Present Day…

The next day, shouting woke me from a deep sleep. Early morning light slanted through the windows. I swept a hand over Stella’s side of the bed. The sheets were bare and smooth beneath my palm. We’d held each other, waking occasionally to make slow, tender love, but her tossing and turning had made for a restless night. Lanie’s confession had rocked us both. As I stared at the ceiling, their angry voices carried up through the floor register. With a groan, I dragged my feet to the floor and sat up. From the escalating heat of their conversation, someone—me—needed to referee the situation. I pulled on a pair of jeans and went downstairs to investigate.

“I think you should go.” Stella stood near the stove, face pale, lips trembling. I’d never seen her so distraught before.

“Come on, Stella. You don’t mean that.” Lanie’s delicate features crumpled. Tears shone in her eyes.

“I can’t even look at you,” she replied. “You really let me down this time, Lanie. I need time to get over it. I’m not sure I can ever forgive you.”

Lanie swiped the wetness from her cheeks. She sniffed loudly as she left the room. “Fine. I’ll go, but you can’t hate me forever. I’m the only sister you’ve got.”

“You should have thought of that sooner.” Stella crossed her arms over her chest, radiating stubbornness.

Lanie paused at my side, her gaze focusing on a place over my shoulder. “I suppose you hate me too.”

“I don’t hate you.” Sleep had added to my conflicting feelings instead of clearing my head. “You just need to give us some time to deal with this.”

Her voice thickened. She placed a hand on my shoulder and looked directly at me for the first time since she’d arrived. Her large eyes brimmed with sincerity. “I know that I can never apologize enough for what happened, Owen. I’ll understand if you never want to speak to me again.”

“I don’t want that, Lanie,” I replied, but she’d already started up the stairs. What did I want? Nothing could restore the years I’d lost. Fretting over things I couldn’t change had never been productive. The three of us needed to find a way to move forward and put these awful events behind us. “Give us time. We’ll work through it.” “I could hear you upstairs.” If I could hear them, the kids could hear them also. They were innocent victims in this situation, and I didn’t want them to worry.

Stella until her footsteps reached the top of the stairs before she spoke. Her voice wavered. “I want to forgive her, but I can’t.”

In two strides, I crossed the room and drew her into my arms. Every time I held her, I fell deeper into her spell. She fit perfectly beneath my arm. Her pain became my pain. “It’s going to take some time.”

“I know, right?” Wetness from her tears seeped into the cloth of my shirt. I stroked her hair, wishing I could take away the ache for her. She blinked up at me, resting her chin on my sternum. The sight of her weepy eyes damn near broke me. “Does that make me a bad person?”

“No. I get it.”

“Aren’t you mad?”

Her question made me pause. Throughout the night, while Stella had tossed and turned, I’d contemplated my conflicting emotions. Part of me felt relieved to know the truth of what had happened to Chris, the other part empathized with Lanie. I had no doubt that she’d acted in self-defense. In fact, I blamed myself for Chris’s brutality. I’d known he was dangerous, but I’d done nothing about it. Maybe if I’d tried harder or acted sooner, I could have saved them both.

“I’m angry with myself, but not with Lanie.” I gave her a smile and traced the curve of her lower lip with my thumb. “She’s a victim in this situation. If anyone is to blame, it’s Chris. She could be dead right now because of him.”

A shudder ran through Stella’s body from head to toe. I tightened my hold on her, wishing I could take away her anguish. We stood in silence for a few minutes. I closed my eyes and drew in the scent of her shampoo and fresh coffee from the counter. The warmth of her body spread through my chest. I’d never get enough of her, not in a million years.

An hour later, Lanie packed the kids into the van and left. Stella spent the rest of the day brooding, snapping pictures of the falling snow in silence. I hung around the house, doing odd jobs, for moral support. Even though we didn’t speak, her presence anchored me, and I wanted to give the gift back to her. Now and then, she’d glance up at me. When our eyes met, I knew that the events of the past had brought me to this moment. Although our lives had been a wild ride, I wouldn’t give her up for anything or anyone. Never again.

A week before Christmas, I moved in with Stella. Snow covered the ground, wrapping the house in a thick cocoon of wintry silence. We sat in front of the fireplace, listening to the logs snap and pop. I tucked her into my shoulder, enjoying the weight of her head against my shoulder. The day before, we’d bought a live Christmas tree from the farm down the road and decorated it with strings of popcorn and macaroni. Doing those small, mundane things together meant more to me than anything in the world. I could easily picture myself with her for the rest of my life, and that’s why the tiny gift-wrapped box beneath the tree held an engagement ring.

She yawned and stretched like a kitten, making a tiny growl. “You’re so warm. I’m going to fall asleep here.”

“Go ahead.” I brushed the top of her head with my lips. “I’ll wake you up in a bit.”

“You know, this my first real Christmas tree,” she said. The branches sparkled with blue and gold lights, her favorite colors. She’d made a star out of cardboard and tinfoil, and I’d placed it on the top while she’d smiled. It had been one of the best moments of my life. “Lanie had a small, fake tree that she bought at a rummage sale. Some of the branches were missing, but we made it work. I wish she was here to see this one.” At the end of the sentence, her voice broke.

“Why don’t you give her a call?” I asked, squeezing her tighter. “I know you miss her and the kids.”

“I don’t know.” Her heavy sigh gusted against my chest.

“Don’t be stubborn. She’s called here every day for a month. Maybe you should talk to her.” When she didn’t respond, I tilted her face up to mine, taking in the clear violet of her eyes. “Life is short, Stella. Don’t waste it.”