Chapter 2

His apartment was designed in a stark minimalist style, and he'd once complained half-jokingly that I'd turned it into a cozy mess since I'd started staying over.

Yet my true personal items fit easily into a single suitcase.

As I reached the door, he called out to me. Bare-chested and leaning casually against the frame, he flicked a lighter to his cigarette.

"Nora, you're not getting any younger," he said through a puff of smoke, his lips twisting into a half-grin. "Find a good guy and settle down. We'll stay friends, yeah?"

I caught his meaning and nodded. "Yeah."

...

Eldonfield's winters were damp and insidious—not bone-chilling, but the kind of cold that seeped straight into one's core.

Flurries danced down, tiny wet specks kissing my nose. Glancing up, I saw the once-clear sky had turned moody, with fine snow whirling on the breeze.

Eldonfield hadn't seen a proper snowfall in years; ever since I'd followed Ted here, the winters had felt stripped of their former magic.

Memories pulled me back to my northern coastal hometown, where sea gales transformed moisture into thick, fluffy blankets overnight.

By dawn, the snow would bury everything knee-deep in pristine white—a bold, exhilarating sweep, unlike this city's clingy drizzle that tugged relentlessly at the heartstrings.

I dumped my bag and sank onto a bus stop bench, dialing home. My mom picked up quickly, her tone buzzing with cautious hope. "Nora?"

The cold air nipped at my nose as I rubbed it, soothing the burn. "Mom, I'm craving your apple pie."

Alice Pledge perked up immediately. "I'll whip one up! Let me check flights. Holidays are coming, and tickets might be tough..."

"No need," I cut in. "I'm heading home for Christmas this year."

A pause followed, then pure delight. "For real?"

"Yep." I tipped my head back, a flake stinging my eye as I blinked back tears, my voice growing thick. "Actually, I'm thinking of moving back for good."

...

That afternoon, I submitted my resignation.

My boss tried hard to keep me. "Is it the salary? Let's talk about bumps. The manager is leaving next year, and you're next in line. Walking away now would be a huge mistake."

I smiled softly and shook my head. "I appreciate it, Gloria, but I need to spend time with my folks back home."

Ambition had never been my driving force. I had no dreams of climbing ladders or becoming someone important—just a desire for a quiet, content life.

I'd followed Ted to Eldonfield because he was building his career here.

I had been convinced that if I stayed by his side long enough, he'd eventually see me. But love, it turned out, couldn't be forced through sheer persistence.

On my way to the hotel, a curbside bookstore was blasting lyrics that struck a chord.

"I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein, and I can't stop crying..."

I lingered there, the words echoing my own story. I first met Ted at 17 and had bent myself for him ever since.

Now I was hitting 30, and this madness had to end.

That night, dreams transported me back to the teenage Ted—the boy who had transferred to our small-town high school in his sophomore year.

While the other boys were still scruffy and unpolished, he arrived in a black down jacket, with curls framing his forehead and a tall, lean frame that made him stand out.