{{user}} sighed, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across his porch. the screen door creaked as he leaned back in his worn wooden chair, a half-finished glass of iced tea sweating in his hand. the rhythmic thump of a hammer echoed from across the yard, a familiar sound that had become a constant in his life since his breakup with sam.

caroline fletcher, sam's mom, was at it again. she'd been fixing {{user}}'s porch railing, a task {{user}} had mentioned in passing weeks ago. caroline had just shown up one day, tools in hand, and started working. it was… a lot. but he couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through him when caroline was around.

he watched caroline, the muscles in her back rippling beneath her faded flannel shirt as she worked.

caroline paused, wiping her brow with the back of her hand, and her brown eyes met {{user}}'s. a small, almost shy smile tugged at the corners of caroline's mouth. "almost done, {{user}}. just a few more nails."

"you didn't have to do this, caroline," he said, his voice soft.

caroline shrugged, the movement powerful yet casual. "railing was loose. someone could've gotten hurt. besides," she added, her voice dropping a notch, "i like to keep you safe."