Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tabitha gripped the steering wheel as her tires skidded slightly on the snow-covered road. The storm had gotten worse in the past ten minutes, and the world outside had turned into a swirling whiteout. Julie’s voice drifted in from the backseat, telling Ethan a story starring Norman and his finger puppet friend. Tabitha smiled to herself.

“And then, the secret fairies – Fuck!” Julie exclaimed, following a thunk that was most likely her head hitting the headrest of the passenger seat. Tabitha had slammed her foot on the brake, making the car come to an abrupt halt. She wanted to scold her daughter for the language, but she was too busy trying to calm her hammering heart.

She turned to the backseat. “Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah.” “We’re okay,” they answered in unison.

“What happened, mom?” Ethan asked.

The three of them looked out the windshield. A massive tree lay across the road, thick with fresh snow, completely blocking the path ahead. One second of inattention, and they would’ve collided with it head-on.

She pulled on her coat and got out to inspect the tree, a gust of frigid wind and snowflakes slapping her in the face. She heard two car door slams behind her, Julie and Ethan coming to stand beside her.

Tabitha exhaled sharply, rubbing her arms as she stared at the fallen tree. It was definitely too big to move, and the storm was getting worse by the moment. 

Julie stuffed her hands into her coat pockets. “Guess we’re not going that way.”

Ethan, wide-eyed, pointed at the tree. “Can I go up?” 

She gripped him by the underarms and lifted him with a bit of difficulty. Her little boy was getting big.

“Careful, don’t slip,” she cautioned him, one hand stretched out to hold his, just in case.

“Will we have to go home now?” He asked from his perch.

She shook her head. “We won’t be able to get far in these conditions,” she said, squinting up at the swirling snow. It was falling so thick that she could barely make out the treeline a few feet from them. “I think there was a sign for an inn a few miles back. We’ll see if we can sleep there tonight and find a different road to grandma and grandpa tomorrow morning. Think of it as a little adventure, yeah?” She squeezed Ethan’s hand.

He seemed to ponder it for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright, down you come.” She helped him off the fallen tree and turned to her daughter as he ran back to the car. “Can you call grandma, tell her we won’t make it tonight?”

Julie pulled her phone out of her coat pocket, tapping at the screen. A second later, she sighed, holding it up for Tabitha to see. No service.

“Great,” she muttered, checking her own phone. Nothing. The storm must have damaged the cell towers.

Julie tucked her phone away. “Hope that inn you mentioned has a landline.”

Tabitha exhaled through her nose and nodded toward the car. “Let’s get moving before it gets worse.”

As they climbed back in, the wind howled, making the trees sway ominously. Ethan buckled his seatbelt and cradled Norman in his lap. “It’s okay, Norman,” he whispered. “We’re gonna find a warm place.”

She turned the car around carefully, driving back in the direction they came from. Snowflakes the size of quarters were turning visibility into a cruel joke, the headlights barely making any difference in the storm, and every shadow along the roadside looking like another fallen tree waiting to trap them. Just as she spotted the wooden sign for Snowy Pines Inn, a pair of bright headlights pierced through the whiteout, barreling straight toward them.

"Mom!" Julie shrieked.

Their car fishtailed as she yanked the steering wheel hard to the right. For a moment, she thought they’d spin out, end up overturned somewhere at the bottom of a ravine, but the car managed to stop at the edge of the road.

“We’re good!” Julie shouted from the backseat.

Tabitha turned to look at the car that almost crashed into them. A black luxury SUV sat inches from a snowbank on the other side of the road, still in one piece after it had swerved to avoid them. The driver's door swung open, and a dark-haired man stepped out, looking shaken.

Fury ignited in her chest as she threw open her door and stormed toward the other vehicle. "Are you out of your damn mind?" she yelled before the man had even a chance to open his mouth. "You could’ve killed us! Who the hell drives like that in a blizzard?"

His face was incredulous. He slammed his door shut and stalked toward her, his expensive coat billowing slightly in the wind. “Are you serious right now? You were the one crawling in the middle of the damn road!” His voice cut through the howl of the wind like a knife. “Maybe if you actually knew how to drive in the snow, we wouldn’t be having this problem.”

Tabitha let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “Oh, I’m sorry, was I in your way while you were doing eighty in a whiteout? Should I have just driven straight into a tree instead?” She gestured wildly at the road behind her.

His jaw tightened. “I wasn’t doing eighty.”

“Sure as hell felt like it!”

He ran a hand through his hair and rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

“You would’ve crashed in less than a mile anyway with that driving. The road’s blocked.”

He looked around, the wind whipping his hair in his face. A little voice in the back of Tabitha’s mind – the one that liked to occasionally remind her she was a single woman now – noted that he was annoyingly attractive. She decided to ignore that voice.

“Well what the hell am I supposed to do now? My GPS is busted.”

Tabitha crossed her arms, still brimming with frustration but also aware that they weren’t getting anywhere arguing in the middle of a snowstorm. She nodded up to the wooden sign. “There’s an inn not far off. I’m going there to see if they have any rooms for tonight. You can try too, or you can continue driving around like a maniac and crash into the next car that has the misfortune of sharing a road with you.”

His lips pressed into a thin line, but he still threw his hand out in a lazy gesture that said, lead the way.

They both turned back to their cars. Tabitha gave one last glare over her shoulder at the man before shutting her door.

“Is that man a bad guy?” Ethan whispered.

Julie sighed. “I think he’s just… a dumb guy.” Clearly, they had heard the argument.

Tabitha found the side road that led up to the inn, and the sight of a relatively small, cozy-looking building soon greeted them. She parked the car in the nearly full lot, the SUV pulling up next to her.

The inside was welcoming – cheerful Christmas decorations on every available surface, the scent of cinnamon and woodsmoke in the air, the whole place lit up by a chandelier and warmed by a crackling fireplace. A teenage girl sat at the reception desk, flipping lazily through a magazine, barely sparing them a glance as they walked in.

“Welcome to Snowy Pines Inn,” she droned, popping her gum. “Need a room?”

Tabitha sighed, already feeling a headache forming. “Yes. A family room, if you have one.”

The girl, Emma, according to her nametag, lifted her eyes from the page. “Last one left. Sleeps four.” Then she glanced at the man beside Tabitha. “You with them?”

“Absolutely not,” they both said at the same time. She couldn’t tell which one of them sounded more offended by the idea.

Emma raised an unimpressed brow. “Cool. Well, unless you wanna sleep outside, you’re gonna have to share. We’re full.”

Tabitha and the man glanced at each other, a silent conversation between them. Despite his unpleasantness, she didn’t want him to freeze to death. She turned back to the girl.

“Fine,” they said in unison again. She shot him a quick glare, only to find him doing the same.

“Names?” 

“Tabitha, Julie, and Ethan Matthews,” she told Emma, pointing at each of them in turn.

“Jade Herrera,” the man said. Tabitha abruptly realized that she hadn’t even known the man’s – Jade’s – name until that very moment. And she had agreed to share a room with him. What the hell?

“Here’s your key. Room’s on the second floor, third one on the right. Towels are on the beds and shower gel in the bathroom. Will you be needing anything else?” She looked eager to get rid of them and get back to her magazine.

“No, thank you,” she said, taking the key from her hand, then remembered – “Actually, do you have a phone we could use? We lost reception.”

“Sorry, the storm took down the telephone lines. We’ll probably have to wait until tomorrow for them to be fixed.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks anyway.”

Emma made a noncommittal sound and went back to flipping through her pages.

Tabitha sighed again and turned to the others. “Alright, let’s get upstairs and settle in.”

Julie and Ethan were eyeing the oversized Christmas tree in the lobby, its twinkling lights reflecting in their wide eyes – Ethan’s fascinated and Julie’s sceptical – but she nudged them toward the stairs. Jade followed, his expression unreadable. The tension between them hadn’t dissipated, but at least they weren’t shouting in the middle of a snowstorm anymore.

The second-floor hallway was dimly lit, the plush carpet muffling their steps. Tabitha unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal a modest but cozy room with a double bed, a wooden bunk bed, and a small bathroom. It wasn’t as heavily decorated as downstairs – a single garland and some colorful globes strung above the window that faced the storm outside, its glass slightly fogged from the warmth inside.

Julie flopped onto the double bed. “Dibs!” she declared.

“Hey!” Ethan protested, climbing up next to her.

Tabitha let them have it. “Jade and I will take the bunk beds.” She turned toward them, when Jade strode past her and sat firmly on the lower bunk.

“I’m taking the bottom,” he announced. “No way I’m dealing with vertigo up there.” He made a circular motion next to his head. “And if I fall and crack my head open in the middle of the night, I’m gonna sue the hell out of this place.” 

Tabitha frowned. “Excuse me?”

Jade leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. “Look, you seem like the type who’d try to be polite and let me have my pick anyway, so let’s just save the time, yeah?” He flashed a smirk. “I call bottom.”

Tabitha arched a brow, biting back a retort. Annoying. Insufferable. But exhaustion was creeping in, and she wasn’t about to fight over a bed like a child. Instead, she turned away and started unpacking a few essentials from her bag, doing her best to ignore Jade’s smug presence.

She let out a yawn. It wasn’t even Ethan’s bedtime yet, but the adrenaline of the day had taken a toll on her.

Wanting to put some space between herself and Jade, she stepped into the small bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She met her own reflection in the mirror, exhaling slowly.

One night. Just one night.

When she came back into the room, Ethan was laying against the pillows, The Flight of the Cromenockle in his hands. Julie was next to him on her phone, holding it up with little hope as she tried once again for signal. Jade was sprawled out on the bottom bunk, one arm thrown over his eyes, looking irritatingly comfortable for someone who’d nearly run them off the road less than an hour ago. He peeked out at her as the floorboard creaked under her foot. Their eyes met, just for a moment, before he looked away, toward the window and the storm raging outside. He seemed deep in thought, his smirk gone.

She hesitated, then sat on the edge of the double bed, facing him. “So, what were you even doing out in this mess?” She wasn’t sure why she cared, but asked anyway.

He blinked, as if pulled from whatever thoughts had been occupying him, and turned his head toward her.

“Christmas party in Miami,” he said after a moment. “Supposed to meet this friend of mine, Tobey, on the way there in the morning.” He snorted. “Guess that’s not happening now.”

“Guess not.”

A beat of silence passed between them. Then he tilted his head at her. “And you? You guys heading to family or something?”

“Yeah. My parents’ house. Thought we’d beat the storm.” She let out a tired chuckle. “Guess we didn’t.”

“Guess not,” he echoed, his voice quieter now.

“I’m gonna go check what’s for dinner,” Julie’s voice chimed in. “Anyone else coming?”

“I’ll come,” Ethan said, scrambling off the bed.

“I’ll come too. I'm feeling peckish.” Jade followed it with a boyish smirk as he got up.

“You go ahead, I think I’ll just go to sleep.”

Jade shrugged at her. “Suit yourself.”

As the door shut behind them, leaving her alone in the room, Tabitha exhaled and massaged her temples. Her oncoming headache wasn’t being helped by the silence that suddenly felt almost too heavy after the long day, the distant hum of voices in the hallway barely reaching her ears.

She took a quick, perfunctory shower, and changed into her flannel pajamas. The single lightswitch was across the room from the bunks, so she hoped that she wouldn’t be the one to fall and crack her head open as she turned off the light then climbed into her bed.

She lay back against the pillow and pulled the blankets over herself, staring at the ceiling. Snowy Pines Inn wasn’t the worst place to be stranded, all things considered – warm, decorated with the kind of charming Christmas cheer she usually appreciated. But being stuck here with a complete stranger she wanted to both punch and – No. Not finishing that thought.

She turned onto her side, closing her eyes. Maybe if she got some sleep, morning would come faster.

Tabitha must have dozed off because she woke, some indeterminate time later, to the door clicking open. The room was dim, only the glow from the hallway casting soft shadows. Julie and Ethan tiptoed in, followed by Jade, who didn’t seem the type to tiptoe at all but made an effort anyway.

Julie shot her a look. “You missed great soup.” She turned on the single bedside lamp and went to root through her bag.

“Tragic,” she murmured, rubbing her eyes.

“I saved you a cookie,” Ethan mumbled, eyes half-closed from exhaustion. He reached up as far as he could, handing her the slightly crumbling cookie in a napkin.

Tabitha’s heart softened. “Thanks, buddy.”

He barely responded, already half-asleep. He pulled out the pajamas from his bag and stumbled into the bathroom. She climbed down from her bed and followed him to make sure that he wouldn’t fall asleep under the shower.

By the time Ethan was tucked into bed, his small body curled up beneath the thick blankets, Julie had disappeared into the bathroom herself. He reached out a hand toward her. “Bedtime story?”

“Alright, just one story, then it’s lights out.” She sat down next to him and opened The Flight of the Cromenockle.

Ethan nodded sleepily, his little fingers clutching Norman to his chest. She barely got two pages in before he was snoring softly. She leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Julie emerged from the bathroom, steam curling around her as she toweled her hair. “Miss anything?” she asked, glancing between them.

“Just the best bedtime story ever,” Tabitha replied with a small smile, tucking the book away. 

Julie smirked. “Damn, guess I’ll have to wait for the movie.” She climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over herself. “Goodnight, everyone.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, kid,” Jade said from behind her. She startled, almost forgetting that he was also in the room with them.

Tabitha climbed back into bed, sleep starting to reclaim her, when Jade broke the silence again.

“You have great kids. You should be proud of them.”

She was surprised by his thoughtfulness and wondered what they might have discussed during dinner. 

“Thanks, I am.”

He let out a soft chuckle from underneath. “Anyways, this was one hell of a day.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Glad we didn’t kill each other?” She couldn’t see him, but could hear the smirk in his voice.

She smirked back. “The night’s still young.”

Jade laughed, thankfully not loud enough to wake the kids. She saw his head pop up beside her as he got up, then stretched, rolling his shoulders with a quiet groan. “I’m gonna grab a shower. Hopefully, there’s some hot water left.”

She hummed in acknowledgment as he stepped into the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the room, a steady, comforting noise that lulled her into a light doze. 

Soft footsteps and the click of the bathroom door marked his return and she stirred, blinking drowsily as he crossed to the window. He stood there for a long moment, his silhouette framed against the faint glow of snow beyond the glass. He ran a hand through his damp hair. Tabitha couldn’t help but notice the way it curled after getting wet.

He stretched again, revealing a sliver of skin beneath his t-shirt where it rode up. She shut her eyes tightly. Now was not the time to be thinking about that.

She heard his footsteps again. Saw it get dark behind her eyelids as he flicked off the bedside lamp. Felt the bunk shift slightly as he settled down to sleep.

“Goodnight, Tabitha,” she finally heard him whisper in the dark.

A moment of hesitation, not sure whether to reveal that she was still awake, then – “Goodnight, Jade.”

Chapter Text

Tabitha woke to the sound of wind whistling against the window and the faint murmur of voices outside their room. She blinked blearily at the ceiling, momentarily disoriented before the events of the last day came rushing back. The tree. The storm. The inn. Jade.

She rolled onto her side, peering over the edge of the bunk. Ethan was still curled up, snoring softly, and Julie was sprawled out, one arm flung dramatically over her face. No sign of Jade.

Good. She didn’t want to deal with him this early in the morning.

Careful not to wake her kids, she swung her legs over the side and climbed down as quietly as possible. She grabbed a sweater from her bag and scribbled a quick note on the notepad by the lamp: Downstairs. Back soon. She took one last glance at the sleeping kids before slipping out into the hallway.

The warm scent of coffee and bacon drifted through the air, making her stomach rumble – last night’s missed dinner was making itself known. She followed it downstairs to the small dining area, where a handful of other guests and stranded travelers were gathered around tables.

Jade was already there, leaning against the counter, stirring sugar into his coffee like he hadn’t a care in the world. He was still slightly rumpled from sleep, but somehow made it look effortlessly artistic instead of messy. When he spotted her, he smirked.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Finally decided to join the land of the living?”

She ignored him, pouring herself a cup of coffee before finding a seat at a table near the window.

Instead of following to bother her like she’d expected, he snaked his way toward the buffet-style breakfast. The inn had put out a respectable spread – scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, pastries, and even a waffle station. Guests lined up patiently, sleep-mussed and hungry, murmuring their good mornings as they helped themselves.

When Jade got there, it was like witnessing a trainwreck in slow-motion. She blinked at his audacity as he cut straight to the front. Murmurs of discontent rippled through the line, but Jade remained oblivious – or more likely, he simply didn’t care. He grabbed a plate and started piling it with eggs and bacon as if he had every right to be there.

The elderly woman who was supposed to be first in line cleared her throat meaningfully. Jade didn’t even flinch.

“Excuse me, young man,” she said, voice firm despite its softness. “I believe there’s a line.”

Jade paused, a piece of bacon halfway to his plate, and turned to the woman with a lazy smile. “Oh, is there? My mistake.” His tone dripped with insincerity.

He reached for a pastry, but before he could grab one, a sharp whack of tongs landed across his fingers.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?” He shook out his hand, glaring.

“I said, there’s a line,” the woman insisted.

“Okay, sure, whatever!” He threw up his free hand in exasperation. “Do you people even know who I am?” he muttered, just loud enough for a few in the line to hear. Several shot him dirty looks.

Jade huffed his way back to Tabitha’s table and plopped down across from her, setting his plate down with a haughty air.

“Did you see that?” he demanded, indignant. “That has to count as assault, right?”

Tabitha stared at him.

Jesus Christ. She’d had enough.

“What is wrong with you?” she snapped. “Is it just physically impossible for you not to be an asshole for longer than ten minutes?”

Jade blinked at her, momentarily taken aback before recovering with an infuriating grin. “Well, someone’s cranky in the mornings.” He popped a piece of bacon into his mouth, chewing like he hadn’t just made a complete ass of himself.

Tabitha clenched her coffee cup, inhaling deeply through her nose. She was too hungry for this. Too tired. 

She took a slow sip of coffee, willing herself to stay calm. “Seriously. Do you ever think before you act? Or is it just instinctual douchebaggery at this point?”

Jade feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart. “Hey, I was hungry. Priorities.”

“I'm sure that old woman you cut in front of was also hungry.”

“She whacked me with tongs. I’d say we’re even.”

Tabitha exhaled sharply, shaking her head. Instead of responding with another smart remark, he slid his overfilled plate toward her. Bacon, eggs, toast, and even a pastry he somehow managed to sneak in. More than enough for two.

She eyed it warily. “What’s this?”

“A peace offering,” he said with exaggerated sincerity. “Or a bribe. Whichever gets you to stop yelling at me.”

Tabitha hesitated, then finally sighed and took a piece of toast. “You’re still an asshole.”

Jade grinned. “Yeah, but now I’m an asshole who fed you.”

She hid her smile behind her toast and looked out the window. It rattled slightly as a strong gust of wind blew past. It didn’t seem likely that they would be able to leave by the end of the day. And even if the storm would, by some miracle, stop that day, there was very little chance of anyone doing any serious work over the holidays to clear the roads. She would need to find a way to break the news to her kids that they wouldn’t be reaching their grandparents’ house by Christmas.

In the faint reflection of the room that the window provided, she found Jade looking at her.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

She exhaled, rolling a crumb between her fingers. “Just thinking about the kids. They were really looking forward to seeing my parents for Christmas.”

Jade nodded, chewing thoughtfully. “Yeah. Kinda sucks to be snowed in. Not exactly the holiday magic you were hoping for, huh?”

“Nope.” She popped a piece of bacon into her mouth, suddenly grateful for the meal he’d shoved in front of her. “And explaining it to them is going to be… fun.”

Jade smirked. “I’m sure they’ll take it better than you think. Kids are resilient.”

“Oh? And you’re suddenly an expert on children?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

He shrugged, sipping his coffee. “I mean, no. But I was a kid once.”

She snorted. “Oh, yeah, I really saw you being an overgrown man-child a few minutes ago,” she couldn’t help but tease.

“Hey! I thought we were past that.”

Their banter was interrupted by two new plates being set down on either side of her. It seemed that Julie and Ethan had woken up and come to join them.

“Explain what to us, mom?” Ethan asked. His hair was sticking up every which way, and Tabitha ran a hand through it to tame it down while she thought of an answer, trying to find the right words.

Julie was pushing a piece of bacon around her plate, her expression carefully neutral, while Ethan was watching her closely, already sensing something was wrong.

She sighed. “Looks like we’ll be spending Christmas here.”

Julie didn’t react, just stabbed her fork into her eggs. “Figured.”

“Wait, so we’re not going to grandma and grandpa’s at all?” Ethan's face twisted into a frown.

Tabitha hesitated. “The roads are bad. Even if the storm lets up, it’ll take a while to clear everything. It’s just not safe. We'll go to them as soon as we can leave here though, I promise.”

Ethan's eyes widened, suddenly worried. “Can Santa still find us here?”

Julie scoffed. “Santa’s not real, Ethan.”

“Julie,” Tabitha warned, shooting her a look.

Ethan crossed his arms. “You don’t know that.”

“It's okay, buddy. Santa will leave our presents at your grandparents’, and we'll open them when we get there.”

Ethan seemed somewhat mollified by that, but then his concern shifted. “Can we at least call grandma and grandpa? They’re probably worried.”

Tabitha’s stomach twisted. “No signal, remember? The storm knocked it out.”

Ethan’s face fell. “So… they don’t even know we’re okay?”

Julie groaned and slumped back in her chair. “This sucks.”

Tabitha couldn’t help but agree.

The rest of the morning passed relatively smoothly. Julie had slunk out sometime after breakfast, wandering off with the vague excuse of wanting to ‘check the place out.’ Tabitha had let her go without argument. The inn wasn’t big, and as long as she stayed inside, there wasn’t much trouble she could get into. Still, when she caught sight of her daughter by the front desk, deep in conversation with the girl who had checked them in the night before – Emma, if she remembered right – she couldn’t help but feel relieved. The girl seemed much friendlier than she had been last night, talking animatedly with Julie. Ever since their family fell into chaos after Thomas’s death, Julie had been forced to grow up way too fast. Tabitha was glad to see her doing normal teenage girl things and making friends her own age.

Tabitha turned away to give them some space, figuring it was best not to hover.

Jade had also disappeared to do God knows what, leaving her and Ethan to find entertainment for themselves. A board game they discovered on one of the shelves in the lounge proved to be fun enough until lunchtime, but Ethan soon grew fidgety after eating. He spotted Julie and her new friend passing by and ran to them. From the conversation across the room, Tabitha could make out that he was trying to convince them to play hide-and-seek with him. The girls obliged, and they were off.

Her solitude couldn’t have lasted more than five minutes before Jade found her again. He dropped into the plush armchair that Ethan had vacated and pinned her with a surprisingly serious expression.

“Look,” he started abruptly. “I’ve been told I’m not very good with people. And we might have gotten off on the wrong foot.”

Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him. “You think?”

“Yeah, yeah. Shocking revelation.” Jade exhaled, scratching his beard. “But what I’m saying is... maybe we should call a truce. Besides, we might be stuck here for a while, and I figure we should at least try to get to know each other. Make the best of it.”

“What’s the catch?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Honestly, no catch. Just think it'll be less miserable if we’re not constantly playing hot and cold with each other.”

His earnest look made her words get stuck in her throat. How could a grown man have such effective puppy dog eyes?

"Come on, humor me,” he continued. “I’ll even make it easy – one question at a time. You ask me something, I ask you something."

She studied him for a moment, weighing her options. Finally, she relented. “Alright then. What’s your favorite color?”

“Easy. Blue. Yours?”

“Green.” She paused, thinking about what to ask next. Perhaps something more serious. “You complained that people didn’t know who you are. Why?”

“I am – well, was – a software developer. I recently sold my company for quite a large sum.”

“And is that supposed to be impressive?”

“Yes. Obviously. But it’s my turn to ask a question.” 

Tabitha motioned for him to go ahead.

“How come it’s just you and the kids? Is there a Mr. Matthews waiting at home?”

She was a bit taken aback by his forwardness and debated side-stepping it by pointing out that he’d asked two questions. But… it wasn’t like she had anything to hide.

“Jim and I divorced a few months ago.” There. She didn’t need to give any more details.

“Oh. Shit. Sorry.”

She waved him off.

“What about you? Any… partner?” Tabitha cringed internally at the inflection in her voice. She didn’t want to stereotype or assume anything about him, but simply put, Jade didn’t give off the air of your typical straight man. 

He barked out a laugh. “I mean, yeah, I am bisexual, if that’s what you’re getting at. But no partner. Somehow, I never quite got the hang of long-term romantic relationships.”

Tabitha nodded, filing that bit of information away. She wasn’t sure why she’d even asked, but Jade didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he still looked amused.

“My turn again,” he said, drumming his fingers on the armrest.

They passed the time like that for a while. It was surprisingly pleasant, learning both important and trivial facts about each other. 

Suddenly, Tabitha’s attention was distracted by a rush of cold air. She turned to the window, which a guest was closing hurriedly. He must have wanted to let in some fresh air, but the storm outside was still raging on. She followed with her eyes a couple of snowflakes that had blown inside and now danced around the room. They landed on the colorful rug in front of the fireplace and melted almost instantly.

“Hey,” Jade said, waving a hand in her face. “You okay? You zoned out.”

“I keep wondering if my parents know what happened,” she admitted, picking at a thread that had come loose from her sweater. “If they think we’re dead. If they called the police.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “They probably assume you got stuck in the storm. Not much they can do till it clears.”

“Still.” She sighed. “I wish I could let them know we’re safe.”

“Yeah, I get it.” He also let out a sigh. “The, uh, the friend I told you I was supposed to meet, Tobey. We met when I was oh… 12? 13? He was the first real friend I made after moving to the States, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.” He stared out the window, eyes glazing over. If she hadn’t been paying such close attention, she wouldn’t have caught his next words. “He’s the closest thing I have to a family, really.”

Her hand moved unconsciously to his, giving it a gentle squeeze. The gesture seemed to startle him out of his thoughts. He blinked rapidly a few times.

“I really hope he doesn’t think I’m dead. God knows what he’ll do with my money.” The remark made both of them chuckle.

“Where were you living before that?”

“I, uh, yeah. I grew up in France with my grandma.” His lips curled upward, clearly recalling a fond memory of her. “She died and there was no one to take me in, so I had to come live with my uncle.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay, it was a long time ago.”

Tabitha saw Jade’s eyes drift down, to where their hands were still joined on the armrest. His fingers twitched, and she abruptly pulled her hand away, curling it into a fist in her lap.

“I should check on the kids,” she said quickly, pushing herself up from her chair.

Jade’s gaze flickered to her, something unreadable in his expression, but he only nodded. “Right. Sure.”

She turned before the moment could stretch into something awkward, striding toward the hallway. Her heart beat a little too fast – not from embarrassment, exactly, but from the strange weight of the conversation. She hadn’t expected to learn so much about him in one sitting.

Not that it mattered. They’d all leave in a few days and never see each other again.

Chapter Text

Christmas Eve dawned on them with a renewed chill in the air. Instead of letting up, the storm had somehow gotten worse overnight. The world beyond the inn was nothing but a swirling white void, giving Tabitha the impression that they were encased in a snowglobe. She shivered as her feet touched the bare wooden floor.

She looked around the room, noticing that the beds were empty. The kids and Jade were no doubt downstairs, enjoying breakfast. She let her thoughts drift, taking advantage of the quiet moment alone.

Things had shifted between her and Jade after that conversation in the lounge. Dinner had started out as an awkward affair, the air between them charged with… something. A quiet hum beneath their words. A spark. Thankfully, Julie had been there to diffuse the situation, talking a mile a minute about how cool Emma was, with Ethan chiming in from time to time. But every time Tabitha had glanced across the table, she saw Jade looking at her with the same inscrutable expression he’d worn during her hasty exit.

She didn’t know what to do. Whether there was something she should do.

When she went downstairs for breakfast herself, Jade wasn’t there. Apparently, he had already eaten, hopefully not causing another scene in the process. Julie and Ethan were just about done with their meal. Julie quickly excused herself to go spend more time with Emma, while Ethan waited for her to eat, then followed her into the lounge.

She found Jade there, sitting cross-legged on the floor, hundreds of colorful puzzle pieces spread out in front of him. She lifted one up to inspect it. It was a seemingly solid color, but as she looked at the others, they were all like that – solid colors, some the same as the one she had in her hand, some different. She didn’t understand how they were supposed to make a picture.

“What’s this, then?” she asked him.

“A puzzle,” he replied, rather obviously, not looking at her.

“Yeah, I got that. I mean what is it supposed to look like when it’s finished?”

The question broke the spell of his concentration and he blinked up at her. “Oh, yeah, sorry.” He blinked a few more times. “It’s a gradient puzzle. One color flowing seamlessly into another rather than forming a photo or a drawing.”

Tabitha looked around again. She could see that some of the greens that looked the same at first glance were actually a fraction more blue, others a fraction more yellow. Then she noticed something unusual.

“Don’t these things usually come in a box with the completed picture on it?”

“Yeah, but these,” he spread his hands over the pieces, “came from that plastic bag,” he pointed at it, “which I found there,” he finally indicated the shelf with the board games. “They might not even be from the same puzzle. I might never find the solution.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. “I need to keep my brain occupied with something if I don’t wanna go stir-crazy in this place.”

Before Tabitha could respond, Ethan’s voice piped up from behind.

“Can I help?”

“Uh, sure. Yeah. You like puzzles, buddy?”

Ethan nodded enthusiastically. 

“Ok, let’s see if we can crack it.” Jade slid a handful of pieces toward him. “Edges first. That’s the rule.”

She watched, strangely transfixed as Ethan and Jade sorted through the pieces, Jade guiding him through the process with surprising patience.

The puzzle kept them busy all throughout the day, Tabitha having to basically pry them away for lunch and dinner.

She occupied herself with a book she’d been meaning to read and found a copy of on the bookshelf. Sometimes, between chapters, she’d look up to see their progress or chime in with a suggestion of which piece should go where when she saw a connection they’d missed. She wondered if Jade had some sort of sixth sense, because every time she so much as peeked, he’d glance up at her and offer her a smile. It made something warm unfurl in her stomach.

It was in one of those moments, the puzzle almost done, that the lights flickered overhead. Once. Twice. And then, all of them went out, plunging the inn into darkness. A startled hush fell. For a second, the only sound was the distant roar of the wind outside, then the murmur of voices as people fumbled through the darkness.

“Power’s out,” someone muttered.

“No kidding,” someone else replied.

“Stay put,” she told Ethan, ruffling his hair before moving toward the hallway, where the staff were already distributing flashlights and candles. The glow of battery-powered lanterns flared to life, casting strange, elongated shadows across the walls. Someone had an oil lamp, filling the air with the faint scent of kerosene.

She turned back – 

Ethan was gone.

Her heart stuttered. She had only taken her eyes off him for a second.

Panic surged through her veins. “Ethan?”

No answer.

One damn second. Just like before. The memory slammed into her with brutal force – tiny Thomas lifeless on the floor, that fucking telephone ringing in her mind so loud that she wanted to just reach out and smash it to pieces. Too late, too –

She couldn’t breathe. Her vision blurred, her pulse hammering in her ears.

No. Not again. Not again.

“Ethan!” Her voice was strangled, barely a whisper, but the panic in it was unmistakable.

Jade was already moving. “I’ll check our room.”

Julie appeared at her side, hands on her shoulders. “Mom? Mom! Look at me.” Her voice was low, steady. “Breathe, mom. In and out. Right now, okay?”

Tabitha gasped, shaking her head. The walls felt too close, the air too thin.

Jade reappeared at the door, his expression shifting the moment he saw her face. “Shit – Tabitha, it’s okay. We’re gonna find him.”

But she couldn’t hear him. She was drowning.

She sank down to the floor and Jade crouched in front of her, his hands firm on her arms. “Tabitha. Focus on me.” His voice cut through the panic, anchoring her. “You’re not alone. We’ll find him.” He took one of her hands and put it on his chest, breathing deeply. “Come on, breathe with me. Slow and steady, that’s it.”

She dragged in a shaky breath. Then another, steadier.

Julie’s worried face swam back into view. She squeezed her daughter’s hand and nodded, forcing herself to move. She needed to be strong. For Julie. For Ethan.

Jade got up from his crouched position and shouted so the entire room could hear him.

“Alright, everyone! There’s a little boy missing and we need your help to find him. His name is Ethan. Everyone who wants to help – pair up and bring him back here if you see him.” He turned to Julie. “You should stay here, just in case he comes back on his own.” When she nodded wordlessly, he turned back to Tabitha and helped her up. “Okay, let’s go.”

She watched for a moment as everyone in the room, all of them strangers, dispersed in pairs to help look for Ethan. Her heart clenched.

Her hand was like a vice around Jade’s, surely cutting off his circulation while they went to check the lobby, but he uttered no complaint. He shined his torch around the darkened room, making the globes on the oversized Christmas tree twinkle merrily. He cast the beam of light in the other direction. The front door was slightly ajar.

Oh, God.

Tabitha bolted.

Outside, the cold hit like a slap. The wind whipped around her, sharp and blinding, the snow swallowing sound.

“Ethan!”

Still no answer.

Then – 

A small figure near the trees, huddled, barely visible through the storm in the faint light of Jade’s torch from behind her.

She ran, her breath ragged. “Ethan!”

He turned at her voice, his face pale, lips trembling. “Mom?”

She dropped to her knees in the snow, gathering him into her arms, his body ice-cold against her.

“I- I thought I saw Santa,” he whispered. “I just wanted to check, but then I couldn’t find my way back.”

Jade was beside them in an instant, wrapping Ethan in his coat. “Jesus, kid. You scared the hell out of us.”

Tabitha held him tighter, pressing her lips to his forehead. He was cold – too cold – but he was here. He was alive.

Jade gingerly took him from her arms, lifting him up to carry him inside. In the lounge, Julie was waiting for them anxiously, next to her two women with a first aid kit between them. The one with blonde streaks in her hair approached Tabitha.

“I’m a pediatric nurse. I can check him over if you want.”

Tabitha nodded, grateful. She motioned for Jade to put Ethan down on the couch. The woman knelt beside Ethan, the other one joining her with the first aid kit already open.

“Hi, little guy. My name’s Marielle and this is Kristi. I’m a nurse and she’s a medical student. We’re just gonna make sure that you’re alright. Is that okay with you?”

Ethan, still trembling, nodded. His small hands clutched Jade’s coat closer.

Kristi pulled out a flashlight. "Let's check for frostbite first." She flicked the light over Ethan’s hands and face, her expression intent but gentle.

Tabitha stood frozen, her heart still hammering in her chest, watching as Marielle and Kristi worked with practiced efficiency.

“Can you feel this?” Marielle asked as she touched Ethan’s fingers lightly.

“Yeah,” Ethan murmured around the thermometer they had put in his mouth.

His lips were still too pale, and his shivering hadn’t quite stopped, but Marielle’s next words made Tabitha’s knees nearly buckle in relief.

“He’s cold, but I don’t think he’s hypothermic. No signs of frostbite either,” she said, glancing at Kristi, who nodded in agreement after checking the thermometer readings.

Tabitha let out a shuddering breath, her hand gripping the back of the couch to steady herself.

“Get him changed into some warm clothes, bundle him in lots of blankets, and a nice hot chocolate in front of the fire should fix him right up. Don’t let him fall asleep just yet, we’ll be back in half an hour to check on him,” Kristi told Tabitha.

Marielle turned back to Ethan, adjusting the coat around him. “Keep warm, okay? If you feel anything weird – tingling in your fingers, dizziness – you tell your mom right away.”

Ethan nodded again, his eyelids drooping. The adrenaline was wearing off, exhaustion settling in. Tabitha exhaled, her hand shaking as she reached out to touch Ethan’s hair.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

Marielle smiled. “Of course.”

Kristi dropped a kiss on her forehead as she got up, making the other woman beam. They shared another kiss in the doorway of the lounge, then left. Tabitha saw Julie briefly widen her eyes and blush.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll go get the hot chocolate,” Julie stuttered, hurrying out of the room after the two women.

Jade, who had been watching quietly from the side, turned to Tabitha. “You go ahead and get Ethan warm. I’ll make sure that the others know we found him.”

She nodded and went to help Ethan upstairs to get changed. 

By the time she got him back in front of the fire in the lounge, three steaming mugs full of hot chocolate were waiting for them on the low table. She took one and handed it to Ethan, cautioning him to sip slowly.

Julie and Emma were sitting on the couch, each with their own mug in hand. They were sitting very close to each other. Oh. Well…

Jade was standing just to their right, the flames casting dancing lights across his features. He was holding the violin that had previously hung above the fireplace, inspecting it intently, occasionally turning a peg this way or that.

She settled down next to Ethan with her own mug of hot chocolate and watched the embers jump around.

Everyone was quiet. The only sounds that filled the room were the wind blowing outside, the crackling of the firewood, and a clock ticking to itself somewhere in the background.

Then, suddenly, a soft melody began to play.

Tabitha looked up.

Jade had brought the violin to his shoulder, bow gliding effortlessly across the strings. The melody was slow and deliberate at first, taking on a wistful tone as he played.

The firelight flickered across his face, catching on the angles of his cheekbones, the furrow of his brow. His expression was unreadable – focused, maybe a little lost in the music.

Julie and Emma had gone still. Ethan, curled up beside her, let out a long, slow breath, his body relaxing against hers.

Jade played for a long time, letting the song unravel into the quiet. When he finally lowered the violin, the last note hanging in the air, no one spoke right away.

Ethan was the first to break the silence. “That was nice,” he murmured sleepily.

Jade huffed a small, almost self-conscious laugh. “Yeah?”

Ethan nodded against Tabitha's side. “Yeah.”

“You play beautifully,” she added.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked down, almost shy.

The moment was interrupted by Marielle and Kristi, coming to check on Ethan just as promised. They declared him perfectly healthy and gave him the okay to go to bed. It was just as well, he was exhausted, yawning up a storm by the time they were done with the check-up.

Julie glanced between her and Jade, narrowing her eyes.

“I’ll go with him,” she declared loudly, not waiting for an answer before nudging him up. “Come on, do you want to hear a new story about Norman and his friend?”

Ethan perked up instantly. “Yeah!” he shouted, scrambling after Julie.

She put a hand on his shoulder, the other one holding Emma’s, and dragged them both out.

It was just her and Jade left.

He set the violin back in its place above the fireplace, his movements slow, deliberate. Tabitha watched him, the way his fingers lingered on the wood for a moment before he turned back toward her.

“Well,” he said, stretching his arms over his head. “That was a hell of a Christmas Eve.”

Tabitha let out a quiet huff of laughter. “No kidding.”

Jade’s gaze flickered over to the sideboard near the bookshelves, where an assortment of holiday treats and bottles of wine were scattered. He wandered over, rummaging for a moment before holding up a dark bottle.

“Cabernet,” he announced. “And two glasses. Looks like fate.”

Tabitha arched a brow. “You believe in fate?”

He smirked, coming back to the armchairs they had sat in the day before. “Nah. Just good timing.” He handed her a glass and poured, the deep red liquid catching the firelight, twinkling just like the globes on the Christmas tree.

She took a sip, savoring the warmth that bloomed in her chest, and sat down. “Not bad.”

Jade took the seat next to her, stretching his legs out and swirling his own glass absentmindedly. For a while, they just enjoyed the moment in comfortable silence, the fire crackling, the storm raging beyond the walls of the inn.

Eventually, Jade spoke. “You looked really scared back there.” His voice was quiet but not prying.

Tabitha stared into the fire. Her fingers tightened slightly around the glass. “I was.”

She wasn’t sure how to continue, but she knew that she wanted to. She felt safe in telling Jade everything. He didn’t press, just took a slow sip of wine and waited.

She exhaled. “When Ethan went missing... it wasn’t just about tonight.”

Jade stayed quiet, listening.

Tabitha let out a shuddering breath. “My youngest – Thomas – he died when he was a baby.” She swallowed hard, staring at the embers. “I took my eyes off him for just a second. Just one damn second.” The glass in her hand felt heavy. “And he was gone.”

Jade’s expression softened. He didn’t say anything like I’m sorry or that wasn’t your fault. Instead, he just sat there, letting the words settle in the space between them.

After a long moment, he said, “That’s a heavy thing to carry.”

She let out a breath that might have been a laugh, except it was too hollow. “Yeah.”

They fell into silence again.

At some point, Jade noticed that their glasses were empty and he refilled.

“I didn’t even say thank you,” Tabitha realized.

Jade waved her off. “You have nothing to thank me for.”

“I do. Thank you.”

“Alright, I accept your thanks,” he offered magnanimously.

They looked at each other for a second, then both broke into giggles. The conversation turned to lighter topics after that.

In one of the lulls between one bit of laughter and the next sentence, somewhere after their fourth glass of wine, Jade turned his entire body in his chair, toward her.

“You know,” he said, leaning forward like he was telling her a secret, the motion almost making him spill his wine. “I like you a lot better when you’re not yelling at me.”

Tabitha laughed, bright.

“I like you a lot when you’re not being an asshole, too.” She felt heat crawl up her face, realizing how that sentence sounded. That was not exactly what she’d meant to say. Not exactly untrue, either.

The grandfather clock behind them chimed midnight.

Jade looked at her, glass raised expectantly. She clinked hers against it without hesitation.

“Merry Christmas, Tabitha.” His voice was soft, gaze full of warmth.

“Merry Christmas, Jade.”

Chapter Text

Tabitha woke up on Christmas Day to the dull, insistent pounding of a headache. For a moment, she just lay there, eyes shut, willing her body to stop rebelling against her. Everything felt sluggish, like she was wading through the remnants of sleep and the lingering effects of last night’s wine.

How had they even made it back to the room? She couldn’t quite piece together the details – just flashes of warmth, of Jade’s steady presence, of them shushing each other so they wouldn’t wake the kids.

At least she’d made it into her own bed. Small victories.

The next thing she became aware of was movement. And noise. A lot of movement and noise.

Her head throbbed in protest as Ethan bounced excitedly on the double bed, the mattress springs creaking under his enthusiasm. Julie rolled out of his way and buried her head under her pillow.

“Mom! Julie! Jade! Wake up! Look!” He punctuated each word with a jump, jabbing a finger at the window.

That’s when Tabitha noticed that the wind that had been their constant companion for the past couple of days had stopped. The light streaming in from outside was brighter than anything they’d seen since getting stranded at the inn. The storm had passed, leaving behind a pristine, glistening landscape of untouched snow. The trees were heavy with frost, their branches frozen in place, and the sky – finally visible after days of swirling gray – was an unbroken stretch of crisp blue.

“Can we go build a snowman? Please?” he begged, stretching out the last word to an impossible length.

“I think your mom will need some coffee first, buddy,” Jade’s voice sounded from below, annoyingly smooth and composed.

She grumbled her agreement and climbed down from her bunk with a bit of difficulty. Her feet hit the floor with a soft thud, and she took a moment to steady herself.

Jade was reclining against his pillow, blankets pooled at his waist and hands behind his head. The only signs of disarray on him were the few curls sticking up from sleep and the beard he hadn’t trimmed yet. Other than that, no sign of a hangover, not even a trace of exhaustion. Their eyes met and he smirked.

“You look like shit.” His eyes widened and darted to Ethan. “Uh, pardon my French.”

“And you look way too smug,” she shot back, rubbing her temples. “Why aren’t you suffering?”

“I used to do a lot of drugs.” He shrugged, utterly nonchalant. “A little hangover is nothing.”

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Ethan, who was practically vibrating with excitement. She hesitated, wringing her hands together. The memory of last night was still too fresh – the way her heart had nearly stopped when she’d lost sight of Ethan, how cold he’d been when they’d found him. Even though the world outside now looked safe, that knot of anxiety tightened in her chest.

Jade, as if sensing her thoughts, spoke up.

“It’s gonna be fine,” he said, voice softer now. “No storms, no low visibility. We’ll be outside while there’s daylight. We’ll be careful.”

Tabitha exhaled slowly, then nodded. “Alright. But only after breakfast.”

Ethan whooped in victory and bolted for the door, already halfway through getting his boots on despite still being in pajamas.

Breakfast was quick, both Ethan and Julie scarfing down their food, eager to get outside after being cooped up for more than two days. Tabitha nursed her coffee, cradling the warm mug between her hands. It eased her headache, but only slightly. 

Jade caught her arm as they were leaving the dining room and she leaned into his touch without thinking.

“I can take them outside if you’re not feeling up to it.” Again with that sixth sense of his. Or maybe she really just looked that miserable.

Guilt gnawed at her. She didn’t want to disappoint her kids by telling them that they couldn’t enjoy the day because she’d forgotten for a few hours that she wasn’t in her early 20s anymore. And it was very kind of Jade, but…

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering. You go get your beauty sleep and join us when you feel better.” A sly grin sneaked onto his face. “Consider it a Christmas present.”

“If you’re sure…”

“I think I can handle a kid and a teenager playing in the snow.” He paused, before adding: “Besides, I used to be a kid myself, you know.”

That got a laugh out of her, recalling their conversation from two days ago. “Alright.” She ruffled Ethan’s hair in passing. “Be good, and listen to Jade.”

“Yes, mom.” He looked ready to agree to most anything if it meant that he’d be allowed outside as soon as possible, so she let them go, waving goodbye.

Tabitha made her way toward the staircase, already picturing the blissful moment she would sink back into bed. But as she reached the base of the steps, she nearly collided with Emma, who was hurrying past with an armful of linens.

“Oh! Sorry,” she said, adjusting her grip on the stack.

Tabitha stepped back, giving her space. “No, my fault. You need a hand?”

She shook her head. “I got it. Thanks, though.”

Tabitha hesitated. Despite how much time Julie had spent with Emma over the last days, she herself had barely spoken to the girl since checking in. It felt odd now, realizing that she knew so little about someone her daughter had grown so comfortable with.

“Actually…” Tabitha glanced at the staircase, then back at the girl. Her nap could wait a few minutes. “You have a second? I feel like I haven’t had a chance to properly talk to you since we got here.”

Emma blinked, seeming surprised by the request, but then she nodded. “Sure. I was just about to take these upstairs, but I can walk and talk.”

Tabitha fell into step beside her as they ascended. “How long have you been working here?”

“Oh, ever since my head could reach the top of the tables. My parents own the inn, so I help out when I’m not at school.”

“And do you like it?”

Emma snorted out a laugh. “I fucking hate it. Can’t wait to be off to college.”

She raised an eyebrow at the bluntness, but couldn’t help but chuckle. “That bad, huh?”

She huffed, adjusting her grip on the linens as they reached the second floor. “It’s just… Do you ever feel like life is suffocating? That you’re just going through the motions and you’d rather be anywhere else?”

Tabitha considered her words. It wasn’t that long ago that she’d felt the same way. “Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.”

Emma shot her a surprised look, as if she hadn’t expected for anyone to understand. “And how do you deal with it?”

Tabitha exhaled softly. Some days, it felt like she wasn’t dealing with it at all, but she couldn’t tell that to a teenager. “I wish I could say there was some big, life-changing moment that fixed everything, but the truth is… you just take it one step at a time. You figure out what you want, and you start moving toward it, even if it’s slow.”

Emma frowned slightly. “But what if you don’t know exactly what you want? Just that it’s… not this?”

“Then start with what you do know. You want to go to college, right?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. Somewhere far.”

“Then that’s step one,” Tabitha said. “And after that, you figure out the next step. You don’t have to have it all mapped out right now.”

She was quiet for a moment, thinking about it. “Julie also said something like that,” she muttered.

Tabitha smirked. “She’s a smart girl.”

Emma’s cheeks turned slightly pink, and she quickly looked away. “Yeah. She is.” 

“I noticed that she really likes spending time with you.”

Emma cleared her throat, blush deepening. She turned toward the door they had stopped in front of. “I should probably drop these off.”

Tabitha decided not to press further and let the girl get on with her work. “Of course.”

Emma hesitated, then offered a small smile. “Thanks… for the talk.”

“Anytime,” Tabitha said, before opening the door to her own room. Honestly, teenagers and their crushes. They weren’t exactly subtle.

Exhaustion crashed back over her as soon as she stepped inside. She toed off her boots, letting out a jaw-cracking yawn, then collapsed on the nearest available horizontal surface that wasn’t the floor. Jade’s scent surrounded her.

Tabitha’s eyes shot open.

Right. This was Jade’s bed.

She considered getting up and climbing into her own, but decided she didn’t have the energy for it. She looked over to the double bed and saw the clothes strewn all over it after her kids’ rush to get ready that morning. Not enough energy to tidy that either.

Her eyes closed and she burrowed under the blankets. It was not like he’d find out that she slept in his bed while he was outside. And if he did, he wouldn’t mind. At most, he’d only tease her about it. Probably.

Tabitha awoke some time later – early afternoon, judging by the bright light still streaming through the window – feeling completely refreshed. Stretching languidly, she sat up, blinking sleep from her eyes. She padded across the room and looked out at the vast sea of white.

Provided that the good weather held, they’d be able to leave tomorrow. The day after, at the latest, if the road clearing crews needed more time to recover from the festivities. Her heart clenched at the thought, and she hated herself a little bit for it. Her parents must have been sick with worry, and yet here she was, feeling conflicted about leaving and never seeing Jade again. He’d grown on her in the past few days of forced proximity. But she needed to be realistic and admit to herself that they were simply too different and nothing between them would work out, if not for these specific circumstances.

A shriek of laughter pulled her attention downward.

The two women from last night – Kristi and Marielle – were chasing each other, launching the occasional snowball at one another. Kristi tackled Marielle to the ground and even more laughter resounded.

It seemed that Ethan was not the only one to consider taking advantage of the snow.

Tabitha watched the playful scene below for a moment longer before pulling on her coat and boots. It was time to see what her children had been up to in her absence.

When she got outside, the cold nipped at her cheeks, but it wasn’t unpleasant. The air smelled crisp, and the fresh snow crunched satisfyingly under her feet. It didn’t take her long to spot Ethan and Julie, standing next to a truly impressive snowman. It was almost as tall as her, made out of three perfectly spherical sections.

“Did you two build this?”

Ethan beamed with pride, bouncing on his heels. “Mostly me! But Julie and Jade helped with the big parts.”

Julie smirked, arms crossed. “He means Jade did the heavy lifting while Ethan supervised.”

“Hey! I did the face!” Ethan protested, pointing to the lopsided smile made of small pebbles and the carrot nose that was slightly askew.

Tabitha chuckled, stepping closer. “It’s very impressive.” She noticed one person absent from their little group. “By the way, where’s Jade?”

“Look who’s finally awake,” his voice called out from behind. Speak of the devil, and all that.

Something hard and cold hit her back.

Tabitha froze. Then slowly, she turned.

Jade stood a few feet away, a cocky grin plastered on his face. He was holding another snowball.

“Oops.”

“Oh, you son of a-”

He launched the snowball, cutting off her sentence. She barely dodged it.

Game on.

Tabitha bent down, scooping up a handful of snow, packing it quickly before throwing it in his direction. Jade ducked, laughing, already moving to counter. His snowball whizzed past her ear, but an indignant yelp told her it had found a target in Julie. Her next attack got him, only barely, grazing his shoulder.

His grin widening. “Is that all you've got?”

She huffed and grabbed more snow. “I was going easy on you!”

“Uh-huh,” he taunted. “Well, don’t hold back on my account.”

Before she had the chance to make him regret the taunt, a snowball came flying from behind and caught him square in the chest. Julie shouted in triumph.

Jade staggered back, clutching his chest dramatically. “Traitor!” he cried, feigning distress. “After everything I did for you today!”

Julie stuck her tongue out at him.

Ethan came rushing at her with a barrage of small, hastily made snowballs. “I’ll avenge you, Jade!” he declared. 

Julie ducked out of sight behind a tree, leaving Tabitha alone with Jade. He turned to her with a mischievous look. Oh no.

“Don’t even think about it,” she warned.

Jade smirked. “Oh, I’m thinking about it.”

She barely had time to react before he lunged forward. With a startled yelp, she tried to escape, but he caught her wrist and spun her around, sending them both toppling into the snow.

A rush of cold surrounded her as she landed with a soft ‘oof,’ half buried in the fresh powder. Jade, hovering over her, was grinning down, his face mere inches from hers.

“I win,” he murmured, breath warm against her cheek.

Tabitha was suddenly aware of everything – the weight of him above her, the way their bodies were pressed together, the sound of their breathing. Her heart pounded in a way that had nothing to do with the snow fight.

His eyes flickered down to her lips, and for a moment, it felt as if the world had narrowed to just the two of them. The distant laughter of the kids faded, the cold didn’t matter. There was only this – this tension, this moment hovering between them like something fragile and fleeting.

“Jade…” she started, though she wasn’t sure what she was going to say.

Before she could figure it out, a snowball smacked Jade right in the side of the head.

“Gotcha!” Ethan cheered, victorious.

He rolled off with a groan, collapsing onto his back in the snow. “I thought you were on my side!” he complained.

“I convinced him to be on the winning side!” Julie called out.

“Alright, I surrender. Although three against one is just unfair, really.”

Tabitha sat up, laughter bubbling in her chest. Jade turned his head toward her, eyes still dancing with mischief, but also something softer beneath.

His hair and half his face were covered with snowflakes. Impulsively, she reached out and brushed a bit of snow from his cheek. He caught her hand before she could pull away, holding it there for just a second longer than necessary.

Then, with a quiet chuckle, he let go.

Tabitha exhaled sharply, pushing past the lingering warmth of the moment as Jade got up and shook the snow from his curls.

He clapped his hands together. “I don’t know about you all, but I could use something warm to drink.”

“Hot chocolate?” Ethan asked hopefully.

Tabitha smiled. “Sounds perfect.”

Jade led the way inside, but she waited a moment to gather her thoughts before following. 

Had they really been about to…? 

Nevermind.

Her gaze drifted up to the sky, where the sun was slowly inching toward the treetops. Every passing minute brought them closer to the end of their unplanned stay at the Snowy Pines Inn. And with that, the end of whatever had started to grow between her and Jade.

Chapter Text

The announcement came during breakfast. The landline was functional again and the inn got the call from the authorities that the roads were being cleared and would be usable by next morning. What had until then been only a vague and distant possibility suddenly became a certainty with a deadline – and it settled like a pit in Tabitha’s stomach.

The dining room became abuzz with excitement. Ethan, remembering the presents he’d been promised would wait for them at their grandparents’, turned to Julie and began to theorize what they might be.

Tabitha looked across the table at Jade, who had a conflicted expression on his face. Her lips parted to say something, anything, but she was interrupted by her phone vibrating in her pocket. It had been about as useful as a brick in the last few days, but she’d kept it on herself, just in case. Her screen lit up with hundreds of notifications – missed calls and messages from her mom and dad. And Jim.

Her phone vibrated again with a new call, Jim’s name displayed on the screen.

She hesitated for a second. It felt like lifetimes had passed since she’d last talked to him, and she wasn’t sure whether she was ready to do it again.

She exhaled, bracing herself, then swiped to accept the call.

“Jim?”

“Oh, thank god.” His voice was tight, edged with relief and frustration. “Tabby, where the hell have you been? Your mom called me, she was panicking. No one had heard from you since the 22nd. We thought-” He broke off, as if forcing himself to rein in whatever worst-case scenarios had plagued him.

“We’re okay,” Tabitha said quickly, refusing to show how hearing that old nickname again affected her. “The storm hit hard, and the roads were shut down. We got stuck at an inn, but we’re all fine.”

Jim exhaled audibly. “Jesus. You should’ve seen the news coverage. It looked brutal. Your mom thought you were buried under ten feet of snow somewhere.”

Tabitha rubbed her temple. She could picture it – her mother frantically calling everyone she could think of, growing more and more anxious with each passing day. She’d probably left panicked voicemails, messages Tabitha hadn’t been able to receive until now. And of course, in her desperation, she would have turned to Jim.

“We didn’t have a signal,” she explained. “The landline at the inn just started working again this morning. The authorities say the roads will be open by tomorrow. We’ll be at my parents’ house by afternoon.”

“Good,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “The kids – are they okay?”

Tabitha glanced at Ethan and Julie. Ethan was still caught up in excited chatter about presents, and Julie was nodding along, though she kept casting curious glances at her. 

“They’re fine,” she said. “They actually had fun.”

Jim let out a quiet chuckle. “Figures. A winter adventure.”

“Something like that.”

A silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable, but heavy with the remnants of old familiarity. Then Jim cleared his throat. “Can I talk to them?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course, one sec.” She covered the microphone with her hand and turned to Ethan and Julie. “It’s your dad. Do you want to speak to him?”

Their eyes lit up in excitement and Ethan made grabby hands for the phone. Tabitha let them run off, phone on speaker between them, their voices growing fainter as they disappeared down the hall. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, only the occasional burst of laughter or excited exclamation.

She exhaled, suddenly feeling untethered. For the past few days, the storm had forced everything to a standstill, suspending them in a strange, snow-covered limbo. But now, with the roads clearing and the outside world crashing back in, the illusion was breaking.

“Back to the real world, I guess,” Jade’s voice cut through the hum of conversation around them.

Tabitha turned to him. He was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, brows furrowed.

She swallowed. “Yeah…” The word tasted like ash on her tongue.

The real world. Where things were complicated, where the weight of expectations and obligations pressed down like heavy snow on tree branches.

Jade tilted his head slightly, studying her. “You don’t seem too thrilled about it.”

She hesitated. “It’s just… it’s been nice. Here.”

He didn’t respond right away, just gave a slow nod, like he understood. And maybe he did.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “It has.” He let out a huff of air. “Anyways, I better go call Tobey.”

“Make sure he didn’t run off with your money?” she tried to joke.

He smiled, but it looked more like a grimace.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of packing and teary phone calls. After talking to their grandparents as well, Julie slunk off, most likely to spend the little time they had left here with Emma. Tabitha couldn’t begrudge her.

Jade was also occupied with his own bags and calls. Every now and then, when their paths crossed, he would glance at her with an intense look in his eyes and open his mouth, as if wanting to tell her something important. But he would always end up shaking his head and closing his mouth without saying anything. Tabitha didn’t say anything either.

All too soon, it was the next day, and Tabitha and her kids were standing in the lobby with their bags at their feet, waiting to check out. Guests were coming and going, their cars pulling out of the parking lot one by one. Jade’s SUV was still next to her car, but the man was nowhere to be seen. 

When she got to the reception desk, she saw that Emma and an older woman who looked a lot like her were working side by side to get everything done faster. Noticing them, Emma quickly excused herself and went to talk to Julie.

The woman chuckled and turned to Tabitha. “The Matthews family, I presume. I’m Patricia, Emma’s mother, but you can call me Patsy.”

“Oh, nice to meet you.” She glanced back at Julie and Emma, exchanging phone numbers. “I’m glad our daughters get along so well.”

Patsy let out a wistful sigh. “Me too. Emma’s been really lonely here lately.”

Not wanting to hold up the line, Tabitha pulled out her credit card. “Uh, how much…?” She dreaded to think how expensive five nights’ all-inclusive stay at the inn during the holidays would be.

“Oh, no need. The room’s already paid for.”

Tabitha blinked, surprised. “What?”

“Yes, that nice young man who was staying with you said he’d pay for all four.”

“That would be me. Hi.”

Tabitha turned to find Jade standing behind her, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. He looked casual, like paying for the entire room was no big deal, but there was something in the way he shifted on his feet that told her otherwise.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, brows furrowing.

Jade shrugged. “I know.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but Ethan tugged on her sleeve before she could say anything. “Can Jade come with us to grandma and grandpa’s?”

Tabitha’s heart clenched.

“No, honey,” she said gently. “He also has people he needs to get back to.”

Ethan looked disappointed but nodded, accepting it.

She turned back to Jade, suddenly aware of how final this moment felt. For days, they had been stuck in the same little world, an isolated snow globe of warm fires and quiet conversations. But now the roads were open. Reality was waiting.

They stood there for a beat too long, neither quite sure how to say goodbye.

“Thank you,” she finally said, gesturing toward the desk. “For this. And for-” everything, she almost said. For making the past few days feel easier. For being there. But the words felt too big, too exposing. “Just… thanks.”

Jade gave a small nod. “Yeah. Of course.”

She thought, absurdly, about asking for his number. But what would be the point? They came from different worlds. The thing blooming between them – this quiet, unspoken pull – had existed here, in this strange, snow-covered pause. What were the chances it would survive outside of it?

“Drive safe,” she said instead.

Jade’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, like he was trying to memorize her face. Then he nodded once. “You too.” 

And just like that, it was over.

She ushered Ethan and Julie to the car, loaded their bags, and pulled out of the lot. In the rearview mirror, she could see Jade getting into his SUV. Their cars followed the same road for a while, his headlights steady behind hers.

Then she reached the exit.

Tabitha flicked on her turn signal, her hands tightening on the wheel. For a brief second, she hesitated. She could pull over, signal Jade to do the same, insist that he come with them. It sounded absurd even in the privacy of her own thoughts. She took the exit.

In the mirror, she saw Jade’s SUV continue straight ahead. No turn. No hesitation.

A strange weight settled inside her chest.

The rest of the drive passed uneventfully – just highway, snow-dusted fields, and the hum of the radio. Ethan fell asleep. Julie was on her phone, alternating between texting Emma and giving their grandparents updates about the journey. And through it all, Tabitha kept thinking about Jade.

By the time they pulled into her parents’ driveway, the sun was beginning to set. The house was glowing from the inside, warm and inviting.

Before she had even put the car in park, the front door swung open. Her mother rushed out first, tears brimming in her eyes, followed closely by her father. Relief softened their features, their worry unraveling the moment they saw them.

As soon as Tabitha stepped out of the car, arms wrapped around her. There were exclamations of “Thank God you’re safe!” and “We were so worried!” and “Let me look at you.” Julie and Ethan were pulled into hugs, their laughter filling the cold air.

And then – 

“Tabitha.”

She turned at the familiar voice to see Jim standing on the porch. His hands were stuffed into his coat pockets and he shuffled his feet awkwardly. Tabitha’s stomach twisted. She hadn’t expected him to be here, though maybe she should have. He still cared – about the kids, about their safety. Maybe, in his own way, about her.

“Hey,” she said, her voice more level than she felt.

His eyes flicked over her, assessing. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “We’re fine.”

The kids ran up to him, and he crouched down to pick Ethan up, then wrapped them both in a firm hug. Ethan launched into a dramatic retelling of their time at the inn, and Jim listened, nodding along. Tabitha stood there, watching.

This should have felt grounding – being with her family, being safe. Instead, it felt strange, like she had stepped back into a life that didn’t quite fit the same way anymore.

And somewhere, out on the open road, Jade was still driving. Away from her. Back to his own world.

She swallowed against the ache rising in her chest.

She was home. She should feel whole.

So why did she feel like some part of her had been left behind?

Chapter Text

The days between ‘Second Christmas’, as Ethan had dubbed it, and New Year’s Eve went by quickly. The kids enjoyed opening their presents immensely, probably more than they would have, had they made it to their grandparents’ when planned.

Jim asked if it was alright if he stayed at a motel nearby until after New Year, so he could spend time with their kids. Tabitha agreed, although slightly apprehensively. She remembered how bad things had gotten between them before the divorce – the screaming matches, the accusations. She expected more of the same, but turned out to be wrong. It was almost surreal how civil they were being with each other. 

He took Ethan and Julie ice-skating and to the cinema, even invited her for coffee at her favorite café from her teens while the kids played cards with their grandparents. He asked if she needed anything, made small talk, and for the first time in a long time, they didn’t argue.

After one of their outings, Tabitha’s mom invited Jim to stay for dinner, and she didn’t protest.

It was just the two of them in the kitchen, washing and drying the dishes side by side, everyone else having retired to watch TV in the living room. A pause in movement made her look up and notice Jim observing her closely. Suddenly not knowing what to do with herself, she filled a glass with cold water.

“Something’s different,” he said eventually.

She raised an eyebrow, sipping her water. “Different how?”

He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. “You seem... distracted. Happier, but also like you’ve got something on your mind.” He smirked knowingly. “Who’s this Jade guy?”

Tabitha nearly choked on her water. “Excuse me?”

He shrugged. “The kids mentioned him a few times. Ethan thinks he’s cool. Julie called him ‘not a complete idiot’ which, coming from her, is basically high praise.” He tilted his head. “You haven’t said much about him, though.”

She hesitated, staring at the floor absently. “He was just... someone we met at the inn.”

Jim didn’t look convinced, but he let it go – for the moment. Tabitha struggled to put the conversation out of mind. It felt like two worlds had collided and she didn’t know how to react to it.

Jade’s name came up a few more times the next day, and she tried, without much success, to deflect, to steer to other topics, to ignore the knot in her stomach. Ethan had decided that he wanted to learn how to play the violin “just like Jade,” while Julie, in a dry tone, remarked that she’d never met someone so “insufferable yet strangely tolerable at the same time.” 

She was distracted as she helped her mother prepare tamales colombianos for New Year’s Eve dinner. The banana leaves had already been defrosted, washed, and dried, and the masa, perfectly seasoned, sat in a large bowl on the counter. Normally, this was one of her favorite traditions – layering the masa with potatoes, carrots, chicken, and chickpeas, then carefully folding everything into neat parcels before tying them with twine. But today, her mind was elsewhere.

“Mija,” her mother chided when she caught her spooning too little masa onto a leaf. “If you don’t put enough, the tamal will be all meat and no heart.”

Tabitha blinked, then sighed. “Sorry, Mamá.”

Her mother studied her for a moment, then reached for a strip of twine and began tying up a tamal. “Your mind is somewhere else.”

“I’m fine,” Tabitha muttered, focusing on pressing the filling into the masa properly.

Her mother hummed, unconvinced. “Mm-hmm.”

Later, as she wiped down the dining table, she overheard Ethan animatedly recounting a snowball fight to her father – one that involved Jade dramatically ‘dying’ in the snow after taking a hit to the head.

Jim caught her eye from across the room, smirking.

“Just someone from the inn, huh?”

Tabitha sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. “Drop it, Jim.”

He only chuckled and returned to his coffee, but she could feel his amusement radiating from across the room.

That evening, the house was warm with the scent of tamales steaming in large pots, filling every corner with the comforting aroma of cumin, garlic, and slow-cooked meats. Julie was sprawled out on the couch, phone in hand – probably texting Emma again. Ethan was on the floor, figurines spread around him, concocting an elaborate story. She’d tried to convince him that he’d need to take a nap if he wanted to stay awake to see the fireworks in the city center, but he wouldn’t listen.

A knock at the door startled her. They weren't expecting anyone.

“Mija, could you get that?” her mother’s voice sounded from the kitchen, where she was keeping a watchful eye on the tamales, making sure the water level in the pot didn’t drop too low.

Tabitha made her way to the door, assuming it was a neighbor or maybe one of her parents’ friends.

When she opened the door, she found herself face-to-face with the last person she thought she’d see.

Jade.

Standing there, looking slightly nervous, holding a bouquet of red roses in one hand.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” he said quickly, eyes searching hers for a reaction. “I, uh... I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Tabitha’s heart skipped a beat. “How did you-?”

“Tobey told me I was an idiot for not getting your number. He was right.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I didn’t know how to reach you, so I... might have done a bit of light stalking and found Jim’s email on his company website. Asked him if he’d tell me how to find you.”

Her eyes widened. “You talked to Jim?”

He nodded. “Yeah. He... wasn’t what I expected. Gave me a knight-on-a-white-horse talk about how he’d need to make sure that I deserved you before he’d agree to anything, but here I am so… I guess I passed the test.”

Suddenly, all those questions about Jade made sense.

Jade hesitated for just a moment before stepping closer, holding out the flowers. “Tabitha. Come to dinner with me.”

She looked at him, at the way his expression was open, hopeful, nervous in a way that made something inside her melt. Her words caught somewhere between her heart and her throat. 

“I…” she trailed off, glancing behind her as if expecting someone – her mother, Jim, or even her own doubts – to step in and make the decision for her. But no one did. Instead, she found Ethan and Julie, spying from the living room doorway. Julie gave her a thumbs-up.

Suspicion dawned on her. “Did you two know about this?”

Julie rolled her eyes. “Of course we knew.”

Jade shifted his weight slightly. “No pressure,” he added, softer this time. “I just… I had to see you. And if you don’t want to-”

“Yes.” The word left her lips before she could think twice.

A slow smile spread across Jade’s face, the kind that sent warmth blooming in her chest.

“Yeah?”

She let out a breathless chuckle. “Yeah.”

Jade held the bouquet out to her again, and this time, she took it, brushing her fingers against his in the process.

“Mija, who is it?” her mother called from the kitchen.

Tabitha turned her head toward the doorway, suddenly aware of how this must look – her standing in the threshold, holding a bouquet of roses from a man who had once been an irritating stranger but now felt like something else entirely.

She met Jade’s eyes again, something unspoken passing between them.

“Just someone from the inn,” she called back, lips twitching into a small smile.

Jade huffed out a laugh but didn’t argue.

“Let me grab my coat,” she told him.

“Take your time,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets, that easy smirk playing on his lips. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Tabitha gripped the bouquet slightly tighter than necessary, heart still hammering against her ribs. Right. She’d need to find a vase for the flowers.

She opened the door wider to let Jade in while she went in search of one.

As she stepped into the kitchen, she met Jim’s eyes across the room. He was standing by the garage door, sawdust in his hair and a grease stain on his shirt, his hands tucked into his pockets.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t smirk like before, didn’t tease. He just gave her a small nod, an almost imperceptible smile – one of approval, or maybe encouragement.

She exhaled, a knot in her chest loosening.

Setting the bouquet on the counter, she rummaged through the cabinets until she found a tall glass vase. She filled it with water from the sink, the quiet hum of the faucet the only sound in the kitchen. When she looked up, her mother was eyeing her from where she stood near the stove, arms crossed, brow raised.

Tabitha cleared her throat. “I’m going out for a bit.”

Her mother didn’t say anything for a moment, then gave a simple nod, turning back to check the steaming pot of tamales.

She placed the roses in the vase, adjusting them slightly before stepping back to admire them. They were beautiful, vibrant against the kitchen’s warm glow.

Back in the hallway, she saw Jade studying the photos on the walls. He chuckled at one of a much younger Tabitha, front teeth missing and covered head to toe in mud.

“You were cute as a kid,” he remarked as he heard her approach.

She rolled her eyes, reaching for her coat. “Glad to know I’ve downgraded.”

He turned, grinning. “Didn’t say that. You ready?”

She glanced toward the living room one last time, buttoning up her coat. Ethan and Julie were back to doing whatever they had been before the evening took its unexpected turn. She let the reality of it sink in. She was going on a date. With Jade. On New Year’s Eve. If she hadn’t already known she wasn’t dreaming, she would’ve pinched herself.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

Outside, the chilly air nipped at Tabitha’s cheeks. Jade offered her his arm with a teasing smile.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked, slipping her hand through the crook of his elbow.

“You’ll see,” he said, leading her toward his car. He opened the passenger door for her before rounding to the driver’s side.

The drive downtown was filled with easy conversation and stolen glances. Tabitha found herself relaxing, the initial nerves fading into quiet excitement.

Dinner stretched longer than either of them had expected. Between the laughter, the stories, and the unspoken electricity between them, neither seemed eager for the night to end.

By the time they left the restaurant, the streets were alive with anticipation. People gathered in the main plaza, where strings of lights hung between buildings, casting a warm glow over the crowds. Street vendors sold sparklers and glowing headbands, and a DJ played upbeat music from a temporary stage set up near the clock tower.

Jade took her hand as they weaved through the people. “This alright?” he asked, fingers lacing with hers.

She nodded, squeezing his hand slightly in response.

They found a spot near the edge of the plaza, close enough to see the fireworks being prepped on the rooftops above. The countdown began, the energy around them reaching a fever pitch.

“Ten… nine… eight…”

Tabitha glanced around, spotting her family a little ways off in the crowd. Ethan was on Jim’s shoulders, pointing excitedly at the sky. Julie was rolling her eyes at something their grandfather had said, but even she looked happy.

“Three… two… one!”

The first firework exploded in a dazzling burst of color, streaks of red and gold illuminating Jade’s face as he turned toward her. His eyes were soft, searching for hers.

Then, as if drawn together by gravity itself, she leaned in, and so did he. Another explosion painted the sky in shimmering blues and silvers, cascading like falling stars, but Tabitha barely noticed. All that mattered was the warmth of his gaze, the way he reached for her without hesitation. The moment their lips met, the world around them faded – cheers and laughter melting into a distant hum, the fireworks above nothing more than a flicker at the edge of her awareness.

When they finally pulled apart, Jade rested his forehead against hers, his breath fogging in the cool night air.

“Happy New Year,” he murmured.

Tabitha smiled, her heart full. “Happy New Year.”

The fireworks continued to light up the sky, but she and Jade only had eyes for each other. She knew, whatever this was, whatever came next, it was not impossible, and it was most definitely worth it.