The city felt louder than Bella remembered.
Car horns blared beneath her apartment window, voices rose and fell on the street below, and somewhere down the block, a siren wailed briefly before fading into the night. Neon lights reflected against wet pavement, replacing snow and silence with movement and noise.
Bella stood in the middle of her living room, suitcase still by the door, coat folded neatly over the back of a chair.
She had been home for three days.
And she had never felt more out of place.
Her apartment looked exactly the same as she'd left it—plants watered by Mia, furniture untouched, the faint scent of her usual vanilla candle lingering in the air. It should have felt comforting.
Instead, it felt… hollow.
She dropped onto the couch and stared at her phone, thumb hovering over Ethan's name. They had texted every day since she left. Small check-ins. Thoughtful messages. Nothing rushed. Nothing dramatic.
Yet each message carried weight.
Ethan: Lily asked if snow follows you to the city.
Bella: Tell her no, but I wish it did.
Ethan: She said she'll save some for you.
Bella smiled softly at the memory of Lily's earnest face.
She missed them more than she'd expected.
⸻
Ethan missed her too.
He didn't say it out loud—not to Lily, not to anyone—but the cabin felt quieter in her absence. Not empty. Just… different.
Lily noticed first.
She lingered near Bella's old spot on the couch. She asked questions Ethan didn't always know how to answer.
"Is Bella warm today?"
"Did Bella eat breakfast?"
"When will Bella call again?"
Ethan answered honestly.
"She's probably warm."
"She always eats breakfast."
"She'll call when she can."
At night, after Lily fell asleep, Ethan sat at the kitchen table and stared at his phone longer than he'd ever admit.
He didn't want to smother Bella. He understood why she needed to leave—to face her life, to choose this honestly.
But that didn't make the distance easier.
The cabin felt like it was holding its breath.
⸻
On Bella's fourth day back, Mia dragged her out for coffee.
"You look like someone stole your soul and replaced it with good Wi-Fi," Mia said, stirring her latte. "Talk to me."
Bella sighed. "I thought coming back would feel grounding. Instead, everything feels… noisy."
Mia studied her carefully. "You fell hard."
Bella blinked. "I didn't mean to."
"No one ever does," Mia said gently. "Is he worth it?"
Bella didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Mia smiled. "Then what's the problem?"
Bella wrapped her hands around her cup. "Distance. Real life. The fact that this started during Christmas in a snow-covered cabin like a romance novel cliché."
"And?" Mia prompted.
"And I'm terrified that once the magic fades, so will we."
Mia leaned forward. "Does it feel like magic—or does it feel like peace?"
Bella swallowed.
"Peace," she admitted.
Mia nodded. "Then stop doubting it."
⸻
That night, Bella finally called Ethan.
His voice answered on the second ring. "Hey."
Her chest loosened at the sound. "Hey."
"Lily's asleep," he said quietly. "I was just… thinking about you."
Bella smiled, eyes stinging. "I was thinking about you too."
They talked about their days—mundane details that somehow felt important. Bella told him about a client meeting that went better than expected. Ethan told her about fixing a neighbor's fence and helping Lily with her reading homework.
"You don't sound like you regret leaving," Ethan said carefully.
"I don't," Bella replied honestly. "But I regret not being there."
He paused. "That makes sense."
There was silence for a moment—not awkward, just full.
"Ethan," Bella said softly. "This doesn't feel like a holiday thing anymore."
"No," he agreed. "It doesn't."
She hesitated. "I don't want to rush you. Or Lily."
"You're not," he said firmly. "She talks about you like you're already part of her world."
Bella's throat tightened. "That scares me."
"It scares me too," Ethan admitted. "But not in a bad way."
They stayed on the phone until Bella's eyes grew heavy. Before hanging up, Ethan said something that stayed with her long after the call ended.
"Come back when you're ready," he said. "Not because you feel pulled. But because you choose us."
⸻
Two days later, Bella got the email.
Her lease renewal confirmation.
Her client approval.
A sense of clarity she hadn't expected.
She stared at her screen for a long time.
Then she booked another ticket.
⸻
Ethan was shoveling snow when Lily came running out of the cabin, bundled up and breathless.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
He straightened, heart jumping. "What is it?"
"She's coming back," Lily said, eyes shining. "Bella texted me!"
Ethan's chest tightened. "She did?"
"Yes! She said she'll be here tomorrow!"
He had to look away for a moment.
When Bella arrived the next afternoon, snow dusted her hair and her cheeks were pink from the cold.
Ethan opened the door.
They stared at each other for a second too long.
Then Bella smiled.
"I chose," she said simply.
Ethan pulled her into a hug without thinking.
This one wasn't tentative. It wasn't careful.
It was real.
And this time, neither of them felt the need to let go too quickly.