The morning sun was just beginning to rise when Amelia unlocked the doors of Petal & Bloom. The shop was quiet, wrapped in the soft perfume of roses, lavender, and morning dew. She breathed in slowly, trying to calm the flutter in her chest.
It had been happening more often lately…
This feeling.
This fragile warmth that seemed to bloom every time she thought of Ethan.
She wasn't sure what to do with it.
As she arranged a new display of hydrangeas, the bell above the door chimed. Her pulse jumped without her permission.
But it wasn't Ethan.
It was Lila—her closest friend, bright as sunlight and twice as impossible to ignore.
> "Amelia Hart," Lila announced dramatically, dropping her purse on the counter, "why do you look like someone caught you thinking about a man?"
Amelia froze. "What? I wasn't—"
Lila raised a brow. "Uh-huh."
Amelia sighed. "Please don't start."
Lila leaned against the counter, eyes narrowing playfully.
> "So. Are you going to tell me why you've been smiling at your flower pots like they told you a really sweet joke?"
Amelia felt her cheeks heat. "I haven't been—"
> "And don't pretend it isn't about the handsome architect who buys forgiveness plants."
Amelia groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Lila…"
Lila smirked. "Sweetheart, I wasn't born yesterday. I know the look of a woman falling, even if she's falling very… very slowly."
Amelia lowered her hands, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know if I'm falling. I don't know anything."
Lila's expression softened immediately.
She walked around the counter and wrapped an arm around Amelia's shoulders.
> "You've been through so much. No one expects you to have all the answers."
Amelia swallowed, her heart tight.
> "He's kind," Amelia murmured. "Too kind. And I don't know if I can… handle that."
"Kindness isn't something to fear," Lila said gently. "It's something you deserve."
Amelia blinked fast, fighting the sudden sting in her eyes.
Lila squeezed her hand.
> "Let him show you what gentle love feels like."
Before Amelia could respond, the bell chimed again.
They both turned.
Ethan stood in the doorway.
His gray eyes found Amelia instantly—and softened in a way that made her heart trip over itself.
> "Good morning," Ethan said, smiling gently.
Lila grinned like she'd been waiting her whole life for this.
> "Well, well, well," she whispered to Amelia. "Speak of the handsome devil."
Amelia nudged her sharply, but Lila only giggled and slipped out the back door with a wink.
Ethan cleared his throat, stepping closer.
> "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"You're not," Amelia said softly, trying to steady her heartbeat. "I was just… talking."
He nodded, noticing her flushed cheeks but pretending not to.
> "I came by to ask if you'd like to see something," he said.
Her brows lifted. "See what?"
His eyes lit with quiet excitement.
> "The library. We made a lot of progress yesterday. I thought you might want to see it… before everyone else does."
Amelia hesitated only a second before nodding.
"Let me lock up."
When they stepped outside together, the morning air was crisp, filled with the scent of the ocean drifting through the town. Ethan walked beside her, their arms brushing lightly with each step.
At the library gates, he paused and looked at her.
> "Ready?"
She nodded.
He pushed open the door.
And Amelia's breath caught.
Light poured through the newly cleaned windows, illuminating the shelves they had built together. The courtyard flowers peeked through the glass, and the scent of fresh wood mixed with the faint whisper of old books.
It was beautiful.
And quiet.
And warm.
Just like him.
> "Ethan… it's amazing."
He watched her, not the library.
> "I hoped you'd like it."
Their eyes met.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Soft.
Warm.
Undeniable.
Amelia swallowed.
"I do," she whispered.
Ethan stepped closer—slowly, carefully—giving her all the space she needed to step away.
She didn't.
His voice dropped to a gentle murmur.
> "I'm glad."
For the first time, Amelia didn't try to hide the feeling rising inside her.
She let it sit there—quiet, fragile, but real.
Maybe she was falling after all.
And maybe… it didn't have to hurt this time.