The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

wearing a pink satin robe and her hair was braided at the nape of her neck. Her makeup wasn’t on, but I thought she looked better without it.
    “Good morning,” she said with a cheerful smile. “Are you ready to go see what presents you got?”
    I was exhausted from lying awake all night and I rolled onto my side, situating my hands beneath the pillow. “I’m not in the mood for presents.”
    She placed a hand on my back and I jumped, thinking about the last time someone had put a hand on me while I was lying in the bed. “Callie, are you all right? You’ve seemed so sad the last few months.”
    “I’m fine,” I snapped. “I’m just sick of Christmas and pretending that I believe in things when I really don’t. There is no Santa, Mom. I haven’t believed in him since I was eight.”
    “Well, of course I know that,” she replied, lifting her hand from my back. “But it takes the magic and fun out of it if we don’t all play along.”
    “Magic and fun doesn’t exist,” I said, wiggling away from her. “And I’m tired of playing along… I’m going to go back to sleep. I’m tired.”
    She sat there for an eternity, breathing in and out, and then finally she rose to her feet, the mattress rising as her weight left it. “All right.”
    That’s all she said. Then she left and the room and the haunting memories took over again. Even now, I wonder why she never said anything. She had to be able to tell that something was wrong. One of these days, I’ll find the courage to ask her. I have to. Otherwise I’ll never know and the answer will always haunt me.
    “Callie.” Kayden’s voice echoes through my thoughts. I lift my eyes, realizing I’ve dozed off. I elevate my head and glance around at the darkness outside and the ocean in the distance.
    “Did I fall asleep?” I blink my eyes and then let go of his shoulders to rub the dreariness away.
    He nods, sweeping a lock of my hair out of my face. “You did, but that’s okay.”
    My cheeks and eyes feel swollen from the sting of tears. “I’m sorry.”
    His fingers linger on my cheekbone and he’s looking into my eyes, terrified. “I said it was okay, Callie. And I promise it is… I liked holding you… It made me feel calm.”
    I suck back the tears that still want to come out. “Okay.”
    He nods and there’s a silent agreement that we’re both okay for the moment and that being together is okay. I start to climb off his lap, but he grabs my waist and shifts me aside so I slide onto the seat. I put my feet on the floor, confused as he reaches for his pocket. He takes out his wallet and pulls out a twenty, and then he leans over the seat and hands it to the driver.
    He starts to move back into the seat but then drifts to the side and grabs the door handle. Flicking it up, he pulls the door open and then hops out. He stretches his arms above his head and then offers his hand to me. I take it, feeling the warmth of his skin as he helps me out and doesn’t let me go as he closes the door. We both stand in the driveway beside Luke’s truck as the cab backs down the gravel path and out onto the street. Once he speeds off, Kayden looks at me.
    “Do you want to go for a walk?” he asks, nodding his head at the shore.
    I nod through a sniffle. “A walk sounds nice.”
    He gives me a tiny smile and laces our fingers together. We walk hand in hand past the house and step out onto the shore. Sand fills up my sandals and is cool against my skin. It’s hard to walk, because they keep getting stuck, so I stop, giving a gentle tug on his arm.
    “What’s wrong?” he wonders, refusing to let go of my hand.
    I wiggle my feet out of my sandals and bend over to scoop them up, hitching them on my finger before standing back up. He nods, understanding, and then we continue walking deeper into the darkness. I can hear the waves rolling like a lullaby and the sound of music drifts from one of the houses. The sand seeps through the cracks between my toes as I listen to every sound and feel the coolness of the air.
    “Are you cold?” Kayden asks as we slow down just out of reach of the water.
    I glance at my arms, feeling myself shiver, and in the moonlight, I see the goose bumps on my arms. “A little.”
    He sighs and then glances back at the house up at the top of the sandy slope. “Let me run back and get you a jacket.”
    I quickly shake my head and strengthen my hold on his hand. “No, please stay here. We need to… we need to