Darcy dragged herself into the break room. It was Christmas Eve and she’d worked fourteen-hour days for the last three days. She wasn’t even sure what her name was anymore.

Two girls spoke quietly at the picnic table so she took the long table. She pressed her face into the cool metal and shut her eyes. She’d promised her mother she would sit down and talk to her that afternoon.

Her mom was feeling guilty that she and Jerry were out of town for two holidays in a row. She didn’t have the heart to tell her mother that she was so tired that she was grateful.

She pulled out her phone and set it on the table, bumping up the ringer to wake her up. Just five minutes and she’d refresh a little. Her phone buzzed and trilled a moment later.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Merry Christmas, baby! Did you hear Jerry too?”

She mustered up a smile, hoping it would show in her voice. “Yes, Mom, I heard him. Are you guys having fun?”

“I’ve never seen such blue oceans in the middle of December. It’s so beautiful, Darcy.”

“Make sure you take pictures.”

“I think you should come with us next year.”

“I think I’d get demoted if I asked for the week of Christmas off, Mom.”

Her light laughter was cut with the soft caw of a bird. “Where are you guys this time?”

“Hawaii. We’re on an excursion in the rainforest. It’s so beautiful.”

Darcy laid her cheek back on the table with the phone underneath. “I’m very jealous.” She listened as her mother babbled on about how warm it was and how it rained for ten minutes at a time and then the storms disappeared. All of it sounded like heaven. And sounded like she’d never be able to see it in her lifetime.

The store was what she wanted. She’d worked hard to get to the general manager position. And if she missed cruises to tropical destinations, it was a price she was willing to pay.

Because a cruise didn’t matter. Her eyes filled as she listened to her mother and stepfather banter back and forth about where they’d been and which places were more fun. She had that with Ben.

The lively chatter and the laughter.

“Mom, I met someone.”

“Wait, hush, Jerry. What did you say?”

“I met someone. I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him.”

“Oh honey. Really?”

“Don’t sound so shocked, Mom.”

“Well, I kind of am. You never let anything drag you away from that store.”

She shifted until she could pillow her head in her arms. “I’m with him because of the store.”

“You don’t work with him do you, Darcy? Unless you’re really sure you’re in love and not just settling.”

She huffed out a laugh. “No, Mom. It’s the man that moved into my duplex actually.”

“Oh.” Her mother went silent a moment, then cleared her throat. “Are you talking about that man with the tattoos?”

Darcy winced. “Yes.”

“Darcy, I’m so happy.”

She sat up straight. “What? Really?”

“Honey, he’s just what you need. I talked to him for twenty whole minutes when you got called into work and couldn’t meet him with the key. Remember?”

Darcy frowned. The store was always calling her in. And once she was the store manager, she was going to find a way to make sure there were backups in place. She was not going to lose her life to the store. Not anymore.

“I love him, Mom.”

“You don’t know how happy that makes me, Darcy. I’ve been so afraid that you’d end up alone like I was for so long.”

“You did the best you could, Mom.”

“I know. And we’ll talk more when I get home. But you make sure you don’t let him go. I was lucky enough to find Jerry, but I almost screwed up and let him go.”

Like mother, like daughter. “Being independent doesn’t mean that we have to be alone. Remember that. Oh, and remember that they’re dumb.”

“Hey!”

Darcy laughed at Jerry’s voice.

“I’m sorry, dear, but you can do really dumb things. So keep that in mind and forgive the little things. They don’t mean much in the grand scheme.”

Even lies? She was fairly sure he was going to tell her that night with Brittany, but how could she be certain? “Thanks, Mom. You guys have a really Merry Christmas with the rest of the cruise people.”

“We will. I love you, honey. We’ll celebrate when I get home.”

“I’d like that.” And for the first time, she actually liked the sound of Christmas. “I gotta go, Mom.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you too.” She turned off the ringer on her phone and stared at it for a full minute before she swiped the menu awake. She scrolled through to Ben’s contact info and tapped in a message.

Her chest felt lighter. She was doing the right thing. Christmas meant possibilities and everything about Ben had been hopeful possibilities. Now to just get through the rest of the day.