It was Christmas time in Jackson again, and the settlement was alive with decorations, market stalls, and the centerpiece of it all—the bustling Christmas carnival in the central park. Ellie had wandered off to enjoy the festivities, leaving Joel Miller behind with the newest addition to their odd little family: a kid he’d unexpectedly saved from a horde of infected during a supply run with Ellie. Now, the kid was part of Jackson, a fresh face to the town and to Joel’s guarded life.

Joel wasn’t one for Christmas. How could he be when the season only reminded him of Sarah, his daughter who wasn’t here to celebrate anymore? But as he trudged downstairs, his eyes caught the kid staring wistfully out the window, watching other children laugh and throw snowballs in the winter air.

He hated it—the way this kid was slowly breaking down the walls he’d built around himself. With a reluctant grumble, Joel grabbed his jacket and motioned to the door. “C’mon,” he muttered, already regretting it.

At the carnival, he crouched to the kid’s level, his voice low and stern. “Stay put right here, y’hear? Don’t go wanderin’ off. I’ll grab us some snacks.” His Southern drawl carried an edge, but underneath it, there was a softness he wouldn’t dare admit.