Page 40 of Festive

As if she could overhear our conversation, Avery glides in like a stealthy Christmas elf. A plate of cookies in her hand, instantly offering them to my daughters. “Here you go, girls. But listen to your mama, okay? Only one for now.”

The girls nod eagerly, each taking a cookie, their faces lighting up with delight as they take a bite. I watch them, my heart swelling with love.

It’s moments like this that remind me of what really matters.

My family, my children, the people I love.

No matter what happens, no matter how hard things get, I know that I have them.

And that’s enough.

Avery catches my eye, giving me a small smile. “See? Everything’s going to be all right, Thay. We’ve got you.”

I nod, my eyes misting over as I smile back at her. “Yeah. You’ve always caught me when I fall.”

Avery weakly smiles at me. “You’re not falling, Thay. You’re just trying to find your feet. There’s a difference, and we’ll be here to help you stand, the whole way. As I said… we got you.”

Shotgun slides in beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Yeah… we got you, Thay. Fucking always. Now, enough with the emotions. Let’s have some fun tonight, yeah?”

Finally, a smile crosses my face as I cuddle into Shotgun’s side. “Sounds like the best idea I’ve heard in a damn long time.”

The room floods with warmth and laughter, the love of my family engulfing me like a comforting blanket. I know that things are uncertain and there’s still a lot to figure out. But for now, I’m here. And I’m surrounded by love.

And as I sit here, watching the people around me, my thoughts inevitably drift back to Houston.

Back to Six.

I wonder what he’s doing right now.

Is he thinking about me the way I’m thinking about him?

I can’t help but feel the emptiness that comes from being separated from him.

It’s like a part of me is missing, and no matter how much love I feel here, it doesn’t fill that gaping void.

I miss him.

I miss the way he makes me laugh.

The way he holds me when the world feels too heavy.

The sound of his voice and the warmth of his touch.

I know I had to leave.

I know I need space to clear my head.

But that doesn’t make the ache in my chest any easier to bear.

I love him, and being apart from Koda hurts more than I ever could have possibly imagined it would.

Avery is right—relationships are hard. They take work,patience, and forgiveness. And maybe, just maybe, I need to find a way to work through the fear and the doubt that’s keeping us apart. Because at the end of the day, I know I still want him.

I still want our family.

I still want our life together.

I let out a quiet sigh, my gaze shifting to Kenna and Kinzley as they play, their laughter filling the room. Ineedto be strong for them. Ineedto figure out how to make things right and how to protect them without losing the love that Koda and I have built.

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