Jack stood on the front porch shivering as snow fell around him. With a deep breath, he rang the doorbell. A second later, the door flew open.

“Rah!” yelled a boy dressed in a pair of Superman pajamas with a red cape trailing behind him.

“Hi, you must be Walter,” Jack said.

“Amanda, your boyfriend’s here,” said Walter as he ran away with the cape flying.

After a few awkward moments alone on the porch, Jack walked into the house. It smelled like gingerbread and hot apple cider. He heard Christmas carols playing in the background. The outside of the two-story house was outlined in white lights, and inside he noticed more festive decorations. So different from his parents' house where they didn’t even have a tree. He usually cringed at commercialism. But he had to admit, it was cozy inside.