A Christmas Chance.

Chapter 11

A mended Angel

The decorating had wound down, and all Alexa had made preparations for was in place. She had never felt more elated.

To know that this day was not some selfish plan instituted by her mother made it all the more worthwhile. In the past, every event had been created to cement her mother further into the society that she had groomed both her and her sister to solely get her in. Social opulence had been her mother's only drive in life.

How wonderful to know that today was not marred by any selfish desire or composed manipulative scheme in which only their mother profited. Those days were gone.

How delightful it was to see that what she did benefited all the persons she had come to care about and, most of all, the beautiful Angel's Cafe, whose aura surrounded her with peace and tranquillity.

However, she had to speak to Sheldon, for both their sakes. She has gone against his wishes and she knew he was not keen on the festive season. The last thing she wanted was for this to blow out of proportion.

If only he would return. She missed knowing he was not locked away upstairs or coming down to grumpily mutter to one of his staff about one matter or another before trudging to his office again.

What! Did she just admit she missed Sheldon? No this was getting too far-fetched. It was one thing to receive a stone from a Shady Stranger to change Sheldon's path in life and another to get attached to him.

She pulled herself away from her thoughts that were beginning to get too conflicting for her good. Instead, she allowed herself to reflect on the parts of the day that stood out to her.

Elizabeth's charming, delightful gratitude.

"I am so proud of you," Elizabeth had said her eyes sparkling when she and Ryan had entered the cafe for their customary breakfast.

"Thank you, Lizzy," she had smiled happily, feeling elated by what she had done.

For too long, she has been on the move, too afraid that if she got attached and connected, it would cripple her, rendering her broken than when she was in Penn Brook.

The genuine joy radiated from the tourists and towners as they delighted themselves in the charm of the Christmas Spirit that radiated about the cafe.

She had to admit she was extremely happy seeing the tourists, as well as towners, coming to take photos by the tree and the mural on the picture window was more than she had expected. She had even been invited to pose in a few of the photos.

The mending of the broken barrier between her and her sister.

Thank you for giving me a reason to find myself and discover my purpose.

Truer words have never been said. She meant every word. She could look back now and realise what happened had given her the freedom to find herself.

"Thank you for walking away so that I could find mine. This is your niece Angelica."

When she had read her sister's reply and seen the picture of her niece, she had felt no animosity.

It had taken her some time to realize that her sister and her husband were simply in love. It had brought forth a lot of pain, but now, in the end, she had found a place where she was free to give, share and restore hope.

The Tinsley.

They were the best part of it all because they opened not only her eyes to things she had closed them against but also her heart to wanting something just as real and pure as their affection toward each other. She grinned a bit as she recalled Charlie's delightful mischief.

"Where are the mistletoes? Lucky thing I came prepared."

Laughter rang out in the cafe as the old man fished a mistletoe from his pocket and gazed around the room with a toothy, mischievous grin.

His wife had slapped his arm playfully and pulled him further into the cafe saying in mock consternation. "Behave yourself, Charlie. Remember you're taken."

The old imp had pulled his wife to him and kissed her tenderly. The older woman giggled girlishly when she was released by her husband and led lovingly to a booth.

The Tinsley were just two other people who had found themself in her heart and had, over the past months, started to aid her in knowing this was where she wanted to be.

As she had watched them looking so loving and charming, she realized that in the years of her parents being married, she had hardly seen them show this much affection to each other. It was sad that it took her miles away from them to see and realize just how selfless and tender love should be.

The only love her parents had ever shared was their love for being in the centre of society's pomp and flair. They had found it in themselves to find any means necessary to ensure they were ever in the grasp of their one true love, and one of those had been chucking her into a loveless marriage resulting in a love triangle with her sister and the man she had then thought she had loved.

She sighed and pulled herself back to the present. Her eyes travelled the expanse of the Angel's Cafe and took in the occupants. This place and these people offered her, a chance. It gave her a chance to love, a chance to believe in something, to endure despite the odds and new beginnings when endings manifested themselves.

She was mended, her brokenness was no more. The stone was gradually serving its purpose on her end if only Sheldon would allow it to do the same for Sheldon.

She pulled the chain with the stone from where it was nestled underneath her top against her chest and looked down at the stone she now wore as a pendant. It had set to motion her finding clarity to what she was meant to accomplish here in Mistle. She gently caresses it as she pulls from its strength to continue on her task once Sheldon returns, the bigger matter in all of this.

She had taken it upon herself to bring all the Christmas to the Angel's Cafe she could, and she wanted also to bring restoration and renewal to the one man who had set out to pull from her all that was closed off because her past had boxed it all up.

She wanted to accomplish what the Shady Stranger requested of her, but as she watched all that was unfolding now that things were set in motion, she knew she wanted to do it for Sheldon, not for anyone else or any other reason.

It felt like the right thing to do, the best thing to do. She had a deep feeling this was the beginning of dreams coming through.
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Wow :)

There is no telling what our purpose in life is going to be, but the minute it manifests itself, we are faced with our destiny.

Seems Alexa is discovering hers and looking to accept it 😌

Leave your comments and your votes too 😊😊😊