ALEX.
I told myself I shouldn’t have been bothered by his refusal.
It was such a small thing—almost insignificant in the grand scheme of everything else going on around me—but it lodged itself somewhere deep in my chest and refused to move. I tried to rationalize it as we drove home, the car heavy with the silence that came from Niko’s outright refusal to Sophie’s request. The twins had a long face, and as far as I knew, they weren’t just going to accept their father's decision without asking questions.
“Dad, please,” Lucas pleaded, clasping his hands dramatically. “It’s Christmas.”
“And everyone does it,” Sophie added quickly. “You promised we were going to do it this year.”
Niko clenched his jaw, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. He looked at them with that familiar expres
