KILL YOUR DARLINGS ✸ Saltburn

ALTERNATE ENDING: if he had been with me

TEN YEARS LATER
If Felix had never died

THE HOUSE WAS QUIET. 

With the exception of the soft crackling of the fire in the living room. The lights on the Christmas tree flickered with a warm, golden hue, and the smell of gingerbread cookies and pine needles lingered in the air. Meredith stood by the kitchen window, her hands wrapped around a mug of hot cocoa, watching the snow fall in thick, heavy flakes. It was a picture-perfect Christmas Eve, but her mind wasn't on the snow or the decorations. It was on the little feet racing around the house, the sound of laughter filling the air.

She turned as she heard the pitter-patter of footsteps approaching, the familiar sound of her daughter, Ellie, named after Felix's mother Elspeth, and her son, Jack, fighting over whose turn it was to look out the window.

"Mom!" Ellie's voice rang out, full of excitement. "Jack won't let me look at the snow!"

Meredith chuckled softly, setting her mug down and walking over to where they were. "Okay, okay. Els, you take the next turn. Jack, go get your shoes on. We're going outside in a few minutes."

Jack, a wild-haired five-year-old with his father's charming smile, pouted but listened. "Fine," he muttered, but his little feet were already running to grab his boots.

Meredith turned to look at her daughter. Ellie, now seven, was a quieter version of herself—still full of curiosity and wonder, but with a quiet determination in her eyes that reminded Meredith so much of Felix. "You excited for Santa, babe?" she asked, smiling as she crouched down to her daughter's level.

Ellie nodded eagerly. "I told him I wanted a pony this year. I don't think he'll bring one, though," she added with a frown.

Meredith's big brown gaze softened. "You never know. Santa's magic is strong," she teased, brushing a curl from Lily's forehead. "You just have to be good all year, right?"

Ellie gave a small nod, her gaze drifting to the tree. "We put out cookies for him, right?"

Meredith smiled, newly manicured hand gently squeezing the light hazelnut-shaded skin of her daughter's arm. "Of course. And carrots for the reindeer."

Before Ellie could reply, the front door opened, and in walked Felix, his cheeks flushed from the cold air outside, carrying two large bags of groceries in his arms. Jack followed him in, his boots clomping loudly on the hardwood floor, and immediately ran over to Meredith, a wicked grin on his face.

"Mom! Guess what? Daddy said we could have a snowball fight by the firepit outside!" Jack announced, excitement lighting up his eyes.

Felix set the bags down on the counter, walking over to join them. 

"Did he?" Meredith raised a brow at her husband, trying to fight a smile despite explicitly telling Felix that no snowball fights were to be had. "Lex? Snowball fight? Or dinner?"

Felix looks at her for a moment, tugging the wool hat off of his head before walking across the kitchen and soon wrapping his arms around Meredith, trying to give that boyish grin he somehow still holds, even a decade later.