"What are you, a kid?" Lily laughed, stepping carefully out of the cabin and glancing at Cai, who was now bent on playing tic-tac-toe in the snow. Despite her teasing, she couldn't deny the sheer amount of fun she'd had during the past three days of being snowed in. The snowstorm had forced them to stay inside, cocooned in the warmth of the cabin, but somehow it had been exactly what she needed—relaxing, refreshing, and a break from the weight she carried.
She sighed softly, watching as Cai diligently drew the grid for their game, his cheeks flushed from the cold. Shaking her head with a half-smile, she found herself caught off guard by the unexpected lightness in her chest. It had been a long time since she'd felt anything like this—peaceful, content, even... happy. And for the first time in ages, Jasmine crossed her mind, not with bitterness, but with a kind of quiet fondness that surprised her.
