Hey, Mom, don’t sip from that cup! The new guy slipped something in it! Maria’s jaw dropped when she heard…

The cafe was quaint, with velvet curtains and antique lamps. Leonard talked with quiet confidence. He told her he was a project manager for a housing firm in Frankfurt, and had recently relocated to Bruges to oversee a new luxury build.

He was a widower too, his wife had passed away five years ago. They shared stories, they shared silence. Somehow it wasn’t awkward.

As they finished their coffee, Leonard asked for her number. Only if you’d be open to dinner sometime, he said, his voice steady but gentle. Or perhaps the theater.

I hear the Royal Amber is putting on the cherry orchard this weekend. Clara hesitated, the past whispering warnings, but she gave him her number anyway. Back home, Isla noticed the flowers immediately.

Who are those from? She asked, eyeing the bouquet suspiciously. Just a man who returned something I lost, Clara said, trying to sound casual. A man? Isla echoed.

What kind of man? The polite kind, Clara replied with a nervous smile. I’ll tell you all about it later. How about we make some cheese rolls together first? But Isla didn’t let it go.

Later that evening, after baking and bedtime stories, Isla asked quietly, Mom, you like him? Clara paused, caught mid-step. I barely know him, sweetheart. Then why are you smiling when you look at your phone? Have you ever met someone who seemed too perfect? If you were Isla, would you trust Leonard? Do you think Clara is ready to love again? Comment your thoughts below.

Clara hadn’t expected Leonard Gruber to call the next day, but he did, and the day after that. His voice was warm, his jokes gentle. Within a week, he had invited her and Isla to a small outdoor fair in the city square.

It was the kind of event Felix used to take them to. Only now she was there with a man who made her heart flutter in a new, unfamiliar way. Isla, however, was not convinced.

She held Clara’s hand a little tighter as they walked past the painted carousel. Leonard smiled at her, offering a sugar-coated waffle on a paper plate. Want one, Isla? He asked warmly.

She looked at him, then at her mother, then slowly shook her head. No, thank you. Clara squeezed her daughter’s hand.

You okay? Isla’s eyes narrowed slightly. Why does he look at you like that, Mom? Like what? Clara blinked. Like he’s trying to memorize your face, Isla whispered.

Clara chuckled nervously. He’s just being kind. But Isla’s instincts buzzed like warning bells in the back of her mind.

Weeks passed. Leonard became a fixture in their lives, appearing with perfect timing, helping Isla with math, bringing dinner on nights Clara worked late. He even fixed the squeaky bathroom door that Clara had been ignoring for years.

Eventually, he proposed. It was not a dramatic scene, just a quiet dinner at home after Isla had gone to bed. Leonard looked into Clara’s eyes and said, I don’t want to wait any longer to build a life with you.

I love you. I want to take care of you and Isla. Always…