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“Thank you for understanding. About the tools, about what this corner means to me.”

I looked up from the box I was adding hinges to. “Thank you for sharing the space with me.”

“It’s our space now.”

Goosebumps went up my arm as his words filled me with warmth far beyond what the carriage house’s heater put out.

“Our space,” I agreed.

Five

Jake

The drive home from the airport seemed like hours instead of closer to 40 minutes. That was probably because I kept thinking about who’d be there. And maybe he’d still be working.

Two games in two days, both losses. A grueling trip. The Empire had outshot us 38-22 tonight, and the Spartans had made us look like a junior team yesterday.

My body paid the price, and we had little to show for it. A cross-check in the corner did a number on my ribs. I took a puck in the shoulder in a last-ditch effort to cover for our goalie, who’d gotten caught out of position. At least the block was a good one.

Games like these were why I’d stuck with woodworking even as hockey took up more and more time. Something about working with my hands, the act of creating, helped wash away the frustration that could come with the game.

In each town I called home, I always made sure to have some workspace available. In school and starting out, that meant working at the dining room table on small pieces. Once I started to have some money, I’d rent studio space. That way I could do larger projects and not make a mess in my apartment. When it was time to buy a place, I picked one with space I could grow into.

I wanted to be in the shop tonight, and I kind of hoped I wouldn’t be alone. But could I actually work on anything beyond simple sanding while he was nearby? I didn’t want to intrude on what he needed to do. Was my craft even good enough to work alongside him? He’d said I’d made a masterwork, a word that had echoed in my head and one I wasn’t sure I believed.

We’d only traded a few texts while I was gone, which were about whether he could use more storage and ideas he had about my table. I read each message multiple times, looking for something between the lines that wasn’t there. The bigger question I kept asking myself was, did I really want something more to be there?

I pulled into my driveway a little before midnight, bone-tired and wired at the same time. Through the curtains came golden light from inside. I came in through the front door, still in my travel suit although my tie was stuffed in my pocket and my shirt was open at the collar.

The corner by the front window wasn’t empty anymore. A Christmas tree filled the space—bare, with no lights or ornaments yet. The room smelled of fresh pine.

I had a few boxes of decorations up in the attic, hauled from place to place over the years. I’d have to get them down and see if we needed more to fill up the large tree.

Nico was at the stove, stirring a saucepan. As I approached, I caught the scent of chocolate. He wore his usual flannel and jeans, and he glanced over his shoulder when the door shut.

“Hey. I heard your truck.” He turned to the counter and cut something up. “I’m making cocoa. I’ve got enough for two, if you want to join me.”

“God, yes.” Just seeing him lightened the weight of the losses. I left my bag at the stairs and headed toward him.

“How was the trip?” He added chopped chocolate to the pot of cream he had on the stove.

“Terrible.” I leaned against the counter and ran my hand through my hair. I must’ve looked a mess, hair askew and a couple days of scruff. “Two losses.”

“Then you definitely need this. It’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”

There was a takeout container on the counter, with a gold elephant stamped on the lid. I picked it up, drawn by the delicious aroma. It was empty except for a stray noodle and streaks of sauce along the sides.

“What was this? It smells great.”

“Oh, sorry about that. I’d finished up leftovers and then decided on hot chocolate for dessert. It was pad see ew. Nadya brought it over last night. It’s from a place around the corner from the shop. We ate there all the time. And it’s even better the next day.”

“I’m glad you two got to catch up. How’s she doing?”

“Adjusting to working in her apartment. Her boyfriend, Felix, is helping her out with some space in his too, so she’s okay. And I hope it’s okay I got a tree. That corner was kind of begging for it.”

Nico was right, of course. It was perfect in that space.

“Sure. We can decorate it together if you want?”