Page 48 of A Bright Winter Season

“So.” Alexis swallowed her third bite of cookie and turned to her sister. “Tell me what’s been on your mind. Or—tell me what you’ve been trying to keep off your mind. It’s Jacob, right? Did you talk to him again?”

Hazel sighed. “Yes. He showed up to the pub on Monday. The day I was working there by myself.”

“To do more work on the vents?” Alexis frowned, confused.

“No.” Hazel shook her head, turning a vibrant shade of pink. “He wanted to talk to me.”

“Yeah?” Alexis had to try very hard to keep from grinning. “About what?”

“He—well, he kind of asked me out.”

“What?” Alexis almost dropped her cookie. “He did?” She looked at Hazel’s face and could see right away that her sister hadn’t said yes to Jacob. She felt her stomach flop with disappointment, but she reminded herself that she shouldn’t make her sister feel as though she’d done the wrong thing. After all, it was Hazel’s life, and Dean and Julia were right that it was ultimately none of her business. “What happened?”

Hazel bit her lip and stared across the town square, which was covered in a blanket of sparkling snow. “Well, he came inside and said that he—well, he said he couldn’t stop thinking about me, and he asked me if I would go on a date with him sometime.”

Alexis coughed, trying with all her might to not say what she wanted to say, which was, “You said yes, right?”

“And he said he doesn’t think he’s good enough for me.” Hazel spoke in a soft voice, sounding amazed and a little starstruck. “And I told him that he definitely is, but that I needed time to solidify all the progress I’ve made lately. I’ve found new confidence and a sense of independence, and I don’t want to toss that away by starting to date someone right now.”

Alexis nodded, not knowing what to say. She understood what her sister was saying, and she saw the value in it, but she felt that Hazel could maintain her self-growth progress while also dating Jacob. She squirmed a little internally, wanting to blurt out as much but holding herself back because she wanted to be respectful.

“And I think I did the right thing,” Hazel said. “But—ever since I told Jacob that, I’ve been so sad. I mean, I really did like him. And I have to admit that I still do. I wish I could have both.”

Alexis took her sister’s hand and squeezed it, unable to hold back her opinions any longer. “I think you can have both! I really do. I know it feels like too much to juggle, but I think that when things are this important, we learn how to handlemore than we thought we could.” Hazel bit her lip dubiously, and Alexis continued. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I was so afraid that having a baby would cause an imbalance in my and Grayson’s life. But now I know we’re going to figure it out together. The truth is that balancing lots of things and still being able to do them well is hard but worth the risk. We’ll prioritize the baby and our marriage, but we think that we can continue to invest our time in other things as well, like my jewelry business. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that the baby isn’t going to make our marriage any less wonderful. And dating Jacob doesn’t have to make your sense of independence go away either. You can continue to nurture your self-respect and self-development, even within a relationship.”

Hazel stared out across the lawn of the town square, clearly conflicted over Alexis’s words.

“I mean, it’s your life. You do what you feel you need to do.” Alexis smiled reassuringly at her sister. “You’ve grown a lot these past few months, and I’m so proud of you, but opening your heart to Jacob won’t ruin that growth.”

Hazel sighed, fiddling with the zipper on her coat. “I like what you’re saying, and I want it to be true, but what if it isn’t? I mean, the second I found out Jacob is single I started acting awkward around him. It was like my self-assurance went out the window. Maybe I can’t maintain my new sense of independence around him if I want him to be interested in me romantically.”

“I think it’s okay to work through those challenges within a relationship. And maybe there’s no way to avoid feeling like that for a little bit. Maybe you’re always going to have to face these hurdles when a man becomes involved in your life. Maybe this is just the next step in your journey of self-discovery.”

Hazel nodded, but Alexis could tell by the frown on her sister’s face that she still wasn’t convinced. “I’m not sure. I—I think I still need some more time to process everything, and—well, think it all through. And I need time to focus on the Christmas event. We still have so much that needs to be done.”

Alexis pressed her lips together, wanting to say more but holding herself back. After all, it was Hazel’s decision, and she’d already given her sister a substantial amount of advice. “I respect your decision, Hazel.”

Hazel laughed. “I can see you squirming. I know you want me to date him, Alexis, and I’m grateful. I appreciate that you want me to be happy.”

Alexis smiled at her sister, determined to hold her tongue. As they continued to munch on their treats and chat, she couldn’t help hoping that Hazel would change her mind once a little time had passed and things weren’t so busy anymore.

I think once she recovers from the initial shock and has some time to think about it, she’ll realize that she wants to be with Jacob,Alexis thought.I feel sure she can maintain the growth she’s accomplished as a person and also start a relationship with him.

The sisters continued to talk about other things, such as the upcoming community event and Christmas preparations, as they walked back to the general store parking lot. Alexis crossed her fingers inside her mittens whenever she turned to look at her sister, hoping that she would end up changing her decision.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“I can’t believe today has finally arrived!”

Hazel turned toward Julia with a grin, appreciating the way her sister was practically dancing her way through the pub. The night of The Lighthouse Grill’s Christmas community event had finally arrived, and the Owens family was bustling about the pub, putting the finishing touches on the room. With them were Noelle, Cooper, and Grayson, all of whom had volunteered to help their significant other get the pub ready for the event.

“I can’t hardly believe it either.” Hazel smiled, feeling a glow of satisfaction in her chest.

After all of the hard work that they had put into the event, she was thrilled to know that they were finally ready—and that their preparations hadn’t been in vain. The pub’s redecorations looked fantastic. The new color on the walls made the room feel cozier and warmer, and the wall of plants and framed photographs looked charming and homey.

“I’m so proud of everything we’ve done,” she added. “It looks wonderful in here, and I’m so happy about it. And it feels even better knowing that our family made this happen through teamwork.”

“We sure did.” Alexis nodded at Hazel as she and Grayson carried in a couple of steaming dishes of food. There was a long buffet table set against the front windows, and it was nearly covered in bowls and platters of food.

---