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“Good thinking,” Jacob says, proceeding to take off his tan-hued beanie. “The forecast says it’s going to be chilly tonight, so we can’t let her get cold.” He pushes the cap on my head and fiddles with my stray strands to arrange them perfectly.
It’s been too long since anyone’s shown such care for me. I greedily soak up their attention without complaint, letting them turn me into a wool-wrapped doll.
“Shall we?” Jacob asks as Cole opens the door.
I nod and step forward.
A chilly breeze blows by but I only feel it on the exposed parts of my face. Chuckling to myself, I walk toward the familiar car that’s waiting for us.
“Come sit with me,” says Kai as I get closer.
Opening the passenger-side door, I climb into the front.
“What did my brothers do to you?” he says, laughing. “You look ready to go to the North Pole or something.”
“It’s going to get colder,” Jacob says as he settles into the backseat. “I don’t want her to get sick.”
“Winter looks ridiculous,” Kai retorts. “She’s too nice to say anything to you guys but I’m gonna!”
“It’s okay,” I say as Cole settles down beside Jacob. “I know I look silly but I also like that you take such good care of me. I can’t thank you guys enough—”
“Stop thanking us already,” Kai cuts me off, looking grim. “We all had the pleasure of taking care of you.”
“He’s right,” Cole says as Kai steps on the gas. “Besides, forget about everything. Tonight’s all about enjoying ourselves. Just let go of the things you can’t change and relax.”
His words soothe my worries. Settling into my seat, I watch the beautiful scenery outside pass by.
The sun’s almost dropping below the hills in the distance, casting a deep orange glow to the sky overhead. By the time we reach the town square, it’ll be dark enough for us to enjoy the Christmas lights.
I’m secretly thankful Kai drives us through a different route that doesn’t go through Knightswood. Despite being with him and his brothers, I’m still wary of being spotted by Laura and Pete.
Relaxing further, I enjoy the ride as we head toward town.
“What’s your favorite thing to do at the Christmas fair?” Kai asks as we get closer to the town square.
“I have to choose one?”
“Yep. Just one.”
“Mmm...” I mumble, mulling over the question. “If I have to choose one thing, then it’d have to be the Christmas tree. Its magic never fades. One glance at the shining ornaments and the twinkling lights, and all my sadness disappears. I can spend hours just standing under it.”
“What if we got a tree at home?” Jacob says from the back. “Would you be able to decorate it?”
“Me?”
“It has to be you because the three of us rarely care for such traditions,” says Jacob.
“Why’s that?” I ask curiously. “I mean, you guys are a family. Is it because you’re non-religious?”
“Nah,” Cole answers. “It’s just that we never grew up in the same place. Our parents were also in the military. It was rare for both of them to be stationed in the same town during the holidays. Jacob would usually stay with our dad while Kai and I would usually get stuck with our mom. We rarely had a Christmas where both our parents were around.”
“It’s a miracle how they managed to make their relationship work,” says Kai with a chuckle.
“I’m sure they loved each other very much,” I say. “You guys are together now, though. You’re a pack. Every pack should have a Christmas tradition.”
“Why don’t you start one for us?” Cole says from the back.
Just as I’m about to reply, my gaze falls on a glittering star in the distance. “Oh, wow,” I whisper excitedly, pointing to the front. “It’s the Reagan Square Christmas tree! Do you guys see it?”
