Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The glaring morning sunlight that woke Nora only served to make her splitting headache that much worse.

She'd cried herself to sleep, long past when she normally would have gone to bed. She could feel the aftereffects of it as she slowly pushed herself up against the pillows, rubbing her hands over her face. Everything felt hopeless.

She hadn't slept well at all. The night had been broken up by restless dreams of Rob telling her he was breaking off their engagement, but this time at the altar, embarrassing her in front of everyone. Dreams of her walking into her office for a meeting with a new couple, only to find Rob and Julie sitting there, an engagement ring matching her own on Julie's slender finger. She'd woken each time, sobbing, and then fallen back to sleep.

The engagement ring in question was sitting on her nightstand. She'd torn it off her finger right before falling into bed in a fit of tears and anger, and now she picked it up, turning it so the diamond caught the light. Two carats, an oval solitaire set in rose gold. Somewhere in Rob's apartment, the band that they'd picked out to go with it was sitting in a small velvet box—a thin pave and rose gold diamond ring. His matching gold band would be next to it, waiting for the big day.

A day that was never going to happen now.

Fresh tears welled in Nora's eyes, and she threw back her plush duvet, sliding out of bed. Her bedroom was her sanctuary, carefully designed and decorated to all of her personal tastes, just like the rest of her apartment. She'd thought about discussing the possibility of keeping it, when she and Rob finally had time to look at where they'd live after the wedding. The apartment had felt hard to let go of.

She'd picked out every piece of furniture in it—some new and designer, some vintage, all of it flowing seamlessly. The bedroom was all dusty rose and cream, and Nora closed her eyes as her feet sank into the soft woven rug at the edge of her bed. She had designed her apartment to feel like an escape, like a cloud she could sink into at the end of a long day, comfortable in her own space.

Now, it felt like a reminder that she was going to be alone. Not just when she wanted to be, but all alone, all of the time. Maybe forever.

Thirty-five felt like a daunting age to start over.

Nora padded to the bathroom, flicking on the light. Looking in the mirror did nothing to make her feel better, as it reflected puffy red eyes and a tired complexion from the makeup she'd forgotten to take off. She turned the faucet on warm, rubbing cold cream over her face to take off last night's foundation, contemplating a shower. That might make things feel more manageable, she told herself. That and a cup of coffee.

Her phone buzzed on the counter next to her, making her jump a little as the cheery tone followed it. For a moment, her heart leapt, thinking it might be Rob. He'd text her and apologize, saying he didn't know what he'd been thinking. That he'd been out of his mind. That it had been a mistake.

Nora swallowed hard as she picked up her phone. The text wasn't from Rob.

MELANIE: Long time, no talk! How's it going?

Nora bit her lip. She hadn't heard from Melanie Carter in a long time. But that was the kind of friendship they'd always had, and the reason why Melanie was the only friend she still had in Evergreen Hollow, where they'd both grown up. Everyone else had drifted away with time and long gaps in communication and life changes, but she and Melanie had always been able to go a long time without speaking and then pick up where they'd left off as if no time had passed at all. It was something she cherished.

The sight of Melanie's name on her phone felt like a warm hug, a reminder of happier, more comforting times. They'd known each other since they were kids, and even if they didn't know everything about each other anymore, Melanie always seemed to understand her. It was the reason why, before she could stop herself, she started to text back the truth instead of a pretty lie.

NORA: Not great.

Nora looked at the blunt two-word text. The water was steaming hot, splashing from the faucet, and she turned it down, running it over her fingers before splashing it over her face. Her phone buzzed again, more insistently, and she glanced over to see that Melanie was calling her.

Video calling, actually.

Nora winced, grabbing a hand towel and drying off her face before answering the phone. Melanie's expression, the moment the video call turned on, was more reflective than the mirror she'd been looking into just before.

"You look awful!" Melanie burst out, her brows pinched together with worry.

Nora laughed wryly, the sound coming out more bitter than she'd expected. "That's only natural after getting dumped by your fiancé while he's rushing to catch an airplane, I think." She sank onto the edge of the tub, running a hand through her hair. "It seemed like he couldn't get away from me fast enough, honestly."

Melanie shook her head, her short blonde hair flying wildly around her face. Nora could see that she was sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat—probably post-morning-run. She'd always been the most enthusiastically athletic person Nora had ever met, even in winter when everyone else opted for cookies and time on the couch.

"A man who would leave you like that is not worth crying over," she said emphatically. "And I can tell you've been crying. He's an idiot, Nora."

Nora nodded, swallowing hard against the tears that threatened to well back up. She dashed the back of one hand across her eyes, walking out of the bathroom and toward the kitchen with the phone still in one hand. She needed that cup of coffee.

"I feel lost," she admitted, her voice still quavering a little. "I don't even know what to do with myself for the holidays now. I've spent all the Christmases that Rob and I were together with his family. Four of them, Melanie. I'd just planned for that like always. I didn't think?—"

She half-expected Melanie to make sympathetic noises and feel sad on her behalf, but instead, Melanie perked up as if Nora had just made the best suggestion she'd heard all morning.

"Just come home for Christmas, then!" Her voice took on a bright, excited note. "A change of scenery might be just what you need. A complete change. I hear you making coffee. You can come see the shop! It's so pretty this time of year. You'll love what I've done with the place."

Nora couldn't help but laugh at that. Years ago, Melanie had saved up to buy The Mellow Mug, the coffee shop and bakery that she now owned. It was her pride and joy, her baby, and Nora could hear Melanie practically vibrating with eagerness.

"You work so hard, all of the time," Melanie insisted. "I know you have a ton of vacation days built up. You never take any of them. Don't tell me otherwise, I know better. You could take some time off and come for the whole month of December!"

"I don't know." Nora bit her lip again, chewing restlessly on it as she poured a splash of sweet organic creamer—a weekend treat—into her coffee mug and sank onto one of the plush velvet stools at her counter. "I have clients."

"Someone would help you. You could do remote meetings if you needed to—but really, Nora, you need a vacation. No one at your office is going to begrudge you that. How many times have you taken off in all the time you've worked there?"

"Three." Nora mumbled it around the edge of her coffee cup, propping the phone up against a recipe book. A recipe book that she'd pointedly never had time to use.

" Exactly. This is practically bereavement. You've been dumped by your fiancé ."

"Gee, rub it in." Nora took another sip. It was so much better than her usual morning coffee. She hated it black—she didn't know why she drank it that way five days out of seven, except that it meant fewer calories, and Rob was always on her about how unhealthy even organic creamer was. But her usual coffee, even the expensive kind, always tasted so bitter. This was sweet and rich and velvety, with a hint of hazelnut. Melanie's coffee would be even better. A real latte, the kind she never took the time to make and always felt guilty splurging on.

"Sorry." Melanie looked briefly chagrined. "I'm just saying, it would be good for you. A whole month off, away from everything. Come on, Nora. You know I'm right."

"I don't know," Nora repeated. "I love my parents and my family—but you know how I feel about Evergreen Hollow. I always felt stifled there. I haven't talked to Caroline in years. She's lived there her whole life, even after Margo and I took off. You know what she's going to have to say if I just turn up out of nowhere, and after what happened with Rob…" Nora winced just thinking about the biting questions her older sister would have. "I don't know if I want to deal with all of that right after a breakup. It feels like a lot to take on."

Melanie paused, a sympathetic look warming her expression. "I know, Nora. Caroline has always been a lot. But you don't have anything to lose, right? What's the worst that could happen? And the best is that you get a vacation with family and friends."

"Okay." The word burst out of Nora's lips before she could talk herself out of it again, her hands wrapping tightly around the warmth of her coffee cup. She wasn't entirely sure what had come over her, except she felt that Melanie was absolutely right about one thing.

She needed a change. A big change. And going home for the holidays would certainly be that.

"I'll talk to my boss about the time off. And I'll book a ticket. Midweek, maybe." Nora took another sip of her coffee, trying to disguise her nerves. Going home shouldn't feel like such a monumental task—but she knew why it did.

" Yes! " Melanie fist-pumped the air, bouncing up and down on her yoga mat. "I mean, I'm sorry this is why you're coming home. But I'm so excited to see you in person again, Nor! Seriously, we're going to have the best time."

Nora forced a smile. "We will. I'm sure of it."

"Okay! See you soon!"

The video call clicked off, and Nora set the phone down, that uneasy feeling in her stomach returning and hearkening back to the night before. She felt entirely uncertain that going home was a good idea. It seemed like a decision fraught with landmines, with possibilities of everything feeling so much worse than it already did.

But it was too late to change her mind, she knew. She couldn't begin to imagine the disappointment on Melanie's face if she called her back and told her it was impossible.

She was committed.