LOGINThey moved from the kitchen to the formal dining room. The long mahogany table was beautifully set with fine china, crystal glasses, and autumn-colored linens. Eleanor had outdone herself with the presentation, even if her mood remained frosty.Everyone took their seats. Henry sat beside Andrea, his hand resting reassuringly on her knee under the table. Richard sat at the head, Eleanor opposite him.Eleanor began serving the food — generous portions of roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. The aroma filled the room.Richard smiled warmly as he accepted his plate. “This looks wonderful, dear.”For the first few minutes, the only sounds were silverware against plates and polite compliments on the food. Then Richard spoke up, his tone bright.“Henry, I spoke with your sister two days ago. She confirmed she’s coming back to Chicago for Christmas. We’ll all be celebrating together this year.”Henry’s face lit up with genuine excitement. “Really? She’s
Two days later, Thanksgiving had arrived.Andrea sat in the passenger seat of Henry’s car, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as they drove toward his family’s estate on the outskirts of Chicago. Her small baby bump was visible under the modest but elegant navy dress she had chosen. She kept smoothing the fabric nervously.Henry glanced over at her, one hand on the wheel, the other reaching to gently squeeze her thigh.“You okay?” he asked softly.Andrea gave him a small smile. “Nervous. You know how your mother can be. But… I can do this. For you. For us.”Henry lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “You don’t have to prove anything. If it gets too much, we leave. Simple as that.”The car pulled up to the large, elegant Moore family home. Henry parked, then came around to open Andrea’s door. She stepped out holding a beautifully wrapped box of homemade cookies and marshmallows she had spent the morning preparing with care.They walked to the front door hand-in-hand. Henry knoc
Marcus sat down slowly on the floor beside Mindy, leaving a small but respectful space between them. The nursery felt even smaller now, the silence heavy and suffocating.Mindy watched him warily, arms still crossed. “What is it?”Marcus let out a long, shaky breath. His hands trembled slightly as he clasped them together in his lap. He stared at the half-assembled shelf in front of them for a long moment before speaking.“This is actually a very huge secret,” he said quietly. “I haven’t told anybody. Nobody knows. Not even Serena. Only Henry knows the full story.”Mindy’s expression shifted from annoyance to surprise. “What kind of secret is that big?”Marcus swallowed hard. “I’m not telling you this because I want you to pity me or feel bad for me. I’m telling you because… you deserve to know. It’s not fair that I keep shutting you out when you’ve been trying so hard to be there for me.”“Okay, I’m all ears.” Mindy murmured.Marcus’s voice dropped even lower, almost to a whisper.“W
Henry stepped out of the nursery and immediately pulled the door shut behind him. The soft click of the lock echoed in the hallway.Andrea was already waiting there, leaning against the wall with a mischievous grin. The second Henry turned around, they both raised their hands and gave each other a loud, triumphant high-five.“Yes!” Andrea whispered excitedly, barely containing her laughter.Henry chuckled, shaking his head. “I can’t believe we actually did that.”They stood outside the door for a moment, listening. They could hear muffled voices–Mindy’s sharp tone and Marcus’s low, annoyed reply. Both of them burst into quiet laughter again.“Come on,” Henry said, grabbing Andrea’s hand. “Let’s give them some space.”He led her upstairs to their bedroom. Once inside, Andrea flopped onto the bed with a satisfied sigh. Henry joined her, pulling her close so her head rested on his chest.“Are you sure about this?” Henry asked after a minute, his fingers gently stroking her arm. “The way
Henry and Andrea spent the next morning finalizing their plan over breakfast. They sat at the kitchen island, coffee steaming in their mugs, exchanging mischievous smiles like two kids plotting the ultimate prank.Andrea speared a piece of fruit from Henry’s plate with her fork, grinning. “Did you call Marcus about the heavy lifting? I called Mindy earlier and asked for her help with decorating and colors. We have to act completely innocent when they see each other.”Henry nodded, already grinning as he took a sip of coffee. “Yeah, I did. He didn’t want to come at first, he said he had plans but I guilt-tripped him pretty hard. Told him I really needed the extra hands with the bigger furniture pieces. He agreed, but he sounded suspicious.” He chuckled. “This is either going to work beautifully… or blow up spectacularly in our faces.”Andrea laughed softly, rubbing her small bump absentmindedly. “It’ll work. They still love each other. They just need a little push to remember that.”By
Andrea glanced at the clock on Mindy’s wall and her eyes widened in disbelief.“Oh no… it’s already past eleven.”She sat up straighter on the couch, suddenly aware of how long she had been there. The emotional conversation with her best friend — the tears, the frustration, the raw honesty about Marcus — had made time slip away completely. The living room felt warmer now, cozier, but the weight of everything they’d talked about still lingered in the air.“I should head home,” Andrea said, reaching for her bag on the floor. “I told Henry I wouldn’t be too late. He’s probably wondering where I am.”Mindy gave her a tired but knowing smile, her eyes still a little red from crying earlier. “You should. He’s probably been waiting for you all evening. Go be with your fiancé. You two deserve a quiet night after everything.”Andrea hesitated, looking at her friend with genuine concern. Mindy looked exhausted — emotionally drained, shoulders slightly slumped. “Are you sure you’ll be okay? I ca
Andrea watched Serena help Henry out of the car and she couldn't stand still anymore.She rushed over to them and reached for Henry. "Here, let me help."Serena immediately moved between them, blocking Andrea's access. She put her hand on Henry's arm protectively."I can do it," Serena said coldly.
Henry woke up at Marcus's house and couldn't stay still.He lay in bed for an hour staring at the ceiling. Then he got up and paced the room. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. His mind kept circling back to Andrea, even after everything she said to him. He couldn’t stop th
Marcus knocked on Serena's apartment door at nine in the morning. When she opened it she was still in her pajamas, her hair messy, clearly just woken up."Marcus?" She looked confused. "What are you doing here? Why were you being so serious on the phone last night?"Marcus didn't answer. He just wa
Henry drove without knowing where he was going. His hands gripped the steering wheel too tightly and his jaw was clenched so hard it ached. The city moved past him in a blur of lights but he didn't register any of it.He just drove.Eventually he found himself pulling up outside Marcus's house. It







