Chapter 21 Cooke
COOKE
Gavin comes barreling in the door, a wide grin on his face that morphs into wonder as he stumbles to a halt.
“We've got lights outside! And in here, too. And you did the snowflakes. And the presents?”
I hug him, releasing a deep breath when his arms wrap around and squeeze me tight. Everything feels right. Cooke gives me a smile when I look over at him, and I can almost hear him saying, “I told you so,” in my head.
As Gavin releases me, he looks between us, searching as if he can sense something has changed.
“Can we make cookies? And I want to take my snowflakes to my customers. They'll be like thank you notes and Christmas cards all at the same time.”
I nod. “We can do all that.”
We set to work, the three of us, and Gavin keeps laughing as we get out the ingredients we need.
“What's so funny?” I ask.
“We're teaching Cooke to cook cookies.” He breaks out in laughter again, and then Cooke and I join him. It is pretty funny.
“I'm happy to learn,” Cooke adds once we've all calmed down.
The afternoon speeds by, filled with the smell of warm Christmas cookies, carols playing on the radio, and Gavin making his thank you snowflakes.
We share the first batch of cookies as they come out of the oven, barely allowing them time to cool, and then pile into Cooke's car and go with Gavin to deliver his snowflakes to everyone.
The sun sets as we return to the house. It looks so different, approaching it with Christmas lights shining on the outside.
It feels like an even happier home and that feeling only deepens as we gather in front of the tree.
Gavin goes into his room and comes back with presents he wrapped in secret, carefully placing them under the tree.
We crowd onto the couch, passing a plate of cookies between us, and I can't help but smile as Gavin falls asleep sitting between us. It's proof to me that whatever this is, there's magic to it, and I close my eyes, relaxing into the warm comfort of time spent with these two people.
I drift off, my brother beside me, and the man I didn't expect to ever find watching over us.