The small round table was crowded with steaming bowls and plates, the kind that made the whole room smell like home. Daisy leaned back with a content sigh, chewing happily while Aurora's mother nudged another dish toward her.
"This is dangerous," Daisy mumbled with her mouth half-full, eyes glinting. "If you keep feeding me like this, I'll never leave."
Aurora's father chuckled warmly. "That's the idea."
The cheerful atmosphere was suddenly broken by the sharp chime of the doorbell. Everyone paused. Aurora instinctively rose to her feet. "I'll go check."
She padded toward the door, curiosity laced with mild irritation. 'Who would visit at this hour?' The moment she looked through the peekhole, her heart skipped a beat.
Standing there, tall and steady in the porch light, was Theo Kingsley.
