We reached the edge of the display, and the sight made my own grin widen. A miniature snowy village had been set up. Intricate little buildings dusted with sparkling fake snow, tiny lampposts glowing with warm light, and a train that circled the entire scene, weaving over bridges and through tunnels. Little figurines waved from the miniature streets, skaters twirled on mirrors of frozen ponds, and smoke puffed from tiny chimneys.
Sadie gasped, clapping her hands. Emma pressed her nose to the glass, her eyes following the train as it curved around a tiny mountain. And Will… Will actually didn’t look like he missed his games, eyes flicking from the tracks to the village. His mouth was slightly open, and for the first time since I picked them up from school, I saw a smile. I caught his subtle nod, the small spark of interest, and felt a little thrill.
“Cool,” he murmured, and it might as well have been a presidential medal for the way my chest puffed with pride.
Some kids were harder to reach than others, but I knew it was all about finding the right thing to reach out with. It was a small win for the day, and this close on the heels of the Winston victory made me feel like maybe I wouldn’t be too bad at this after all.
I was still watching the train loop when Sadie suddenly tugged at my sleeve. “Look! It’s Uncle Ethan!”
I followed her pointing finger and saw them through the glass of Neiman Marcus, moving around the seasonal display theywere coordinating. Ethan was adjusting a garland, Miles was untangling a string of lights, and Adrian was perched on a ladder, juggling ornaments like a clown.
He’d mentioned something about working on-site today, but I had no idea this was where they’d be. It felt strange seeing him at work like this. All of them in their element. Over the past few days I’d only caught glimpses of it through sketches, pieces of conversation.
“I want to go say hi!” Sadie said, already heading toward the store.
Emma groaned and folded her arms. “They’re working, Sadie. Can we rather just go get ice-cream?”
“I changed my mind,” Will said, turning from the train display. “I wanna go home.”
I bit the inside of my lip. As fast as hope was given, it was ripped away. I should’ve known it was too good to be true.
“Ten more minutes,” I said gently. “We’ll go say hi, stop for a quick ice-cream, then head on home. Deal?”
Emma’s lips pressed into a hard line. “We can say hi to him at home. I want ice-cream.”
They all started arguing at the same time, and I held up a hand to quiet them down. “Okay, let’s put it to a vote. Everyone who wants to go say hi, raise your hand.”
Will’s hand shot up before I even finished the sentence. Emma’s jaw dropped. “What?! You just said—”
“You don’t know grown-ups,” he said with a shrug. “They always pick what the baby wants. The faster we go say hi, the sooner we get to go home.”
Couldn’t fault the guy on his logic. I waited for Emma to come around, but her sister made up everyone’s minds. Saide bolted toward the store entrance without turning back.
I sighed, shrugging at Emma. “Looks like you’re outvoted.”
Emma huffed but didn’t argue further. I followed, keeping a firm hand on Will’s shoulder while Sadie barreled ahead.
The store had been closed to customers while the men set up holiday décor. Only the manager and a handful of assistants were wandering around, adjusting displays and checking lists.
I hesitated at the threshold, holding Will and Emma back. Sadie, predictably, ignored me entirely and ran straight for Ethan. She practically jumped into his arms.
I started to apologize, cheeks heating. “I’m so sorry— She just—”
Ethan grinned and waved me off. “It’s fine, Maren. Come on, you guys can stay for a bit.”
Sadie squealed in delight, hugging him tight. Will peeked around my legs, curious despite himself. Emma crossed her arms again but lingered nearby, watching the magic unfold with mild interest.
I exhaled, letting myself relax a little. It wasn’t the calm, quiet afternoon I had imagined but then, when was anything about these kids ever quiet?
Sadie refused to let go of Ethan long enough for me to take a proper breath, but at least that gave me a moment to survey the hive of activity. Miles moved through the space with a confidence that had me staring, chatting with the store manager and assistants, convincing them that a minor tweak here, a shift there, would totally elevate the display. His hands gestured wildly, but his charm kept everyone nodding along like they’d all agreed before he’d even opened his mouth.
“What do you think?” Ethan’s gaze swept over the half-decorated store. Somewhere between us arriving and me getting lost in Miles, he’d sidled up next to me.
I snapped to attention, doing a quick check to account for the kids. All accounted for, I said, “It looks great. First time I’m seeing you guys out in the wild.”
“If you’re impressed now, wait until the gloves come off.” He flashed a wink that kind of let on we weren’t just talking about work.
Or maybe I was imagining it. The same way I’d imagined the moment we had in the linen closet. He moved closer and the edge of his sleeve grazed my arm. A quiet contact that felt deliberate, even though he kept looking ahead as if it wasn’t happening. I fought the slow heat creeping up the back of my neck.
