Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ronan

I adjusted my laptop screen’s brightness, squinting at the spreadsheet that seemed determined to mock me with its end-of-year discrepancies. I could hear faint holiday music drifting from somewhere in the house, probably Emery’s doing.

A soft knock at my office door made me look up. Emery stood there wearing my navy cashmere sweater that hung almost to her knees, making her look impossibly small and devastatingly appealing.

“You know it’s Christmas Eve, right?” She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

“The IRS doesn’t take holidays off.” I turned back to my screen. “Neither do quarterly reports.”

“Pretty sure even Santa’s accountants get Christmas Eve off.” She padded across the room in fuzzy snowflake socks. “Come on, Scrooge. The spreadsheets will still be there tomorrow… well, in a few days, because you are not working tomorrow.”

I caught her hand as she reached for my laptop. “Just one more hour.”

“That’s what you said an hour ago.” She pouted, and I had to force myself not to stare at her lips. “Fine. Be boring. But don’t come investigating when you hear strange noises.”

That got my attention. “What strange noises?”

She just smiled mysteriously and disappeared, leaving behind the faint scent of cinnamon and vanilla that seemed to follow her everywhere lately.

Twenty minutes later, I heard giggling coming from the direction of the living room. When I poked my head out of my wing of the house, Emery was setting bags from a craft store on the coffee table, and Max and Levi were watching her with their arms crossed.

I returned to my office before I could get roped into whatever Christmas chaos she was planning. But my concentration was shot. Every laugh or mysterious noise had me wondering what she was up to.

When Max’s deep chuckle joined the mix, followed by Levi’s distinct “Oh hell no,” my curiosity finally won out.

I found them all sitting around the coffee table. Emery had transformed it into some kind of craft station. Newspaper covered the surface and supplies were arranged with a surprising organization that appealed to my need for order.

“Finally!” Emery beamed at me. “Join us.”

I stared at the array of crafting supplies spread across the coffee table, my eyes immediately drawn to the offensive amount of glitter tubes. “Absolutely not. That’s a biohazard waiting to happen.”

“Too late.” Emery wiggled her fingers at me, already somehow covered in silver sparkles. “The glitter has chosen you as its next victim.”

I sank down next to her, knowing resistance was futile. But when I saw the blank wooden cutouts and plastic spheres waiting to be decorated, my throat tightened unexpectedly. My fingers traced the edge of a wooden star, memories flooding back from when I was younger.

“I thought...” Emery’s voice was suddenly soft and uncertain. “Maybe we could make this a tradition? Making ornaments on Christmas Eve?” She glanced at me, then quickly added, “If that’s okay. We don’t have to if-”

“No.” I grabbed her hand. “It’s perfect.”

Max reached across the table, squeezing my shoulder, while Levi nodded, understanding in his eyes. We’d all lost people and traditions, but maybe it was time to build new ones.

“Well then.” Emery cleared her throat, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Let’s see what kind of artistic disasters we can create.”

Levi immediately grabbed the biggest tree cutout and every tube of glitter available. “Go big or go home, baby.”

“You literally are home.” Max carefully selected paints and a small brush. He was already sketching something on his ornament with the precision of a surgeon.

I started hesitantly with a bell shape, but soon found myself completely absorbed. It was relaxing and soon I had it finished.

“What the hell is that supposed to be?” I eyed Levi’s creation with horror.

“It’s obviously a Christmas tree doing the Macarena while wearing a disco ball.” He added another layer of holographic glitter.

“Obviously.” Emery’s own ornament was covered in what appeared to be every color in existence, somehow working despite the chaos. “Because that’s a totally normal Christmas scene.”

“Says the woman whose ornament looks like a rainbow exploded.” I kissed her cheek.

“At least mine doesn’t look like it came with an engineering degree.” She nodded at my meticulously painted bell with its precise geometric patterns.

“And what about Max’s?” Levi wiggled his eyebrows. “Getting a little romantic there, buddy?”

Max had painted a detailed scene of the four of us decorating the Christmas tree, captured in miniature with stunning detail.

“That’s...” Emery’s voice wavered. “That’s beautiful, Max.”

“Show off,” Levi muttered, but he was smiling.

I added more details to my ornament, inspired by Max’s artistry and Emery’s enthusiasm. When Levi “accidentally” spilled glitter on my sleeve, I retaliated by painting his nose green.

“You know this means war!” Levi reached for more glitter.

“Don’t you dare.” I tried to sound stern, but I was laughing.

“Too late!” Emery called out cheerfully, dumping a handful of silver glitter over my head.

Looking at her glowing face through a shower of sparkles, I couldn’t even be mad.

Several decorated ornaments later, Emery carefully hung them on the tree. Her fingers lingered on the one I made, adjusting it until it caught the light just right.

“Perfect spot.” She stepped back, phone already in hand to capture yet another photo. The clicking of her camera had become the soundtrack of our evening, preserving each moment like she knew how precious they were.

Something caught my eye, a familiar flash of faded red and gold. My breath caught as I recognized the old glass ornament my grandfather had given me the Christmas before he passed. I’d forgotten I even still had it.

Emery noticed me staring. “I found a box in the garage marked ‘Christmas: Handle with Care.’ I hope it was okay to add a few of them?”

I pulled her close, pressing my lips to her temple. The rest of my grandfather’s ornaments were scattered throughout the tree, each one bringing back memories of holidays spent as a family.

“More than okay.” My voice faltered and I swallowed hard.

Levi grabbed another ornament from the craft table. “Speaking of handling things with care...” He waggled his eyebrows, tossing the ball between his hands. “I’ve got quite the technique.”

Max groaned. “If you make one more innuendo about balls...”

“What? I’m just saying I know how to handle my ornaments.” Levi’s grin was pure mischief as he deliberately let the ornament slip, catching it at the last second.

“Don’t you dare break that.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

Emery snapped another picture, capturing Levi’s mock-innocent expression perfectly. “For blackmail purposes.” She tucked herself under my arm.

We all stepped back to admire our work. The tree was a beautiful mess of old and new, elegant and gaudy, professional and chaotic—just like us. Somehow, it worked.

“Wait!” Emery fumbled with her phone, setting it on the mantle. “We need a group picture.” She set the timer and rushed back to us.

Max pulled her in front of him, his arms wrapping around her waist. Levi crowded in on one side while I took the other.

After a few photos, Levi and Max drifted toward the kitchen, Levi declaring it was hot chocolate time, but Emery stayed behind with me. She reached up, brushing glitter from my hair.

“You okay?” Her eyes searched mine, understanding and warmth radiating from her.

I caught her hand, pressing it against my chest where my heart was doing something complicated. “I never thought I’d have this again… Christmas, family, traditions.”

“And now?” Her thumb traced small circles against my shirt.

I looked at our tree with its mismatched ornaments and twinkling lights, each decoration telling a story of past and present merging into something new and wonderful.

“Now I have everything.” I pulled her closer.” Thank you for making me remember how to do Christmas again.”

She stretched up on her toes, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw. “Thank you for letting me.”