Saint Nick

3. December

• Not actually a Christmas song, but it goes well with this chapter and it's a personal favorite, so press that play button •

"Come on, you deserve a night out," Hazel looked at her sister as she piled dishes into the dishwasher. "Doesn't she? Tell her, Jim."

"As long as you don't run away with anyone else..." Jim walked into the kitchen with a sandwich in his hand, "Then indulge your sister and let me and the kids have an evening in," He agreed. "I promise I won't teach them anymore curse words."

Giving him a deadpan glare, Camille then sighed and wiped her hands in a dish towel. "I don't know..."

"If you're about to launch into the whole 'I'm too old' spiel, I swear I will pour tequila down your throat till you forget your own age," Hazel harshly stated with a firm glare.

"I'm not, but Ashley has preschool early tomorrow, and—"

"And Jim will be happy to get her up and ready, won't he?" Hazel sent him a stare that made it clear it wasn't a suggestion.

"Of course," He prompted. "Just go out and have fun. Get dolled up and have a warm toddy somewhere. Then come back to bed with me and—"

"So it's settled!" Hazel quickly broke him off, getting up from the kitchen chair. She marched up to her sister, grabbed her arm and pulled her along. "We won't stay out late, just a couple of drinks, a few shakes on the dance floor, then home to make another baby with your husband."

"I'm still breastfeeding," She glared. "It'll be club sodas for me, thank you."

"Designated driver then, now scoot! Move your ass up into the shower, and Jim, don't you dare follow her."

He held his hands up.

Hazel then snapped her fingers, slapped her sister's ass to get her moving and escorted her out of the kitchen. She groaned, but Hazel caught the smile she was trying to suppress. She secretly knew she could use a break. "We're going to have so much fun tonight, I promise."

~~~

Hazel wasn't into the whole wild nightlife and she never would be. What she did like, however, was going out and grabbing a drink with her sister, letting a little loose and sharing some hot gossip with her best friend in the whole white world.

Growing up, they had been inseparable. Camille had gotten all the luck in love while Hazel and been more into skating rather than dating. After Camille got married, their nights out had been reduced to once a month, and after the kids came along, once every sixth month if they were lucky. She knew kids were time consuming, but she missed her sister. Tonight they were going to catch up on everything they had missed.

Their usual bar was a cozy little pub with twinkly lights, a little dance floor and Christmassy tunes once the season rolled around. Tonight they had a special two-for-one offer on the Christmas brews, so ordering two, one non-alcoholic, they sat down at the bar.

Hazel had worn her little red Christmassy dress and paired it with her long black boots to keep warm. She had talked Camille into wearing a dark-purple, knitted dress with a tight neck and long sleeves; Both dressed up, but not too fancy. Just how they liked it.

"So what's up?" Camille asked her after clinking their beers together and taking their first sips. "Something's up, I can tell. Why else did we just have to go out tonight?"

"Maybe because it's been forever?"

"Hazel."

She sighed. Camille could always see straight through her. "Alright, fine. I'm... I'm kinda having some doubts."