Page 49 of Silent Night With Luca

I smile, feeling a wave of emotion wash over me. Last Christmas, I never would have imagined we’d be here—stronger than ever, with a baby girl and a future that feels solid and real.

Winter Haven looks beautiful as we pull into town, the electric candles twinkling in every window, snowflakes catching in the glow of the street lamps. It feels magical, like something out of a dream. A dream that, somehow, we’ve managed to build together.

“I was thinking…” I say, glancing back at Emilia. “Next year, she’ll be big enough to open presents. I can’t wait to see her little face when she tears into the wrapping paper.”

Luca smiles, his eyes softening as he looks at our daughter. “She’s going to be spoiled, you know that, right?”

“Obviously.”

We pull up to the gate of the lodge, the place where it all began. Luca talks to the guard while I adjust Emilia’s little blanket. When we pull up to the covered portico at the entrance and Luca turns off the car, a true peace covers me.

No more running, no more betrayals, no more rebelling for the sake of it.

The bellhop opens my door. Luca leans over, kissing the side of my head. “Let’s go inside and get warm. It’s Christmas Eve, after all.”

I nod, my heart full. As we step out of the car, I get Emilia out of her car seat and hold her close to my chest. Lucajoins me, his arm around my waist. The snow crunches under our feet as we make our way inside, the warmth of the lodge welcoming us.

This Christmas, we’re not just surviving. We’re living.

Everything is exactly how it’s supposed to be.