Faithful Horizons

Chapter 12: Tangled Thoughts

The day passed in a blur for Ethan. Work at the hardware store was the same grind it always was - lugging heavy boxes, dealing with impatient customers, and voiding his manager's unnecessary commentary about "getting ahead in life." Normally, Ethan didn't let it bother him. He'd perfected the art of tuning everything out, letting the hours slip by unnoticed. But today, his thoughts kept drifting back to Grace. It wasn't just the way she'd laugh in the park, her eyes bright as she teased him about his sketches. It wasn't just the warmth of her smile or the way she seemed to know exactly what to say to make him feel less... broken.

It was everything.

And that scared him.

By the time his shift ended, Ethan's nerves felt like they were stretched too thin. He walked home, the crisp evening air doing little to clear his head. The apartment was dark when he stepped inside, his mom was already asleep in her room. He paused in the hallway, listening to the soft sound of her breathing through the door. It was steady, at least, but he couldn't help the pang of worry that tightened his chest.

Shaking his head, Ethan made his way to his room. He dropped his bag on the floor and collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. For a long moment, he let the quiet settle over him. Then, almost without thinking, he reached for his phone.

Ethan: Hey.

The reply came within seconds.

Grace: Hey! How was work?

Ethan: Same as always. Exhausting.

Grace: Sounds like you need to unwind. Got plans tonight?

Ethan hesitated, his thumb hovering over the keyboard. Did he have plans? No. did he want to make plans? Also no - or at least, that's what he told himself.

Ethan: Not really. You?

Grace: Just finished some homework. Want to come over? My mom's baking cookies. You can't say no to cookies.

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. He could practically hear her voice through the text.

Ethan: Fine. I'm in.

Grace's house was small but cozy, the warm glow of the living room spilling onto the front porch as Ethan approached. She opened the door before he could knock, her face lighting up when she saw him.

"Hey!" she said, stepping aside to let him in. "Perfect timing. The cookies just came out of the oven."

The smell hit him immediately - rich, buttery, and sweet. His stomach growled before he could stop it, and Grace laughed.

"Come on," she said, leading him to the kitchen.

Her mother was at the counter, placing a batch of cookies onto a cooling rack. She was tall and thin, with the same warm smile Grace had, though her hair was streaked with silver.

"You must be Ethan," she said, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

Ethan nodded, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "Yeah. nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Oh, please, call me Diana," she said, smiling as she offered him a plate of cookies. "Grace talks about you all the time."

"Mom," Grace groaned, her cheeks flushing red.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, smirking as he took a cookie. "All the time, huh?"

"Don't let her embarrass me," Grace said, shooting her mom a look.

Diana chuckled, ruffling Grace's hair. I'll leave you two alone. Just don't eat them all at once."

They moved to the living room, Grace sitting cross-legged on the couch while Ethan leaned back in an armchair. The plate of cookies sat between them on the coffee table, and for a while, they talked about everything and nothing - school, work, Grace's latest youth group project. But Ethan's thoughts kept drifting, his eyes lingering on Grace as she spoke. She had this way of drawing people in, like her presence alone could make the world feel a little less heavy.