Roger carefully adjusted the final ornament on the small Christmas tree in the corner of his apartment's cozy living room.
He stepped back, took a few pictures of the tree from different angles, and uploaded them to his social media with a cheerful caption.
He then made his way to the kitchen, where the delicious aroma of his home-cooked dinner filled the air. He set the dishes on the table, aligning everything just right.
"I still can't believe Aiden bailed on me," Roger muttered to himself with a chuckle. "Maybe he's dating someone and didn't want to say it out loud." He smiled at the thought and pulled out a chair to sit when the doorbell suddenly rang.
He glanced at the clock. "Who could it be at this hour?"
Roger walked over to the door, puzzled, and opened it, only to freeze in place.
"Varya?" he blurted, clearly left stunned.
There she was, standing in front of him with a trolley bag parked beside her.
