PART 18

The first Christmas after everything changed arrived with the smell of cinnamon and a stack of mismatched plates drying beside our sink.

We celebrated at the apartment rather than the old estate.

Brooke and her girls came in the afternoon.

Elena insisted on making enough food for twice as many people.

Camilla brought a box of hand-drawn place cards that Chloe decorated with stars and tiny rabbits.

When it was time to wash the dishes, I rolled up my sleeves and turned on the warm water.