"Did you sleep okay?" Zoe asked. Meredith was walking downstairs at almost noon the next day.
"Wonderfully. Thank you." Meredith said. Zoe smiled.
"Oh it's nothing. Coffee?" Zoe asked. Meredith nodded and Zoe turned the coffee machine on.
"How do you like it?" Zoe asked.
"Black." Meredith said. Zoe grabbed a mug out of the cupboard and poured coffee into it. She handed it to Meredith who smiled.
"Thank you." Meredith said. Connor and Evan walked in and Connor smiled.
"Good morning sleeping beauty." He said. Meredith smiled as Connor kissed her on the forehead.
"Where are your parents?" Evan asked. Zoe took a sip of her coffee.
"Out shopping. And your mother went with them." Zoe said. Evan nodded.
"Shopping for what?" Evan asked.
"I didn't ask. They just asked for the fastest way to the mall." Zoe said. Evan nodded slowly.
"I saw your lights yesterday Zoe, they're very pretty." Meredith said. Zoe smiled.
"Thank you." Zoe said. Evan looked at his watch.
"Okay, I've got one last shoot booked at 3." Evan said.
"Okay. What time do you have to leave?" Zoe asked, fiddling with her sweater sleeve.
"Around 2. I have to get my gear to the location and I have to set up before the family gets there." Evan said.
"What do you do Evan?" Meredith asked.
"I'm a professional photographer." Evan said. Meredith nodded.
"Sounds busy." She said.
"It can be. Especially around holidays like Christmas." Evan said.
"Wait baby I thought your camera wasn't working." Zoe said.
"I've got nothing else to use." Evan said. Zoe sighed.
"But if the camera doesn't work-"
"Baby, it's the only one I have. If I don't use it, I don't get paid." Evan said. Zoe sighed and took a sip of her coffee.
"I know baby." She said sadly.
"Don't be sad Zo. I can get one super cheap during Boxing Day sales." Evan said.
"But the Christmas pictures are important." Zoe said.
"The pictures turn out fine. And I can always edit them." Evan said.
"Okay." Zoe said.
"Zo, do you mind pouring me another cup of coffee?" Connor asked.
"Yeah for sure. Where's your mug?" Zoe asked. Connor handed her the mug and Zoe quickly filled it with coffee.
"How do you take it?" She asked.
"Milk please." Connor said. Zoe put milk in Connor's coffee and handed it back.
"Thanks Zo." Connor said.
"Evan honey, do you want anymore coffee?" Zoe called.
"Yeah that'd be great babe!" Evan yelled from the next room. Zoe poured more coffee into his mug and put cream and sugar in before stirring it.
"It's on the counter when you're ready!" Zoe called.
"Thank you babe!" Evan yelled. Zoe smiled and finished her coffee.
"Oh my god Meredith I'm so sorry! Would you like anything to eat?" Zoe asked. Meredith smiled.
"That'd be great." She said.
"What would you like? We have bread, and cereal." Zoe said.
"Toast would be good if that's okay." Meredith said. Zoe nodded.
"One or two?" She asked.
"One is fine." Meredith said. Zoe put one piece of bread in the toaster and poured herself another cup of coffee.
+++
"Hey I'm home!" Evan said. He put his camera away and walked into the living room.
"Where's Zoe?" He asked.
"She's outside. She won't come in." Meredith said.
"What? How did I not see her?" Evan asked.
"I don't know but she's been outside staring at the lights for almost 15 minutes." Connor said.
Evan sighed and walked outside. He saw Zoe standing in the middle of their lawn in her boots without a jacket. He walked over to her and stood beside her.
"What are you doing baby? It's freezing out." Evan said.
"Meredith was right." Zoe said.
"What?" Evan asked.
"Meredith said our lights were pretty." She was right." Zoe said smiling.
"Of course our lights are pretty. Now come inside baby. It's cold out."
"I like the lights." Zoe said, not hearing him.
"Zoe Murphy. Come inside. It's freezing and you'll get sick." Evan said. Zoe smiled and looked at the house.
"But Evan! Look at the lights!" Zoe said.
"I know baby. They're very pretty. But you don't need to be sick. Let's get you inside." Evan said. Zoe tore her eyes away from the house and looked at Evan.
"Evan. You need to actually look at them." Zoe said. Evan sighed and stood beside her, staring at the Christmas lights.
"They're beautiful Zoe. Can we go inside now?" Evan asked. He was starting to get very cold.
"Just a few more minutes?" Zoe asked.
"According to Connor, you've been out here for 15 minutes." Evan said.
"But they're so pretty!" Zoe said. Evan laughed.
"We have lights inside." Evan said.
"But they arent covered in snow. It's not the same." Zoe said. Evan sighed. Zoe could be extremely stubborn at times.
"What do I have to do to get you inside?" Evan asked.
"I just want to stay out a little while longer." Zoe said.
"I'll let you stay out for five more minutes. But in 5 minutes, if you're not inside, I'm coming back out." Evan said.
"Okay." Zoe said. Evan walked back towards the house and Zoe smiled.
5 minutes later Evan was standing on their front porch.
"Okay Zoe. It's been 5 minutes. Just like you asked for. Come inside." Evan said. Zoe smiled and gave the house one last longing look before running inside the warm house with Evan shutting the door behind her.
