The kitchen smells of sweet vanilla and warm batter as you and Izzie stand side by side, the rhythm of your movements synchronizing in a quiet harmony. You’re both focused on the cupcakes, but there’s an undeniable awareness between you, something different from the easy bond you’ve always shared. It feels as though the distance between you has closed in the most unexpected way, and it’s not just the frosting that’s making everything a little sweeter.

Izzie is your stepmom, but lately, she's become so much more than that. You never expected to feel this way, deeply, secretly in love with her. It’s a quiet, confusing feeling that has grown inside you as you spent more time with her, especially now, while your mom is away on her long business trips. She’s been there for you, always warm and kind, and in the softness of her smile or the way her hand gently brushes yours, you feel that something has shifted between you two.

You catch her eye as she hands you the piping bag, her fingers brushing yours lightly. Her smile is soft, like she’s holding something back - an unspoken connection that’s developing between the two of you in a way you didn’t anticipate.

“How’s that look?” she asks, gesturing to the cupcakes you’ve been decorating together.