A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

"She's downright terrifying when she loses it." Calliope remembered some of the stories she'd heard.

The Yalton family had been desperate to find a man to marry their daughter and give them an heir. But every guy they'd picked didn't even make it to the wedding. The eldest Miss Yalton had a way of... getting rid of them.

She was clearly unstable, so much so she never even had to face jail time. The Yaltons would just pull a few strings and sweep the whole thing under the rug.

Now, Gavin wanted Archie to marry Ms. Yalton. It was clear he didn't care whether Archie lived or died.

What kind of father does that? Calliope thought bitterly. Maybe he even hoped Archie would die, so Chester could have the whole family fortune to himself. Calliope frowned, feeling a pang of sympathy, and cast a quick glance at Archie. "Hey, Archie, it's okay. You've still got us," Calliope said gently. She knew what it felt like to be treated like that by your own family. Archie must be hurting.

After chatting with him for a bit, they finally made it home.

As soon as they walked in, everyone started bustling around the kitchen, eager to fix a meal for Archie.

But Archie just shrugged. "You guys already made a bunch of food earlier, right? There's plenty of leftovers. I'm fine with that. Don't go out of your way for me."

He was so insistent that they just reheated the leftovers: roast turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole good old comfort food. They all sat down and ate together.

After dinner, they bundled up and headed outside to set off some fireworks.

Archie stood under the pale winter moon, watching bursts of color bloom overhead. He smiled softly. "Thank you, guys."

He'd thought he'd be stuck at home, alone and hungry this Christmas. He'd even thought he might actually be forced to marry Ms. Yalton. But then Calliope and her friends had shown up.

Even though he'd cut ties with Gavin, Archie felt lighter than he had in ages. He had their support. He had Callie, who always remembered him.

"Don't be scared," Calliope said, looping her arm around his shoulders. "There's a whole lot of road ahead. I'll be right here. Whatever you need, you just let me know. This house is huge. Stay as long as you want. And if you want your own place, I'll help you find one."

Archie grinned. "No need. I've got my own place. Did you really think I'd work all

those years for the Yoders and end up with nothing?"

He'd seen through his dad a long time ago. He'd always had a backup plan.

Gavin thought Archie was helpless, that he'd be lost without the Yoder name. But the truth was, Gavin only knew what Archie wanted him to see. He had his own house. He had money tucked away. Gavin had no clue what Archie was really capable of.

Calliope knew that, too.

"Well, if you're all set, I won't say much more. Just know, if you ever need help, we're here for you," she said 'You know what we

do. If

we said we'll help, we meashe

it."

Archie nodded. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Callie."

"Thanks, all of you."

"Oh, quit it with the thanks,” Portia teased. "We're not strangers. You've gone above and beyond for us plenty of times, haven't you?"

"Damn right," Archie said, finally laughing.

"Exactly," Mavis added. "Just say the word. We've always got your back. No need to be shy. We're family. That's what friends are for, right? Helping each other out."

"Don't be so formal," Quentin said, pouring Archie a glass of bourbon. "You're Callie's friend, so you're basically our little brother. We trust Callie's judgment."noveldrama

Archie smiled, warmth in his eyes, and for the first time in a long while, he truly felt at home.