Two
2009 Words
The digital alarm clock buzzed and Vanessa woke up from her deep sleep trying to convince herself that she'd dreamed the whole thing.
Then she smelled cedar and felt the buttery weight of cashmere against her skin and realized nope, still wearing his sweater. Still in his house. Still screwed.
She sat up slowly in the massive bed, blinking at the wall of windows. Outside, the world was pure white and silent, like someone had hit mute on reality. Through the open door to the connecting room she could see Maya’s sleigh-shaped bunk bed, one long leg dangling off the edge, stuffed dragon half-fallen on the floor. The sight of her daughter sleeping peacefully was the only thing keeping Vanessa from full-on panic.
A quiet knock on the door of her.
She jumped like she’d been electrocuted.
The door cracked open and there he was—Nikolas, hair still wet from a shower, wearing soft gray joggers and a black long-sleeve that looked unfairly good on him.
“Morning,” he said, voice low. Like he was trying not to scare her. Or maybe trying not to scare himself.
Vanessa pulled the sleeves over her hands. “Maya’s still out. Next room.”
“I figured.” He stayed in the doorway. Didn’t crowd her. “Coffee’s ready downstairs. Black. No nonsense.”
She gave a short, tired laugh. “You remembered.”
“I remember a lot.” His eyes flicked to the sweater, then back to her face. “You look good in my clothes.”
Her stomach did a stupid flip. She ignored it.
“Don’t start,” she muttered.
He lifted one shoulder. “Wasn’t starting anything. Just stating a fact.”
Before she could snap back, a sleepy but very awake voice drifted from the next room.
“Mommy… is the prince hero still here or did he escape during the night?”
Vanessa dropped her head into her hands. “He’s still here, Maya.”
Maya appeared in the doorway two seconds later, wild curls pulled into a messy half-ponytail from sleeping, mismatched fuzzy socks, oversized robe dragging behind her like a defeated cape. She was taller now, limbs longer, eyes sharper, that seven year old mixture of baby face and sudden big-kid attitude.
“Prince Nik!” she announced, striding over and planting both hands on her hips. “Are we doing the castle tour today or what?”
Nikolas grinned small, crooked, devastating. “Morning, commander. Tour’s on the agenda.”
“Excellent.” Maya nodded like she’d just closed a business deal. “But first breakfast. I’m starving. And I want extra whipped cream on the hot chocolate later.”
Vanessa rubbed her temples. “Maya, maybe pants first?”
“Pants are negotiable,” Maya said seriously.
Nikolas looked at Vanessa over Maya’s head, eyes dancing. “She negotiates now. I’m impressed.”
“You’re encouraging,” Vanessa told him.
“I’m terrified of her,” he deadpanned. “That’s different.”
Breakfast was loud and fast in the stupidly beautiful kitchen.
Maya sat between them, directing Nikolas on how to stack her pancakes into a “proper fortress” with bacon flags. He followed orders with military precision.
Vanessa watched over her coffee mug. “You’re really doing this.”
“Doing what?” Nikolas asked, placing a blueberry where Maya had demanded “the royal treasure.”
“Letting a seven year old run your kitchen like she owns it.”
“She’s terrifying,” he said solemnly. “I’m just trying to stay alive.”
Maya smirked. “I’m scary like a dragon queen.”
“Terrifying dragon queen,” Nikolas agreed.
Vanessa snorted despite herself.
After breakfast Maya grabbed two of his fingers and tugged. “Tour time. Let’s go!”
"Easy Bambi. No tour till after you shower." Vanessa said.
"Ugggh." Maya groaned and Nikolas smirked.
"Why do you have to be a killjoy?" He smiled at her and she rolled her eyes.
After showering they both followed Nik to the library
Maya stopped dead in the doorway, mouth falling open.
“This… is insane,” she breathed. “It’s literally Beauty and the Beast level. Look at all these books!”
She ran forward, spinning in the middle of the room like she was trying to take it all in at once. Floor-to-ceiling shelves, dark wood, rolling ladder, the faint smell of old paper and leather polish.
Vanessa leaned against the doorframe. “Minus the beast.”
“Yet,” Nikolas murmured, stepping past her.
Maya spotted the rolling ladder and gasped again. “Can I ride it? Like Belle?”
Nikolas walked over and pulled the ladder smoothly along the track. “Hop on. Lowest rung only.”
Maya scrambled up. “Higher!”
Vanessa stepped forward instinctively. “She’ll fall.”
“She won’t.” He planted himself beside the ladder, one hand steadying the frame, the other resting lightly on Maya’s back. “I’ve got her.”
Maya slid along the shelves, giggling every time the ladder rattled. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Look, there’s a whole row of dragon books!”
She pointed excitedly. Nikolas reached up and pulled one down for her a thick, illustrated volume with a gold-foil dragon on the cover.
“Read the first page?” Maya begged.
Nikolas glanced at Vanessa. She gave a tiny shrug.
He opened the book and read the opening lines in a low, dramatic voice. Maya listened with huge eyes, completely enchanted.
When he finished the page, she sighed happily. “You should be a narrator. Or a king. Or both.”
Vanessa couldn’t help the small smile. “She’s not wrong.”
They walked to the indoor Pool Room
"Next stop..... the glass-walled pool room."
Maya pressed both hands and her forehead to the glass. “This is mermaid headquarters. Look at the lights under the water, they’re like stars!”
The pool glowed soft blue, steam rising faintly in the cold air outside the windows.
“Can we swim?” Maya asked, turning to Nikolas.
“When it’s not negative a million outside,” Vanessa answered automatically.
Maya sighed dramatically. “Fine. But I’m claiming this as my secret base. I’ll need a throne over there—” she pointed at the far end “—and maybe a slide. Do you have a slide?”
Nikolas shook his head. “No slide. But there’s a waterfall feature.”
Maya’s eyes lit up. “Show me!”
He walked her over to the control panel and pressed a button. A gentle cascade started at one end, rippling across the surface.
Maya clapped. “Okay, this is officially the coolest room in the castle.”
Vanessa watched them, Nikolas patiently explaining how the lights changed colors, Maya nodding like she was taking mental notes for her future empire.
For a second Vanessa felt something soft and dangerous bloom in her chest. She shoved it down.
They left the indoor pool after Maya finally agreed on leaving though very reluctant.
"Well maybe you'd love the home theater." Nicholas tried pacifying.
The theater room was next they entered. Maya marched straight to the biggest recliner and climbed in like she owned it.
“We’re watching Frozen,” she announced. “And everyone has to sing.”
Nikolas sighed. “I’m terrible.”
“Perfect,” Vanessa said sweetly. “Join the club.”
Maya grabbed the remote and found the movie on the massive screen. She didn’t actually start it—just scrolled to the song list and hit play on “Let It Go.”
“Sing!” she commanded.
Nikolas suffered through the first verse in a low, cracked, completely unpolished voice.
Maya joined in at full volume, off-key and fearless.
Vanessa tried to stay quiet, but Maya pointed at her. “Mommy too!”
She gave in. By the chorus the three of them were belting it—terribly, loudly, laughing through half the words.
When the song ended Maya flopped back in the recliner. “That was epic. We should do this every day.”
Vanessa wiped her eyes, still laughing. “Let’s not get carried away.”
They walked out of the house and outside the porch they looked around and the snow had covered a lot of places outside the house and hills that surrounded.
But Maya wasn’t done.
“Snow fort. Right now!”
Vanessa glanced at the blizzard. “Maya, it’s still coming down hard.”
“But the prince protects us,” Maya said, like it was obvious. “And I need a fort to plan my dragon defense strategy.”
Nikolas met Vanessa’s eyes. “I’ve got snow gear. Kid sizes included.”
“Of course you do,” she muttered.
Maya tugged her sleeve. “Please, Mom? Biggest fort ever. Hot chocolate inside. Dragon stories. I’ll even let you be co-ruler.”
Vanessa looked at her daughter’s pleading, determined face.
Then at Nikolas' calm, patient, watching her with that quiet intensity that used to make her feel seen and terrified at the same time.
She sighed. “Fine. But if we lose fingers to frostbite, I’m selling this castle on Shopify.”
Nikolas snickered and Maya smiled and sighed.
Maya whooped and fist-pumped.
The courtyard was a winter postcard, snow piled high, pines standing guard, wind blocked by high stone walls. Nikolas had already cleared a path and dragged out a huge bin of snow gear. Some snow pants, boots, gloves, hats with giant pom-poms, even a sled.
Maya dove in, zipping herself up like a pro. “I’m ready to build an empire.”
Vanessa laughed, helping adjust her scarf. “Slow down, empire builder.”
Nikolas started packing snow into a solid base wall. Maya immediately took charge of the “throne room” design.
Halfway through, when the fort was starting to look more like a proper structure than a lumpy hill, heavy footsteps crunched behind them.
Grant appeared in the courtyard doorway big, stoic, black coat dusted with fresh flakes, carrying a tray with four steaming mugs.
“Hot chocolate delivery,” he rumbled. “As requested.”
Maya spun around. “Teddy-bear man! Come help build the fort!”
Grant blinked. Looked at Nikolas.
Nikolas shrugged with a smirk. “You heard the commander. Fort duty.”
Grant set the tray on a stone bench, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work. His huge hands packed snow like a machine, turning their messy walls into something almost structural.
Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t know you were a snow architect.”
Grant grunted. “Minnesota winters. Snow forts were mandatory training.” Vanessa gave him a small smile which he returned.
Maya handed him a stick. “This is the flagpole. Put it on the highest tower.”
He did solemnly, like it was a national monument.
Nikolas leaned toward Vanessa while Maya directed Grant on where to add “defensive battlements.”
“She’s got him wrapped around her finger already,” he murmured.
Vanessa smiled despite herself. “She’s good at that.”
Their eyes met his warm, hers guarded but thawing.
For a second the cold air felt charged again.
Then Maya lobbed a tiny snowball at Grant’s boot.
“Surprise attack!”
Grant looked down, scooped a handful of snow, and tossed a soft puff back.
Maya shrieked with laughter and returned fire.
Vanessa laughed, shaking her head. “This is completely insane.”
Nikolas’s voice dropped, just for her. “Insane good or insane bad?”
She met his eyes. “Still deciding.”
But when he handed her a mug of hot chocolate—fingers brushing—neither of them pulled away. They looked at each other for a short time and Nikolas blinked.
"Better join in or we miss the fun." He said.
"Yeah we should." Vanessa replied tucking her hair behind her ears and walking to Maya and Grant.
- Writer
