The golden hues of the afternoon stretched across the suburban streets of Paradise Cove as Reese pulled up to Scott and Naomi's home. A cool breeze carried the faint scent of firewood and fallen leaves, mingling with the aroma of roasted turkey and pumpkin pie wafting from the open windows. Reese stepped out of her car, clutching a bottle of wine in one hand and a box of Naomi's favorite macarons in the other. She adjusted the collar of her beige wool coat and approached the front door, her heels clicking softly against the driveway.

Before she could knock, the door swung open. Naomi stood there, her blonde hair messily thrown into a bun, a flour-dusted apron tied around her waist. Her face lit up.

"There you are! Get in here, I need reinforcements!"

Reese smiled and stepped inside, the warmth of the house instantly wrapping around her. "You look like you've been in the kitchen all day."

"I have," Naomi admitted, laughing. "But I'd do it a hundred times over for today. Come on, Scott's in the kitchen and your dad is trying to micromanage the gravy."

"Oh, the Sutherlin men," she sighed heavily.

Reese followed Naomi into the bustling home. The dining table was already set with autumn-themed decor—golden chargers, flickering candles, and a centerpiece of eucalyptus and gourds. The scent of rosemary and sage was intoxicating, and Reese's stomach rumbled in anticipation.

Scott stood by the stove, his sleeves rolled up, his expression focused as he whisked a pan of gravy. Their father, George, leaned casually against the counter, offering unsolicited advice.

"You're whisking too fast," George said, shaking his head. "You're going to ruin it."

Scott shot him an exasperated look. "Dad, I got it."

"You're lucky your mother's not in here," George replied, grinning.

Reese laughed as she stepped into the kitchen. "Dad, leave him alone. He's doing fine."

George turned, his face lighting up. "Reese's pieces, There's my girl!"

Reese leaned in for a hug, inhaling the familiar scent of his cologne. "Hi, Dad. Everything smells amazing."

"No thanks to your brother," George teased, "he's still got a lot to learn.

"Oh, don't I know it," Reese chimed in.

Scott gave Reese a playful grin. "I'd like to see you try and pull this off."

Reese rolled her eyes. "I prefer my chaos contained to real estate, thank you very much."

As they continued their banter to the living room, Margaret appeared, her entrance as composed and deliberate as ever. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, landing on Reese.

"Darling, you look lovely," she said, stepping forward to kiss Reese on the cheek. "Though I was beginning to think you'd never get here."

Reese ignored the subtle jab and smiled politely. "I hit some traffic."

Margaret's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Well, you're here now. And I hope you're planning to eat. You're looking awfully thin these days."

"Margie," George interrupted, his voice light but firm, "she looks great. Don't start."

Reese shot him a grateful look.

How's the real estate world treating you kiddo?" he, said shifting the conversation.

"Busy as ever," Reese replied with a smile. "I have another big listing I'm hopeful about"

"That's wonderful, dear," Margaret said, though her tone lacked enthusiasm. "You know it's so impressive how Naomi balances her career and personal life so…so seamlessly."

Reese felt a familiar pang of discomfort but maintained her composure. "Yea Naomi's amazing at what she does," she agreed, glancing at her friend, who was bringing a platter of appetizers to the dining table in the distance.

"Speaking of personal life," Margaret continued, her gaze sharpening, "have you been seeing anyone special lately, Reese?"

Before Reese could respond, George interjected again, Now, Margaret, let's not turn this into an interrogation. It's the holidays."

"Of course, of course," Margaret said, waving a hand dismissively. "I just worry about her, that's all. You know a woman can't rely on a career to keep her warm at night."

"And I appreciate that," Reese replied, her tone measured. "But I'm happy with my life right now."

Sensing the tension, Scott entered the room with a cheerful smile. "Dinner's ready! Let's all take our seats."

As they gathered around the dining table, Naomi offered an apologetic smile. "I'm so glad you all could make it. My parents were supposed to join us, but their flight was delayed. They've decided to come for Christmas instead."

"We'll miss them today," George said kindly.

The meal commenced with light-hearted conversation, touching on recent travels, favorite Thanksgiving dishes, and humorous anecdotes from past family gatherings. Reese found herself relaxing, the earlier discomfort fading amidst the familial warmth easing the usual tension she felt around her mother.

As dessert was served—a decadent pumpkin cheesecake—Scott stood, raising his glass.

"If I may have everyone's attention," he began, a nervous energy underlying his usual confidence. "In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like us all to share what we're most thankful for this year."

One by one, they went around the table, each person expressing gratitude for health, family, and the joys of the past year. When it was Naomi's turn, she smiled warmly.

"I'm thankful for this wonderful family I've become a part of, for the love and support you've all shown me. It's not easy putting up with these two," she teased flashing a smile at both Reese and Scott.

Finally, all eyes turned to Scott. He took a deep breath, his gaze locking onto Naomi's.

"I'm thankful for many things," he began, his voice steady. "But most of all, I'm grateful for you, Naomi. After my accident, when I was at my lowest, you were there, caring for me, showing me what true love and dedication look like. It was during that time I realized I couldn't imagine my life without you."

Reese's breath caught in her throat as Scott reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box.

"Naomi," he continued, dropping to one knee, "will you marry me?"

A collective gasp filled the room. Tears welled in Naomi's eyes as she nodded vigorously.

"Yes, Scott! Yes!"

Applause and cheers erupted around the table. Margaret dabbed at her eyes with a napkin, while George clapped Scott on the back, beaming with pride.

Reese felt a swell of emotion—joy for her brother and best friend, mingled with a pang of longing as memories of her own broken engagement surfaced.

As the evening's festivities drew to a close, the warm glow of candlelight flickered against the dining room walls, casting soft shadows that danced in rhythm with the laughter and conversations that had filled the space.

Reese stood in the kitchen alongside Naomi, their hands submerged in soapy water as they tackled the aftermath of the Thanksgiving feast.

The aroma of roasted turkey and spiced cranberry still lingered in the air, mingling with the scent of dish soap.

Congratulations," she said softly, nudging Naomi with her shoulder. "I'm so happy for you two."

Naomi's smile widened, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Thank you, Reese. It means a lot to have your support."

Reese squeezed her friend's hand gently.

"You're family, Naomi. Always have been."

As they finished the last of the dishes, Scott entered the kitchen with a content expression on his face.

"There you two are," he said, wrapping an arm around Naomi's waist.

"I was wondering where my fiancée had disappeared to."

Naomi blushed softly, leaning into his embrace.

"We were just tidying up," she smiled planting a soft kiss on his eager lips.

Scott turned his gaze to Reese, his eyes filled with gratitude, "thanks for staying to clean up.

"Oh, it was no problem at all," she said drying her hands, "You did do all the cooking. Mom and dad turned in for the night?"

"Yea they just headed up stairs."

"Well okay you two lovebirds, I guess I'll head out. Reese congratulated and embraced them again.

The drive back to her condo was quiet, the city's streets illuminated by the soft glow of streetlights. Reese settled onto her couch, the events of the day replaying in her mind. She picked up her phone, typing out a message to Collin.

9:12 PM Reese: How was your Thanksgiving?

The response was swift.

9:14 PM Collin: It was good. Spent time with family. Lots of food, lots of questions about when I'm settling down.

Reese smiled.

9:15 PM Reese: Ah, the classic parental interrogation. Same here.

9:16 PM Collin: Did you tell them about… us?

9:17 PM Reese: Not yet. It didn't feel like the right time.

9:18 PM Collin: Fair enough. How was your thanksgiving?

9:20 PM Reese: ahh let's see… some interrogation, some tension with my mom as expected, oh and Scott proposed to Naomi during dinner.

9:20 PM Collin: Wow, that's big news! How did it go?

9:21 PM Reese: It was beautiful. She said yes, of course. Everyone was thrilled.

9:24 PM Collin: I'm happy for them. How are you feeling about it?

Reese paused, considering her response.

9:30 PM Reese: I'm genuinely happy for them. It's just... a lot to process.

9:31 PM Collin: I understand. If you want to talk about it, I'm here….and also, we don't have to talk about it.

9:34 PM Reese: Thank you, Collin. I appreciate that.

Reese's set her phone down on the cushion beside her, but it buzzed immediately begging her attention. She glanced over, expecting another message from Collin, but instead, an unsaved number stared back at her:

9:36 PM 3234933687: Hello, Ms. Sutherlin.

Her heart jumped. She stared at the screen, her thoughts racing. It had been almost a week since she'd texted Christian about the villa. He hadn't responded. No acknowledgment, no polite decline—nothing.

And now, out of nowhere, this? A casual "hello" with no mention of the property.

She exhaled slowly, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. Should she call him out for ignoring her text? Should she wait for him to follow up? Or was this some cryptic invitation for her to initiate the conversation?

Reese set the phone down and leaned back against the couch cushions, closing her eyes for a moment. The day had already been emotionally charged—and she wasn't sure she was up for a tug of war with him. She glanced over, hoping for a second message to clarify Christian's intentions, but there was nothing more.

She pressed her lips together, picking up the phone and staring at the message. She typed out a response, hesitated, and deleted it. Again, and again.

The cursor blinked back at her mockingly.

Reese sighed and set the phone back down again. Maybe the best thing to do was to sleep on it. She could think about how to respond in the morning.

She turned off the lights and crawled into bed, but even as her body relaxed against the soft sheets, her mind wouldn't quiet. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her. As sleep claimed her, the phone lay undisturbed on the nightstand, its unanswered message glowing faintly in the dark.