Claire hadn’t planned on saying yes. Not after everything she’d been through. After the betrayal she’d endured in her last relationship, she wasn’t ready to open her heart to anyone—especially not someone from work. But Daniel had a way of asking that made her pause. Not pushy. Just... hopeful.

And maybe, just maybe, she was tired of saying no.

That night, the restaurant had grown quiet. The last plates were cleared, the clink of cutlery had faded, and the soft hum of conversation was a distant echo. Claire stood behind the counter, wiping it in slow, measured strokes. The repetition was calming. It kept her grounded—helped her avoid the thoughts that always seemed to sneak in when the world got quiet.

“Claire, got a second?” came a familiar voice.

She didn’t look up. She didn’t need to. Daniel’s voice was unmistakable—low, warm, and calm in a way that sometimes unsettled her.

She straightened, setting the cloth aside. “Let me guess,” she said, keeping her tone dry. “You’re going to ask me out again.”

He laughed. Of course he did. “Third time’s the charm?” he asked. “Ice skating tomorrow night?”

Claire turned to face him. His smile wasn’t smug. It was genuine, soft. That was what made it hard to brush him off. Most men would’ve given up by now. But Daniel? He kept showing up—with patience, not pressure.

“And why exactly do you think I’ll say yes this time?” she challenged.

“Because you haven’t walked away yet.”

Her laugh escaped before she could catch it. Damn him.

She looked away, heart thudding louder than it should. “Fine,” she murmured. “One date.”

Daniel lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Seven o’clock. Don’t be late.”

As he walked off, Claire stared after him, unsure what to make of the strange, fluttering feeling growing in her chest.

---

The next afternoon, Claire sat on the bus, watching the blur of city streets roll by. Her own reflection in the window startled her—there was a small, unfamiliar smile playing on her lips.

“You look happy,” a soft voice said beside her.

Claire turned. An older woman sat nearby, her hands folded in her lap, her kind eyes framed with fine lines of age and wisdom.

Claire hesitated, then nodded. “I have a date.”

“Is that so?” the woman smiled. “Someone special?”

“He’s... someone who’s been trying for a while,” Claire admitted. “My boss, actually. He’s sweet. Persistent. We’re going ice skating.”

“Ice skating!” the woman laughed gently. “How romantic. You’ve got that glow, dear. Don’t lose it.”

Claire’s cheeks warmed at the compliment. She opened her mouth to thank her—but then she froze.

Through the bus window, she saw the park. And standing under a broad oak tree was Daniel.

Her Daniel.

He was smiling. Laughing. Carrying a little girl on his shoulders while a woman stood nearby, laughing with him.

Claire’s stomach dropped.

She stared, wide-eyed and frozen, the words of the old woman falling away like snowflakes. A hand rested gently on hers.

“Are you alright, dear?”

Claire blinked, but the tears had already begun to fall. “He lied,” she whispered. “He has a family. A child.”

The warmth that had filled her chest now burned with humiliation and heartbreak. Her vision swam as she turned away from the window.

She had trusted again. She’d let her walls down—and she’d been wrong. Again.

---

The rink glowed with twinkling lights, the hum of music and laughter echoing beneath a sky laced with stars. But Claire didn’t feel the magic of the night. Her emotions simmered beneath the surface like an icy undertow.

Daniel stood near the entrance, waving with that familiar grin. She forced a smile in return, slipping her hands into her coat pockets so he wouldn’t see the way they trembled.

“Ready to skate?” he asked, holding out a pair of rental skates.

“Sure,” Claire said, her voice too bright.

They laced up and stepped onto the ice. Claire moved with ease, gliding across the rink like it was second nature. Daniel stumbled awkwardly beside her, laughing off every fall.

But Claire wasn’t laughing.

“Not much of a skater, huh?” she said sharply, watching him flail.

“I’ll get the hang of it,” he said. “Just watch me.”

She nudged him playfully—too hard. He fell with a grunt.

“Oops,” she said, feigning innocence.

The pattern repeated. A near-collision here. A sudden stop there. And then, when he least expected it, another shove. This time, Daniel hit the ice hard.

He winced, sitting up with a groan. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Maybe,” Claire said coolly.

He chuckled uneasily, brushing off the ice as they made their way off the rink.

But the warmth had drained from her smile.

“I saw you today,” she said suddenly.

Daniel blinked. “Where?”

“In the park. With a woman. And a little girl. You looked... happy.”

He stared at her, confused.

“You lied to me,” she snapped. “You have a family, don’t you? A daughter?”

Silence.

Then Daniel did the last thing she expected—he laughed.

“Claire,” he said gently, “come with me. Please. Let me explain.”

---

They drove in silence, the tension thick. Claire watched him from the corner of her eye, noting how steady his hands were on the wheel, how calm his face looked.

He didn’t seem like a man caught in a lie.

The car pulled into the driveway of a modest home. A porch light glowed warmly. A wreath hung on the front door.

Daniel stepped out. “This is it.”

Claire followed him to the door, heart pounding.

Then it swung open.

“Uncle Danny!” a small voice shrieked with delight.

A little girl threw herself into Daniel’s arms. He lifted her, spinning her despite a grimace from the bruises she’d given him earlier.

A woman appeared in the doorway. Not the romantic rival Claire had feared—just a kind-faced woman with soft features and eyes full of warmth.

“This is Mia,” Daniel said, setting the child down. “And this is her mom, Laura. My sister-in-law.”

Claire blinked.

Laura stepped forward. “Danny’s been helping us since my husband—his brother—passed away last year,” she explained. “He’s been like a second father to Mia.”

The room spun. Claire felt the shame rise hot in her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I thought—”

“It’s okay,” Daniel said gently. “I understand.”

Mia tugged at his sleeve. “Uncle Danny, who’s she?”

Daniel looked at Claire, a soft smile on his lips. “Someone I really like.”

---

Later, back at the car, Claire paused.

The night air wrapped around them, crisp and quiet.

“I was wrong,” she said. “Can we... start over? Maybe another date? I promise I won’t push you down this time.”

Daniel laughed, brushing his fingers against hers.

“Too late for that,” he said with a grin. “I’ve already fallen for you.”

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Claire let herself laugh too.

Maybe love wasn’t the enemy. Maybe—just maybe—she could believe in it again.