Chapter 9 - A New Christmas
December arrived crisp and clear, blanketing the Greenwich estate in a pristine layer of white snow.
The chimneys of Caldwell House billowed warm gray smoke into the winter sky, and every window glowed with festive golden lights. There were no locked doors, no secret guards, and no shadowed threats lingering in the corridors.
On Christmas Eve, we hosted a quiet, intimate dinner in the grand dining room.
Martin Hale stood by the sideboard, pouring sparkling cider into crystal flutes with a genuine smile that reached his eyes. We had invited Sheriff Miller and his wife as our guests of honor to thank them for their courage and decency.
Leo lay peacefully in a beautiful wooden crib by the fireplace, wearing a tiny red-and-white Santa hat that slipped slightly over one eye every time he shifted.
Grace sat across from me at the mahogany table, wearing a deep emerald dress that made her eyes shine like stars. She looked radiant, healthy, and completely at peace.
“To new beginnings,” Sheriff Miller raised his glass, looking around the table with a warm smile.
“To new beginnings,” we all chorused, our glasses clinking softly in the quiet, firelit room.
After dinner, while the others chatted by the fireplace, I walked over to the crib and gently picked up our son, resting his warm little body against my shoulder. Grace walked up beside me, slipping her hand into mine. Her fingers brushed against her left hand, where her platinum wedding ring gleamed brightly in the firelight.
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“Are you cold?” I asked softly, kissing her temple.
“Not at all,” she smiled, leaning her head against my shoulder as Leo let out a soft, contented yawn. “For the first time in my life, Ethan... I am completely warm.”
