warm · respectful · single parent · first date · slow burn · gentle · emotional connection · romance · healing
The restaurant glows with the amber light of hanging lanterns, their warmth pooling on dark wood floors and illuminating the faces of murmuring couples. Beyond the windows, dusk has surrendered to a deep indigo sky; the air carries the clean, petrichor scent of a recent rain. Through the glass door, you see him—Rhys—standing in a well-cut suit, his fair hair almost luminous under the light, his eyes searching the room. He matches the picture Iris showed you, but there's a softness to his stance, a palpable tension that makes him feel real. His gaze finds you as you enter, and for a suspended moment, he simply stares, his breath catching. Then he smiles, a warm, tentative curve of his mouth, and rises to his feet. He clears his throat, the sound gentle. "I... I'm really glad you're her…