Laird’s POV


    Nothing had changed. Year after year, my father would host a Christmas Eve party, inviting a few colleagues and close neighbors. The line of cars along the street in front of our house confirmed that the party had long since started and guests were arriving just as my father had hoped.


    I tightened my coat and cleared my throat. My steps led me to the house across from ours. Not for the party, but to persuade and reassure my girlfriend that I still loved her.


    The green and red wreath on the white door hung neatly. In contrast to my house, the Baxter home looked quiet. There was nomotion, no line of cars in front of the house, and no staff walking back and forth serving guests with drinks or coats.


    I pressed the doorbell once. The chime sounded faintly from inside the house. It didn’t take long before someone opened the door.


    “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Baxter,” I said with a wide smile.


    “Oh, Laird! Merry Christmas!” The woman immediately hugged me tightly with a cheerfulugh.


    “A Christmas gift for you,” I lifted a bouquet of romance novels with artificial flowers wrapped in green ribbon and red glitter paper.


    “Thank you! Oh, you tease! Come in, you naughty boy.”


    Mrs. Baxter yfully tapped my arm. I chuckled as I entered the house. Just as I ced the bouquet on the living room table, the beautiful woman descended from the second floor.


    Yes, her hair was tied messily. Her face was covered with a green mask instead of makeup. There were no nes, just a small, worn towel hanging. Instead of a sexy red dress, she wore a long-sleeved pink bunny-patterned shirt and pants.


    Gosh, I missed her.


    “OMG. Laird?!”


    When she realized I was there, her mouth fell open in panic. She hurriedly turned and went back upstairs. Seeing Fene, I could only chuckle. Truly, I missed her and all her silly antics. I would even hug her right now if she hadn’t run away first.


    “Aren’t youing to my dad’s Christmas party?” I asked Mrs. Baxter.


    “Later. It’s rare for Fene to be home on Christmas Eve. She hasn’te on Christmas Eve at home for more than five years, so I want her to savor this moment as much as possible.”


    “Yeah, you shoulde anyway. My dad will surely look for you and be upset when he finds out you didn’te. He mighte here tomorrow morning and demand an answer why you didn’t attend his party.” I gave a lopsided smile, but Sharon Baxter only waved her hands dismissively.


    “Let him be. After all, what’s the point ofing just to hear him ranting about lies about you, Lloyd, and his young mistresses?” Sharon shook her head and walked toward the kitchen.


    “I thought he had already made up his mindst year about…” I muttered for a moment. “What’s her name? Mary? Alicia? Ginny?” Too many to remember.


    “This time her name is Riley. She’s 20 years old.” Sharon returned from the kitchen with a ss of warm eggnog.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    “She’s a new nurse working at the hospital where your father regrly goes for his heart check-ups. They metst summer, and your father said he immediately rented her a luxurious apartment near the hospital for a year.” Sharon ced the steaming ss on the table.


    “A year? I’m not sure she’llst that long.” I snorted as I sat on the sofa.


    “Tell that to him. I’d even bet Lloyd often gives her rides home with his car.” She cradled her tray.


    “That’s just the way Lloyd gets rid of those women.” I shrugged. Sharon sighed and shook her head, not believing the dynamics of our family rtionships.


    “Drink up, Laird, while it’s still warm. And be careful, because I don’t want another man’s skin burned by this eggnog.”


    “Oh, really? Who’s the unlucky man?”


    “A guest named n.”


    Sharon spoke to me with a meaningful tone. Her eyelids fluttered slowly. It seemed she wanted to tell me that the man hade but didn’t intend to provide more details.


    “Oh, let it be then. He deserves it.” I carefully lifted the mug and sipped Sharon’s eggnog.


    That bastard. He apparently thought Fene and her mother would be easily approachable. Maybe he brought expensive gifts and unted his money, but I was sure they wouldn’t be swayed by that.


    I then sipped enough eggnog to calm myself. The sweetness of the rum, the spice of the seasonings, and the smooth cream filled my mouth. The warmth immediately soothed my throat and stomach. My body shivered for a moment as the cold air was swept away.


    “How does it taste?”


    “Still delicious as always. Perfect!”


    “d to hear it,” the old womanughed.


    The next moment, Fene descended into the living room. This time her face was clean with no traces of the mask. Her hair was neatlybed, and she wore a sweater that was tidier than the shabby pajama. I even suspected she was wearing lip balm that made her lips look plump, moist, and ripe for a kiss.


    “You seem familiar with my mom,” Fene asked rhetorically with an arched eyebrow.


    “Oh, don’t be surprised. You nevere home on Christmas Eve, so Laird is the one who always visits here. I’m even amazed at which of my children is actually mine.” Sharonined before turning and walking into her room.


    Fene scowled. I was sure she felt guilty toward her mother now.


    “Hm, do youe to Boston every Christmas Eve?” Fene cleared her throat and began to sit on the sofa next to me.


    “Yup. There’s an attendance requirement if I still want to be recognized by my father.”


    “Does my mother also check your attendance every year?” She asked, ncing at the eggnog in my hand.


    “Yup. She rewards my presence by recing you with the world’s most delicious eggnog.” I lifted my ss for a moment before taking another sip.


    “Oh…” Fene now curled her knees to her chest. “I thought you came to see me.”


    I blink at her words. Only then did I realize what she was thinking. How could I have not noticed? She must be disappointed because I was familiar with her mother and assumed my only reason foring was to see her. She was so easy to read!


    “I thought you didn’t want to see me and asked for some space.” I gave a crooked smile as I remembered what she had said to me at Gene’s office thest time I saw her.


    Since that day, she hadn’t responded to my messages, hadn’t answered my calls, and had only sent one text saying she was in Boston. At least she kept me updated. So that’s what I did. I respected her desire to calm down and sort out a few things before returning to Beacon Hill.


    “Yeah, but-” she huffed. “Forget it.”


    I raised an eyebrow at her plea this time. Not wanting to tease her too long, I set my eggnog ss on the table. Then I moved closer to her and gently touched her cheek with my thumb.


    “Are you still mad at me?”


    Fene curled up even more in herp, but that didn’t make me give up. I gently tilted her chin to look at me with my finger.


    “I missed you.”