d under the street lamps. Claire kept busy with work at the small library where she was employed, while Emma practiced for her s

ed to wrap around her. It was the steady way he listened when she spoke, the ease of his presence. She had liv

They built a snow fort in Jack's backyard while Claire and Ja

said, smiling as Noah and Emma

never had many close friends. Moving around so much when she

needed a friend too. Since his mom passed, he has

able. Claire felt the weight of unspoken stories hanging

mma's father was not ready to be a parent. He left before she was born.

his expression full of something

simply. "That says everything a

heard sympathy before, she had heard jud

ly. "How did you keep goi

ays that was all I had. For the first year, everything reminded me of her. But then I would se

e contact was brief, but powerful. She saw in him the same resili

oice rang out. "Mom

told her he had noticed. Together, they walked into the snow

artoons, Claire found herself lingering. Jack walked her to the doo

day," he said. His voice

re replied, her heart beating f

arried with her the warmth of Jack's words, the safety of his presenc

as felt less like something to endur