She just needed a reminder every now and then.
Back at the shop, she climbed the narrow staircase to the small apartment abovethe Cocoa Corner to drop Muff off before heading back to work. Muff’s paws tapped the wooden stairs beside her. She opened the door to her new home—a snug one-bedroom apartment that smelled faintly of cocoa from the shop below.
The space was simple but hers, and that meant everything. A tiny galley kitchen with pale blue cabinets she planned to repaint, a well-worn loveseat, and a small pine table tucked under the window where Muff’s bed lay.
The pup padded over to the window, circling on her blanket before settling in for a nap.
Cassidy glanced around, taking in the plain white walls and bare windows.It could use a little Christmas,she thought, promising to tackle her apartment next. She imagined twinkle lights draped around the windows, a wreath on the door with red velvet ribbon, a full-size Christmas tree in the corner, twinkling with multicolored lights.
Outside, flurries of snow danced past the window, catching the glow from the streetlights, while inside, the warmth of the radiator hummed softly beneath the windowsill.
She had plenty more boxes in storage. Christmas décor handed down from her parents and her grand-maman that had sat untouched for almost four years. She’d packed them away when she’d moved to Paris, telling herself she’d get them out again when the time was right. But Jean-Paul’s sleek, modern style didn’t fit with twinkly lights or mismatched ornaments.And when it came down to it, he didn’t care about the little things that mattered to her.
But this was her space now. Her fresh start. Her chance to create a home that felt like her—cozy, warm, unapologetically festive.
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the weight of her locket with its spiced cocoa recipe beneath her sweater, and smiled softly. This year, she promised herself, she would celebrate Christmas the way she wanted.
On the landing, she practiced again: “Welcome to the Cocoa Corner!” Her voice was light, but hesitation still crept in.
“Did I take on too much?” she questioned her reflection.
She wanted to believe the answer was no. But then she thought about that morning—how she’d been rushing, distracted, trying to serve people and prep a fresh batch of marshmallows when she’d caught sight of Liam through the front window, laughing with someone outside his shop. One second of watching him—one second too long—and she’d accidentally knocked a full mug of hot cocoa onto a customer’s lap.
She’d apologized profusely, offered a full refund and a free box of truffles, but it had rattled her more than she wanted to admit.
She told herself it was just exhaustion. That she hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in days. But deep down, it felt like a crack in her façade, and everything she’d built threatened to slip through her fingers.
Her mirrored self had no response.
“You’re no help,” she said to her reflection as her phone rang. She shook off the uncertainties and put on a happy face.
She answered the video call and was immediately greeted by the two familiar faces she missed most—her brother, Julian, and his husband, Miles. Julian, with his crisp white shirt and black V-neck sweater, while Miles wore a hot-pink button-up and matching glasses. The men were a case study in opposites attract.
“Hey! We just wanted to see how our favorite sister was doing,” Julian said.
“I’m good! How are you guys?” she asked, trying to sound chipper as she walked the rest of the way downstairs and into her shop.
“Uh-oh,” Julian said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s with the fake voice?”
“What fake voice? I don’t have a fake voice. It’s been a great first couple days.”
Julian didn’t look convinced. Cassidy couldn’t have that. Her brother, in all his loving, protective ways, hadn’t wanted her to go. He and Miles had wanted her to stay in New York and keep working at their patisserie, even running her own store when they expanded.
But she wanted something different, something that was just her own. She was eternally grateful to them. They’d been there when her Parisian world had fallen apart, but now she was ready to branch out on her own. And she was doing just fine. They’d just caught her in a moment of weakness, thinking about Jean-Paul and how much he’d royally screwed with her life.
“Here, wanna see?” Cassidy offered before they could ask any more questions. She turned the video around; the less time her brother had to study her expression, the better.
She walked around her shop, showing off the cute pop-up café with its spiced cocoa sign, its glass jar of Christmas tree-shaped marshmallows and candy cane twists, before turning the camera on her handwritten chalkboard and display case.
“I’ve sold a little bit of everything, and look, it’s snowing out!” Cassidy didn’t have to feign excitement in that as she panned the phone to the front window. She was counting on a white Christmas this year; it had been years since she’d had one. Paris wasn’t exactly known for its holiday snowfall.
“What about you guys? How’s it going?” she asked quickly.
“Cass,” Miles said gently, “you know you don’t have to pretend with us.”
She sighed and flipped the camera back around.
“I’m okay. Just tired. That’s all. And, you know… apparently there’s a Gingerbread Jerk on the loose.”
