My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim
They sat across from each other, crying, and the kitchen held them both.
"Christmas," Isis said eventually, from inside whatever hug they had ended up in. She did not remember crossing the space between them. She did not remember standing up or moving around the table or folding herself into her mother's arms. She just knew that she was there, and her mother's arms were around her, and her mother's shoulder was wet with both of their tears.
"Maybe," Isis said again, her voice muffled against Nora's sweater. "Maybe Christmas."
Nora's arms tightened around her. "Maybe is enough," she said, and her voice was thick and raw and absolutely certain. "Maybe is more than I ever thought I would get."