Zach's POV
It had been a long time since I'd had Christmas in Texas. But now I was back. Some old friends had invited my family to stay for the holidays and we were all excited. As we came inside and set down all our luggage, we each took turns greeting each other. I hugged several people without fully paying attention to them. There was only one person I wanted to see. I kept an eye out as I kept moving through the house saying hello to everyone. Finally, I'd made it to the kitchen.
And there she was.
She was wearing a cozy Christmas sweater and leggings. Her hair was half up with a big red bow securing it while several pieces framed her face. She was smiling while she helped the little kids decorate cookies. It had been years since I'd seen her and she'd only gotten more beautiful as time passed.
I stepped into the room and waited for her to notice me. It didn't take long. As soon as she caught me in her periphery, she looked up and her smile grew.
"Zach?" She set down the frosting that had been in her hand and she walked quickly across the kitchen. I met her in the middle and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey, Y/N," I said with a huge smile on my face. I breathed in and she literally smelled like Christmas. I held her close to me.
"I'm so happy you're here," she said. She gave me one more squeeze and then she pulled back. Her eyes shined as she smiled at me. Her hands were still on my shoulders and I held her waist. I didn't want to let go of her. "It's been too long."
"It really has," I agreed. "I'm glad I was finally able to make it back for Christmas. The last few years have been...insane."
"So I've heard," she said with a laugh. She finally stepped back and I felt a slight ache in my chest as she pulled away. "Come help me with the cookies and we can catch up."
Her hair bounced as she spun back around toward the counter. I watched the red bow on her head. Then my eyes trailed down the rest of her body. She moved as if she was dancing. Every step was light and energetic. Y/N had always been so full of life and I'd missed being around her. I couldn't help but smile every second I was in her presence.
I wandered over to the counter and started cutting out different sugar cookie shapes. She asked me lots of questions about everything I'd been up to for the last few years. Ever since I'd left Texas to pursue music, I'd kept in contact with her but it had slowly dwindled over the years. We went from texting every day to checking in with each other every couple of months. I'd missed talking with her so much.
"And you finished school, right?" I asked.
"Yeah! I graduated back in the spring," she said excitedly. She turned around to pop a tray of cookies in the oven. I looked up from the cookies I was frosting and watched her. I wanted to see that smile again. "I got a job working at the hospital in the research department and it's honestly been so much fun."
I smiled as she told me all about her job. It was clear she was really passionate about what she did. I was happy to hear she was doing well and that she had a job that she enjoyed. But as she kept talking, I waited for her to answer the one question I wasn't going to ask. I knew it wasn't fair for me to wonder if she was single. I'd been off in L.A. for years now and I was only here for the holidays. It wouldn't make sense for us to pursue anything.
But I still needed to know.
She never mentioned a boyfriend or anyone she was seeing. I didn't want to assume, but it certainly sounded like she was available. I was getting close to flat out asking her. But then our attention was pulled away as everyone started gathering in the living room to watch a Christmas movie.
