“Work emailed me while we were playing charades after dinner,” he said. “I didn’t get the promotion I’d applied for within the company, but they offered me a higher-grade position at one of our partner companies…in Toronto. So many exciting things flashed through my mind as I immediately accepted the offer without thinking twice about consulting you. Then I spent the entire night thinking about what living in Toronto would be like, but I wasn’t envisioning us. It was the wake-up call I needed. Somewhere along the line going through the motions would become resentment, and I didn’t want that…not with you. I wanted to end things when there was at least a chance we might have a shot at still being friends.”

That was a month ago, and Cosima was still spending almost every waking moment trying to convince her closest friends and family that she was fine. It didn’t help her case when she decided she was going to spend Christmas on her own. Her mother and father had booked a cruise, so she’d initially planned to spend Christmas with Damian and his family, but now she just really wanted to have a low-key day at home.

“Cosima Rose Stratton,” her mother groused. “I might have been born in the nighttime, but I wasn’t born last night. I know you’re not planning to go to Navaya’s for dinner. Why did you have to go bring that sweet girl into your lies?”

“I’ll be fine, Ma, I promise. I’m not in bed crying into Damian’s old shirts. I’m okay. I just want to spend some time by myself this year. I want to watch a bunch of Christmas movies without worrying that I’m ruining someone else’s day.”

Dorothy sighed wearily as if she was sure that Cosima orchestrated the breakup just to find a way to make her life miserable. “Okay, Simmy. If you say so…”

“And I do.”

“… just make sure you know we’re here if you change your mind.”

“I know, and I love you for it,” Cosima said with a smile. “You go ahead and enjoy yourself — rekindle those sparks with daddy that I do not want to think about.”

“Goodbye, lil’ girl,” Dorothy said with a chuckle. “I love you too.”

Cosima was still smiling as she disconnected the call and turned back to her desktop to continue with the copyedits she really wanted to complete before the time she promised herself she’d end her workday. She wondered how many more conversations like this she would have in the week leading up to Christmas. Just the thought of having to repeatedly defend her decision while people tried to figure out if she was really okay made her stomach cramp up with unease.

Merry Christmas, indeed.

2. Tristan

Chapter 2

Tristan