―❝ How long we gonna do this dance? Tired of all the 'will they, won't they' romance. When you hold my hand, is it just by chance?❞
OR
―❝ henry hart and juniper mccarthy have been best friends their whole lives, but when they get into high school th...
( original chapter set in season 3 ; a clumsy welcome home )
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Over the next few days, Juniper had a blast getting to know Alina more and bonding with her aunt and uncle. Each day was filled with laughter, baby giggles, and moments of pure joy. Juniper was in awe of how quickly Alina had grown since the last time she'd seen her, and it felt as if the little girl was learning something new every moment.
One afternoon, Juniper helped Naomi bake cookies in the kitchen while Micah played with Alina in the living room. Juniper couldn't help but peek in every now and then to watch the way Micah interacted with his daughter—so patient and tender, his eyes full of love as he made silly faces to get Alina to giggle. It made her heart warm and a smile grow on her face, seeing the bond between them.
As they were finishing up baking, Naomi notices her niece glancing over again, a wistful look in her eyes. "You know, she loves you." She murmured, her voice soft.
Juniper turns to her, an affectionate smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, I love her too. She's my favorite little person."
"That's sweet." Naomi smiles. "So...Henry is just your best friend, huh?"
"Aunt Naomi!" Juniper exclaims, her cheeks flushing pink. "He's my best friend. That's it."
"Sure, whatever you say," Naomi teases, a playful glint in her eye. "But for the record, I think it's pretty clear that he's more than just a friend to you. mean, you've been texting each other almost non stop since you've been here."
"No we haven't." Juniper blushed.
"Then who are you texting?" Brynlee chimed in, pointing at her daughter's phone. Juniper grimaced as she realized she's been caught, and she turned her phone off, setting it down on the counter.
"Okay, fine, I've been texting him." She admits, her cheeks growing even warmer. "But it's not a big deal. Best friends text each other all the time, you know."
"Uh-huh," Naomi nods, a knowing look on her face. "It's obvious you care for him more than a friend would. There's nothing wrong with that, sweetheart. He seems like a great guy."
Juniper huffs, though her blush deepened. "He is a great guy," She mutters, her voice softening as she focused on placing the last batch of cookies on the cooling rack. "But that doesn't mean there's anything more to it. We're just close, that's all."
Naomi raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Close enough for him to give you that necklace, which you wear every day," she teased gently.
Juniper glances down at the lavender pendant, her fingers brushing over it instinctively. "It was a thoughtful gift," She said defensively, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Henry's just...He's always been there for me. Like a brother."
"Sure," Naomi muses, her tone skeptical but amused. "Sweetheart, I don't think brothers give necklaces like that." She winked, turning to check on the oven timer.
