Looking out over the room, I let my mind rewind to that Christmas. A Christmas I probably shouldn’t remember, considering how young I was, and yet, it was a memory that was shockingly crystal clear. Parts of it, at least. “I was five. It was Christmas Eve. My dad was angry at…something…I don’t remember what, and he tossed me into a wall, broke my arm.”

An odd sort of peace filled me as I thought over what had happened next. I showed Kiera the spot on my left arm, told her it had broken there; that old break was practically underneath where Denny had broken my arm. Kiera was pale when her eyes lifted from my arm to my face. She looked horrorstricken, but I felt fine. I shrugged. It was just the price I’d had to pay for one of my best memories. “They took me to the emergency room, my mom complaining the entire time that they would be late for a party. I don’t know why I remember her saying that…” An odd little detail that was forever stuck in my brain. Shaking my head, I gazed at the tree. “Anyway, they checked me in, then left. I didn’t see them again until Christmas night.” An answered prayer.

I grinned as that moment of remembered contentment washed over me. “There was this nurse there, and I guess she felt sorry for me or something, because I was all alone on Christmas morning.” I lifted the car to my vision. “She gave me a set of three Hot Wheels. A fire truck, a police car, and…a muscle car. Just like this one,” I said, smiling at her.

A laugh escaped me as I remembered that one carefree morning. “I played with those cars all day…” I ran the car down her arm. “But this one was my favorite. It was the only thing I wish I’d remembered to take to L.A. when I left home. But I forgot, and my parents…tossed it.”

Meeting her eyes, I told her how that Christmas had been the best one because I hadn’t been home, and that the car had been the best gift because the intention behind it had been pure…no strings, no tricks. Just thoughtfulness. Swallowing the sudden knot in my throat, I searched her eyes. “I thought I’d never see anything like that car again…How did you know to get me this?”

She shook her head, her eyes shimmering with tears. “It just…seemed like you.”