Chapter 10 - A New Christmas EveOne year later.
The snow was falling gently over Columbus once again, casting a soft, magical glow across the city skyline.
Inside the grand ballroom of the Mercer Development annual holiday gala, hundreds of people laughed, clapped, and celebrated. On a giant screen at the front of the room, photographs of families housed through the Emily Mercer Foundation flashed brightly, accompanied by warm applause.
At a corner table near the stage sat David Vance, dressed in a sharp tuxedo, laughing as he talked with several senior executives.
And a few feet away, sitting at a table piled high with chocolate curls and dessert plates, an nine-year-old girl with bright, happy eyes was busy whispering sarcastic comments into the ear of a smiling older man.
“Dad says if you eat another chocolate curl, the sugar will cause your eyebrows to fall off,” Nora whispered, her lips twitching with amusement as she looked up at Julian Mercer.
Julian laughed out loud—a rich, genuine sound that hadn't echoed in his heart for a decade. He stole a chocolate curl right off her plate and popped it into his mouth.
“Tell your dad that the CEO of this company is immune to sugar-related consequences,” Julian teased, his eyes warm and bright.
Nora giggled, shaking her head. Then, she looked up toward the giant screen, where a photograph of her and her father smiled brightly beneath the words: Building Homes, Restoring Families.
“Mr. Julian?” Nora asked quietly, her voice full of a child's pure, untroubled wonder.
“Yes, Nora?”
“Do you think Christmas is magic?”
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Julian looked around the room—at David smiling across the table, at the warmth filling the hall, and at the bright, safe future shining in the little girl's eyes. He reached out, gently tapping her nose with his finger.
“I know it is, Nora,” Julian smiled, the ghosts of the past finally laid to rest. “I know it is.”
