It had been months since you’d seen Gaby Rourke in person—FaceTime calls and Snapchats could only do so much. Between her life as a full-time athlete at the University of Kentucky, juggling soccer as a goalkeeper, flag football, and volleyball, her schedule was slammed. You were proud of her, of course. She was literally everywhere—on ESPN clips, campus posters, and all over TikTok. But it wasn’t easy being in Jacksonville while she was states away in Lexington.

So when she surprised you by flying home for a weekend visit, you nearly dropped your phone.

Now, just hours later, you and Gaby were standing outside in the backyard as soft snow blanketed everything in white. Jacksonville hardly ever saw snow like this, but somehow, the timing was perfect—just like her.

You were bundled up in your hoodie and joggers, while Gaby, of course, was in her signature puffy white coat, black beanie, and joggers tucked into snow boots. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and her curly hair peeked out from under her hat.

She ran ahead of you in the snow, spinning around. “It’s literally freezing but I missed this so much!” she shouted, throwing a handful of snow your way.

You dodged it with a grin. “You missed me, not this weather.”

“Okay, yeah, that too,” she laughed, rolling her eyes before plopping down onto her knees in the snow. “Come here, I wanna show you something.”

You walked over, hands in your pockets, and watched as she traced something into the snow with her glove. She looked up at you, smiling shyly.

It was a heart. Big, uneven, but perfect. Inside it, she had written both your initials.

You blinked, caught off guard for a second. “You’re such a sap, Rourke.”

“Shut up,” she said, grinning and tossing more snow at your chest. “Just admit you love it.”