After You

The house is ready before he arrives. The lights are low, the music is barely there. You warm the room with bergamot and raspberry, bright and unexpected, while jasmine and saffron slowly soften the air. Everything feels effortless.. the kind of evening where nothing needs to be planned beyond this moment.

You hear his car pull into the driveway. A few minutes later, the doorbell rings. You open the door and smile. He steps inside, pauses for just a second, and takes in the room. Beneath the brightness, cedarwood, oakmoss, amber, and a cool touch of ambergris have settled into the air. He looks at you, then around the room again, as if he’s trying to take in every note at once.