Prologue

Detroit, Christmas 1986

The first snowfall of the season had turned Detroit into a winter wonderland, with soft flurries covering rooftops and swirling around the streetlamps. Inside the Taylor house, warmth radiated from every corner, and the scent of Jill's freshly baked cookies drifted through the rooms as she and the boys prepared to decorate the Christmas tree. There was a hum of excitement in the air, and at the center of it was Randy, full of energy, racing between his brothers and the boxes of ornaments stacked in the corner.

"Mom, I get to put the star on top this year, right?" he asked, jumping up and down as he held up the glittering golden star.

"Oh, no you don't," Brad said, grabbing for the star with a smirk. "You did it last year! It's my turn!"

Randy grinned and pulled the star back, sticking out his tongue. "Too bad, Brad!"

Brad lunged, making a playful grab for him, but Randy darted behind the couch, giggling as he held the star above his head triumphantly. "You're too slow!"

Jill watched her boys with a fond smile, trying to hide her laughter as Brad continued to chase Randy around the living room, both of them weaving between the boxes of ornaments and the tangled lights. Little Mark sat nearby, looking between his brothers and giggling, even though he didn't understand what all the fuss was about.

Tim entered the room, holding a mess of Christmas lights he'd been struggling to untangle. He took one look at Randy, who was now standing on the arm of the couch, still holding the star up high, and shook his head with a grin. "Looks like we've got ourselves a little troublemaker."

Randy grinned, hopping down and holding the star out to his dad. "Come on, Daddy. Let's see if you can catch me!"

Tim lunged, making an exaggerated grab for him, and Randy squealed, bolting to the other side of the room, laughing all the while. Jill crossed her arms, trying to keep her tone serious even though she was smiling. "Boys, let's get the tree decorated before you take it down!"

The three of them finally managed to corral Randy, who handed the star over with a mischievous grin. "Fine," he said, crossing his arms. "But only because I'm letting you."

Jill chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Oh, really? How generous of you, Randy."

They finally got down to decorating, each boy taking turns hanging ornaments on the branches, though Randy was clearly more interested in playing than placing anything in one spot. He dangled ornaments from his ears, made a game of tossing tinsel at Brad, and whispered to Mark, showing him how to decorate the lower branches, which ended up covered in a clump of ornaments that made Jill laugh.

As they worked, Jill felt her heart swell, watching her boys fill the room with their laughter, the kind of easy joy that made everything feel perfect. It was one of those moments she wished she could freeze forever—the sounds of Brad's good-natured teasing, Mark's happy babbling, and Randy's bright, lively laugh filling the house.

Across the room, Tim caught her eye, sharing a quiet smile. This was everything they'd ever wanted—a house filled with love, laughter, and the simple, beautiful chaos of family.


On the other side of town, a woman sat alone in a dimly lit motel room, her gaze fixed on a small, worn suitcase lying open on the bed. Her face was etched with lines of bitterness and fatigue, her eyes cold as she looked over the few belongings she'd managed to gather over the years. The suitcase held little—just a few crumpled outfits, a well-worn hairbrush, a half-empty bottle of perfume. It wasn't much, and she knew it. But it was all she had.

She had come to Detroit on impulse, searching for something she couldn't quite name—a fresh start, a distraction, maybe just an escape from the string of dead ends her life had become. She had no family to turn to, no friends she trusted, and as Christmas approached, the loneliness in her life felt sharper than ever.

Earlier that day, she had picked up a flyer advertising holiday festivities at Metro Mall. "See the lights, take photos with Santa," it read, the images showing families bundled up in scarves, surrounded by glittering decorations. She scoffed, crumpling the paper in her hand. Families. It felt like a taunt, an ideal she could never be a part of, no matter where she went.

Still, a part of her couldn't resist the pull of the holiday crowd. She tugged on her coat, grabbed her purse, and left the motel, setting out in the direction of the mall. She didn't know exactly why she was going—she only knew that the lights, the decorations, and the people would distract her from the emptiness that gnawed at her every time she closed her eyes.

As she walked through the snow-covered streets, she passed shop windows filled with toys, trains, and dolls. She stopped outside one of them, her eyes lingering on a little train set chugging through a miniature winter village. For a moment, she felt a pang of something she couldn't name—envy, perhaps, or maybe even longing. She shook her head, turning away and continuing down the street.

By the time she reached the mall, the holiday music and twinkling lights had pulled her out of herself, giving her something to focus on other than her own thoughts. She didn't know what she was searching for, but she kept moving through the crowds, weaving her way through families, watching them with a mixture of resentment and fascination.

She hadn't planned for her life to be this way—isolated, wandering from one town to the next. She hadn't planned for a lot of things. But in the glow of the holiday lights, as she looked at the people around her, a plan began to form, something she hadn't considered before. If she couldn't have a family of her own, maybe… maybe there was another way to find what she was looking for….