Snow clung stubbornly to the edges of the Smith estate's iron gate, sparkling beneath the dimming winter sun as the Reinhardt brothers were finally rounded up. After their little "operation"—which involved a purloined tray of lemon tarts, a disgruntled kitchen maid, and one suspiciously missing candlestick—the household was beginning to calm again.
"Next time, I get to be the distraction," Liam declared proudly, his breath fogging in the crisp air.
"You were the distraction," Levy shot back, arms crossed over his puffer jacket. "You danced on a table. With socks on. In front of the butler."
"Which worked perfectly," Liam said, smug. "He didn't see Louis sneak into the pantry."
"Because I tripped and knocked over a stool," Louis grumbled, brushing snow off his coat. "You're welcome, by the way."
Lester stood a little off to the side with Alexander, both older boys watching the twins with matching smirks.
"They're gonna rule the black market of sweets one day," Lester said, nudging his best friend.
Alexander chuckled but seemed distracted, scanning the frosted hedges as though he were missing something....or someone.
Leina.
She hadn't joined in the mischief, of course. She rarely did. She'd stayed behind in the warmth of the library with Samantha, flipping through fairytale books while sipping lukewarm cocoa. It was peaceful, quiet—everything Leina liked. But Alexander hadn't forgotten.
"Give me a sec," he muttered to Lester, who just nodded knowingly.
With a quick jog across the snowy path, Alexander ducked into the front vestibule and pulled a slim, ribbon-bound book from his coat. He'd stashed it there earlier—an illustrated copy of The Wildwood Princess, the same one Leina had been eyeing in his collection last week but never asked for.
He found her just outside the garden, bundled in her puffy white coat, her amethyst eyes glowing under the cold light. Samantha sat on a bench nearby, dozing lightly, cheeks pink from the earlier games.
"Leina!"
She turned at the call of her name, startled, but relaxed when she saw who it was.
Alexander slowed as he reached her, holding out the book like it was something precious.
"Hey. I, uh... thought you might want this."
Leina blinked up at him, hands carefully accepting the book. "The Wildwood Princess?" she asked softly. "You remembered?"
He shrugged, pretending to be casual, but his ears were visibly red. "You kept staring at it last week. I figured you'd want your own copy."
She traced the embossed gold lettering with gloved fingers. "It's really pretty."
"You're welcome," he mumbled, then awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Also… you were really cool today. Even though we kinda turned the place upside down."
Leina tilted her head. "I just read books with Samantha."
"Yeah, but like... you're always calm. I don't know how you do that." He kicked a patch of snow. "You're different from those... you know... brothers-."
Leina looked down, cheeks flushing, but she smiled faintly. "Thank you, Alexander."
He smiled too—just a small tug at the corner of his mouth—but it lit up his whole face for a moment.
Behind them, Samantha stirred and mumbled something about snow angels, rubbing her eyes.
"I should go," Leina said, tucking the book under her arm.
"Right. Yeah. But, uh…" he pointed at the book. "Tell me what you think, okay?"
"I will."
And just like that, the spell broke.
From the main drive, Giselle's voice rang out gently: "Kids, let's go. Time to head home!"
The goodbye was a flurry of hugs, high-fives, and shouted last-minute jokes. Lester bumped fists with Alexander while Logan exchanged a firm handshake with Reginald. Giselle and Michelle hugged like sisters, chatting quickly over future plans.
"Come visit again soon!" Michelle said brightly, pulling Leina into a warm embrace.
Leina nodded, then turned back to give Samantha a soft hug. "Rest, okay?" she whispered.
"I will," Samantha said with a yawn.
The Reinhardts piled into their sleek black SUV, laughter and tired complaints about sore legs and cold noses filling the space as the engine started.
Alexander stood just outside the front steps, watching the car pull away. His breath curled in the air, and though he said nothing, he lifted a hand in farewell.
Inside the car, Leina opened the book on her lap, running her fingers across the title page. Her brothers were arguing about who actually got blamed for the tart theft, but she just smiled to herself.
She didn't know why the book made her heart feel so light.
But it did.