Nora found a text from Martin, in which he wished her a good night and reminded her to call whenever, should she need anything, after she took a shower and got ready for bed.

She entered the new number in her phone, typed and sent a short reply, then fell asleep thinking about the veterinarian. It seemed to her that the more she found out about him, the more there was to learn. Not only was he an energetic, competent and caring man, he was a father of a wonderful boy too, and he had brought his son up alone... She couldn't think of many men who had done that.

It was late when Nora woke up the following morning, the few days of her new life had been more eventful and tiring than she had expected. She only had a couple of hours to cook, tidy up, and get ready for a long afternoon that would be composed of first the reading group in Clelia's shop, then helping her godmother in the market in the evening. There was no point in coming back home in between.

She could only hope that Clelia wouldn't keep her too long, and she would be back home early enough for a late dinner by the fireplace. It felt like she hadn't really enjoyed her new home properly yet.

When Nora walked out into the early afternoon, she found the world covered under a thick blanket of fresh snow. It wasn't snowing at the moment, but the grey clouds spanning across the sky, low and restless, were promising more snow.

For the first time she did not sigh at the sight of the heaps of snow-- she remembered what Martin had told her about it. She smiled at seeing the path cleared for her again, apparently he remembered what she had said, too. Thanks, Martin, Nora thought, admitting that the snow really made the world more beautiful for a while.

When she reached the book shop, a handful of children were already around, walking curiously among the bookshelves, but Daniel wasn't there yet. A very busy Clelia, who was trying to serve several customers at the same time, asked her to present herself to the children's parents and companions, remind them to come back in a couple of hours at the latest and let them go, then gather her charges under the Christmas tree and keep an eye on them.

Nora nodded, took her coat off and left it behind the till along with her handbag, inhaled deeply to steady her nerves and did what she was told-- she walked from one person she had never met to another, smiling and shaking hands.

Once all the adults were gone, she looked from one little face sitting around her in a semi-circle on the blanket prepared by Clelia, observing her curiously, to the next, thinking where to start. Nora pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans and seeing there were still ten minutes left before the official start, and she didn't want Daniel to miss anything, she proposed, "Why don't you all go and grab a book you'd like me to read? We will talk about them and choose one."

Five little heads nodded eagerly and the kids vanished in the children's section at the back, leaving Nora alone, looking out of the window through the decorated branches of the fake tree. It was starting to snow, she noticed, even as Daniel, followed closely by Martin, appeared in her field of vision.

"Hi, you two!" she called, scrambling to her feet from her place on the blanket the moment they were through the door.

"Hi." They both said in unison.

"Why don't you give me your coat and join the others, they are choosing a book we'll read today." she told Daniel.

He agreed instantly, shrugging out of his coat, scarf and gloves, and rushing across the shop. From the following excited greetings it was obvious that the kids knew each other, and they had all been hoping that Daniel would turn up today.

Nora smiled, then looked up at Martin, "He seems to be quite... popular."

"Hmm, definitely much more popular than I was, at his age."

Nora laughed. "It looks like we used to be the same..."

"Are you doing the same hours as the girls before? I'll have to pick him up at five at the latest, and he never leaves happily unless the reading is over..."

"That's perfect, I finish at five. I'll see you then." Nora smiled, watching him reach the door, hesitating a little as if he wanted to tell her something else, or stay, then walk outside, into the thickening snowfall.

She observed him walking away, not wanting him to go.

Shaking her head, she frowned at her silliness and naivety, even as the children pooled at her feet, skidding into a sitting position on the blanket, their arms full of books.

Daniel's popularity didn't help him when, seeing how much the kids argued about which book was the best, Nora put the choice to vote. It was a book of Andersen's fairy tales and not the Little Prince which they read that afternoon.

The first tale of the collection being the saddest, longest and the most complex, The Little Mermaid, Nora was still replying to curious questions when the first parents came strolling back, thanking her, asking when she would be around again. In the end, it was only her and Daniel left, and Clelia who called happily from the till that she had sold a couple of copies of the book Nora had read.

Daniel's eyes had been on her for a while, so intent that she was sure he wanted to tell her something, when she noticed Martin beyond the glass of the window. A silent exchange of sorts, complete with Martin tapping his finger against his watch, followed between the two, making her frown in confusion when Martin vanished from her field of vision and Daniel took a deep breath, stood up and walked very close to her. Nora had to hide her smile when she noticed the boy run his hand through his hair just like she had seen his father do.

"Daddy is taking me to my hockey match now, it's the last match before Christmas. I asked him to invite you, but he said I should do that alone and I mustn't be annoying if you say that you can't..."

It wasn't easy not to giggle, seeing this... young man speaking to her from the body of a little boy. She was sure it had taken all of his courage; how could she tell him no?!

"I'm honoured that you want me to come with you, Daniel. But I must ask Clelia first, as I promised to help her later tonight in the market..."

Daniel nodded seriously, put his coat on, and preceded Nora to the till.

"Oh. Good luck then." Clelia said, watching the boy from above her glasses when he, as a real gentleman, asked her to excuse Nora for a couple of hours, and explained the reason.

"And you..." she told Nora, her eyes boring into hers, "...enjoy yourself. Don't rush back because of me."

"Thanks, Clelia," Nora said, reaching for her coat. "I promise I won't be too long."

Nora caught the grin passing between the boy and the man as she followed Daniel out of the shop, and found Martin waiting for them in the shadows across the road a few minutes later.

Daniel offered her his arm-- another gesture he must have learned from his father-- and it took everything not to giggle as she laced her arm around his and let him lead her across the road, the little gentleman's head not higher than her waist.

"I knew she would come if I ask nicely, and I wasn't annoying, was I, Nora?" Daniel told his father, grinning widely as Martin offered him his hand for a high five, before he closed it around Nora's hand, pulling her closer to his side.

And it felt... good, feeling his large, warm hand wrapped around hers, as if they belonged toget... Stop it! She warned herself quickly, while Martin spoke to Daniel.

"Well done, Daniel. Now let us hurry or you'll be late..."

But there was no need to tell him, Daniel was already a few steps ahead, hopping up the road towards the parking lot, his long yellow scarf trailing behind, looking like a comet tail in the early dusk.

"Am I too predictable?" Nora asked, noticing Martin's clean-shaven cheeks as his face got illuminated intermittently by street lamps. Did he know she would not refuse, did he shave on purpose...? And she was wearing an old pair of jeans and had not bothered with make-up at all...

"Hmm?" he asked, peeling his eyes off Daniel who now stopped, waiting for them in the distance, then ran his free hand over his smooth cheek when he noticed her look. "I was told that I looked rugged, and old." He smiled.

"Well, whoever told you that, I disagree. You looked good..."

She groaned inwardly and bit her tongue, dropping her eyes to her shoes. Why do you always have to say everything that is on your mind, he didn't need to hear that! What will he think now?!

"It will grow back," he muttered, pressing her hand tightly in his, his thumb caressing her fingers, and she could hear the smile she did not see in his voice.

He took his car key from his pocket even as they reached Daniel at the parking lot, and a dark SUV parked in the corner, not too far from Albert, blinked at them in welcome.