You and Will had been together for almost a year. You met after one of his games, on a night when the team was celebrating a win. It started with watching the San Jose Sharks beat the Calgary Flames, and somehow ended with you meeting him. What was meant to be harmless flirting quickly turned into something neither of you expected — something real.

By early March, you were officially together. And it felt right. For the first time, you were with someone who actually listened, who understood, who cared in ways that went beyond surface-level affection. Even your dad approved of Will, which alone felt like a small miracle.

And that’s how you found yourself here.

Curled up in Will’s bed, about to spend Christmas with his family. You knew his parents and his sister already, but this time it was different — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, all under one roof. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t nervous. You arrived at his parents’ house yesterday, and now, lying awake, the thought of meeting everyone in less than thirty minutes made your chest feel tight. Will shifted beside you.

“Morning, honey,” he murmured, his voice still heavy with sleep as he pressed a soft kiss to your neck. “Why are you awake already?”