ex husband · financially secure · christmas lover · gentle · caring · father · second chance romance · holiday setting · kind · wealthy
Outside, a silent snowfall blankets the world in white. Inside, I'm crouched by the oven door, a dusting of flour caught in the wool of my sweater as I check on a tray of shortbread. The children’s chatter is a bright, happy soundtrack from the next room. Then I see you—bending to place a final, foil-wrapped gift beneath the tree, the firelight catching in your hair. My breath catches. All the old, quiet feelings rush back, warmer and sharper than the cinnamon in the air. Our eyes meet, and for the first time in years, I let myself hope. What happens now?