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Lines in the Sand

Author: Rontora Nolan
last update Last Updated: 2026-01-13 03:20:55

KNOCK. KNOCK.

"I got it, Jordan. You just… handle whatever comes next," Judy said quietly, already moving toward the door before anyone could stop her.

Jordan sighed and nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. His chest tightened with a familiar unease he hadn't felt since high school—the kind that settled in his bones when he knew something was about to go wrong, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He stayed rooted where he was, heart pounding, as Judy opened the door.

She paused, surprise flickering across her face before softening into a careful, practiced smile. "Laila. This is… a pleasant surprise."

Laila shifted her weight nervously, her gaze flicking past Judy and into the house. She hadn't stepped foot inside this place since she left Lima nearly nine years ago, and the memories hit her fast and hard—late nights, laughter in the kitchen, whispered dreams she once believed would come true. "Um, I wanted to drop some things off for Jordan," she said, lifting the small bo
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  • Her Christmas Wish   Second Chances, Slow Steps

    Malaya finished her stocking like it was a timed sport, then climbed to her knees and announced, "Okay. Presents."Jordan chuckled, pretending to stretch like he needed to warm up for the challenge. "Let's do it."Gift after gift, Malaya talked through every single one like she had to make sure Jordan understood each fully—where it would go in her room, what she would do with it, how she would show Uncle Bas the stickers as soon as they got back home.Judy had made her a crochet blanket—red and gold with little snowflakes stitched into the edges—and Malaya wrapped it around her shoulders like a cape, declaring herself "Captain Cozy." Jake and Jenny had gotten her a pile of toys that made her eyes shine, plus a sparkly notebook labeled SECRET THOUGHTS, which Malaya immediately declared off-limits to adults.And Jordan… Jordan had gone big.When Malaya tore into the last wrapped box and found the limited edition Ms. Marvel comic—still in its protective sleeve—her mouth dropped open."No

  • Her Christmas Wish   Merry Morning

    Laila swallowed, staring at him. "I don't know...But I do know that we aren't enemies. And I know that I want you in her life. It doesn't mean I don't… care."Jordan let out a breath, slow and shaky. "I can live with that," he said, even though it sounded like a lie he was forcing himself to believe. "If that's what it takes to keep her… to keep you both in my life."Laila's eyes flicked to Malaya again. "Then that's what it takes," she said.The fort creaked softly as Malaya shifted, a sleepy sigh leaving her lips."Momma?"Laila blinked, the softness in that little voice cutting straight through the knot in her chest. Malaya pushed herself upright inside the fort, curls everywhere, cheeks pink from sleep, clutching her unicorn to her chest like it had guarded her dreams all night.Laila's whole face changed. Whatever she'd been carrying—fear, caution, old hurt—shifted instantly into something gentler. "Hey, Lil Nugget," she whispered, smoothing Malaya's hair back and pressing a kis

  • Her Christmas Wish   For Laya

    Laila stared at him for a long moment, the quiet stretching between them like a held breath. The soft hum of the heater and the muted glow of the Christmas lights suddenly felt too loud, too present, as if the room itself were waiting for her answer. The blanket fort around them, once warm and safe, now felt fragile—like it might collapse under the weight of everything left unsaid.“Okay…” she said finally, her voice careful and measured, the way it always became when she was afraid of what the truth might bring. “Well… did you love her? Or do you?”Jordan didn’t hesitate. He shook his head slowly, decisively. “No,” he said, the word firm but not unkind. “I dated her because she was there—because it was easy, familiar, and because I didn’t want to be alone.” He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “But when it comes to real relationships… the ones that actually matter…”He reached up gently, brushing a strand of hair away from Laila’s face, his touch reverent rather than possessive.

  • Her Christmas Wish   Christmas Morning Truths

    Jordan awoke with a smile already pulling at his lips, the kind that came from a place deeper than habit or fleeting happiness. For a long moment, he didn’t move. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the heater and the distant, muted sounds of the city beginning to wake outside the hotel windows. Somewhere far below, a car horn blared, and someone laughed, but up here—inside this room—everything felt suspended in time.His gaze slowly shifted to the two people beside him, and his breath caught. Laila was still asleep, one arm tucked under her pillow, her curls fanned across the blanket. Malaya lay curled between them, tangled in blankets, stuffed animals, and the mismatched pillows from the fort they’d built the night before. Her thumb was tucked near her mouth, her unicorn plush pressed close to her chest, her face relaxed in a way that only came with complete safety.The sight hit him square in the chest—warm, overwhelming, and terrifying all at o

  • Her Christmas Wish   Just Tonight

    “Laila, I know we can’t go back,” he replied quietly, his thumb brushing her cheek in a slow, grounding motion. It was as if his thumb was trying to anchor her to the present moment before it slipped away from them. His touch was careful, reverent—nothing like the reckless confidence he’d once had at seventeen. “But we can choose what happens next. We can decide what we do with what we have now. I’m not asking to rewrite history. I’m asking to be here.”His nearness unraveled her in a way she hadn’t been prepared for. The warmth of him, the familiarity of his presence, the way he still fit so easily into her space—it all cracked something open inside her that she’d spent years reinforcing and locking down. It felt dangerous, standing this close to him again, feeling how natural it still was. His lips brushed hers once more—tentative and restrained, as if he were asking permission rather than taking it this time. When she didn’t pull away, the kiss deepened, slow and deliberate, carefu

  • Her Christmas Wish   The Life We Dreamed Of

    As Snow Day played softly on the television, Malaya lay curled between them, warm and content, her small body tucked securely under layers of blankets, pillows, and mismatched throws that made up their carefully engineered blanket fort. She slept deeply, the kind of sleep only children manage on Christmas—utterly unburdened, safe, and full of quiet joy. One hand was fisted in Jordan’s hoodie as if she might lose him if she let go, while the other rested against Laila’s arm, small fingers splayed trustingly against her skin.The glow from the screen cast gentle shadows across the ceiling, flickering snowflakes, and animated characters dancing over the fabric walls of the fort. The air smelled faintly of popcorn and hot cocoa, and for a moment—just one perfect, fragile moment—the world felt perfectly still.Jordan turned his head slightly, studying the scene as if afraid it might disappear if he blinked too hard. His voice came out barely above a whisper. “This is perfect.”Laila follow

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