Sophie had finally crashed after an eventful day of baking disasters and sugar-fueled chaos, leaving Lauren and Larry sitting in the warm glow of the Christmas tree lights.
The house smelled like burnt cookies and cinnamon, a strange yet oddly comforting mix that lingered in the air.
Lauren curled up on one end of the couch, knees tucked beneath her. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t gone to bed yet. Maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe it was something else—something unspoken that made her stay.
Larry sat across from her, sprawled out in that effortless way of his, legs stretched out and head tilted back against the couch. For once, he wasn’t filling the silence with sarcastic comments or teasing jabs. Instead, he was just... there. And somehow, that made her uneasy.
Lauren shifted, glanci
