She stops short.
“Oh,” she says. “Leo. That’s stunning.”
He looks startled. “Yeah?”
“You have a good eye,” she adds. “You have my taste.”
I glance up, unsure what to say.
“Thank you,” I manage. “For… welcoming me.”
She studies me for a long moment. Then she exhales.
“You know,” she says slowly, “Leo said something to me once that hurt. But he was right. I never made this place a home.”
Leo stiffens beside me.
“But hearing you two laugh,” she continues, softer now. “Seeing him smile again… that’s what Christmas is about. I don’t know you well yet, Jade. But I’m glad you’re here.”
Something loosens in my chest.
I don’t say anything dramatic. I don’t need to.
I just nod.
Leo’s hand finds mine under the table. Steady. Warm.
And when it’s time to go—when Susan pulls up out front, already honking—I stand, heart full but not heavy.
This isn’t goodbye.
It’s just… see you soon.
And for the first time, that feels safe.
Leo helps me gather my things without rushing.
His robe goes back on the hook. My bag gets zipped. He carries everything like it weighs more than it should, like each step toward the door costs him something.
“I asked Susan if I could come today,” he says quietly as we walk out into the cold. “But then I figured… loving you means giving you space.”
That lands harder than anything dramatic he could’ve said.
“Thank you,” he adds, stopping beside the car. “For making this Christmas special for me.”
His eyes are misty now. He’s trying not to show it. I hate how much that makes my chest ache.
He loads my bag into the trunk, shuts it gently. Like slamming it would make this real.
For a second, I don’t want to get in.
I don’t like the idea of leaving him here with his parents, just the three of them in that big, echoing house. One night didn’t fix everything. I know that. But it softened something. And I don’t want him to feel like it was just a holiday illusion.
I hesitate with my hand on the door.
Susan’s already in the driver’s seat. She watches me in the mirror, knowing exactly what’s going through my head.
“Should we…?” I start.
