The Hidden Flower

Hazel stared up at the tall man standing beside her on the steps, her big, unblinking eyes filled with pure admiration. Catching the little girl's intense gaze, Gideon looked down. She carried a sweet scent that drifted toward him even in the crisp morning air. Over thirty years old, he didn't expect a child's starry-eyed attention to make his heart flutter with such genuine fondness.

"What are