As her mom turned on a playlist of Christmas music, a knock at the front door pulled Reagan away from mashing potatoes. She opened it to Carly, Gwen, and Brett, and each of them held an item of food and a gift. Her friends had come over at some point during Christmas week each year since they graduated high school. It had started out as a way to make sure they got together during school breaks since they’d all gone to separate schools. Now it was a tradition they couldn’t give up, although it was rare that their celebration happened on Christmas Eve. Reagan figured her friends didn’t want her and her mom to be alone this year.

“Come on in,” Reagan said as she hugged everyone and ushered them inside the house. She watched as they naturally settled into the roles they’d created for themselves over the years. Gwen wasn’t allowed to cook for them so she and her husband, Brett, were in charge of bringing the wine. Carly brought a tray of cookies and a platter of raw veggies because she always felt like she needed to have a balance between the two. Reagan and her mom were responsible for cooking dinner, which consisted of beef tenderloin and garlic mashed potatoes.

Reagan resumed mashing and added a little salt after tasting a small spoonful. When Gwen tried to sneak her own spoon in the pot, Reagan swatted her away. “Stop it. You know better than that.”

“Hey. I’m the expert here. I think I should have a say—”

“A say in what?” Reagan’s mom asked as she walked into the kitchen and enveloped Gwen in a hug.

“I just need to make sure Reagan’s potatoes are as good as yours, Kathy.”

“Suck-up,” she said, playfully pushing her away. “All right. Hop to it, folks. Let’s set out the food.”

Everyone chipped in to move the spread to the dining room table. They ate and drank and laughed for over an hour, and Reagan enjoyed every second. Throughout the meal, her gaze flicked to her dad’s empty chair, but Gwen and Carly always seemed to notice and brought her back in to the conversation.

Once everyone had their fill with the food, Reagan volunteered to clear the table. She put the dishes on the counter when she heard her phone chime from her back pocket. The banner notification told her it was a text from Jill.

I miss you.

She turned around and leaned against the counter so her back was to the dining room. Why was she hearing from her now? Was she just lonely? Three dots appeared on the screen but disappeared only seconds later. What else did she want to say? She stared at the phone, wanting those dots to flash across the screen again.

Reagan jumped when Carly touched her arm. “Whoa. You okay?” Carly asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”