Alicia

The cold nipped at Alicia as she made her way to the restaurant. Thankfully, it wasn't too far a walk, though nothing was ever too far in a town as small as Winter Grove. The busy streets made the trip longer, though. The annual influx of tourists has finally descended. The restaurant was buzzing when she arrived, and the lobby was crowded with waiting patrons.

Fortunately, Celeste's family were the sort of people to make reservations months in advance, and the hostess escorted her through the bustling restaurant. It was a lovely establishment. The walls were paneled with actual wood, the tables covered crisp white linens, and the chairs and booths were upholstered with genuine leather. Though Alicia spent almost four years in Winter Grove, she'd never set foot in this place. It was far beyond the budget of a college student. She was surprised Celeste's parents had suggested it—they were comfortable, but this place seemed expensive.

The hostess stopped and led Alicia to a table beside the enormous double-sided fireplace in the center of the restaurant.

"Look who it is!" came a bellowing cry.

The Brightons were already seated alongside Celeste and Sterling, but at the sight of Alicia, they leaped up and pulled her into a tight double hug.

"Nice to see you again Mr and Mrs Brighton!" Alicia gasped as the air was squeezed out of her for the second time this evening. "Now I know where Celeste got her penchant for crushing hugs!"

They laughed as they let her go and beamed at her.

"Gosh, you get lovelier every year." Celeste's mom cooed, her short, white-streaked red hair swishing as she admired Alicia. "And how many times have I told you to just call me Lydia?"

"And you're supposed to call me Herb!" Celeste's dad added, giving Alicia another squeeze around her shoulders. His salt and pepper curls were cropped short, and there was white in his mustache now, too. His green eyes glinted. "How's life, kiddo?"

Alicia couldn't help but giggle. Celeste's parents were lovely people, the human equivalent of stepping into a warm, cozy home after a day in the cold. And this home had been abundantly decorated for the holiday—the couple was wearing matching Fair Isle sweaters in a blazing red.

"I'm doing well," Alicia answered. "How are you? How was the trip in?"

"Oh, fine, fine, though the train into Winter Grove was a bit much. Beautiful mountain views, though I don't love heights," Herb said with a big huff. "But we made it, so all is well. Enough about us, though. We want to hear about you! Anything exciting on the horizon?"

The rejection letter, still sitting in her inbox, instantly rose to haunt her. Her eyes prickled briefly, but she quickly stuffed it back down and forced a smile.

"N-Nothing exciting," she said, though her voice shook. "Preparing for my last semester! So, busy, y'know..."

"Of course," Lydia replied with a knowing nod. "Your final year of college is no cake walk! It's hard to believe you have just one more semester before graduation. It feels like just yesterday you and Cee were paired up for dorms in freshman year." She gave a nostalgic sigh.

Alicia could only smile as she thought of it.

When she'd arrived at Grove University, she was so shy and awkward... She could still see herself on the day she first met Celeste, right down to the embarrassing outfit she had worn—patchwork overalls and a turtleneck that made her look somehow both 14 and 40. Celeste was no better, with her curls a brushed-out mess and sporting a hoodie so large she could tuck her legs into it.

Celeste chimed in. "Yeah, who knew I'd be lucky enough to get assigned a best friend?"

"I'm the lucky one," Alicia said, grinning.

For her, that moving day had been more sad than exciting. It had only been a year since her brother had passed, and her parents had struggled to let her go. They had to leave early due to their upset, leaving Alicia alone in her new dorm.

Then her new roommate burst in, her whole family in tow. They were loud and loving, even the surly older brother...

It hurt to see them so happy. But then Celeste noticed her and introduced herself, and the rest was history. From that moment, the family welcomed her with open arms.

Alicia was always thankful to them for that. They turned a dark day bright.

Lydia turned back to Alicia and nudged her, pulling her out of her memories. "So, where are your parents this holiday season?"

"That's your fault, actually," Alicia said with a laugh. "They heard how fabulous your Christmas cruise was last year and decided to book one themselves! I wasn't interested, so I decided to stick around Winter Grove."

"Well, if it's our fault, I guess we'll just have to include you in our festivities... Twist my rubber arm!" Herb guffawed, his mustache getting bushy as he laughed. "But I'm sure your parents will have a blast on that cruise. We sure did. Did you know they have a 24-7 buffet? And live shows and spas and—"

"Let the girl have a seat before you talk her ear off," Lydia said, gently elbowing her husband. "Come on, now. Please sit down!" Lydia retook her seat across from Celeste and Sterling, leaving Alicia to choose the free spot.

There were actually two free spots—the table was set for six, though there were only five of them. Odd.

She took the one next to Sterling.

"Actually," Herb said. "I have to, uh, make a call. If you'll excuse me."

He winked at his wife, who shooed him off.

Celeste and Alicia exchanged a look. They were up to something, and it was probably something ridiculously festive. After all, the only people who loved Christmas more than Celeste were her parents.

Celeste shook her head before turning to her mom. "Have you decided which days of the festival you want to go to?"

"Oh, all of them, obviously," Lydia replied. "We don't want to miss a single—"

Alicia used their distraction to give Sterling a nudge.

"So? How's it going?" she whispered.

Sterling was still a little on edge, but he seemed comfortable. He even smiled when he turned to her, though it had hints of a wince.

"Pretty good," he whispered back. "I think."

"They're in a great mood," Alicia said, "so it must be going well."

That brought a proper smile to Sterling's face. Alicia patted his arm. He had nothing to worry about. The whole night was going to go perfectly, she knew it. She would bet her Christmas on that.

Herb cleared his throat. He was back and looked very pleased with himself—his chest was puffed up, and his mustache twitching as though he was fighting a smile.

"Now I think we've got everyone together," Herb began, clapping his hands as his green eyes glimmered.

"And?" Celeste asked, her brows folding together. She looked between her parents, narrowing her eyes. "What are you up to?"

Herb was full-on grinning now, his mustache bristling as he chuckled. "Well, dear, we have a surprise for you."

Celeste narrowed her eyes further. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"

"Well, we figured if we're spending Christmas here in Winter Grove," Lydia added, smiling teasingly, "we should spend it all together as a family."

The wheels in Celeste's head clicked into place. She let out a little gasp as her hands flew to her face. "All together? You don't mean..."

Sterling looked at Alicia, hoping she might have some idea of what was going on, but she could only offer a shrug. She was as confused as he was.

"What is it? You didn't bring Banana Bread, did you?" Alicia joked. Banana Bread was the Brighton's beloved but ill-tempered cat.

Lydia laughed at the idea. "Close, but not quite."

Herb turned and waved at someone across the room, beckoning them over.

"Waiting for one more?" came a low, familiar voice.

Everyone at the table turned to see who the surprise addition was. Celeste squealed as she leaped up from the table. Alicia could only stare.

It was the guy from the bar.

The guy she had made plans with later. Plans she had been looking forward to. He... He was...

"Zeke!" Celeste cried as she flung herself at her brother.

"Hey, Cee," the guy—Zeke—said as he caught her. The fact that he didn't topple over from the impact meant that he had been expecting it.

His sister released him, stepping back to stare at him with wide eyes as though she still couldn't quite believe it. "What are you doing here? Mom and Dad said you were too busy to come because you had to close some deal for your company!"

"The deal is already done. Mom just said that so I would be a surprise," Zeke said with a shrug, brushing his auburn hair back into place.

Alicia wanted to kick herself. How had she not recognized him? It had been four years since she'd last seen him, but still. The resemblance was strong, though his hair was more auburn than copper and his eyes more dark jade than bright emerald, but he was a Brighton, through and through.

And then those jade eyes turned on her, sharpening with recognition.

The breath caught in Alicia's throat.

"You remember Alicia, don't you?" Celeste said.

"Remember?" Zeke echoed, his gaze fixed on her. He looked a bit like he had seen the Ghost of Christmas Past. Then he blinked, and he smiled. "Oh. Right. She's your... friend, right?"

"Best friend," Celeste reminded him, giving him a little punch in the arm. "Only for the past four years. Come on."

"Sorry, it just took a second for me to, uh," his deep jade eyes fixed on her again, "remember?"

He reached out, offering his hand to Alicia.

"It's nice to meet you, Alicia," he said. "Again."

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