Jeremy Anderson’s POV
Firelight stitches the room together, gold and low, breathing warmth into the corners. Christmas music hums softly from my phone on the mantel. Danny is out cold on the couch, one sock missing, the rise and fall of his chest steady as his head rests on my lap.
Outside, the night holds its breath, cold and kind after the park, the movie, the light meal that made my son pass out from happiness…
Claire sits close to the fireplace, knees drawn up, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her mind distant. She’s worried. Now that the holiday is over, she is once again thinking about her living arrangements. I am certain.
I mean, who can blame her? I am a complete stranger to her, and I offered her my home until she restarts her new term… and leaves to return to her wor
