I do not own Cheaper by the dozen.

Prologue

The last warm rays of sunlight disappeared at the horizon, when Jake made his way home.

He froze. He stopped undecided and watched the white house in front of him.

A lump formed in his throat when he thought for how long he was gone.

If he was honest, he didn´t know. It could have been weeks or month, even years.

Sure that it was Christmas, seeing the red, green and white decoration on each house.

He looked to the ground.

He was a coward, because he came back. He didn´t made what he wanted to reach.

But if he would leave now, he would be much cowardly.

Slowly his look raised up to the house.

His father made sure that the decoration looked wonderful. Charlie had cut the grass and his mother had hang up the self-made angels Jake and his siblings made when they were younger.

"I have been a coward since I ran away", Jake sighed when he made up his way towards the house.