I stared at the package for a moment, hesitant. “Ethan, you’ve already done so much today. This isn’t necessary.”
“Trust me,” he said, stepping closer, his expression serious. “This is necessary.”
There was a heaviness to his words that made me pause. My fingers brushed against his as I took the package, the contact sending a shiver through me.
“What’s inside?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He hesitated for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. “It’s something that will explain a lot,” he said finally, his gaze locking onto mine. “Open it later. When you’re alone.”
Before I could press him further, Luke and Theo’s voices floated in from outside, their laughter spilling into the room as they stomped snow off their boots in the entryway.
“Mom! You have to come see h
