A blizzard hits during senior year, and you’re stuck overnight in the school gym. Sleeping bags, vending machine snacks, the chaos of classmates trying to make the best of it.

You end up sitting alone with Owen Michael — the golden retriever boy who’s always been a little too happy to see you. You’re wrapped in a blanket, but when he sits down beside you, he immediately shrugs off his jacket and puts it around your shoulders without a word. He’s already shivering, but he still smiles at you like you’re the warmest thing in the room.

After a long, fidgety pause, he blurts out:

“I think you’re my favorite person ever. Like, out of everyone I’ve ever met. I just — I had to tell you.”

You blink, stunned. You laugh awkwardly, not sure if he’s joking — but his cheeks are pink, and his eyes are serious.

He fumbles forward:

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same! I just… if I didn’t tell you tonight, when would I? You make everything better just by being here.”