WHISPERS IN THE SNOW

Chapter 1: The Silent Encounter

The park lay under a soft blanket of snow, glowing warmly under the streetlights. Snowflakes fell quietly, as if the world was waiting for something magical to happen. In the center of this winter scene was a simple bench beneath an old oak tree, its branches bare from autumn.

Charlotte sat on the bench, wrapped in a cozy navy-blue sweater. Her dark hair framed her face as she held a well-read book titled Happiness. She tried to focus on the words, but her mind wandered. Occasionally, she glanced at the park's path, watching couples walk by, their laughter filling the crisp air. Though she smiled, a quiet loneliness stirred within her.

Just then, she noticed someone approaching. He was tall, dressed in a dark hoodie, and his footsteps barely made a sound on the snow. He sat down on the bench beside her, unaware of her presence as he scrolled through his phone, his face softly lit by the screen.

"Hey, Mom," he said with a warm laugh. Charlotte couldn't make out the details of his conversation, but the sound of his voice stayed with her, creating an odd sense of familiarity. She watched him from the corner of her eye, feeling a strange pull toward this stranger.

There was something about him-his relaxed presence, his easy smile-that made her heart flutter. It was as if she had known him for much longer than these few moments.

Before she could find the courage to speak, he stood up. "Yeah, I can't wait for Christmas either!" he said, grinning as he walked away into the quiet night.

"Wait," Charlotte whispered, but the word never reached him. The moment slipped away like the snowflakes falling around them. She sat there, her heart aching, feeling she had just missed something important.

As she returned to her book, her thoughts stayed on the boy who had unknowingly touched her heart. The snow kept falling, and she couldn't help but wonder if fate would bring them together again-perhaps in another moment, under the silent snow.