"You're really going to do this?" Aiden Dalton, my boss at the small accounting firm where I'd worked throughout college, leaned against the doorway to his office.
I looked up from the files I was organizing. "Do what?"
"Move across the country for a job you interviewed for over video chat." He crossed his arms, his face a mix of concern and pride.
"It's not just any job, Aiden. It's at Sterling Group." I couldn't keep the excitement from my voice. "The salary alone will change everything for Leo and me."
Aiden nodded, his expression softening. "You deserve it, Hazel. You've worked harder than anyone I know, balancing school, this job, and being a single mom."
I felt tears threatening. The past two years had been the hardest of my life. Between raising Leo, finishing my degree, and working part-time, I'd barely had time to breathe.
"Thanks for understanding," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"Oscar Dalton doesn't pull strings for just anyone, you know," Aiden remarked. "Chloe's dad must think highly of you."
I smiled, thinking of my best friend's father. "I still can't believe he mentioned me to his connections at Sterling."
"Well, believe it," Aiden said. "Oscar said they need someone exceptional, and you're the most exceptional person I know."
Back at my apartment that evening, I packed while Leo napped. My tiny two-bedroom could barely contain the boxes scattered across the floor.
The doorbell rang, and I opened it to find Chloe balancing a pizza box and a bottle of wine.
"Thought you could use dinner," she announced, sweeping past me into the apartment.
"You're a lifesaver," I groaned, taking the pizza. "I haven't even thought about food."
Chloe grabbed two glasses from my kitchen. "How's the packing going?"
"Slowly," I admitted, gesturing to the chaos. "I keep getting distracted by old photos and random memories."
"Well, that's what the wine is for," she said, pouring us each a glass. "To drown the nostalgia."
I laughed, accepting the drink. "To new beginnings."
"And to Haven Harbor," Chloe added with a sly smile.
I narrowed my eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"
Chloe bit her lip, her excitement bubbling over. "Noah and I are coming with you!"
"What?" I nearly spilled my wine. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," she nodded enthusiastically. "Noah got a job at Haven Harbor Memorial Hospital, and I've already lined up some photography gigs there."
I launched myself at her, hugging her fiercely. "I can't believe you kept this from me!"
"I wanted it to be a surprise," she laughed, hugging me back. "Did you really think I'd let my godson move across the country without me?"
"This changes everything," I said, wiping away happy tears. "Leo will have his godmother nearby."
"And you'll have someone to watch him when you're working late for your fancy new boss," she added.
Later that night, after Chloe left and Leo was tucked in bed, I called my parents to share the news about Chloe and Noah.
"That's wonderful, honey," my mother said. "It'll be so much easier having friends there."
"I know," I agreed. "I'm still nervous, though."
"You've overcome so much already," my father's voice came through the speaker. "This job is exactly what you've been working toward."
"Your father's right," my mother added. "We're so proud of you, Hazel."
The day before our departure, I said goodbye to Aiden at the office.
"I can't thank you enough," I told him. "For keeping me on when I was pregnant, for being flexible with my schedule—for everything."
"You earned it," he said simply. "Now go show Sterling Group what you're made of."
I hugged him tightly. "I will."
The morning of our move dawned bright and clear. Chloe and Noah arrived in their SUV, ready to caravan with me to Haven Harbor.
My parents stood in the driveway, my mother holding Leo.
"Are you sure you don't want us to keep him until you're settled?" she asked, cuddling my son close.
I shook my head. "We'll be fine. The apartment is already furnished, thanks to Oscar's connections."
"And we'll help with Leo," Chloe added, coming to stand beside me.
My father pulled me into a hug. "Call us when you get there."
"I will, Dad," I promised, feeling the familiar tightness in my throat.
My mother passed Leo to me, her eyes wet. "Be careful, sweetie."
"Always am," I assured her, buckling Leo into his car seat.
With final hugs and promises to visit soon, we set off. In my rearview mirror, I watched my parents grow smaller, standing arm in arm in the driveway of the home where I'd grown up.
The drive took three days, with overnight stops at hotels where Leo charmed everyone he met. By the time we reached Haven Harbor, exhaustion had set in, but so had excitement.
"This is it," Chloe breathed as we drove through downtown. "Our new home."
Haven Harbor was beautiful—a picturesque coastal city with modern buildings nestled among historical architecture. The Sterling Group headquarters dominated the skyline, a gleaming tower of glass and steel.
Our apartment building was in a trendy neighborhood close to the harbor. The doorman helped us unload, and we took the elevator to the tenth floor.
"Home sweet home," I murmured, unlocking the door to apartment 1008.
The space was stunning—open concept, with large windows overlooking the harbor. The furnishings were modern but comfortable, clearly chosen with care.
"Oscar Dalton strikes again," Chloe whistled, taking in the view. "He really went all out."
"I'll never be able to thank him enough," I agreed, setting Leo down to toddle around his new home.
Noah brought in the last of our bags. "Chloe, we should let them rest. We can help unpack tomorrow."
After they left for their own apartment two floors down, I gave Leo a bath and put him to bed in his new room. He fell asleep instantly, exhausted from the journey.
I unpacked one special box that night—the one containing memories from the masquerade ball. Inside was my mask, carefully preserved, and the perfume bottle Chloe had given me that night.
I opened the bottle and inhaled deeply. The scent was exotic and intoxicating—jasmine, amber, and something uniquely spicy I couldn't identify. It instantly transported me back to that night, to the mystery man with the violet-blue eyes.
Leo had those exact same eyes.
On impulse, I spritzed the perfume on my wrist. Tomorrow would be my first day at Sterling Group. My first day working for Liam Sterling, the notoriously demanding CEO.
I needed all the confidence I could get.
Looking around at my new apartment, at my sleeping son, at the opportunity before me, I felt a surge of determination. This was our fresh start. A chance to build something better.
I placed the perfume bottle on my vanity and made a decision. I would wear it every day in my new life—a small act of reclaiming the night that had changed everything.
Little did I know, that simple decision would set in motion a chain of events that would reconnect me with the stranger from the ball—the father of my child.