"No worries! You've done so much for the shelter and for Hornvale—and even saved my life. Honestly, there's no reason not to say yes. I'll have my people get everything you asked for ready." Nathaniel's warm smile made Caroline nod slightly. In truth, her storage space was still packed with unused stuff—mountains of cigarettes, bottles of liquor, boxes of tea and snacks, medicine, steel, and fancy gift sets. Later, she planned to trade all that with the army or other survivor groups for more useful supplies, like cat supplies, dog supplies, and other daily supplies. She remembered that in her previous life, there was a trade platform after the base was built. She'd use it when the time was right. Nathaniel looked like he wanted to keep talking, but there was still the chaos Andrew had left behind. So, Caroline and Tyler grabbed their pets and started heading upstairs. Right when they were about to leave, Jet, who hadn't said a single word the whole time, suddenly flapped his wings and shouted, "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" Everyone froze. Only then did they realize it was dark outside already. After everything that had happened, Christmas had quietly arrived. Nathaniel blinked, then laughed at Jet. "Merry Christmas! What a cute little guy." By the time Caroline and the others reached the elevator, Jet was sitting proudly on Raven's head. He looked at Caroline and bragged, "Human, that old man is the boss here, right?" She nodded. Nathaniel was basically the government head of Hornvale. Before tonight, Andrew could rival him. But after that mess, who knew if Andrew would stay in power? "Everybody loves a parrot that says sweet things! That old guy called me cute. I made you look good, Human!" Caroline could tell Jet was putting on a little act to help her reputation. She suddenly remembered that he used to stream online with his previous owner.In those livestreams, people must've taught him all sorts of sweet lines to say. Caroline reached up and brushed the feathers on his head, smiling. "You're right. You just reminded me we should have Christmas dinner tonight. But you don't have to say nice stuff just to please people anymore. Only when you really mean it." Jet tilted his head, like he didn't quite get it. Raven gave him a look, like they were having a silent talk. After a while, Jet turned back to Caroline. "Human, you're the best!" Caroline flicked his tuft again. It wobbled, and she thought it was super fun. Parrots could still give blessings, but only when they wanted to. He wasn't someone's toy anymore. He was her partner, her little treasure. "Let's go back and get ready for Christmas dinner!" Caroline grinned. "I'll cook tonight," Tyler said quickly, and that alone made her happy. Then, she suddenly remembered the last time Tyler had cooked and couldn't hold back a laugh. "What?" he asked. Caroline didn't answer. She just covered her mouth, giggling. Tyler caught on fast. His eyes flickered with a sharp glint of amusement. So, when Caroline and Nelson went up to knock on Tyler's door, they found him in a tiny yellow-duck apron. A huge pink bow was tied at the back, and his chest was bare—every line of muscle clear as day. It was insanely hot, and Tyler was working over two burners. Sweat ran down his body, highlighting every perfect contour like he'd been greased up. Even that silly yellow-duck apron was soaked, sticking right to him. She could just barely make out his pecs under it. He had a spatula in one hand, which somehow made the whole thing even funnier. Caroline burst out laughing, slapping her thigh and almost doubling over."Hahaha!" She suddenly remembered that outfit from the last time he cooked back in the elevator. Tyler, standing at the door, gave a small smile. Seeing Caroline laugh so hard she could barely sit up, his eyes softened. If she was happy, that was enough for him. This year had been full of danger, pain, and uncertainty. But now, at the year's end, Tyler had actually made Caroline laugh. And to him, that made everything worth it. While Caroline was still giggling so hard she could hardly breathe, a shadow moved beside her.