177 I only wanted to save the boy and disappear.

The November wind still blew across Manhattan, but this time, I didn't care.

I stood on the balcony of the Blackwood estate, wearing a thick, soft cashmere coat that was exactly my size. It was a beautiful, deep green, and it smelled like clean pine and home.

Below, the Hudson River rushed by, its waters glittering under the bright, clear winter sun.

"Lily! Come inside! The chocolate is hot!"

I turned around. The massive French doors of the balcony were open, revealing the warm, glowing interior of the living room.

A massive Christmas tree, nearly fifteen feet tall, stood in the corner, covered in glittering gold ornaments and thousands of tiny, warm white lights. Underneath the tree were dozens of wrapped presents, but the best gift was already sitting on the sofa.

Ethan was sitting there, his legs wrapped in a blanket, holding two mugs of hot cocoa topped with mountains of whipped cream. He didn't have his crutches near him today—he had walked three steps on his own this morning during his physical therapy, and the doctors said that by spring, he wouldn't need them at all.

Beside him sat Maxwell, wearing a comfortable wool sweater, reading a book. He looked up as I entered, his eyes crinkling with a warm, proud smile.

"Did you check the weather, Lily?" Maxwell asked.

"It's going to snow tonight," I said, slipping off my boots and jumping onto the soft, velvet sofa next to Ethan. "The clouds are low and gray. That means big flakes."

"Good," Ethan grinned, handing me my mug. "We can build a snow fort. And this time, we don't need an escape tunnel. Right, Dad?"

"No escape tunnels needed," Maxwell smiled, reaching over and gently ruffling Ethan’s hair, then mine. "The walls of this house are strong enough to keep the whole world out. You two are safe."

I took a sip of the hot cocoa, the sweet, rich chocolate warming my chest. I looked around the room—at the bright lights, the warm fire crackling in the hearth, and the two people who had turned my dark, freezing world into a place of endless light.

Six weeks ago, I was a ghost sleeping under a bridge, waiting for the winter to take me.

But I had followed a cry in the dark. I had saved a boy, and in doing so, he and his father had saved me.

"I love you, Dad," Ethan whispered, leaning his head against Maxwell’s shoulder.

Maxwell looked down at him, then reached his arm out, inviting me into the hug. I didn't hesitate. I slid over, burying my face against his warm sweater, feeling the steady, calm heartbeat of the father I had always dreamed of.

"I love you both," Maxwell whispered, kissing the tops of our heads. "More than all the stars in the sky."

Outside, the first white flakes of snow began to fall, drifting gently past the massive glass windows, disappearing into the dark river below. But inside, the fire was bright, the chocolate was sweet, and for the first time in my life, I wasn't afraid of the cold.