Coming Home For Christmas Novels & Stories

I stared for a moment, then yanked out the SIM card and tossed it into the trash. Returning home proved smoother than I'd imagined. My parents picked me up at the airport, and with the holidays approaching, the streets were alive with twinkling lights, wreaths, and Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas. It lacked Eldonfield's glitz, but the lingering scent of fireworks grounded me in a comforting way. My mom was thrilled since I'd skipped three Christmases at home to spend them with Ted.

Kent urges, giving me a little nudge as I lose myself in my thoughts. “And, she dropped her phone in the river after a few too many glasses of Pinot Noir,” I say with a shrug and a sigh. “But yes, she and Gio are coming home for Christmas. They’re booking flights today.” “Good,” Kent says with a nod, “It will be good to have a full house again.” He looks ahead, vigilantly watching Dominic as we get outside the town, where there are fewer sidewalks and more country roads.

"I know finals end Friday, and I know you're probably dreading going home..." His jaw tightens. "I'm not talking about that." "You don't have to. I just—" I take a breath. "What if you didn't have to go home? What if you came with me instead?" He looks up at me then, really looks at me, and I feel a weird thing in my stomach. "What do you mean?" "Come to Coastal Maine for Christmas. My grandma would love to meet you, and there's plenty of space, and you wouldn't have to deal with... everything at home."

"Maya! Oh my god, finally. I've been trying to reach you all morning." Her voice had that high-pitched quality it got when she was excited or panicking. With Sophie, it was usually both. "Sorry, meetings. What's up?" "Okay, so don't say no right away. Just hear me out completely before you make any decisions." I stopped typing. That was never a good sign. "Sophie..." "I want you to come home with me for Christmas. Like, actually home. To Colorado. To the estate." My stomach dropped. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

She knew how to multiple task better than anyone I knew. Okay here it goes. "Well as you know I'm coming home for Christmas, and I was wondering if its okay that I bring someone?" I quickly rattled off. "I know its a bit last minute." I knew I should have given her a bit more of a heads up but knowing my mom it shouldn't be that big of a deal. "Oh a special someone?" I could practically hear the grin in her voice. "Uhh someone like that..." "That's perfect sweetie! You can definitely bring him. We'll have plenty of food too."

But the old one still wanted him. "When's the last time you saw them?" Priscilla asked softly. "Maybe two years ago?" He slid the phone under the pillow then draped the arm over her waist. Right now he needed Priscilla to anchor him. "Any special occasion?" she asked. "Christmas. I came home for Christmas. It was the first one I'd been to in a while. Mom knew I was coming, but she didn't tell anyone else. I thought she had, so I walk into chaos. Then Oaklynn starts screaming, which startled her kid into crying."

Dominance layered beneath beer, leather, and rain. Hollow Creek Bar & Grill had not changed much. Same long wooden bar. Same scratched tables. Same green-shaded lights over the pool tables. Same mounted deer head above the fireplace, still wearing the ridiculous Santa hat someone probably forgot to take down five Christmases ago. For one stupid second, I almost smiled. Damien had hated that deer. Said it looked judgmental. I pushed the memory down before it could become something softer. The second I stepped farther inside, conversations thinned one by one.

She worked together with other staff to decorate Ardor for Christmas. Even though it wasn't a popular festivity in Bhorma. Most people go back to their home town to celebrate, those who stayed are people like Julie who doesn't celebrate the holiday with her family. "You don't go back for Christmas?" Andy asked. "No ... just a phone call would do," she didn't want to explain. "When do you go home, then?" She shrugged, "Maybe after graduation ... before I officially start working, what about you?"

She found solace in these shared memories and stories, even as her heart ached for Mike. On Christmas Eve, Jane found herself alone in her apartment, miles away from home. The usually bustling city was quiet, everyone celebrating with their loved ones. She felt a pang of homesickness, a longing for the familiar warmth of home. As she sat by her window, watching the snowfall, her phone rang. It was Mike. His voice was warm, a reminder of home. They spoke for hours, reminiscing about their past Christmases, shared memories, and laughter filling the distance between them.

"The finished kind." She looked at me for a moment. "Go home," she said. "I'll close." "I have another hour," I said. "Go home," she said again. "It's Christmas. Things are finished. Go home to your husband." I went home to my husband.