“I think,” he says slowly, his hand rubbing steady circles on my back, “that you’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. If anyone can figure out how to fix this, it’s you. But you have to actually engage with it instead of pretending it doesn’t exist.”
I stiffen slightly, but he keeps going, his voice calm and even.
“You told me the last real blowup with your sisters was back when you were in college, and since then they’ve mostly done what they wanted because fighting felt pointless.” He tilts my chin up so I’m looking at him. “But you’re not that person anymore. You’re stronger than you were then. More sure of who you are and what you believe in. I think you could make a real difference if you tried. And I think you won’t be happy until you at least give it a real shot.”
I’m quiet, turning his words over in my mind. It’s not what I want to hear. I want him to tell me that I did the right thing by leaving, that my sisters are the villains and I’m blameless, that I can keep hiding out here in my cozy little life and everything will be fine.
But that’s not who Theo is. He doesn’t tell me what I want to hear. He tells me what I need to hear. And somehow, the way he says it, calm and grounded and without any judgment, makes me actually listen instead of getting defensive.
“So I think you should go to the board meeting,” he continues, stroking my hair. “Give them hell. One real, genuine attempt to make them see what they’re doing wrong. Fight for what you believe in, with everything you’ve got.” He pauses. “And if it doesn’t work, then you can step aside knowing you tried. But at least you won’t be wondering. You won’t be carrying this guilt. You’ll have given it everything.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Care out loud instead of from a distance.”
Care out loud instead of from a distance.His words land somewhere deep inside me as he pulls me close and holds me there, solid and steady.
“Whatever you decide, I’ve got you,” he says quietly. “You know that, right?”
“I know.” I wrap my arms around his waist and hold on. “Thank you. For listening. For not telling me I’m being dramatic.”
“You’re not being dramatic. You’re dealing with something hard.”
We stand there for a while, just holding each other in the middle of his kitchen. Eventually the timer goes off on whatever he’s cooking and he has to step away, but he keeps one hand on me, like he doesn’t want to break the connection.
“Victoria has Chloe this weekend,” he says, checking the oven. “They’re going to some Christmas thing in Seattle. So I’m free.”
“Yeah?”
He closes the oven door and turns to face me, leaning against the counter.
“I’ve been thinking. There’s this winery up in Walla Walla, Northwind Cellars. I worked there one summer, back before I opened the restaurant. They have these rental cabins on the property with views of the vineyards. This time of year everything’s covered in snow, and they have fireplaces in each cabin, bottles of wine waiting when you arrive.” He shrugs, almost shy. “I thought maybe we could go. What do you think? Get away for a couple days. Clear your head.”
“That sounds amazing,” I say. Snow-covered vineyards. Fireplaces. Just the two of us, away from everything.
“Yeah?” He smiles. “I’ve got good memories of the place. The owners are good people. The wine is incredible. And the views...” He shakes his head. “You’ll love it. Trust me.”
“I do trust you.” I cross to him and slide my arms around his neck, pressing up on my toes to kiss him softly. “Let’s do it. Let’s go.”
The drive to Walla Walla takes about four hours, winding east through the Cascades and into the high desert wine country on the other side. The landscape shifts as we go, lush evergreen forests giving way to brown hills, then to rolling farmland dusted with snow.
I control the music because Theo’s taste is suspect at best (he tried to put on a jazz playlist and I vetoed it immediately), cycling through my playlists and singing along to songs he’s never heard of. He keeps glancing over at me with this half-smile on his face, like I’m amusing him, and I sing louder just to see him shake his head.
We pull into Northwind Cellars just as the afternoon light is starting to go golden, and the vineyard stretches out before us in neat rows, the bare vines frosted with snow, the hills beyondglowing amber and pink in the winter sun. Everything is blanketed in white—the fields, the winery building, the cluster of small cabins tucked along the ridge.
“Oh my god,” I breathe, leaning forward in my seat. “Theo. This is...”
“I know.” He pulls into the lot and cuts the engine, just looking at it for a moment. “It’s been a few years since I’ve been back here. But it’s exactly how I remember it. I mean, the summer I worked here it was hot and green, but I’ve visited once or twice in the winter, too.”
We check in at the main building, a restored farmhouse with wide windows overlooking the vines. A woman at the desk named Margaret recognizes Theo immediately and pulls him into a hug like a long-lost son.
“Theo Midnight,” she says, beaming. “It’s been too long. Henry’s going to be so glad you’re here. He talks about that summer you worked for us all the time.”
“It was a good summer.” There’s a softness in his voice. “This is my girlfriend, Emma.”
Margaret turns her warm smile on me and pulls me into a hug too. “Welcome, sweetheart. You two picked a beautiful weekend to visit. Let me get you the keys to your cabin.”
The cabin is small but cozy, with a stone fireplace already crackling when we arrive. A bottle of their reserve red is waiting on the table. The windows look out over the vineyard, row after row of snow-covered vines disappearing into the hills.
I drop my bag by the door and walk straight to the window, pressing my hand against the cold glass.
“This is insane,” I say softly. “It looks like a painting.”
