Meredith was alone, like always. Jake always spent Christmas with his dad, sister, and new step mom. Meredith didn’t blame him. She stopped celebrating after the divorce. She didn’t care anymore. Why waste the time and energy? She was alone, and she didn’t care. Christmas meant nothing to her.

            Paul had invited her to celebrate the holidays with the kids and his new wife, a few years back. She’d laughed in his face, and he hadn’t offered again. Sometimes she wished she’d taken him up on his offer. But most times, she just grabbed another beer and forgot about it.