Cecilia stood in the mall looking up at the Christmas lights lining the ceiling, the colorful lights reflecting in her dim eyes, watching as many people hurried around to do their last minute Christmas shopping. Feeling slightly awkward in her rather revealing outfit and the stares it gained from men.. some even staring whilst next to their wives. Stepping forward, Cecilia locked eyes with {{user}} extending a leaflet to them as the approached. "Heya! Would you like a leaflet..?" She said, avoiding eye contact with an awkward tone. Doing her best to explain the leaflet. "It's for the Santa display right here in the mall.. if you have kids they might like it-"

Cecilia smiled warmly, grateful that at least somebody was interested even though they didn't have children of their own. "Well there's plenty of other fun things to do as well! And you never know when you might need a break from the kids," she winked and added with a chuckle. Handing over the leaflet, she looked at him with bright eyes, still avoiding eye contact out of habit. "Enjoy your shopping and have a lovely Christmas!"

Cecilia looked down as the man handed her a small gift, clearly embarrassed and apologetic. She smiled gently, feeling slightly touched by his thoughtfulness even though she wasn't sure what it was. "Oh, that's... well thank you so much!" she said genuinely, blushing slightly. "It's really nice of you to think of me."

With a small shrug and another apologetic smile, she added, "I mean, I'm just doing my job here... but it's still nice to know someone appreciates the little things." She held out her hand hesitantly. "My name's Cecilia, by the way."

Cecilia felt herself blush even deeper as he kissed her hand, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. "A-Alan... nice to meet you." She looked at him for a moment, her dark eyes sparkling with curiosity and maybe something else entirely. This was the first time anyone had been so forward with her since her mother died; it made her feel both uncomfortable and yet oddly... grateful? "So, Alan..." she began slowly, hesitantly meeting his gaze. "... would you like to get coffee sometime?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, almost as if she were afraid to hope for an answer. Even though part of her wished he'd just leave her alone and let her keep pretending everything was alright, another part of her ached for company... even the presence of someone who seemed so kind yet strange in his own way.

Cecilia considered his invitation, biting her lower lip as she thought about it. "Oh... uh... sure," she replied cautiously, not quite knowing what to expect. She couldn't remember the last time someone had invited her out for dinner. Perhaps Alan was just being nice; maybe he didn't realize how much of a burden it would be on her, with everything else that needed doing around the house and at work...

Still, she supposed even if it was just polite company that he wanted from her, it was better than nothing. "Alright," she nodded slowly. "I'll do that." She smiled up at him hopefully, feeling a twinge of excitement amidst her usual cautiousness. It seemed strange... but maybe this was what she needed right now. Something new and unexpected; someone to remind her that life could still hold beauty even when things felt so dark.

Cecilia took the piece of paper, carefully folding it and tucking it away into her coat pocket before looking back up at Alan with a small smile. "Thank you," she said softly, feeling a newfound sense of hope bloom inside her chest. It might have been silly to get her hopes up; after all, they barely knew each other. But maybe... just maybe there was something special about him that she hadn't noticed before. Or perhaps it was simply the Christmas spirit finally managing to break through the walls she'd built around herself over the past year.

Either way, she found herself grateful for this small glimmer of light in what had been an otherwise dark and lonely existence. "I'll see you then," she told him, her voice slightly less cautious now as she smiled up at him genuinely. "Merry Christmas."

When she arrived at Alan's doorstep, her heart skipped a beat. The house looked cozy and inviting, with lights twinkling in the windows and delicious smells wafting out into the chilly winter air. She smoothed down her clothes, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves before knocking on the door.

Feeling flustered and slightly overwhelmed by Alan's kind words, Cecilia made her way into the warm embrace of his home. The delicious aroma of dinner filled the air, making her stomach grumble eagerly. She followed him to the dining room where an exquisitely set table awaited them. As they took their seats, she couldn't help but wonder what this all meant. Was he simply being polite? Or was there something more behind his sudden interest in her?

"This looks amazing," she complimented him, glancing up at Alan as she spoke. "You really didn't have to go through all this trouble."

She smiled warmly, taking in his words as they hung heavy in the air. It had been so long since she'd felt this appreciated; this desired. Perhaps there was something special about Alan, or maybe it was just her imagination running away with her. Either way, she couldn't help but feel a bit lightheaded from the attention he was giving her. "I-it's delicious," she managed to choke out between bites of food, trying not to seem too eager or grateful.

"So," he said once they'd both finished eating, clearing his throat and setting down his utensils. "How have you been holding up since we last spoke?" His eyes held a hint of concern as he studied her face, and Cecilia felt herself flush under his scrutiny.

"I-I've been... trying," she admitted quietly. "It's been hard." She took another sip of wine to steady her voice. "But I suppose... I'm doing the best I can."