Chapter 10 - The Christmas Light
Later that night, long after the dinner guests had retired to their rooms and the house had grown quiet, Ethan stepped out onto the wide stone porch of his home.
The snow was falling gently, sparkling beneath the warm glow of the porch light overhead.
He held a mug of warm coffee in his hands, taking a deep breath of the crisp, clean winter air.
The front door opened quietly behind him, and Lily stepped out onto the porch, wrapped in a plush wool coat and a warm scarf. She walked over and stood beside Ethan, leaning against his side as they both looked out over the snow-covered yard.
In her hands, she held her leather journal—now completely filled with stories, memories, and drawings from the past four years.
“Are you thinking about Clare?” Lily asked softly, looking up at him with her wise, amber eyes.
Ethan looked down at her, a gentle, peaceful smile touching his lips. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close against his side.
“I used to think about her with a lot of sadness, Lily,” Ethan answered honestly. “I used to think that when I lost her, my life ended too.”
He looked out at the falling snow, feeling the warm beat of his heart in his chest.
“But tonight... I think about her and I feel happy,” Ethan whispered. “Because I know she’d be so glad that I found you. She’d be so proud of the girl you’ve become.”
Lily smiled, resting her head against his side. “I’m glad you stopped your car that night, Mr. Ethan.”
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“So am I, Lily,” Ethan said, kissing the top of her dark curls. “So am I.”
They stood together on the warm porch in the quiet of Christmas Eve, watching the snow fall gently over the peaceful world—two souls who had found each other in the storm, forever healed, forever free, and surrounded by a light that no darkness could ever extinguish.
