Saint Nick

23. December

"Yes, you can," Camille's voice firmed with love. "Hazel, I love you so much, but there's nothing left for you in this town. Jim and the kids all love you too, but we all want to see you happy. You're not happy living off of our happiness, Hazel. You deserve your own family, your own life. Nick could be it."

Hazel felt her heart pumping wildly in her chest. Leave Leavenworth. Leave her sister. Leave her home. Could she really do that? For Nick?

Her heart silently answered the question.

"Have you told him yet?" Camille asked, after a moment when Hazel didn't reply. A lump the size of an egg had lodged itself in her throat.

"No," She croaked. They hadn't said the words last night, but Hazel had a feeling he knew anyway.

"Then you have to tell him. Find out if he's on the same page, and if he is... go for it, Hazel. Just let go and allow yourself to be happy."

Hazel felt tears slide down her cheeks, but she could no longer determine if they were sad or happy. A part of her felt like exploding in Fourth of July fireworks, while another part was scared with fear of being rejected. He said yesterday family was complicated to him and that he didn't date... would he even be open to giving them a chance?

There was only one way to find out.

"Alright," Hazel whispered. She slowly dried her eyes and hiccuped a single time. "You're right... I have to talk to him. I... I'm seeing him tonight, I'll do it then. I'll... be strong."

"Yes, you will," She could hear Camille smiling and it automatically made a small smile slip onto Hazel's lips as well. "You always were strong, Hazel. You're the best person I know and I want nothing else than for you to be as happy as I am. I really think Nick could be the one."

Hazel didn't want to get her hopes up, but hearing her sister say it... she started to believe it, too. "Maybe. God, I'm so sorry for waking you up this early with all this. I'm just a complete mess."

Her sister chuckled tiredly in the other end. "I had to get up anyway. Lots to do. Call me later when you've talked to him—or better yet, let's talk tomorrow. If all goes well, I hope I won't hear from you until then."

Hazel chuckled back, but then sighed. "Thank you, Cam. You really are my life-saver."

"I love you too, sis. Be strong."

"Be strong." Hazel hung up and then let out a cloud of nervous energy through her mouth.

She would have to throw it all into the wind later and hope for the best, praying that no matter what happened, things between them wouldn't end bad. One thing was telling a man you loved him...

Another was letting him go with a broken heart.

~~~

The note that Hazel had left on Nick's bedside table had been simple. She had told him she needed the day to think about a few things and asked him to meet her tonight at the park where they had first really met, at the frozen water fountain. She hoped he had found the note and that he would follow it. By the radio silence she received all day, she took it as a yes.