My family’s feud with the neighbors had lasted for decades, filled with constant arguments and petty battles. I thought I’d left it all behind, but coming home for Christmas brought the chaos back. Then I saw him again—the man I wasn’t supposed to care about—and everything became even more complicated.

I couldn’t remember how it started or what caused the very first fight, but the Rogers family had been the main enemy of my family ever since we moved into this house 20 years ago.

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It felt like every day brought a new reason for conflict—whether it was the placement of the fence, an offhand comment, or even the weather.

At first, it was just my dad and Mr. Rogers bickering, their raised voices carrying across the yard.

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My mom, ever the optimist, tried baking pies for Mrs. Rogers or complimenting her garden.

But the day Mrs. Rogers accidentally trampled my mom’s beloved roses, all attempts at peace were over.

For me, though, it was different. I had Mike. He was my age, and despite the feud, we became secret friends. We knew the truth would only cause trouble.

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Everything changed one day when we were both 14. I came home and froze as I saw my parents, red-faced and shouting in the living room.

“How could you be friends with that boy?!” my dad yelled, slamming his hand on the table.

“After everything that family has done to us?!” my mom added, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

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“What? I don’t understand…” I said, my voice shaking.

“Don’t play innocent with us!” my dad snapped. “We caught that boy climbing the tree to your window. He said he wanted to surprise you for your birthday!”

I stared at them, stunned. “I didn’t—” The words caught in my throat.

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“You will not see him again,” my mom said firmly, pointing toward my room.

“But why?!” I shouted, my chest tightening. “Why can’t I be friends with Mike just because you can’t stand the Rogers?!”

“That family has caused us enough trouble!” my dad bellowed.

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“Mike hasn’t done anything wrong!” I shot back. “And don’t act like you’re saints. You’ve done awful things to them too!”

“Go to your room!” my dad roared. “You’re grounded! No more Mike—ever!”

Furious, I ran to my room and slammed the door so hard the walls seemed to shake. Every few minutes, I glanced out the window, hoping to see Mike.

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When his light finally came on, I felt a flicker of hope, but then he pulled his curtains shut without even looking my way. My chest ached as I cried until I couldn’t anymore.

At school the next day, I tried to talk to him, but he turned away like I wasn’t even there.

Soon, his friends started spreading cruel rumors. I knew Mike could stop it if he wanted, but he didn’t say a word.

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The lies grew worse, and I couldn’t take it anymore. When my parents saw how much it hurt me, they decided I needed to switch schools.

Many years have passed since then. I was almost 30 now, far from that 14-year-old girl, but some wounds lingered.

The sting of those childhood memories wasn’t as sharp, but they hadn’t completely faded either.

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Sometimes I wondered why I still cared at all, especially since no one else seemed to have changed.

When I came home for Christmas, the first sight that greeted me was my dad and Mr. Rogers standing outside, yelling at each other.

“Your decorations aren’t even a meter tall!” Mr. Rogers yelled, pointing at our yard.

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“Well, your lights couldn’t even light up a closet!” my dad shot back, crossing his arms.

“Hi, Dad,” I said, dragging my suitcase past them, but he didn’t even glance my way.

“Of course, Mr. Rogers is more important than your daughter, who you haven’t seen in six months,” I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes.

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Inside, I found my mom peering out the kitchen window.

“Hi, Mom,” I said, setting my bag down.

“Oh, Alice, come look!” she said, waving me over with urgency. “I think that woman stole my pie recipe!”

I stepped up to the window, confused. “What are you talking about?”

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“Look at her! She’s using the same spices as me!” Mom declared, pointing at Mrs. Rogers.

“How can you even see that from here?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I know it!” she insisted, shaking her head.

“This is ridiculous,” I said, turning to leave for my old room.

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Everything in my room was exactly as I had left it. The posters still hung on the walls, and my old books sat neatly on the shelves.

I wandered to the window, glancing outside. Across the yard, a light shone in Mike’s room, catching my attention.

My heart skipped as he appeared in the window. I hadn’t seen him in many years.

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Mom said he went abroad to study and then stayed there. He looked so different—no longer the boy I once knew, but a man, confident and undeniably handsome.

I raised my hand, giving him a small wave. For a second, I thought he might wave back.

Instead, he pulled his curtains closed, shutting me out completely. My chest tightened, anger bubbling up.

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How could he? We had been friends once, yet he ignored me now like I didn’t exist.

That evening, after my parents finally stopped bickering with the Rogers, we ate dinner in tense silence.

The next morning, Mom handed me a shopping list. “We need this for Christmas dinner,” she said.

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After I finished shopping and walked to the parking lot, I stopped short. There he was—Mike.

“Hey,” I said, stepping toward him. Mike glanced at me but kept walking, ignoring me completely.

“Seriously?” I snapped. “I should be the one ignoring you after everything you did to me!”

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Mike froze, then turned to face me, his eyes blazing. “After everything I did?” he shouted.

“Oh, so you can talk?” I yelled back. “Yes, after what you did! You ignored me, let your friends spread lies about me, and then you just disappeared abroad without a word!”

“Are you kidding me? Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Mike said, his voice rising. “You lied to your parents and told them I was stealing from you! I got grounded for a month because of that! And I liked you, Alice—I was in love with you!”

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“What are you even talking about?” I shouted, throwing up my hands. “I defended you! I got grounded for standing up for you! Where did you get that crazy idea?”

“My dad told me,” Mike said, his tone harsh but uncertain now.

“Your dad, the same guy who hates my family?” I asked, shaking my head. “And you believed him?”

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Mike looked down, his shoulders tense. “I felt betrayed,” he admitted. “And he said he wouldn’t pay for college if I kept seeing you.”

“They threatened me too,” I said, my voice softer now, “but I still tried. You acted like I didn’t exist. And now, almost 30 years old, you’re still holding onto this?”

Mike sighed, his voice low. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have believed him. I was a jerk.”

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“Better late than never,” I said with a faint smile. “Want to grab a bite to eat?”

“I’d love to,” Mike replied, his face relaxing into a small smile.

As we walked toward a nearby café, I teased, “So, you were in love with me?”

“Shut up,” he said, grinning.

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The days before Christmas passed quickly as Mike and I spent every moment we could together.

It felt like being kids again, sneaking around to avoid our parents, sharing stories, and laughing at memories we thought we had forgotten. We talked about everything, making up for lost time.

One evening, just before Christmas, Mike grinned at me. “Let’s climb the tree, like old times,” he said. I couldn’t resist.

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“Hope there’s mistletoe up there,” Mike said, grinning as he climbed the tree.

I laughed, glancing up at him. “Still in love with me?” I teased, keeping my voice light.

Mike stopped climbing for a moment and looked down at me. “All over again,” he said, his voice serious. I felt my cheeks flush and looked away, trying to focus on the next branch.

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We climbed higher, but suddenly, I heard a crack. “Mike, wait—” I started, but it was too late.

The branch beneath his foot snapped, and he fell straight onto me. We hit the ground with a thud, tangled together in a heap.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice breathless.

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I nodded, then burst out laughing. “You’ve gained weight,” I said, looking at him with mock judgment.

“I’m light as a feather,” he shot back, holding my gaze.

We both stopped laughing, the air between us changing. His face was so close I could see every detail.

Slowly, he leaned in and kissed me. I smiled against his lips, my heart pounding.

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“What on earth is going on?!” my dad’s voice roared from behind us.

“This is outrageous!” Mrs. Rogers shrieked.

We scrambled to our feet, turning to see our parents glaring at each other.

“How dare you touch my daughter?!” my mom shouted, stepping forward.

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The yelling grew louder, insults flying back and forth. Mike and I exchanged a look of pure frustration.

“Enough!” Mike yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos. “I’m sick of your fights! You’re adults, but you act like children! Alice and I aren’t teenagers anymore, and I won’t let you interfere in our lives!”

Grabbing my hand, he pulled me toward his car.

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“Where are you going?!” Mrs. Rogers shouted.

“If you can’t behave, we’ll spend Christmas Eve at a hotel!” Mike called. “Anywhere is better than here!”

We checked into the only hotel in town. It was small, with an artificial fireplace in the room. We sat by it, letting the silence settle around us.

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“I didn’t expect that speech from you,” I said, glancing at Mike.

He looked at the flames. “I’ve had enough of their fights. It was one of the reasons I moved abroad. I thought I could escape it all. But leaving meant losing you, and I won’t let that happen again.”

His words made me smile. I leaned in and kissed him softly, but a knock at the door interrupted us.

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Mike stood up to open it, and to our shock, all four parents were there.

“We’re sorry,” my dad said, looking awkward.

“We shouldn’t have reacted that way,” Mr. Rogers added.

“You’re adults, and we can’t tell you what to do,” Mrs. Rogers admitted.

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“Now get your butts back home for Christmas Eve dinner,” my mom said firmly.

“You won’t fight?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“We’ll manage for one evening,” my mom promised.

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“If we’re dating, it’ll be more than one evening,” Mike said, squeezing my hand.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” my dad muttered.

We laughed, left the hotel, and returned home. Dinner still had its moments of tension, but it felt like progress.

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