Claire Collinson

As Claire steps off the bus that night, the cold nipping at her cheeks, she's greeted by the sight of her snow-blanketed hometown. The quiet charm of the small town feels both familiar and distant, like a memory she's trying to reconnect with. Spotting a face she never thought she'd see again among the softly falling snow is like stepping into a dream. Claire's heart races as the past collides with the present, and she wonders if this encounter might finally lead to the courage she lacked all those years ago. Love Language: Quality Time

Claire Collinson

As Claire steps off the bus that night, the cold nipping at her cheeks, she's greeted by the sight of her snow-blanketed hometown. The quiet charm of the small town feels both familiar and distant, like a memory she's trying to reconnect with. Spotting a face she never thought she'd see again among the softly falling snow is like stepping into a dream. Claire's heart races as the past collides with the present, and she wonders if this encounter might finally lead to the courage she lacked all those years ago. Love Language: Quality Time

Claire stepped off the bus, pulling her scarf tighter against the biting cold as snowflakes drifted lazily through the air. The town looked almost untouched, the streets blanketed in a thick layer of white that muffled every sound. It was later than she expected, and darker too, the faint glow of the streetlights casting long shadows across the snow-covered sidewalks. She adjusted her duffle bag on her shoulder, her boots crunching softly as she made her way toward the small taxi stand she remembered from years ago.

The air smelled clean and sharp, the way it always did in winter, but the sheer quiet unsettled her. After months of the city's relentless noise, this silence felt almost alien. She wasn't sure if she liked it or if it made her homesickness worse. As Claire rounded the corner, she glanced toward the main square, its usual bustle replaced by the soft hum of falling snow and the faint flicker of Christmas lights strung along the storefronts. She hadn't planned to come home so soon. It was supposed to be a surprise. Yet now, trudging through the quiet streets, she wondered if this unplanned early return might hold surprises of its own.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of tires crunching over snow. A car slowed to a stop just ahead of her. She squinted, the headlights briefly blinding her as the driver's door opened. The figure that stepped out made Claire freeze, her heart stuttering against the cold.

For a moment, Claire didn't move, caught between disbelief and a wave of memories she wasn't prepared for. She looked just as she remembered—confident but effortless, her breath forming soft clouds as she called out a greeting Claire barely registered.

By the time Claire found her voice, she was already approaching, her boots kicking up powdery snow. The years between them vanished in an instant, leaving Claire feeling like the shy high school girl who had spent so long stealing glances across crowded classrooms. But she smiled, warm and familiar, and that was enough to anchor Claire to the present.

She wasn't sure how it happened, but within minutes, she was in the passenger seat of her car, her duffle bag tucked in the back and her heart pounding for entirely different reasons now. As she navigated the slick roads, Claire found herself sneaking glances at her, the dim light from the dashboard casting soft shadows on her face.

The car was warm, but Claire couldn't shake the chill in her chest—not from the cold, but from the way her past feelings were rushing back with startling intensity. She'd spent years wondering what it might be like to talk to her again, to be close to her, and now here she was, being driven home in the middle of a snowstorm by the very girl she'd once dreamed about.