Welcome back! Thanks to our team for keeping us on track. This chapter comes with a trigger warning for those affected by child loss. Wrapping you all tightly in our own Christmas magic today and always.

Also, if you're familiar with TikTok, Noodle is an older pug who sometimes is able to wake up and stand up without falling. Those are what his owners (and the rest of his followers) call a Bones Day. It means to take care of business!

Other days, Noodle wakes up, stands, and goes right back down into his bed LOL those days are No Bones. And, like Jasper had mentioned, sometimes it's okay to have a No Bones day and just stay home and relax and read in a comfy spot!

We love Noodle.

Chapter 7: The Ticket

December 7, Tuesday

New York, New York

Rosalie

December 7th.

I stare at the calendar on my desk, the date bolded in dark print so severe it seems to mock me as each minute ticks by.

I told myself, no, swore to myself, that I wasn't going to let some arbitrary date on the calendar dictate the fate of my day, but it seems like the universe has gone ahead and did it for me anyway. It's as if I threw my hands up in the air this morning, decided to fuck all these months of trying to repair myself and just give up on trying to move on.

The urge to grab my things, cancel my appointments for the rest of the day, and head home to crawl into my bed is loud this morning, and I have tried my best to keep insanely busy so the date can pass me by, and I can try to keep pretending that December 7th doesn't matter.

Pretend that it holds no significance.

But it does matter, my inner voice tells me, and I try to brush away the thoughts before the universe can catch onto them and push them out into the world and into fruition. At this point, I think to myself and exhale through the tears pooling in my eyes; it's useless. I'm more of a liability sitting here at work, trying to forget a life that didn't even have a chance to happen.

"Just go," Heidi, my loyal and true assistant urges me as I shake down another wave of emotion. "Everything here will be fine."

She nods again, forcefully, in reassurance, and eventually, I believe her enough to grab my things and make my way towards the exit.

Towards an escape I didn't want to have to rely on today.

But then I remember that today, December 7th, is not another ordinary day, and it never will be.

One year ago today, among the growing holiday cheer and the upcoming exciting new year ahead of us, Emmett and I said goodbye to the little life we had tried for, prayed for, and hoped for.

It wasn't anyone's fault, a mantra I have yet to believe, but it still tore my heart and soul in half and scattered the pieces. A year later, I still find myself navigating these grounds in the dark, searching for those pieces without a flashlight or anything to help me put myself back together again.

Tightening my jacket closer around my body, I fight the tears from spilling down my cheeks because I know once they start, they'll never stop.

And today, I don't want to cry.

Today I want my husband.

I want the husband from a year ago who tried to help me find those pieces of myself. I want the husband who wanted to try for another baby. I want the husband who didn't stop believing that one day I would find those pieces and rebuild myself into a better version of who I was.

I want the husband who refused to give up on me.

And I know he's in there somewhere; I have the snow globe from him on my nightstand to prove it.

"Em?" I call out into the apartment after a congested train ride full of Christmas presents and the holiday shoppers they belong to.

"In the office," he calls back. "You're home early. Everything okay?"

I drop the keys onto the counter before heading towards the office at the end of the short hallway. I find him sitting behind the desk, the printer yawning to life as it shoots out a handful of pages.

"What's this?" I ask, curious when I see a bar code catch my eye. I snatch it from the printer, my eyes scanning the document in my hands. "A ticket to Forks?"

Emmett sighs, his fingers pinching his nose in exhaustion. "Jasper needs me," he finally says quietly.

I need you."How long?" I ask once I convince myself my voice won't betray me like my husband did.

"I'm leaving Friday and coming home the day after the New Year." He looks up at me for the first time, and for a moment, I see a tinge of regret on his face. "You can still come with me, Rose. I'll buy you a ticket right now."

I shake my head, hating myself for letting my vulnerability of the date get the better of me. "Have a good holiday, Em."

And with nothing left to hold me here, I slam the apartment door behind me and head back to the office.

Fuck December 7th.

Tomorrow, enjoy the latest chapter with your favorite holiday cookie!