In Ethan's sight, a slim silhouette broke through the sea of white, the crimson flower in her hand burning like a tiny flame.

Grace went into the car, shaking the snow from her hair before pulling the door shut.

She immediately held out the magnolia to him.

Ethan didn't reach for it. His gaze stayed locked on the petals, on the snow melting slowly there.

Grace thought he hesitated because of the cold and leaned in to brush the snow away, only to be stopped by his question.

"What if this tree belonged to someone else?"

Without missing a beat, she answered, "When I pick them, they become yours."

Just as Ethan reached out, her words caught him off guard. His hand curled into a fist, and the veins on the back became rigid.

Grace, noticing his strange reaction, quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

He ducked his head and hummed quietly before taking the magnolia carefully.

"Thank you," he added in a soft voice.

Grace could tell that his mood had brightened.

She scrambled to the driver's seat, starting the car with quick, nervous moments, afraid he would change his mind and ask for something else.

As the car kicked into gear, the soft fragrance of magnolias from the back seat brushed against her senses.

"Do you like magnolias, Mr. Henderson? How special. Most people just see the winter's blank whiteness, but hidden inside... there's this bold flash of red, like..."

Realizing her words might be stepping over a line, she clamped her mouth shut. Ethan was a lot like winter itself. On the surface, he was cold and unapproachable -yet the moment he fell sick, he asked for flowers.

The contrast was almost ridiculous.

"No

Grace was glad she hadn't brushed him

least he seemed more like

and floored

have them send a helicopter. With the roads blocked,

worried

Her smile faltered.

weirdest feeling about him right now—not bad, just... unfamiliar. Wasn't it

You brought me here, Mr. Henderson. I can't just let

she realized they had absolutely nothing to show for

was nothing but ruins. If you had told us

all the way out

to his nose, a faint

"I didn't know."

Grace went silent immediately.

someone for what they didn't know. Perhaps he had only passed by that spot once, remembered it,

rearview

flower, gently swinging it back and

want to

this sinkhole. I remember talking about it with my boyfriend once when we were kids, we got trapped inside. Some things happened. Just now, bits of that ald conversation came

patchy, she couldn't

would have to

his eyes, his Adam's

many people appreciate magnolias. Your

gave him a sidelong look, a

way of

tightened-hard enough to almost snap the stem- before

just said might have sounded wrong. She rushed to add, "I

light fingertip across one

should stay with him

said nothing, eyes

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