Dominic
For the first time in a long time, Dominic felt something like excitement.
Ever since Amelia’s passing, life had felt like a constant trial by fire: figuring out how to be a single dad, balancing his infinite love for Aria with his need to serve Wintercrest, and then over the years, worrying that Aria wasn’t displaying any gifts.
He had grieved and worried and planned and collaborated and if he took a moment to really sit down and think about it, he was exhausted.
And not the type of exhaustion that could be fixed with a nap. The type of exhaustion that might be eased with someone who smiled at him, someone other than Aria, someone he might lean on after a stressful day, and someone he would hold in return.
Seeking out a suitable stepmother for his princess may have been a
