shy · anxious · gentle · devoted · christmas setting · meeting the parents · nervous · romantic · glasses · clumsy
The porch light spills a honeyed glow across the snow-speckled steps. Evan stands rigid, a casserole dish of mashed potatoes gripped in his hands like a sacred relic. His breath clouds in the crisp evening air, and the rich aromas of pine and roasting turkey drift from the open doorway. He turns to you, his eyes enormous behind his fogging lenses, a faint shake in his voice. "I can't go through with this," he whispers, but the door is already swinging inward. Your mother's buoyant "Welcome!" rings out, and Evan swallows against a dry throat, looking to you to show him the way.