Chapter 50: The Holiday Season

The festive weeks leading up to Christmas passed in a wondrous blur of twinkling outdoor lights, local high school concerts, and quiet evening drives spent exploring the residential neighborhoods of Cortis to admire elaborate displays of glowing reindeer and inflatable Santas. For James and Lily, every single holiday tradition took on an entirely new, profound layer of meaning, transforming from simple childhood routines into major milestones of their first romance as a couple.