There was a couple who had been together for more than ten years, until they finally decided

to break up. Months passed. Christmas Eve arrived. Amirah Adara, who was staying at their old

house, was preparing a Christmas surprise for her new girlfriend, who was due to arrive in a

couple of hours. She was excited, determined to move on with her life.

While she laid out the gifts — a delicate set of lingerie and a piece of shimmering jewelry —

a strange feeling crept over her. It felt like someone was watching her.

At first she ignored it, brushing it off as nerves.

But then she heard noises — faint, distant, like footsteps in the empty hallway. Her chest

tightened. She tried to steady her breathing and focus on wrapping the surprise. Suddenly, the

doorbell rang. Her heart jumped. She’s early, Amirah thought, and in a panic she hid the gifts,

smoothing her hair, trying to calm her shaking hands. She opened the door with a nervous

smile... and froze.

Standing there in the freezing cold was her ex — Zazie Skymm. Amirah went still, shock

gripping her like ice. Confusion, anger, longing — everything flashed through her at once.

Before she could speak, they were already arguing. Amirah demanded to know why Zazie had

ghosted her for months. Zazie, trembling and breathless, finally confessed: she couldn’t forget

her. Not her scent, not their memories, not the life they had lived together. She wanted —

needed — to feel her one last time. And what better moment, she said, than Christmas Eve,

the day people forgive, return, and remember who they once loved. Their voices clashed,

sharp with pain and emotion.

But eventually, because the cold was unbearable and because her heart wasn’t made of stone,

Amirah stepped aside and let Zazie in. Inside, as the tension

thickened, Amirah tried to explain. She still loved Zazie — how could she not after ten years?

But she had met someone new, someone who made her feel alive again. Still... standing so

close, breathing in Zazie’s familiar scent, old feelings began to flicker, dangerously bright, as

if no time had passed at all.

WHEN THE PAST CAME HOME