Epilogue
Christmas Day
Liam stood near the fireplace and scanned his parents’ living room.
His mom had stacked an impressive number of presents underneath the Christmas tree.
The gifts were wrapped in mismatched paper, topped with shiny bows and tags written in varying levels of legibility, thanks to his dad’s help.
The stockings were so stuffed, they couldn’t even hang on the mantel.
They were propped under the tree as well.
Even Muff had a stocking. Hers overflowed with treats, a new sweater, and a chew toy.
He’d helped Cassidy wrap everything last night.
The pup didn’t seem to notice the stocking as she was too busy sitting like a good girl next to the kitchen table, watching Beth finish prepping the holiday meal and taste-testing whatever scraps Liam’s mom slipped her from time to time.
Everyone was home for the first time in six years. Lily had surprised them all, flying in last night from Honduras. And Jackson was spending his first Christmas home since returning from Syria.
Cassidy stood beside Lily, both of them bent over a tray of iced sugar cookies they were decorating like it was a serious art form.
Cassidy wore a vintage green sweater dress with red buttons shaped like holly berries, and red tights with tiny gingerbread men on them.
She’d opted for a side braid and pinned her bangs in place with a glittering snowflake barrette.
It was a look that only Cassidy could pull off.
She glanced over at Liam just then, caught him staring, and gave him a wink before turning back to her conversation with Lily. They were already thick as thieves.
Liam smiled, letting the warmth spread in his chest. His parents’ house had never felt this full.
This alive. And that was before Jackson had announced that Zoe would be stopping by later to hang out.
They were first going to head out in a little bit to release the raccoon family she’d managed to catch.
Then they’d spend some time at the farmhouse with the rest of the family.
There’s something there, he thought, remembering seeing Jackson and Zoe two nights ago.
He’d have to talk to Cassidy and see what she thought.
The dining table in the next room was laid out with all the traditional Christmas Day staples: a perfectly browned turkey at the center, buttery mashed potatoes, stuffing with herbs and sausage, green bean casserole with crispy onion topping, roasted carrots glazed with maple syrup, and two types of pie, pumpkin and pecan.
His mom had made the cranberry sauce from scratch, and the bread rolls were still warm.
It smelled like home. Like childhood. Like the kind of future he hadn’t dared to hope for until recently.
He’d done it. When December 1st had rolled around, he had only been trying to survive. But he’d done a lot more than that this year. His business had done a lot more, too.
The season had been more profitable than he could’ve hoped, and even after donating all the prize money to the children’s hospital, he had enough to start the llama sanctuary expansion. It felt like a miracle. And for the first time in a long time, Liam believed in those again.
He looked down at his red socks. They were bright with reindeer and candy canes. Cassidy had bought them for him, more as a joke, said he didn’t have to wear them, but Liam had wanted to. The smile on her face when he took off his shoes was worth it.
After dinner, Liam’s mom called them all into the living room. “Present time!” she shouted, clapping her hands like a preschool teacher as everyone piled into the living room, plates of pie in hand.
He settled beside Cassidy on the floor, his shoulder brushing hers, and passed her a slice of pecan pie. “Just how you like it, with extra whipped cream,” he murmured.
Her eyes sparkled as she took the plate, leaning in so only he could hear. “Careful, or I’ll start thinking of other uses for that whipped cream.”
Liam choked on a laugh, his ears going pink, but the smirk he shot her was pure trouble. “Don’t start something you can’t finish, Sugarplum.”
Then his mom clapped her hands, commanding their attention, and the moment slipped into something softer, sweeter.
He watched Cassidy open her gifts: the handmade apron from his mom embroidered with “Cocoa Queen,” a set of vintage chocolate molds that Liam had found on eBay, a book of Christmas cookie recipes from Jackson, who never bought gifts for people.
Cassidy laughed through her tears, touched by every gesture. She slipped the apron on right then and there, tied it around her waist, then headed over and gave Beth a hug, both of their eyes shining.
The gift-giving continued until there was only one more.
“Hey,” Liam said, pulling the box out from behind the tree. “I have one more.”
She looked up.
His whole family seemed to stop what they were doing to watch her open the gift.
Cassidy carefully tore back the paper and opened the small box. Inside lay a hand-painted silver bulb with her name in white script.
She looked up at him. “It’s the same as the rest of yours.”
“You’re part of us now.”
Her laugh broke through a teary breath. “You’re going to make me cry in front of your whole family.”
She slipped the ornament out of the box and stood. “Will you hang it with me?”
Liam rose, taking her hand as she led him to the tree. He gently helped her loop the red ribbon over a waiting branch near his own bulb.
There it was.
Proof she was his.
Proof of his love.
Proof that this cozy, love-wrapped moment next to the Christmas tree was only the beginning of their story in Maple Falls.