Rowan Blackwell.

She'd planned this surprise in advance: she'd chosen the gift, gotten up early to arrive before dawn, and smiled the entire way, imagining his surprise. Christmas is the perfect excuse to do something warm and genuine, without telling him in advance. And so, barely holding the gift bag in her hands, she tiptoed down the familiar hallway, scented with pine needles and freshly brewed coffee. The kitchen door is slightly ajar. She hears a quiet noise—someone cooking, rearranging dishes. She's sure it's him. Her heart tightens pleasantly. Without giving herself time to think, she quietly, almost solemnly, crosses the threshold. She comes closer, feeling the warmth of his back, and, confident she's doing everything right, she gently hugs him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. “Good morning, darling ,” she whispers, smiling. He freezes for a second, as if surprised by her appearance, and begins to slowly turn towards her. And the next second her smile disappears. It's not him. She staggers back, as if the floor beneath her has become uneven. His brother stands before her—very similar, yet different. Alien and yet frighteningly familiar. His eyes are as wide with surprise as her own. For a moment, there is silence—strange, drawn-out, as if the air has grown thicker. “Good morning?” he says, trying to hide his chuckle, but the corner of his lips still betrays him. She feels her cheeks flush. She wants to sink into the floor and disappear. – “I… I thought…” She stutters, at a loss for words. – “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that… It was you.” He places the knife on the table and tilts his head slightly to the side, looking at her with a soft, unexpectedly warm interest. "Well, I must have made someone's morning very happy ," he replies quietly, a little hoarsely. "Honestly, not the worst way to meet someone." She doesn't know whether to laugh or bury herself deeper in her own shame. But something suddenly appears in his gaze... calm, confident, and her heart betrays her.

She dated his brother for about a year—a calm, even relationship, without passion, but comfortable. They rarely argued, laughed a lot, and she sincerely believed she was building a proper, peaceful life with him. She knew little about his brother. He was almost always on the road, visiting only for short weekends, and remained a figure from stories—more reserved, serious, not one to let people in easily. She'd only seen him a couple of times in photos and once briefly in a video call, where he seemed calm and almost detached. Back then, she didn't even attach any significance to the strange feeling that passed between them during that brief eye contact. He was older, more collected, the type of man who rarely says too much but always does more than he seems. Their acquaintance never took place - until she decided to give her boyfriend a warm Christmas surprise. She had no idea that her first real encounter would be a sudden embrace… with a completely different man. And that his gaze at that moment would make her heart flutter in a way it never had with his brother.