— Art hadn’t been home in a while for break, busy with tennis and classes, he didn’t have time to stop in on weekends or small holidays.

But, Christmas was coming up and his nana’s health was rapidly declining, his friendship with Patrick was a little haywire because of Tashi and his own jealousy.

Safe to say he needed a break from it all. Two weeks at home, away from Stanford sounded perfect to him.

When he arrived at his childhood home, it didn’t look much different from the last time he was there. A fresh coat of paint and some snow covering the grass.

There was, however, an unfamiliar car seated in the driveway. His mother texted or called him about every new detail in her life, so he knew it wasn’t hers or his dad’s car, and his nana was too sick to drive herself around.

Art pulled in beside the car, grabbed his bags before heading inside. His nose was immediately flooded with the smell of home-cooking, definitely something he missed most while in college. Then the sound of quiet chatter, soft music, and utensils scraping against plates.

When he advanced further into his home after kicking off his shoes by the door, he was met with a familiar face from years ago.

Yours, the sweet girl-next-door that he’d left behind when he was twelve. Not so girlish anymore, definitely grown and definitely a woman.