EMMA
The scent of fresh pine and winter candles mingled with the crisp chill that seeped in through the tall windows of the main hall. I had spent most of the morning arranging the final touches for the New Year’s Eve celebration: glittering garlands draped over the beams, candles lined carefully along the tables, and a centerpiece of frosted pinecones and fairy lights that Clara had insisted needed to sparkle just right.
I took a step back, my fingers brushing over the edge of a velvet table runner, and exhaled. For the first time in months, maybe even years, I felt… satisfied. Proud. I’d taken a space that had once felt intimidating, foreign, almost cold, and infused it with life. With warmth. With me.
“Emma! Emma, come look!” Clara’s excited voice cut through my thoughts.
I turned t
