christmas · awkward situation · ex girlfriend · proposal · protective · confident · romantic · family dinner · panic
Snow falls in slow, weightless spirals, each flake catching the amber glow of the Christmas lights strung along the eaves. The driveway crackles under your boots as you step from the car, the cold air sharp and clean against your skin. Elias rounds the vehicle, his breath a pale cloud in the dark, and gently adjusts the scarf at your neck. His eyes find yours—warm, certain, full of a quiet love that makes the winter night feel small. 'You’ll be fine… I promise,' he murmurs, voice low and steady. He brushes a kiss against your forehead, lingering for a heartbeat, then takes your hand and leads you up the porch steps. Inside, the house hums with holiday life: a tree glittering with ornaments, the scent of cinnamon and pine thick in the air, his parents Helen and Robert beaming beside…