When: Valentines Day after losing Where: Jade Palace Who: @lorelaixtseng
Lincoln had shown up a bit early on purpose.
Not disastrously. Just enough to catch the tail end of the evening, before everything fully settled into quiet. The Jade Palace had freshly closed its doors for the night, chairs set right, lights dimmed to a softer glow. The last echoes of the evening had settled into the polished wood and jade accents, the air warm with tea steam and the ghost of spices. He waited outside longer than necessary, listening to the quiet like it might give him permission.
Then he knocked.
It was a gentle thing, more habit than urgency. When he was let in, Lincoln stepped carefully into the restaurant’s after-hours stillness, aware of how different it felt without the choreography of service. Lorelai was still in motion, hands-on as ever, finishing up the kind of details most people would leave for morning.
He didn’t interrupt right away. Just leaned back against the host stand, watching her with something openly fond in his expression.
“Hey,” he said eventually, soft enough not to break the calm. In one hand, a small paper bag tied neatly with ribbon. In the other, a bouquet chosen with quiet intention. “I figured you wouldn’t really be done when the sign flipped.”
A beat. A small, crooked smile.
“I won’t get in the way,” Lincoln added. “I just wanted to say. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
