“Mamá!” I called as I exited my room. Even though she was downstairs in the study with the door shut, the woman had ears like a hawk. She heard me and shouted back loudly enough for me to hear, "¿Qué?"

I smirked and moved downstairs. I knocked on the door before opening it. My mamá looked up from her scrapbook and adjusted her glasses.

“Carter is coming by,” I started, and I saw her mouth open in protest. “Wait, hear me out. It’s just for an hour, we’re going for a walk in Silverwood Park. I’ve finished my first draft, I just need to go back to it with fresh eyes.”

She didn’t say anything, and suddenly I was reduced to that little girl who needed to ask for permission. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and shrugged. “Go on, do what you want.”

I gawked at her. “Seriously? No lecture? No words of caution? Nothing?” I waved my hand around with a smirk.

"¡Ay, niña!" she exclaimed, then smiled. “You should know by now what I mean, without me having to say it.”

“Indeed, you usually say it with a look.” I joked. She raised an eyebrow sternly at me.

“That’s the one!” I laughed.

"¡Niña traviesa!" she said, exasperated. True, I could be pretty cheeky with her sometimes. I leaned over and gave her a hug. 

“I promise, I’ll get this project done. I’m still learning to balance things. I can get swept away by different moments.” I broke the hug, and she gave me a knowing smile.

“Precisely how we ended up with you a little early.”

And there it was—the words of caution.

“Mamá, ugh, ¡para!” I groaned. She snorted and waved me away.

“Go, go, have fun. I’ll see you later.”

I smiled and closed the door behind me. My phone vibrated, and I saw a text from Carter saying he’d be here in five minutes. I walked to the front door, laced up my boots, shrugged on my khaki-colored coat, and wrapped a cream scarf around my neck.

As I walked out the front door, I headed around to the garage and saw my dad working away on his latest project. He had on headphones and was dancing around as he sanded the cabinet. I giggled and waved to get his attention.

He pulled out one earbud and squinted his eye to hear me better. “Hey, I’m going for a walk in Silverwood with Carter. I managed to get quite a bit done in the last hour and a half.”

My dad smiled and replied, “Did you tell your mom?”

I nodded, and he shook his head, chuckling. “All good, then. Have fun and watch out for wolves.”

He gave me that faraway look again, and I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

“Dad, there haven’t been any wolves in that park for over 50 years.”

He shrugged, popped his earbud back in, and went back to dancing and sanding.

I shook my head, smiling. What a goof.

It was then I heard the roaring purr of Carter’s car coming down the street. I stepped to the curb and waited as my man pulled up. He stopped perfectly, the door right in front of me, one hand on the wheel, the other resting casually on the back of the seats—almost like he was ready for me to slide in next to him.

I opened the door, and old rock music blasted out. He turned it down, motioned for me to get in, and said, “Your chariot, m’lady.”

I laughed and slid in. Once he had his arm around me, he leaned in for a kiss. I kept it a little chaste—because even though my dad wouldn’t spy on me, I didn’t want him to catch me in full make-out mode. Carter glanced up and saw my dad still working away. He smirked, understanding.

“Let’s go then, shall we?” I nodded, and we drove off.

We’d only been driving for about five minutes, but there was already this electric current building between us. I caught Carter sneaking glances at my legs more than a few times, especially where my skirt rode up just a little, showing a hint of thigh. By the seventh time our eyes met, he cleared his throat, looking almost bashful.

“You know,” he started, shooting me a look with a small grin, “last night was… pretty amazing.”

I couldn’t resist. I leaned in a little closer, matching his smirk. “Oh really?” I teased. “Which part?”

Carter shifted in his seat, his eyes darting out the window. Then, with a low mumble, he replied, “every part.”

I raised an eyebrow, letting the surprise play on my face, then reached down and unlaced one of my boots, watching his gaze flick down, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Mmmm,” I said, untying the other boot now, “and what exactly was so amazing about that?”

I saw we’d arrived at the park, but Carter took a different turn down a more secluded path.

“Well, uh… you just looked so damn hot.” His voice dropped as he glanced over, and I felt a spark of anticipation as we ventured deeper into the quiet, wooded area. Message received.

Smiling, I slowly unzipped my jacket, letting it slip off along with my scarf as we drove deeper in the park, the air charged with anticipation. “Mmm, anything else?” I asked, raising a brow as he pulled onto an empty trail where we saw no one else around. Carter’s eyes followed my every movement, his eyes darkening as he swerved onto a hidden path winding into the forest. The car stopped abruptly, and he adjusted his seat before reaching for me. With a quick pull, I was suddenly on his lap, his arms wrapping around me in the enclosed, thrilling space. We started to passionately kiss, his hands in my hair slightly tugging. I glanced around the winter-dead forest, its bare branches laced with mist. Even though it was the middle of the day, the shadows here felt thick and private, wrapping us in a hidden embrace. No one could see us, but the thrill of getting caught sent a rush through me. I wanted Carter to see how open I was to a little adventure, to spark something bold between us. Maybe, just maybe, it would invite him to experiment with me too. I just wanted more…

“Oh, before I forget, here’s your coffee, cappuccino, right?”

And just like that, the moment was shattered. I was yanked back into reality and blinking at a cup of coffee that had been placed in front of my face. We were just arriving at Silverwood and I took the cup of coffee from Carter and smiled.

“Thanks, I needed this,” I replied, trying to keep my voice normal. Yeah, I also needed a cold shower. Perhaps when we get out the cold air will help.

“Where were you just there?” Carter asked, smirking.

I flushed a little. “Oh, just this silly project. I finished the first draft, but I need to go back and re-read and edit it, get out all the gumph.”

Carter raised an eyebrow. “Gumph?”

I nodded confidently. “Yeah, you know, all the filler and nonsense.”

He chuckled. “I think you mean ‘guff,’ right?”

I shrugged, feigning innocence. “Well, I like gumph better.” Carter snorted.

“You really do need the coffee. If you’re making up words, I worry what your project looks like,” he said, grinning.

I glared at him, biting my cheek to stop myself from smiling.

We arrived at the park, and Carter found a parking spot. The roar of his engine died, and we were engulfed in silence. Carter turned to me, a shy smile playing on his face.

“Hey, I wanted to give you something now. I know it’s not your birthday for a couple of days, but I couldn’t really resist.” I smiled back as he shifted in his seat, leaning over to rummage in the back. A moment later, he pulled out a gift wrapped in green Christmas paper with a gold ribbon.

“Happy birthday, El,” he said, handing it to me, his gaze expectant.

I took the gift, feeling a flutter in my chest as I began undoing the wrapping. It was roughly A2 size, maybe a little smaller. When I finally pulled the item free, I gasped.

It was me.

I stared at the portrait, my fingers trembling. It was me, but different—more ethereal. Carter had captured every detail: the way my red hair caught the light, the depth in my eyes. Behind me, the Silverwood Park stretched in soft golden light, its trees dark and looming, almost alive.

I stood at the forefront, my expression quiet yet strong, as if frozen in a moment of peace. The colours blended perfectly—the greens of the trees, the soft shades of my hair and skin. It wasn’t just a portrait; it was a scene that seemed to breathe.

My breath caught. The detail was incredible. Carter had managed to capture me in a way I’d never seen before—and it was beautiful.

“Oh, Carter,” I started, but the words caught in my throat as I kept staring at the painting, unable to pull my eyes away from the delicate detail.

“Ah, you don’t like it,” he said, his voice faltering, and he quickly looked away, clearly embarrassed.

“No, no,” I rushed to say, my voice soft but sincere. “I love it. No one’s ever done a portrait of me before, and it’s surreal seeing myself through your eyes. It’s... it’s beautiful, Carter.” My voice wavered slightly, the lump in my throat growing. I blinked back the unexpected tears.

I’d seen some of Carter’s art before—mostly futuristic stuff, robots and mech suits, all that. But this? This was something entirely different. It was soft, romantic, and full of emotion in a way I never imagined he could paint.

With the portrait in hand, I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him deeply. He kissed me back with equal passion, and when we finally pulled apart, our foreheads resting together, he whispered, “You make me so happy, El.”

I smiled, brushing my nose against his, and said, “Same, but about you.” His chuckle vibrated against my lips, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.