas talks about a funny call he once took as sheriff involving a lost goat that had wandered into someone’s living room. Laughter rises again and again, warm and genuine.
After the meal the table is cleared and everyone helps with dishes. There’s no sense of chore. It feels like continuation of the togetherness. Towels are passed. Soap bubbles fly when Boyd flicks water at Fiona, earning a playful scolding from Chase. Thorne dries plates beside me, occasionally bumping my hip with his. The music stays on low, soft country songs filling the background.
Once the kitchen is clean we move back to the living area. The fire is stoked higher. Couches and chairs are pulled into a loose circle. The children curl up with blankets and pillows on the floor, playing quietly or dozing. Poppi falls asleep against Harper’s shoulder. Aidan fights sleep until his head droops onto Kayley’s lap.
Someone starts a round of storytelling. Wyatt tells a tall tale about a bear that supposedly stole his lunch last summer. Silas talks about the early days of Haven 7, how a group of men whohad all seen too much of the world decided to build something better together. Thorne adds a few details from his military days, keeping them light but honest.
I listen to every story, feeling the threads of their lives weaving together into something strong. These people have chosen each other. They have faced hard things and built safety and joy anyway. Sitting here surrounded by their warmth, with Thorne’s arm draped casually over the back of my chair, his fingers occasionally brushing my shoulder, I realize with sudden clarity that I want this forever.
I want Sunday dinners and laughter and children running around. I want mornings in the cabin with Thorne and evenings exactly like this. I want to learn everyone’s stories and add my own to the collection. The fear of Magnus feels smaller in this room, surrounded by so many people who refuse to let fear win. I know the danger is not gone, but for the first time I truly believe we can face it together.
Harper catches my eye across the circle and smiles softly, as if she can read my thoughts. Daisy leans over and whispers, “You fit here, Sadie. We all see it.”
Thorne must hear because he leans closer and murmurs in my ear, “Stay. Not just until it’s safe. Stay because you want to.”
I turn my head and meet his gaze. “I do want to. More than anything.”
He kisses me softly, right there in front of everyone. No one teases or comments. It feels natural. Accepted.
The evening stretches on. More stories. More laughter. Someone brings out a deck of cards and a simple game starts at one endof the table. Poppi snores softly against Harper’s chest. The fire burns lower, casting a golden glow over all of us.
As the night grows late, people begin to drift toward their own cabins, offering hugs and goodnights. Harper gives me a warm squeeze. “We do this every Sunday. You’re always welcome. Actually, you are expected now.”
Kayley hugs me next. “Sleep well. We have your back.”
One by one the families leave until only a few of us remain. Thorne and I are the last to head out, walking hand in hand back to our cabin under a sky full of stars. The mountain air is cold, but his hand is warm around mine.
Inside the cabin he locks the door and pulls me into his arms. “Today was good,” he says quietly.
“It was perfect,” I reply. “I have never had anything like this. A real family. People who choose each other every day.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “You have it now. And I’m not letting it go. Not letting you go.”
I kiss him, pouring everything I feel into it. The happiness, the hope, the certainty that has grown in me tonight. When we finally pull apart I look up at him and smile.
“I want to stay here forever, Thorne. With you. With all of them. This is home.”
