THE CHRISTMAS RETURN
A work of fiction. The characters and events are invented; any resemblance to real people is coincidental.
Christmas Eve was supposed to be a quiet family celebration.
The house was glowing with lights, the fireplace was burning, and everyone had gathered around the Christmas tree. But nobody expected the man who appeared at the front door that night. He stood in the snow holding a bouquet of red and white roses, and the moment the door opened, two little boys ran straight toward him. The older woman inside smiled through tears as if she had been waiting years for this moment. But one woman didn't smile. She stood completely frozen, staring at him as though she had just seen a ghost. Because the man at the door was someone she had spent years trying to forget—and someone who was never supposed to come home.