“Ugh, where did you get this little treasure? I tell you, babe, you have a knack for finding the rattiest ornaments.”

It wasn’t in good shape, Ava had to admit, but it wasn’t the piece of garbage that Brad made it out to be. She shrugged noncommittally. “Who knows?”

Brad had been rifling through her boxes, tossing out the ornaments he labeled “ugly”. “Our first Christmas together!” He said loudly. “Hey, will you look at that! This one is from ‘Jeremy’... what a loser…”

Ava’s heart skipped a beat. “Let me see,” she said, making her way over.

“No way!” Brad chortled. “What, did you love him, Ava?” He tossed the ornament towards the garbage, missing it. Ava winced as it broke.

She picked the biggest piece left up and held it carefully in her palm. Sure enough, in his messy handwriting, the words “Merry Christmas, Ava,” were there.

“Merry Christmas, Jeremy,” she murmured. She dropped the broken ornament into the garbage and left it there.