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I leaned back on the couch with a wink. “The good news is, you can always add more layers and blankets to stay warm, but there’s only so much you can take off without getting arrested.”
She giggled, and I could hear that the wine had relaxed her as I had hoped. “So true.” Hazel grabbed her blanket, pulled it over her, and leaned against me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, glancing right into her beautiful sky-blue eyes.
“Sharing body heat,” she said with all seriousness. “I heard if you’re ever caught in a blizzard, you should wrap up together to share body heat.”
A smile spread across my face, but I held in my laughter. I could tell she was serious and didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “Smart,” I said with a nod. “I think we’ll be okay since we’re inside. We have the generator for the building, but it’s not hooked up yet since the construction isn’t done. We’ll have to snuggle together all night.”
“That’s something I’m completely okay with,” she promised before she kissed my lips once. “I have to tell you something,” she said, her expression serious.
I set my wine glass down and gave her all my attention. “I’m listening.”
“Audrey and Ivy told me that the librarian recorded the poetry slam and put it on their website.”
“I know,” I whispered, kissing her nose.
“You know?” I could hear the surprise in her voice. “How do you know? You’re not upset?”
“Audrey and Ivy weren’t the only ones to watch it. Ellis mentioned it to me, and so did Mason and Gabe. Am I upset about it? No. In the world we live in now, you have to assume someone is recording everything you do. I wouldn’t have performed the poem if I wasn't comfortable with that.”
Hazel was silent for several moments before she nodded. “That makes sense. I’m just glad you aren’t upset. I was worried because I was the one who talked you into going.”
“I would never blame you for something I chose to do, Hazel. I knew what I was getting into when I went up there, so don’t worry about it, okay?”
“Okay. What did Ellis have to say? He’s such an insightful guy.”
“He so is,” I agreed. “He told me his story and now I can understand why he felt the poem to his core. He said it was dark, but it was life-changing in the imagery. It made him think he had to stop taking his physicality for granted and remember it can be taken away at any time.”
“That’s what Audrey and the girls said too. They were touched by the poem, even if it was dark.”
“In a very inspirational way, right?” he asked with an eye roll.
“No, not at all. They said it was like you were trying to explain your emotions to one person, so it didn’t matter what anyone else thought about the poem.” I lifted a brow, and she held up her hand. “I’m just telling you what she said. Was she right?”
“Does it matter, Hazel?” I asked with a sigh. “Acknowledging it won’t change anything.”
“Actually,” she said, a fierceness in her tone that wasn’t there a few moments ago. “Acknowledging it makes it real. Acknowledging it means you can’t keep living life in a tunnel. Acknowledging it means you have to face the truth. Then, if you do nothing about it after you acknowledge it, it becomes cowardice and you have to own that.”
“What are you, a psychiatrist or something?” The sarcasm was loud and clear in my voice.
“Technically, a psychologist, but this has nothing to do with my degrees and everything to do with being a human.”
“Wait,” I said, holding her out by her shoulders. “You’re technically a psychologist?”
“Yes. I double majored in psychology and social work. I wanted to have all the tools at my disposal to help the people I worked with get better and improve their lives. Social work is my true love, but psychology is important when you’re doing the work we do. More so down south than here. The job here is wildly different than what I used to do, but I like that about Bells Pass.”
“Dang,” I said, suddenly uncomfortable. “Your bio doesn’t say you have a degree in psychology.”
“On purpose,” she said with a shrug. “I’m already walking into the room as a social worker, which, as you know, can hold a bad connotation for a lot of people. I don’t need to add to that prejudice.”
“True,” I agreed, staring over her shoulder rather than into her eyes. “That explains a lot of things.”
“Like?” she asked, her head cocked.
“Your innate ability to pick up on things people are hiding. You see right through the act, like with Dawson, and find the truth. At the same time, you don’t act like the person needs to be fixed. You acknowledge that their struggles are valid. Not many people can do that.”
Hazel slipped her hand into mine and squeezed it. “Thanks, Irving. That means a lot coming from you. I want to make a difference in the world, and social work is the only thing that lets me do that. The psychology aspect gives me insight, but it’s not a changemaker.”
