“I know, sweetheart,” Maddie whispered, stroking her hair gently. “I know it doesn’t feel the same. But you’re not alone. We’re all here with you. And your mom is here in spirit, I know she is.”
Hannah nodded, burying her face in Maddie’s shoulder as she cried softly. Schatzi watched from her chair, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears, and even Sam looked affected by the raw emotion in the room. He sat quietly, his eyes never leaving Hannah as she released the pain she had been holding in for so long.
Fargo, sensitive in that way only dogs knew how to be, came over and laid his head on Hannah’s knees.
In typical cat form, Ernie stayed curled up against Schatzi leg, indifferent to everything going on around him.
After a while, Hannah’s sobs quieted, and she pulled back from Maddie, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t mean to ruin Christmas.”
“Don’t be silly. You didn’t ruin anything,” Schatzi said firmly, her voice filled with love and a tiny bit of amusement. “This is part of Christmas too. A big part. Remembering. Grieving. Reminiscing. Storytelling. Those are all things we do aroundcertain dates that bring to mind all the loved ones who’ve gone before us. It’s part of life. It’s part of being human.”
Hannah sniffled, nodding as she glanced around the room. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, the tree lights twinkling in the corner, and for the first time that night, a small smile tugged at her lips.
“I just...wish she were here,” Hannah whispered.
“I know,” Maddie said quietly. “But I think, in a way, she is. She’s with you, Hannah. In your memories. In the way you think of her. That doesn’t go away. Just like how she’s a part of you. And a part of that baby you’re carrying.”
Hannah looked at Maddie, her eyes still watery but filled with something Maddie hadn’t seen before—acceptance. It wasn’t perfect, and the pain would never fully leave, but Maddie could see that Hannah was beginning to understand that grief didn’t mean the end of everything. It was something they all carried, but it didn’t have to keep them from living.
Schatzi broke the heavy silence with a small, warm smile. “Well, now that we’ve had a good cry, who’s up for some Christmas carols?”
Hannah let out a light, watery laugh, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can sing right now.”
“That’s all right,” Schatzi said with a wink. “I’ll sing enough for both of us.”
Maddie smiled, her heart swelling with warmth as Schatzi began withSilent Night, her voice soft but steady. Maddie picked up the tune, and Sam surprised her by joining in, his deep voice adding a comforting layer to the melody, and soon, the room was filled with the quiet sound of voices raised in song.
Maddie leaned back against the sofa, her arm still around Hannah’s shoulders, and for the first time since the day had begun, she felt the tension leave her body. The evening had been hard, harder than she had anticipated, but as she sat there,surrounded by people who cared for one another, she realized that it hadn’t been a bad night after all.
It had been real, raw, and filled with the kind of love that could only come from facing the hardest truths together. They were blessed to have Schatzi’s years of wisdom and experience.
And as the snow continued to drift down outside, Schatzi began to tell a story about Sherryl, Hannah’s mother, a funny tale about a bingo night at the church hall that soon had them all laughing.
Sam chimed in with how Sherryl used to make him his favorite butterscotch chip cookies on his birthday, which got another story out of Schatzi, this time about how Sherryl had organized a bachelor auction to raise money for the firehouse.
Laughing at Schatzi’s retelling, Maddie knew that this Christmas, though different from any she’d ever known, was exactly what she needed.
Chapter Fifteen
Christmas morning dawned quietly over the mountains, the sun’s pink glow spreading across the snow-covered landscape. Maddie woke early, the house still and silent around her. Not quite ready to get up, she stayed in bed beneath the heavy quilt. She felt a sense of peace, a fragile but welcome feeling.
She got up and dressed in a warm sweater and leggings before peeking through the windows. Outside, the world seemed untouched, the snow glittering under the pale winter sun, and a feeling filled her that seemed very much like hope.
She hadn’t expected this Christmas to be anything special. Not after everything she’d been through. They’d already agreed that being together was the only gift any of them needed.
But last night, sitting around the fire with Hannah, Schatzi, and Sam, had changed something in her. They had shared so many wonderful stories. Some funny, some sweet, some deeply moving. It had been good for her soul in a lot of ways.
In that moment, Maddie had realized that the life she had been trying so hard to avoid was still happening—still filled with connection and meaning, even in the midst of loss. Life nolonger felt so much like something to be endured, but something to be enjoyed.
Something to be anticipated. And wasn’t that a new feeling?
She stretched, breathing in the faint smell of pine and wood smoke that lingered in the air, and smiled to herself. She had survived Christmas Eve. And now, maybe she could begin to look forward to what came next.
Pulling on thick socks, Maddie padded down the stairs toward the living room. The house was quiet, the glow of the tree lights casting gentle shadows across the floor. Schatzi, and Hannah, who’d slept over, were still in their beds, and Maddie cherished the quiet of the early morning. Ernie wasn’t around, no doubt curled up on Schatzi’s bed. Once she got up, he’d come down with her to bask in the warmth of the fire.
Which meant Maddie had better make sure there was a fire. She add a few logs to it and poked at the embers to bring them to life. With that done, she moved toward the window and pulled back the curtain slightly, looking out at the snow-draped landscape. It was a Christmas card come to life. The trees heavy with snow, the mountains in the distance wrapped in a wintry haze. The sky was clear and blue, the sunlight gentle as it filtered through the trees.
She’d call Becca today and wish her sister and her family a merry Christmas.
