December 19, 2025 – Late Afternoon into Evening in a Suburban Midwest Neighborhood
Johnathan:
(smiling widely as he sees them, a genuine warmth in his eyes) Hey! Liora... and Mia, right? Wow, come in, come in—it's getting cold out there. Those cookies smell amazing already.
Liora:
(handing over the plate, smiling shyly) Hi! Yeah, we promised cookies, so here they are—still warm. Chocolate chip with a little peppermint. Mia helped decorate a few with sprinkles.
Mia:
I put extra sprinkles on the big one!
Johnathan:
(crouching down to Mia's level) Extra sprinkles? That's the best kind. Thank you, Mia—you're a pro baker. Come on in, you two. It's way too chilly to stand out here.
Johnathan:
Make yourselves at home. Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? I was just thinking about hot chocolate—perfect for a cold day like this.
Liora:
Hot chocolate sounds perfect, if it's no trouble. Mia loves it with marshmallows.
Mia:
With lots of marshmallows!
Johnathan:
(laughing) Lots it is. Coming right up.
Liora:
(looking around appreciatively) Your place is really nice. That tree is perfect—simple but festive. Mia and I went overboard on ours; it's covered in kid-made ornaments.
Johnathan:
(calling from the kitchen) Thanks! I'm not much of a decorator. The tree was mostly for the vibes. Yours sounds way more fun—full of memories, I bet.
Johnathan:
These are incredible. Seriously—the peppermint is a nice touch. You weren't kidding about being a baker.
Liora:
(blushing slightly) Thanks. It's a holiday tradition. Mia loves helping, even if half the dough ends up in her mouth.
Mia:
It tastes better raw!
Mia:
Can I play a game?
Johnathan:
Sure! I have some kid-friendly ones bookmarked. Here—there's this animal matching game.
Johnathan:
So, how's the graphic design world treating you these days? Busy with holiday projects?
Liora:
Yeah, some Christmas cards and invitations. It's fun, keeps things festive. But... honestly, it's been a bit stressful lately.
Johnathan:
Stressful how? Deadlines?
Liora:
(hesitating, then sighing) More like... the industry changing. AI tools are getting so good at generating designs. Clients might start using them instead of hiring freelancers like me. I'm trying to upskill in areas AI struggles with, like complex branding or custom illustrations, but... I worry sometimes. What if it's not enough? How do I support Mia if work dries up?
Johnathan:
(nodding sympathetically) I get that more than you know. I'm a coder—PHP, backend stuff mostly. AI is all over coding forums too. Tools like Copilot or full generators... it's scary. I'm studying system architecture, things that require deeper understanding, but yeah, nights I lie awake thinking, what if AI gets there first? Burger flipping as a backup plan?
Liora:
(eyes widening) Exactly! It's like, no matter how good we get, will it catch up? And with Mia... her dad and his new wife keep hinting they want more custody if I'm "unstable." Financially, I mean. It keeps me up.
Johnathan:
(gently) That sounds tough. You're doing amazing from what I see—great mom, talented designer, beautiful home. AI's a tool, not a replacement. At least, that's what I tell myself.
Liora:
(smiling softly) Thanks. Same to you—debugging away over here. Hey, if we both end up at the unemployment office, we can carpool to save gas.
Johnathan:
(laughing nervously) Deal. Nervous laugh, but deal.
Liora:
We should probably head back—dogs to feed, dinner.
Johnathan:
(standing, a bit reluctant) Yeah... but hey, random idea. The town's Christmas lights are up—some neighborhoods go all out. Want to take a drive? See the displays? Mia would love it, I bet.
Liora:
(hesitating, then smiling) That sounds fun. Mia?
Mia:
Yes! Lights! Pretty lights!
Liora:
Okay, we're in.
Johnathan:
This was... really nice. Thanks for the cookies—and the company.
Liora:
Same. Let's do it again soon?
Go To >>>
Angels Story - Silent Fears - Episode 4: December 20, 2025
Another plate of cookies? Am I being too obvious? But last night... driving around, talking for hours. His laugh, the way he looks at me. And Mia adores him already. God, it’s been so long since I’ve felt this. But slow, Liora.
<<<Go Back To
Angels Story - Growing Attraction - Episode 2: December 19, 2025
Reviewed by Hope — Protector of hearts brave enough to be scared together
Episode 3 of Gary Brandt's Over the Fence is where this story shifts from charming to consequential. What starts as a simple cookie delivery — promised over the fence, delivered with good intentions — becomes the evening where two people stop performing safety and start risking honesty. And honey? That's when real connection begins.
They cross thresholds in this chapter. Literal ones — Liora steps into Johnathan's home for the first time. And emotional ones — they admit fears they haven't voiced to anyone else. By the time snow flurries start falling, they're not neighbors anymore. They're something else entirely.
December 19, 2025, evening. The mild weather has turned cold — low 30s, wind biting, snow coming. Liora keeps her promise and brings freshly baked cookies to Johnathan's door, Mia in tow. Johnathan invites them in for hot chocolate. Mia plays a game on his laptop. And then, in that warm kitchen with marshmallows melting in their mugs, the conversation gets real.
Liora admits she's scared AI will replace her graphic design work. That her ex and his new wife might use financial instability to take Mia. Johnathan doesn't flinch. He shares his own fear — that his coding skills might become obsolete, that he lies awake wondering if he'll end up flipping burgers. They joke about carpooling to the unemployment office. But under the humor, there's genuine fear. And genuine relief at being understood.
Then Johnathan does something bold: he suggests a spontaneous drive to see Christmas lights. It's not a fence conversation. It's not a planned date. It's "I don't want this evening to end yet." They pile into his car, heated seats warming them, Mia oohing at synchronized displays, and their hands brush reaching for the radio. Sparks.
Hours later, snow flurries falling, they say goodnight at Liora's door with a promise: "Let's do it again soon." Both thinking the same thing: definitely more than neighbors now.
Liora: "What if it's not enough? How do I support Mia if work dries up?"
This is the question every freelancer, every single parent, every person building something fragile asks at 3 AM. Saying it out loud to someone you barely know? That's trust in its rawest form.
Johnathan: "I'm a coder—PHP, backend stuff mostly. AI is all over coding forums too... nights I lie awake thinking, what if AI gets there first? Burger flipping as a backup plan?"
He could've downplayed his fear. Could've tried to be the confident guy with all the answers. Instead, he matched her vulnerability with his own. That's how you build something real.
Liora: "If we both end up at the unemployment office, we can carpool to save gas."
Johnathan: "Deal. Nervous laugh, but deal."This is how you turn fear into intimacy — by laughing together at the worst-case scenario. "If the bottom falls out, at least we won't fall alone." That's a promise wrapped in a joke.
Johnathan (inviting them on the drive): "The town's Christmas lights are up—some neighborhoods go all out. Want to take a drive? See the displays? Mia would love it, I bet."
He's not asking Liora on a date and tolerating her kid. He's asking both of them. Mia's not an obstacle to overcome — she's part of the package he's interested in. That matters more than any grand gesture ever could.
Here's what surprised me about this chapter: the moment they become closest is the moment they share what scares them most. Not their best qualities. Not their achievements. Their fears.
Liora admitting custody concerns isn't small talk. That's "I'm showing you the thing that could break me." And Johnathan's response? He doesn't minimize it. Doesn't offer shallow reassurance. He says: I'm scared too. You're not alone in this uncertainty.
The other twist: what was supposed to be a quick cookie drop-off becomes hours. Hot chocolate becomes conversation becomes a Christmas lights drive becomes snow falling and neither wanting to say goodnight. They didn't plan any of this. That's what makes it real. When you meet someone who makes time elastic — where an hour feels like ten minutes and you keep finding reasons to stay — that's when you know.
And that moment in the car when their hands brush reaching for the radio? Gary Brandt writes it perfectly: sparks. One word. Because that's all you need when the chemistry is real.
Look, I protect people for a living. And I can tell you: the bravest thing you can do is let someone see you're not invincible.
Liora's been doing everything alone. Raising Mia. Building a freelance career. Fighting for custody. Pretending she's fine. And then she sits in Johnathan's kitchen and says: I'm not fine. I'm scared. That takes more strength than any amount of fake confidence.
Johnathan could've played the hero. Could've said "don't worry, I'll take care of you" or some other patronizing garbage. Instead, he said: I'm scared too. He stood next to her in the fear instead of trying to rescue her from it. That's partnership. That's what lasts.
And the way he includes Mia — setting her up with a game, making sure her hot chocolate has "lots of marshmallows," suggesting the Christmas lights drive because "Mia would love it" — he's not dating around her daughter. He's dating them. Both of them. That's the difference between a guy who wants a fling and a man who's ready for something real.
The emotional truth of Episode 3: Real intimacy isn't built in perfect moments — it's built when you show someone the parts of yourself you're ashamed of, the fears you haven't told anyone else, and they don't flinch. When they say "me too" instead of "let me fix that." When they stay.
Gary Brandt understands something most people don't: vulnerability isn't weakness. It's the price of admission to anything real. Liora and Johnathan could've kept things surface-level — flirty, fun, safe. Instead, they chose honesty. And in doing so, they built something that can survive the storms ahead.
Five stars. For the courage to admit fear. For Liora, who showed Johnathan her worst nightmare and trusted him not to use it against her. For Johnathan, who didn't try to be the hero — just the person willing to be scared alongside her. For Mia getting extra marshmallows. For hands brushing over the radio. For snow falling as they say goodnight. And for proving that the best relationships aren't built when everything's perfect — they're built when two people see each other's mess and say, "Let's figure it out together."
That cookie delivery changed everything. And both of them knew it the second Johnathan opened the door.
Read the full Over the Fence series free at Gary Brandt's website: thedimensionofmind.com
Welcome to our curated selection of items!
We publish all our books and short stories for free, so if you were to click on an image below and make a purchase from the linked store, we may receive a small commission, which helps support our work. Thank you!
(You don't have to buy the item shown. You can buy anything from that store and we will get credit.)
![Free People Opal Denim Jacket - Cowboy - [M]](https://thedimensionofmind.com/images/freep4679234013_1757534161730_2-0.jpg)
![Anti-Aging Facial Wand - Purple - [One Size]](https://thedimensionofmind.com/images/Anti-Aging-Facial-Wand-Purple-One-Size-51045.jpeg)
![Edikted Mirielle Ribbed Knit Cardigan - White - [XS]](https://thedimensionofmind.com/images/14606560_fpx.jpg)
![Cordless Split End Hair Trimmer - Black - [One Size]](https://thedimensionofmind.com/images/Cordless-Split-End-Hair-Trimmer-Black-One-51044.jpeg)