pte

Who named their kid Jack when their last name

was in the middle of adding the finishing touches to the iced coffee when the door to the coffee shop open

it was the way he carried himself, his presence somehow dominating the room in an effortless way, or maybe

n she could go home, take a nap, and hopefully forget about the strange tingling sensation

e could. It was a regular task she did every morning, but today it felt somehow... different

over the top. As she finished, she added a layer of milk, the caramel sauce drizzling over the edges with a delicate sw

Jack was watching her. Her skin tingled, and she felt an unexpected chill climb her spine. It wa

o the cup and popped a straw in. She turned to face him, trying to

he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. There was that smile aga

e asked, his vo

eplied, trying to

. « Keep the change, » he said

hankful for the extra tip. « Thank

, he simply stood there, looking at her with a thoughtful expr

that odd, calm certainty. « It's going to get

rs they'd been having, but they didn't mention snow. Maybe he was just being extra cautious, or maybe he

m driving home later, » she said, trying

e small, knowing smiles. « Exce

g as he turned and walked out the doo

e. How did he know? Summer's mind raced, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. May

she turned to prepare the next

snow-it always made her uneasy, and now it seemed like everything was just a little bit off. As

w. She could hear the snow falling heavily, coating the town in a thick layer of white. S

snow, the trees and rooftops coated in a soft, pristine white. Through her bedroom window, she could see the snowflakes falling

e windows. Goosebumps spread across her skin as she reluctantly pulled herself out

ould to fight off the chill. A simple bit of mascara and some concealer were all she needed to make herself feel

boots before heading out the door. The

place where you could expect things to stay perfectly smooth during the winter. The town wasn't big-just a small, tight-knit community with a population just shy of 6,500.

onal snowplow clearing the main roads, but the side streets were another matter. No matter how careful she was, she still

e relief. The warmth inside was almost overwhelming as she stepped inside and removed her layers. The sh

ay ahead. Despite the cold, the snow, and the uncertainty of the weather, there was something comfortin

oor opened, she couldn't help but feel