One wintery morning in early March, I bumped into a handsome guy while walking my golden retriever, Honey. The caramel latte I was carrying in my hand spilled all over the new light pink coat my grandmother gave me for Christmas. The guy blushed and said, “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. My name is Graham. What’s your name?” I responded by saying, “Nice to meet you, Graham. My name is Caroline.”

Graham then looked deeply into my dark brown eyes, and I thought I might faint because I had never seen a guy as cute as him before. Honey and I were on our way to our favorite local bakery, Marigold’s, and I asked Graham if he would like to join us, and of course, he said yes.

Then, the three of us walked to the bakery, and as soon as we got there, we could smell the sweet aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The shiny golden bell above the door chimed as we stepped into Marigold’s, and Honey’s tail wagged furiously as if she knew a treat was in her future. The warm air inside was a welcome contrast to the bitter February cold, and the scent of melted chocolate and cinnamon wrapped around us like a toasty warm blanket.

Graham glanced around, taking in the charm of the bakery with its wooden tables and shelves lined with various cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, and breads. “This place is amazing. I can’t believe I never knew about this place before,” he said, his eyes sparkling with childlike wonder. I couldn’t help but smile at how his facial expression matched mine.

“It’s my hidden secret,” I replied, stepping up to the counter where my Aunt Maddie, the owner, greeted us with her usual warm smile.

“Caroline! And Honey! You’re here early today,” Aunt Maddie said, leaning over to scratch Honey behind the ears. Her eyes shifted to Graham, curiosity sparking in her gaze. “And who’s this?”

“This is Graham,” I said, feeling a small amount of butterflies in my stomach as I introduced him. “We kind of… bumped into each other on the way here.”

“Well, any friend of Caroline’s is a friend of Marigold’s,” Aunt Maddie said with a wink. “What can I get for you two?”

Before I could answer, Graham jumped in. “Two hot chocolates and a couple of those warm chocolate chip cookies you just baked,” he said, nodding toward the ooey-gooey dessert on display. He looked at me with a playful smile. “Unless you had something else in mind, Caroline?”

“Hot chocolate sounds perfect because that’s exactly what I was thinking of asking for, too. Great minds think alike, as they say,” I said, feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with the warmth I always feel whenever I step into Marigold’s.

As we sat at a corner table by the window, Honey curled up beneath my feet, and the conversation flowed between Graham and me effortlessly. We talked about everything from our favorite books to our favorite music, punctuated by laughter that filled the small space with its joyous symphony. I learned that Graham had just moved to town to start a new job at the local bookstore and was still trying to find his way around.

“I’m glad I got lost this morning,” he said, eyes locking onto mine. “Otherwise, I might not have met you.”

I felt my cheeks flush as I sipped my hot chocolate. Maybe this March wasn’t going to be so chilly after all.

This was written by our editor-in-chief and co-founder, Hanna Perry.