Chapter 10 - Building Our Own Traditions
By the time we pulled into our driveway three hours later, the snow had stopped entirely, leaving our neighborhood blanketed in a thick, shimmering layer of white moonlight. The four-column colonial stood before us, its warm yellow porch light glowing brightly through the glass panes of the front door, welcoming us home in a way my parents’ house never had.
Claire carried a sleeping Owen inside, his small breathing soft and rhythmic against her shoulder, while I carried in our bags from the truck bed. The house was cozy, smelling faintly of the pumpkin pie we had baked the night before we left for Vermont. It wasn’t a sprawling estate or a corporate trophy home, but every single board, nail, and room represented years of honest, unyielding labor, mutual respect, and unconditional love.
“Put him down in his crib,” I whispered, coming up behind Claire in the upstairs hallway and wrapping my arms around her waist, burying my face in her neck. “Then come downstairs. I’m ordering us the biggest, greasiest pepperoni pizza in the state, and we’re eating it straight out of the box on the living room floor.”
Claire turned in my arms, throwing her arms around my neck and laughing softly, a rich, genuine sound that chased away every lingering ghost of the past. “That,” she smiled, pressing her lips softly against mine, “sounds like the best Thanksgiving tradition we could possibly start.”
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We spent the rest of the evening sitting cross-legged on the plush living room rug, sharing greasy slices of pizza, watching an old comedy movie, and whispering about our future plans for the company and the yard. Owen slept peacefully upstairs, completely untouched by the petty drama, the toxic expectations, and the broken pride of a family that had lost far more than they ever realized.
As I looked over at Claire, her eyes bright and filled with a fierce, unwavering devotion, I knew that the past was finally dead and buried. I didn’t need Travis’s approval, my parents’ validation, or a seat at a table built on conditional love. I had everything I ever wanted right here in this room.
