“You fight dirty.”
“No. I’m proving a point.”
“And what if I told him how I felt?” She lifts her chin, and her eyes darken with determination.
“What?” I ask, shocked.
“He’s asked me for personal baking lessons. He wants to surprise his mom with a traditional dessert for Christmas. I could use that time to share my feelings.”
“Oh, my God. You’re serious.”
“I’ll do it if you promise you’ll give this a real chance. Maybe this Christmas, we can both be brave.” Hope shimmers in the depth of her eyes. After watching the two of them circle each other for years, I won’t put that out with my own negativity. This could be their chance at a real shot at happiness.
“How come I haven’t heard about these baking lessons until now?” I feel a pang of disappointment.
“You’ve been so busy I didn’t want to bother you, and honestly, it’s nothing. Bryan’s a fantastic cook but a chaotic baker, and that’s being nice. With cooking, you can improvise, taste test, and make our own rules. Baking is more disciplined.”
“Something our dear Bryan lacks sorely.”
She laughs. “You’re not wrong. We’re on our second lesson.”
“How bad has it been?” I whisper. I’ve heard of his stories in the kitchen during the holidays and smelled a few of Bryan’s failures.
She grimaces. “He turned sugar cookies into hockey pucks.”
“There are only a few weeks until Christmas.”
She winces. “I know. But I can’t watch Bry fall flat on his face when I know how much it means to him.”
“If you can’t get him together, no one can.”
Her shoulders slump. “That’s not the compliment you think it is.”
“You’re worried?” I’m surprised by how worked up she’s getting.
“It’s such a sweet sentiment, and he has nothing planned as a backup gift.”
“We both know Carmen would count his trying as the true gift.”
She smiles. “Yeah, but I want him to shock everyone.” The venom in her words is easy to hear.
“What’s going on, Nora?” I study her carefully. “You don’t seem like yourself.”
“Everyone sees him as the funny, party guy. Did you know his brothers bet him he couldn’t do this?” Her small hands ball into fists. “I want to prove them and himself wrong. He’s amazing, and I think he can do anything he puts his mind to.”
“Of course he can.” I run a hand down her arms.
“Sorry.” She smiles sheepishly. “I guess I have strong feelings about this.”
“To say the least.”
“So, we have a deal?” she chirps brightly.
“Yeah. We have a deal.” We seal the agreement with a hug. I can’t help but notice her smile is a wider, and her entire mood is lighter. I can keep an open mind and let myself consider new things in exchange for her joy.Because you’re doing this for her, huh?I silence my negative inner monologue.
“For the sake of good sportsmanship, I have to tell you something.” I pause dramatically.
“Oh?” Her brow dips as she studies me.