“Do you want to check the comments?” he asked after a while, his tone neutral but supportive.
I hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. Just a few.” He clicked gently through the screen, and I braced myself for the worst—but what met me were words filled with kindness.
This is beautiful. Can’t wait to see more!
She already has a better aesthetic than most influencers.
WildflowerWords—whoever you are, I already love you.
That quote… that hit me in the chest.
The breath I’d been holding escaped in a slow exhale. My fingers curled tighter around my mug, the warmth anchoring me.
“These are… actually really sweet,” I whispered, surprised by the relief that flooded me.
“There are still kind people out there,” Julian said softly. “You just had to get away from the ones who told you otherwise.”
Nicolaus gave a quiet hum of agreement. “People gravitate to honesty. And that post was entirely you.” His words warmed me more than I expected. Coming from him—a man who rarely gave unnecessary praise—it felt like a small badge of honor. I could tell he was watching me closely, taking mental notes in the way he always did, reading me like an open file.
“You’re doing well, Lilianna,” he said finally. “And not just with this. With… everything.”
I blinked at him, startled by the gentleness beneath his words. “Thank you.”
Julian cleared his throat suddenly and rose from the couch, stretching his arms overhead. “I’ll go make something sweet. You deserve dessert after a day like today.”
“Dessert?” I asked, intrigued.
He grinned over his shoulder. “Before Chris left he made some cookies for us to have.
I smiled, warmth unfurling in my chest again. “You all are too good to me.”Julian gave me a warm smile before disappearing into the kitchen. I heard the soft clink of glass and the hum of the refrigerator door opening.
That left me with Nicolaus, who hadn’t moved from his seat. The silence between us was comfortable, not awkward, like a long exhale after a deep breath.
“You know,” I said softly, fiddling with the edge of my sleeve, “I never imagined something as simple as a social media account would make me feel so... seen.”
His gaze lifted from the screen to meet mine. “It’s not the account, Lilianna. It’s that you’re finally being seen for whoyouare. Not who you were told to be.”
That stuck with me. I let it settle deep in my bones.
Just then, Julian reappeared with a small plate of cookies, placing them between Nicolaus and me like a peace offering. “I’ll bring tea in a minute,” he said, already turning back toward the kitchen.
Nicolaus looked down at the cookies, then at me. Then he did something that surprised me. He smiled—not his usual restrained, analytical expression, but a genuine, almost boyish grin that transformed his face entirely.
"These are the almond ones," he said, reaching for a cookie with surprising eagerness. "Christopher always makes them when he knows I've had a long day."
I blinked, startled by this glimpse of a more relaxed Nicolaus. "You have a sweet tooth?"
"I have many secrets," he replied, the corner of his mouth quirking up as he took a bite. "Some more surprising than others."
I reached for a cookie myself, finding it still slightly warm. The first bite melted on my tongue—buttery, with hints of almond and vanilla. "Oh, these are incredible."
"Christopher may act like a chaotic force of nature," Nicolaus said, selecting a second cookie with careful deliberation, "but he's actually a perfectionist when it comes to baking. He'll remake a batch three times if the texture isn't exactly right."
I smiled at the image of Christopher obsessing over cookie dough. "I'm starting to realize you all have hidden depths."
"Depths within depths," Nicolaus agreed, his blue eyes studying me with that familiar intensity. "Just like you."
Julian returned with fresh tea, settling back beside me on the couch. The three of us fell into a comfortable rhythm—sharing cookies, sipping tea, and watching the sunset through the large windows. My phone buzzed occasionally with notifications from my new account, but I found myself caring less about thenumbers and more about the simple pleasure of being here, in this moment, with these two men who made me feel valued and understood.
