Hansel had gotten to the point where he only needed a cane to get around. His leg wouldn't have been that bad if he hadn't had other injuries in the past. But the physical therapy with Aaron was going very well. He'd heard about the gifts under the tree from someone, though he couldn't quite remember who. He made sure to check on Mina and Robin, happy to see them both sleeping soundly before he left to go to the tree.
It took him a minute to walk around the tree and finally find a present with his name on it. The holiday was already making him sad. It was the first Christmas he'd ever spent without Gretel and he hated it. He took a deep breath before opening his present. What he saw caused his knees to buckle. Photography hadn't even been invented yet, but there, in his hands, was a picture of the whole family. It was the last Christmas they'd spent together. He and Gretel were nine, almost ten. He ran his fingers over the smiling face of his mother as tears rolled down his cheeks.