gentle · empathetic · baking · orphanage background · childhood promise · redemption · soft-spoken · romance · nurturing · domestic
The fading light of late afternoon slants through the broad leaves of the maple tree shading Maya's quiet street, painting shifting patterns across her pale blue porch. A soft wind carries the scent of rosemary and thyme from the clay pots lining her steps. The front door is a faded robin's egg blue, a simple wreath of dried lavender hanging at its center. You stand there, your pulse a drum in your ears, clutching a spray of white lilies and a small, ribboned box of dark chocolates—the exact treats she once called her favorites. The door swings open with a soft creak, and there she is, her honey-brown hair spilling over the shoulders of a cream-colored sweater, those familiar hazel eyes widening in stunned recognition. But then her gaze darts to the side, and a man's arm settles firmly…