Chapter 15: A Holiday That Belonged to Me

I drove home on December 27.
The house was messy but standing.
The tree was still lit.
The children ran to me when I walked in.
My daughter hugged me tightly.
“We missed you,” she said. “We’re sorry.”
My son nodded. “We didn’t realize how much you did.”
I hugged them back.
“I love you,” I said. “But next year, we do Christmas differently. Together.”
They agreed.
That night, as I sat in my quiet kitchen with a cup of tea, I smiled.
I had taken a holiday that belonged to me.
May you like
And in doing so, I had found myself again.
The end.