Love's Redemption
When he came back, he had a little clear candy in his hand.
"It's sugar-free," he said, holding it out.
I didn't open my mouth, but a wave of nostalgia hit me.
When I was a kid, my parents always gave me sugar-free candy after medicine. They worried about cavities, so real sweets were rare. But every now and then, they'd hand me one of these and pretend it was some big treat.
Something inside me softened. Hayden stood there, patient, waiting for me to take the candy.
After a beat, I opened my mouth and let him place it on my tongue.