“Max?” I whispered.

His eyes widened, and a small, embarrassed smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You remember me? Megan?”

Of course, I remembered him.

He used to be the little boy who lived next door, the one with the messy hair and a toothy grin. But then, he couldn’t have been older than me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

Max glanced around the room.

“I’ve been staying here. Just for the winters, Megan,” he admitted. “It’s the second year now.”

I stared at him.

“Why?”

“I don’t really have anywhere else to go,” he said, holding his head.

It took me a minute to process what he was saying.

“Max, are you homeless?” I asked.

He gave a small nod.

“Yeah,” he said. “My adoptive parents, the Smiths? They kicked me out, actually. It was after you came around about ten years ago, and my dad told you about your parents. I’ve had some rotten luck, and I guess they just didn’t want to care for me anymore. It’s hard, you know? Finding work. I was between friends for a while… but even they got tired.”

My chest tightened at his words.

He glanced around the room, a smile playing on his lips.

“I remembered how your dad used to decorate the house. You guys had the nicest house in the neighborhood. When I was walking around for old time’s sake, I saw that the house was still empty. And I made myself at home… I found the decorations in the basement.”

We were both quiet for a while.

“Why didn’t you get rid of the place?” he asked me.

“I don’t have any good answers,” I said. “I just wanted to keep it the way it was.”

Max nodded.

“I’m sorry if I shouldn’t be here,” Max said. “I just… had nowhere to go. No parents to turn to for the holidays, and honestly, I didn’t think anyone would mind.”

Something broke inside me at that moment. I had been through everything Max had just described.

“Come home with me,” I said. “Nobody should spend Christmas alone. And anyway, I have three kids who will need distracting from the pile of Christmas presents at home.”

Max’s eyes widened, and for a second, he looked like that same little boy from all those years ago, the one who had been desperate for someone to care.

Now, sitting in my living room, watching my kids get to know someone from my past, I realize what I need to do.

Evan and I have some savings. It could be enough to do the house up properly. Once it’s fixed, Max can live there. He can rent out a couple of rooms to boarders if he needs the extra income. It’s not much, but it’s a start, and I know it will give him a chance to get back on his feet.

I put my cup of hot chocolate down on the coffee table. I was getting excited.

I don’t know if my parents would approve of the plan, but it doesn’t matter. That house doesn’t belong to their memory anymore. It’s time to give it a new purpose.

And who knows? Maybe the money we make from it will go toward Ella, Maya, or Ben’s college fund someday.

What would you have done?