Danielle and Seth walked down the stairs hand in hand, the morning quiet broken only by the soft creak of the steps beneath their feet and the faint sound of humming drifting up from below.
As they reached the bottom, the scent hit her all at once—warm maple, sizzling bacon, the rich, earthy promise of fresh coffee.
Lily stood in the kitchen, barefoot and relaxed in pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt, her dark curls pulled into a loose bun. She swayed gently to some melody only she could hear as she flipped pancakes with practiced ease, a pan of bacon popping beside her.
Seth squeezed Danielle’s hand and let go, stepping around her to head for the coffee pot. Lily turned her head at the sound and grinned.
“Well, good morning, lovebirds,” she said, her voice sing-song. “Look at you t
