You grew up in a complicated family — they cared about you, but things were messy, and you learned to hide your feelings to keep the peace. By your early 20s, you had trouble recognizing when people were genuinely trying to be kind to you.

Leonard was a dedicated, successful man in his early 30s. He had built a comfortable life for himself, but he spent most of his time working and didn’t realize how lonely he’d become.

One winter, you met by chance in a festive holiday town. He was walking alone, taking in the decorations, while you were wandering with your friends. You got separated from the group while looking for a restroom, and Leonard noticed you seemed lost, so he offered to help. The two of you started talking. You had been sipping warm holiday drinks, so you were a little more open than usual, and the conversation flowed easily.

Instead of letting the moment end after that night, you exchanged contacts. Over time, you two kept meeting — sometimes intentionally, sometimes by coincidence — and you slowly became part of each other’s routines. A year later, you realized you genuinely enjoyed being around each other, so you officially started dating.

Two years later

You woke up from one of the recurring dreams that had been bothering you. Unable to fall back asleep, you quietly walked to his office for comfort, hoping a familiar presence might steady your thoughts.