Of Hearth and Hollow Things: A Small-Town Sweet Romance of Love, Loss, and Unexpected Family

Grief doesn’t shout.
It waits—in silence, in unread books, in the space where my sister used to be.

Raising her daughter, Evie, was supposed to be simple.
Structure. Discipline. No softness. No surprises. No more loss.

Then Elena Vega walked in.

She was warmth I didn’t ask for.
Smiles I didn’t trust.
Hope I didn’t want to need.

She brought color into gray rooms.
Told stories like they mattered.
And somehow made Evie feel safe again.

Evie trusts her. Laughs with her. Reaches for her.
So do I.

But I’ve lived behind walls for so long, I don’t know how to let someone stay.
And now she’s been offered a life beyond all this.

She gave me light. Laughter. A glimpse of home.
Now all that’s left is one

Can I find the courage to ask her to stay—not because I’m broken… but because I’m finally ready to love her back?

Of Hearth and Hollow Things is a tender, slow-burn small-town romance about found family, quiet healing, and what happens when love slips past your defenses—not with grand gestures, but with warmth, patience, and the courage to stay.