A/N: Hello, hello! Welcome to the holiday season! I hope it is finding you well, or as well as you can be. Maybe this will bring you some light and joy. And if not, well come back next week for more! I have some fun stuff planned ;)

This chapter takes place after chapter 30 'Too Much For One Heart'. Enjoy!

They were stuck in traffic on the highway, which was typical for that time of year, it also gave her a lot of time to think.

To contemplate life.

This would be her first time coming out to Long Island with him to celebrate the first night of Hannukah with his mom. He'd offered last year, but as they were still unsure of where they stood at that time, she'd politely declined. But this year? Well, now they were family; permanently linked by the tiny person growing inside her.

Miyana was so excited to share in Byron's family traditions. Getting to see him interact with his family and see how much they valued their culture and religion was such a beautiful thing. Growing up in New York, she was no stranger to her share of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, but the other holidays were a mystery to her. She knew one usually happened around Easter time and a bunch happened in the fall. And after that? Well, her knowledge well ran dry.

Funnily enough, a lot of their cast had taken the night off to celebrate the holiday! So, whoever was seeing the show that night was in for a treat of a cast full of swings, understudies, and stand-bys.

Traffic gave her time to think about family traditions and how she was going to share them with their baby when the time came.

She didn't grow up in a particularly religious family, and the Castle's tended to celebrate the more secular Christmas traditions. But what about when their kid got older? And wanted to know about Baby Jesus and why they didn't go to church. Or why they got to celebrate two holidays? Because, if Mia was sure of anything: she wanted her kid to be raised in the Jewish culture and religion. Byron earned that much. But she also wanted to pass on her side's traditions and the holly and jolly of Christmas.

It was all so complex and made her mind swirl.

"What? What's wrong?" Byron asks, quickly looking at her after she lets out a gasping sigh.

Mia laughs at his worry and lays a comforting hand on his thigh. "Nothing! I'm okay. I didn't mean to scare you, I was just thinking."

"Thinking pretty hard for a sound like that."

"Yeah." Another long sigh. Traffic slowly shifts forward and their favorite podcast's newest episode plays from the car speakers.

"Care to share?"

"Just thinking about you, and me, and Little Bean." They didn't know the gender of their baby yet, so a nickname would have to do until then.

"Yeah? What about?" he takes her hand, squeezing once.

"About this time of year. The holidays and traditions and how we want to share them with our baby.

"Kind of early to be thinking about that, no? I mean the baby's not even here yet! We still have time to decide."

"But we don't, babe! I mean, some people put their kid's name on a list for preschool the second they find out they're pregnant. This is a decision we have to start talking about now."

Pretty big jump trying to compare preschool to holiday traditions, but he let's her go on. "Okay? Do you want to start here? Now?"

"I mean, what else are we gonna do? Play the 'license plate' game?"

"Fair." Byron agrees, turning the volume down so he can think better. "Okay, so you know how I feel. And I've been open and honest about it. I would never push anything on you, but I would love for our kid to be raised Jewish. Our family line ends with me and Mal and I don't want it to stop there, you know?"

Miyana smiles at the softness in his voice and squeezes their still-linked hands. "I know. And I'm okay with that. I think they should. But isn't it kind of a problem? To have a Jewish Dad and a non-Jewish Mom? Won't they be shunned from the community or something?"

"Who told you that?" Byron insists.

"Internet."

"Oh, yeah, and the last time you read the internet, it said your dad had been diagnosed with lung cancer and only had a few weeks to live."

"Fair." Mia agrees. She knew not to believe everything she read.

"It's different for every Jewish community you go to. If we were in a more conservative or Orthodox community, then maybe. But in the community we're in? Me, my mom, my stepdad, and Mallory; it's not a big deal. As long as they know our intentions, it's okay." Byron smiles at her. "I would let anything happen to you or Little Bean."

Miyana let out a breath, relaxing into her seat. Good. That's good. At least she knew now that her getting pregnant wasn't going to get Byron shunned by his community. That was a relief.

"And do you care if they celebrate Christmas too? I mean, it's more about Santa and family and candy and all that, at least in my house."

"I don't care. It doesn't matter to me," Byron shrugs, moving farther along the road. "I mean, we might have a problem if Christmas fell on a Friday, but we'll cross that bridge if it comes to that." He laughs, making what felt like such a huge decision to her into just a silly conversation. "Maybe I should spend Christmas with your family this year. You know: for research."

"Oh, you think you can keep up? I mean, it's a lot. Between the Secret Santa and the gingerbread house contest. I don't know if my brothers would let you just jump in."

"I can take 'em!"

Miyana laughs loudly at that. "I'm sure you could." It was so easy. Just like that. No tears, no fights. Simple. She'd worked it up in her mind as such a big thing. So silly of her.

[][]

As darkness fell around them, they gathered by the front window of Byron's parent's house. Mallory, home from college in Georgia, stood with her arm hooked through her stepfather's, and Byron hugged his mom to one side and Miyana to the other. Both boys wore kippahs on their heads, and to Mia, it made them look both handsome and cute at the same time.

Once all the candles had been placed on all four of the menorahs, the family began to recite the three blessings to welcome the holiday. Mia relaxes into the melodic prayer, picking out the few words she recognized.

"Okay, now we light the candles!" Mallory explains, clicking a lighter on.

"This is the Shamash, the 'helper' candle," Byron quietly explains to his girlfriend. "We use it to light all the other candles." The parents take their turn, and then Byron steps forward.

Soon, the room was glowing with orange light, and a certain happiness overcame them.

"Now: we eat!" Eli proudly announces, leading Mallory into the kitchen.

"Now, this a tradition I could get behind," Miyana says with a chuckle, seeing the platters piled high with desserts and fried food."

"It's how we pull in our husbands and wives, right mom? With good food?" Byron asks.

"It's supposed to be! But seeing as how my only daughter has yet to find a husband, I don't think it's working," Nichole says, teasing her daughter. Miyana barely registers her thick accent.

"I told you: the Jewish food down there sucks! How am I supposed to find a husband if I can't even find a good deli?" Mal defends as they sit down at the beautifully decorated dining table.

"You could learn to cook. Your whole childhood spent watching me in the kitchen and you learn nothing?"

"My sister could teach you if you wanted," Mia offers. "I mean, if she can teach her boyfriend not to burn boiling water, I'm sure she could teach you!"

"Yes. I accept," Nicole eagerly says. "Give me her number and I'll set up lessons."

"Mom! Come on! I can do that myself."

"That's the problem: I'm not entirely sure you can. You didn't call Mrs. Boykewich back about seeing her boy Tyler."

"I told you: I'm not going to be set up on a date by my mother! People don't do that anymore!"

"They could if you kids let them!"

The volume had risen exponentially as the girls fought and Mia laughs.

"Are they always like this? She asks Byron and Eli.

"Always," Eli says, his stepson nodding in agreement.

"They don't know the definition of an 'inside voice'. Better get used to it now." Byron says.

As the row continues around her, Miyana smiles to herself, thinking about how good it felt. Another warm, lovely family she could picture herself and her baby spending time with. To laugh and argue and tease with.

"Okay, so what next?" Mia asks, leaning close to her boyfriend.

"Well, we open presents and then play dreidel. But be careful: Mal's really competitive."