Nelson was the first to move. He ran right past Tyler—the cause of the laughter—and went straight for the cupcakes on the table. Denton came up next, stopping just far enough away, shouting, "Caroline, today's getup was Tyler's idea! I ... I didn't make him do it! He just ... wanted to make you laugh ... Ah!" His words were intermittent because Denton kept his distance. He didn't dare stand to get too close to Tyler, who was chasing him around with a spatula. Two steps in, Denton got caught. Caroline just watched Nelson eating cake, Denton getting smacked, Tyler waving the spatula, and the pets huddled together whispering like they shared a secret. Somehow, it felt perfect for Christmas. They pulled off a lively Christmas dinner. Caroline brought a big pile of fresh vegetables. Tyler cooked up a full meal from whatever he could find. And, of course, there was Caroline's favorite—roasted chicken. No one cared about the plotting in the shelter downstairs. They let go of all the danger and fights from the past few months. For one night, they were just a family at a loud, happy table. The grand finale had to be ravioli. Tyler's filling was perfect—savory, balanced, and the pasta had just the right bite. The moment Caroline bit into her first ravioli, she felt someone staring. Looking up, she saw Tyler watching her. She raised an eyebrow, as if asking what he was looking at. "Merry Christmas," Tyler said. Caroline swallowed fast and replied, "Merry Christmas." "Oh, it's already past midnight! Christmas is here!"Denton leaped up, shouting. Even after the apocalypse, everyone still wore watches. Caroline glanced at hers—yep, past twelve. Tyler had been cooking nonstop for four hours. By the time they finally sat down to eat, it was almost eleven. Caroline was about to say a few blessings when Denton rushed over and shouted excitedly, "Tyler! Caroline! Nelson! Merry Christmas!" Caroline let out a real, carefree laugh. Her parents had passed away when she was young, and she hadn't seen that tradition in forever. She only remembered saying "Merry Christmas" to her family when she was a kid. And the next part came. "Tyler! Caroline! Nelson! I want gifts!" Denton reached out, grinning. Caroline had expected it. She thought for a second, then pulled two mushrooms from storage—the ones she'd grown on the mountain. Jasper had said they could restore abilities. She'd tried them, and they worked, but there weren't many, so they were precious. She explained what they did, and Denton's eyes lit up. Meanwhile, Tyler grabbed a pistol from storage and handed it to Denton. The pistol looked old, the grip worn, but it was obvious Tyler cared about it. He'd kept it in perfect condition. "This was my first pistol," Tyler said. Denton's eyes went wide. "Tyler, you said if I acted like a grown-up, you'd give me this. So now, in your eyes, I'm a man who can handle himself, right?" Tyler just nodded slightly. After the apocalypse, Denton had grown up fast.He wasn't just the intel guy or the one running small errands anymore. He could fight with them and take down enemies. He was practically bouncing with excitement. Then, he turned to Nelson. Nelson frowned. For someone who usually kept a straight face, that frown meant he was seriously torn. And yeah, others could see his hesitation. Then, he pushed his cupcake forward and pulled out four cat sticks from his pocket. "I'm giving you my favorite cupcake and four cat treats. And you can take care of Tartrate for four days." For Nelson, that was about as heartfelt as a Christmas gift could get. That goof Denton practically bounced, then threw his arms around Nelson. "Nelson, you're awesome! I've wanted to take care of Tartrate forever! I'll make sure he eats the best meals every day!"