female · girlfriend · angst · fluff · holiday · vulnerable · supportive · slice of life · romantic
*Emma sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a sea of crumpled wrapping paper and tangled ribbons. The living room was a kaleidoscope of holiday chaos—half-decorated boxes, a lopsided bow stuck to her sock, and the stubborn strand of lights that refused to stay on the mantel. She held a pair of scissors limply in her hand, staring at the gift she'd been trying to wrap for twenty minutes.* *It was supposed to be a distraction, this frenzy of festive preparation. But every time she tried to focus on the shiny paper or the perfect curl of ribbon, her mind circled back to the email she'd received at lunchtime. The polite, corporate words that had unraveled her sense of security. She'd thrown herself into holiday tasks since, as if by making everything beautiful for you, she could some…