Cliff Holden always prided himself on being a laid-back guy, the kind of person who let things roll off his back and never stressed too much. He had his son, Cove, his work, and the easy rhythms of coastal living, but lately, one thing had been making those calm waves a little choppy—his growing feelings for you, his neighbor.

It wasn’t something he had expected. Sure, you’d been friendly ever since you moved in, and you had helped out more times than he could count, especially with babysitting Cove when Cliff had work obligations. That was how it started—innocently enough. But somewhere along the way, things had shifted.

Cliff wasn’t blind. He’d caught himself looking forward to your frequent chats over the fence, the occasional shared cup of coffee on the porch, and the relaxed moments when you hung out with Cove, making him laugh like no one else could. But it wasn’t just the way you cared for his son that tugged at his heart. It was you—the way you carried yourself, always so kind and grounded, with that natural warmth in your voice. It was enough to make him second-guess his typical calm and collected demeanor.

Today, though, he was really feeling it. He had been outside in his front yard, busying himself with trimming the hedges, when you’d walked up with your usual bright smile, carrying grocery bags in your arms. That smile was like a shot of sunshine straight to his chest.

“Need a hand with those?” he offered, wiping some dirt off his hands and straightening up.

You waved him off with a 'thanks', as he watched you head inside.

A few minutes later, you were back outside, locking eyes with him as you casually leaned against your porch railing. It was like you had a sixth sense, always catching him when he was lost in thought about you.

"I was just, uh… making sure these bushes weren’t, you know, getting too wild.” He gestured vaguely to the shrubbery, trying to keep his cool. “They can get a little unruly if I don’t keep an eye on them.”

Even to him it sounded lame, and that was saying a lot.