Chapter 9 - NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONSOne year later, New Year’s Eve arrived once again.
The air outside was crisp, cold, and bright, but inside our brownstone, the fireplace crackled with a warm, steady golden glow that warmed every corner of the room.
Ethan, now fifteen and sporting a healthy growth spurt, was holding a walking, babbling one-year-old Noah in his arms, helping him drop confetti onto the living room rug as the clock ticked down toward midnight.
I stood by the kitchen counter, pouring two glasses of sparkling cider—one for me, and one for Ethan to celebrate his incredible milestone year.
Ethan walked over, setting Noah down in his playpen with a careful, practiced ease, and leaned against the counter beside me.
“Happy New Year, Dad,” Ethan said softly, raising his glass.
“Happy New Year, son,” I smiled, clinking my glass against his. “How does it feel to have a normal year behind us?”
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Ethan looked around the warm, brightly lit room, taking a deep breath of the cinnamon-scented air. “It feels good, Dad. It feels like we finally won.”
“We did,” I said, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. “And nobody will ever take that away from us.”
