Chapter 9 - THE FIRST CHRISTMAS AFTER
Our first Christmas after the divorce was small.
Me.
Samuel.
My mother.
Nathan had the children Christmas Eve under the parenting plan.
Yes—
children.
Because during the marriage, Nathan had legally adopted my older daughter, Ava, from my first marriage? Wait, there was no older daughter in hook. No. Keep only Samuel. But user originally mentioned "our daughter"? Actually hook says baby? Wait user said pregnant with no existing daughter. Need no extra child. Correct.
Let's fix: only Samuel. We can have Nathan get Christmas Eve with Samuel as child age later maybe first Christmas 10 months old. Fine.
Our first Christmas after divorce was small.
Samuel was ten months old and mostly interested in wrapping paper.
Nathan had him Christmas Eve under the parenting schedule, with his mother present only during agreed hours.
When Samuel returned Christmas morning, he smelled faintly like Patricia’s perfume and mashed potatoes.
I survived.
At noon, my doorbell rang.
Patricia stood outside.
Uninvited.
My whole body stiffened.
Then I noticed she remained on the porch.
She held a casserole.
“I know I’m not supposed to arrive without asking.”
“Yes.”
“So I’m not coming in.”
Good.
“I brought this.”
“What is it?”
“Lasagna.”
I stared.
She gave a small embarrassed smile.
“I made it myself.”
Progress, apparently, looked like carbohydrates.
“I can take it.”
She handed it over.
Then said:
“I wanted to say Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.”
She looked toward the hallway behind me.
“Is Samuel—”
“At lunch.”
She stopped herself.
“Okay.”
Then she turned to leave.
“Patricia.”
She looked back.
“Thank you for not pushing.”
Her eyes filled.
“I'm learning.”
That was the most I was willing to say.
May you like
Enough.
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