Chapter 19 - The New Place Cards
By the time Christmas rolled around again, the air in our home felt entirely different. There was no heavy dread, no whispering relatives, and no toxic tension hiding beneath the festive pine garlands.
We hosted a small, joyful holiday dinner. Our guests included close friends, supportive neighbors, and Zia’s favorite teachers from school.
As I set the long mahogany dining table, I placed silver napkin rings beside white porcelain plates.
Zia walked into the dining room carrying a stack of handwritten place cards she had stayed up crafting the night before using glitter pens and colorful cardstock.
She walked around the table, carefully setting each card in front of every plate.
I watched as she reached the very last seat at the end of the table—the exact spot where, two years ago, a cruel card had read Guest.
Zia smiled, picked up her glitter pen, and wrote a brand-new name on the crisp white paper.
She stepped back so I could read it.
The card didn't say Guest.
It said: Zia Miller - Daughter, Sister, Owner of the Heart.
May you like
Travis walked up behind us, wrapping his arms around both of us, resting his chin on Zia’s head as she laughed brightly.
"That," Travis whispered, looking down at the table, "is the best legal document ever written."
