Page 15 of Homecoming

If Angela had her druthers, she would have been down there already. From what she’d learned, the festival was a pretty big event. The stores stayed open longer for last-minute shoppers, then, once dusk fell, there would be a holiday parade with lit floats going down main street. Santa and his reindeer would be at the courthouse square. And there would be craft vendors selling their items all around the square.

It sounded incredibly, beautifully normal.

The original plan was that Fontana and Jordyn would join them, but Jordyn wasn’t feeling good. They were going to pass on the night. Instead, Doc, Vaughn and a man she didn’t know well, Shade, would be escorting them down the mountain to provide security. Angela missed Donna and Haven, but they’d had to return to Virginia. They promised to be back soon.

Angela touched her cross-body bag and felt the shape of her own weapon. As crazy as it was to have a gun around the baby, it reassured her. She’d been an MP in the Marines and a cop for many years, so it was natural for her to carry. As excited as she was for Fallon to experience the night, she would not forego her safety. If somebody came after them, there would be hell to pay.

The drive down the mountain seemed to take a very long time, but it was actually quicker than going up the mountain. Vaughn drove with Aiden in the front seat. She and the baby were in the back, and Doc and Shade were in his Jeep, following along behind.

Angela put her face to the window, looking at everything she hadn’t seen before. It had been nighttime when they’d arrived at the Foxhole a few days ago, so she hadn’t been able to see much. North Carolina was beautiful. Granted, everything covered in snow was pretty, but even without snow, she thought it would be nice. The towering evergreens on the mountain were her favorite. They thinned out the further down they went. The area at the bottom of their mountain was very rural, and they passeda couple of farms on the way into town. They crested a small rise, and she could see the town spread down below them. It wasn’t flat. Like their Foxhole, the people here had built on the slopes and in the valleys.

Main Street was closed, but they were directed to parking. Vaughn backed the SUV into the slot so they could pull out quickly if they needed to.

Angela felt her heart race with excitement as they stepped into the crisp, cold air. Snow continued to fall, ever so gently. The festive atmosphere enveloped them like a warm blanket, with colorful lights strung across the streets and the cheerful sound of laughter and music filling the air. It reminded her of hot summer nights heading to the county fair.

Aiden adjusted Fallon in his arms, her tiny mittened hands clutching the soft fabric of her giraffe. The baby’s eyes widened as she took in the multitude of displays, her cheeks flushed from the cold. Angela watched them, a smile breaking across her face. This was what she had longed for—normalcy, joy, and a sense of being welcomed.

“Stay close,” Aiden said, his voice light but still protective. Vaughn, Doc and Shade separated, drifting into the crowd. Angela knew the men were trying to give them a sense of independence and privacy, but they would be there in a split second if anything seemed off. And they would have a shield ready for the baby if she decided to act up.

They made their way down the bustling street, flanked by vendor stalls adorned with handmade crafts, ornaments, and warm treats. The smell of cinnamon roasted nuts mingled with the sweet scent of funnel cakes covered in powdered sugar, making her stomach growl. She glanced at Aiden. Even he had a slight smile on his normally grim face, but his eyes continued to scan.

“Is this most of the town?” she asked, her excitement growing as she looked through the smiling crowds.

“Seems like it,” he replied, his eyes sparkling with delight as he watched Fallon bounce in his arms. “It’s a great time of year to get out.”

As they approached a booth selling hot cocoa, Fallon squealed with delight, pointing at the colorful marshmallow decoration bobbing in the breeze. Angela couldn’t resist the urge to indulge her daughter; it was a perfect moment to create a memory.

“Okay, hot cocoa it is!” Aiden said, setting Fallon down for a moment. The baby immediately waddled toward the booth, her little snowsuit making her movements even more adorable.

Angela grinned. “I’ll get it,” she said, moving forward.

As she ordered the cocoa, she absorbed the atmosphere around her—children laughing, couples chatting, and the distant sound of holiday music. Everything felt vibrant and alive, wrapping her in a sense of warmth, despite the cold.

“Here we go!” she said, returning to Aiden and Fallon, who were now admiring the colorful displays on the lamp posts overhead. Fallon’s eyes sparkled with wonder, and Angela couldn’t help but grin at her baby’s obvious joy. Pulling her cell phone out, she snapped a couple of pictures of father and daughter together, then dropped it back in her bag.

Angela drew out a spoonful of hot chocolate, then blew on it to cool. She held it out to Fallon. The little girl swooped in immediately and she started to bounce. “More, mama, more.”

It took a very long time to spoon feed the cooled chocolate, but it was time well spent to Angela.

“Look at that, sweetheart!” Aiden pointed to a nearby booth where a vendor was demonstrating how to make blown glass ornaments.

“Oh, pitty!” Fallon exclaimed, her voice ringing with excitement.

With cooling cocoa in hand, they made their way down the street. They paused to watch a small group of children crafting colorful paper ornaments at a table. Fallon was too little to do that, but the smiling attendant handed Aiden a piece of paper and a strip of basic watercolor paints. Aiden knelt beside Fallon, guiding her tiny hands as they painted and decorated, their laughter blending with the sounds of other children around them.

“This is so much fun!” Angela said, grinning as she watched Aiden interact with their daughter. It was a moment of pure normalcy, one she had dreamed of in the stress-filled months since Fallon had been born.

As they finished their ornaments, Fallon held her paper up proudly, the colors vibrant and messy. “Mama!” she shouted, her joy infectious. Then she spouted a stream of gibberish Angela had no hope of deciphering.

“It’s beautiful!” Aiden said, grinning down at her.

Angela was beyond words. This was what Christmas was meant to be—simple, joyful, and filled with love. They continued to explore the festival, stopping to enjoy roasted nuts and admiring the twinkling lights as the daylight faded. She was curious about the town, so she wandered through the stores, finding a few little gifts. They found the town of inflatable dolls, and Fallon wasn’t sure if she liked them or not. Then she saw the other kids laughing as they ran through, and she decided it was okay to go in and look. By the time they exited the display, she was giggling like the rest of the children.

Everywhere Angela looked, families were creating memories. The protective detail stayed out of sight, mostly, letting her build the fantasy in her head.

As they strolled through the festival, Fallon’s attention was caught by the parade preparations. What sounded like a marching band started playing down the street, and people started drifting to the curbs. “Oh, Fallon,” Aiden said in an excited voice. “Santa’s coming!”

Angela’s heart swelled with joy as they found a spot to watch the floats pass by, the holiday magic almost literally dancing around them. It was exactly what she’d wanted for Fallon’s first official Christmas.

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