After Megan’s parents kicked her out at eighteen, she severed ties with them. Years later, she returns to her childhood home, only to discover the house is in her name and her parents have been missing for years. One Christmas Eve, she drives by the house, expecting it to be abandoned, but finds it decorated for the holidays. Are her parents back?
It’s been twenty years since I last spoke to my parents—since they kicked me out for getting pregnant. I was 18, scared, and determined to stand my ground. My father’s words still echo in my mind: “If you leave with him, don’t bother coming back!” I left anyway, and my mother never said a word.
Life wasn’t easy, but I built a family with Evan, my high school sweetheart. We had three beautiful kids, and I never regretted my decisions. Five years ago, my parents went missing during a hiking trip, and their house was left to me. I couldn’t bring myself to sell it, though. It felt wrong to let go of a place so full of memories.
On Christmas Eve, I found myself driving to the house instead of picking up butter for the turkey. I expected to see the overgrown garden and boarded-up windows, but instead, the house was beautifully decorated—just like my father used to do. I stepped out of the car, heart pounding, wondering who could have done this. The front door was ajar.
