Christmas had always meant decorating the tree with Sabrina. Every December, Veronica would pull out the ornaments, and they would spend hours placing each one carefully on the branches.
When the holiday arrived, they would walk downtown together, watching the lights twinkle in storefront windows while the snow crunched beneath their boots.
All of that ended when Sabrina left for Europe with Cullen. Since then, Veronica had avoided Christmas entirely. The decorations stayed boxed up in the closet. The tree lot went unvisited.
She told herself she had moved forward. But standing here now, surrounded by families carrying shopping bags and children pointing at window displays, the memories crashed over her like a cold wave.
This was her daughter. The child she had carried for nine months and raised with her own two hands for years.
A voice called her name.
Veronica turned to find Edric walking toward her, his coat collar turned up against the December wind.
She nodded politely. "Mr. Patterson."
"You're out here by yourself?"
Veronica forced the sadness from her expression and managed a smile. "Just picking up some things for the house. Holiday decorations."
Edric had noticed her from across the street. She had been standing perfectly still while the crowd moved around her, and something about her posture had caught his attention. The way she held herself suggested someone carrying a heavy burden.
He didn't know the details of Veronica's personal life, but whatever was weighing on her ran deep.
"Want to get some coffee? There's a place around the corner."
"I should really just get what I came for and head home." She tilted her head. "What brings you downtown?"
"Dinner with a colleague. He had to take off early for a family thing."
Edric gestured toward the plaza behind them. "They're doing a big fireworks display in about an hour. Thought you might want to stick around for it."
He wasn't making a move on her. Just offering information.
Veronica's smile became more genuine. "That explains all the people."
She barely knew Edric beyond their professional interactions. She was about to make an excuse to leave when movement in the crowd caught her eye.
Cullen emerged from between two food trucks, Niall beside him. Sabrina walked between them, her small hand in Niall's.
They were heading toward the plaza, clearly planning to watch the fireworks.
Edric followed her gaze and spotted the trio. His eyebrows lifted slightly.
He had heard whispers lately about Cullen having a child. For years, people had speculated about whether the man was secretly married. The rumors came and went without confirmation.
Most people dismissed the talk as gossip. Edric had assumed the same.
But seeing Cullen and Niall with a little girl on Christmas night was enough to make him reconsider. Though that didn't necessarily prove anything. The child could be a niece or family friend.
Besides, Niall was young and had supposedly been focused on her education abroad. Having a child while pursuing graduate degrees seemed unlikely.
By the time these thoughts finished running through his head, the three figures had disappeared into the crowd.
Edric looked back at Veronica. She had already turned away, but not before he caught something complicated in her expression.
He knew she and Niall had history. Bad blood between them. But her reaction just now had been more than simple dislike.
"Want to walk around for a bit?"
Veronica considered this. She had been looking forward to the fireworks. Seeing them had been part of her plan to reclaim Christmas for herself.
Letting Cullen and Niall chase her away would accomplish nothing except handing them another victory.
"Actually, yes. I think I would."
They started walking toward the plaza. The crowd was thick here, families claiming spots on the grass with blankets and folding chairs. Children ran between the groups while parents called after them.
"You come to these things often?" Veronica asked.
"First time, actually. I usually spend the holidays working."
"That makes two of us."
They found a spot near the fountain where they could see the sky clearly. Around them, couples leaned against each other while kids counted down the minutes until the show started.
Veronica tried to focus on the anticipation in the air rather than scanning the crowd for familiar faces. She was here for herself. Not to avoid anyone or prove anything.
Just to watch fireworks on Christmas night like a normal person.
The first rocket shot into the sky with a whistle, exploding in a shower of gold and red. The crowd cheered.
Edric glanced at Veronica. Her face was tilted upward, reflected light dancing across her features. For the first time since he had found her, she looked peaceful.
Another firework burst overhead, this one silver and blue. Then another. The display built in intensity, each explosion bigger and brighter than the last.
Veronica found herself smiling without thinking about it. The colors were beautiful against the dark sky, and the collective joy of the crowd was infectious.
This was what she had been missing. Not just the fireworks, but the simple pleasure of being part of something larger than her own problems.
When the finale arrived, a dozen rockets launched simultaneously, filling the entire sky with overlapping bursts of color. The crowd erupted in applause.
As the smoke cleared and people began gathering their things, Veronica felt something shift inside her chest. Not healing, exactly, but a small crack in the wall she had built around her heart.
"Thank you," she said to Edric.
"For asking me to stay."
They walked back toward the street together, moving with the flow of families heading home. The evening felt different now. Lighter somehow.
Veronica had spent three years avoiding Christmas. Tonight, she had remembered why she used to love it.