Chapter 5 An Unexpected Encounter

Hazel stood outside her now former workplace, the realization of what she had just done sinking in. The sun was bright, and people moved in every direction, carrying on with their lives while hers seemed to be on pause. She had just quit her job without a plan, without thinking. Now, standing on the sidewalk, the reality of it hit her like a gust of cold air. Worse yet, she didn't even have a way home. Nathan had dropped her off, and her car was still parked at Hopps, the bar from the night before.

Sighing, she fished her phone from her bag, her fingers hovering over Nathan's contact. But something stopped her. He had already done enough for her in the past 24 hours, and she didn't want to bother him again so soon. Instead, she raised her hand, signaling for a cab.

As the yellow taxi pulled up to the curb, Hazel's heart skipped a beat when she saw the door open and none other than the man from the previous night stepped out.

Of course.

His face was sharp, confident, with the same cocky grin she remembered. His eyes widened slightly in recognition, and he spoke with a casual tone. "Hey, it's you. Rough night?"

Hazel's face flushed with embarrassment, memories of the night flashing back-her wild behavior, the flirting, the blacking out. She offered him a quick, dry acknowledgment, "Yeah, something like that," avoiding his gaze as she sidestepped him and slid into the backseat of the cab.

The man watched her intently for a moment, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips as if he found the whole situation amusing. His presence made her feel exposed, like he saw more than she was willing to reveal. She shut the door quickly and gave the driver her destination. "Hopps Bar, please."

As the cab pulled away from the curb, Hazel exhaled, closing her eyes for a moment. But even with her eyes shut, the man's face flickered in her mind, his sharp features and that cocky, unreadable expression. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had sized her up the night before. She almost felt like prey. Why did he have to appear now, at her lowest point?

She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away. It was just a coincidence. That's all it was.

The cab pulled up to Hopps just after 11 AM. The bar's unlit sign hung above the entrance, and the parking lot was deserted. Hopps wouldn't open for a few more hours, and it felt strange seeing the place so lifeless compared to the night before. The neon sign that had buzzed with energy last night was now dark and cold.

Hazel paid the driver and stepped out, the silence of the empty parking lot surrounding her. Her car sat in the back, where she had left it the night before.

She walked over, her heels clicking against the pavement in the quiet, the sound too loud in the stillness of the morning. As she reached her car and slipped into the driver's seat, Hazel rested her head against the steering wheel for a moment. 'What am I even doing?' She thought.

She needed to talk to someone. Her mind immediately went to Nathan, he always knew how to make her feel better. Without thinking, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number. The phone rang once, twice... and then went to voicemail.

Hazel frowned, her heart sinking a little. Of course. Nathan was busy. She considered calling him back later, but something told her she needed to talk to someone right now. And there was only one person who could offer the kind of comfort she was craving.

Her mom.

Her mother was the one person who always managed to have the right words, even when Hazel wasn't sure she wanted to hear them. After a moment of hesitation, she dialed. The phone barely rang twice before her mom's familiar voice came through. "Hey, baby. Everything okay?"

Hazel paused, feeling a lump form in her throat. She wasn't ready to tell her mom everything just yet, but hearing her voice made her feel like she could breathe. "Yeah, Mom. I'm fine... just, you know, rough day."

Her mother didn't miss a beat. "I can tell, sweetie. You sound tired. What happened?"

Hazel bit her lip, looking out at the street. "It's nothing. Just... work stuff, you know?"

Her mother sighed softly, the way she always did when she knew Hazel wasn't telling her the full story. "You don't have to tell me everything, Haze. I just want you to know I'm here for you. No matter what. You can always come to me."

"I know, Mom. Thanks," Hazel replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's just... things have been hard lately. I didn't plan for today to go like this. It all feels like too much."

Her mother's tone softened even more, like a blanket wrapping around her. "I understand. Life has a way of throwing us off sometimes. But you're strong, Hazel. You always have been. Even when you don't feel like it, you manage to get through."

Hazel's throat tightened. She wanted to tell her mom everything: that she had quit her job on a whim, that she couldn't handle seeing Michael and Stacy together, that she felt like she was spinning out of control. But instead, she found herself holding back, talking around the truth. "I just... feel lost. Like I'm stuck, and I don't know what to do."

Her mother was quiet for a moment before speaking gently. "You've been through a lot. It's okay to feel lost sometimes. You don't have to figure everything out right now. Take things one step at a time, baby. And if you need to come home for a bit, you know there's always a place for you here."

Hazel blinked, surprised by the sudden wave of emotion that hit her. The thought of going home, of being back in the safe, familiar space of her childhood, sounded tempting. But it also felt like running away. "I don't know, Mom. I just... don't want to disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me, Hazel," her mother said firmly. "I've watched you go through more than most people would be able to handle, and you've always come out stronger. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Hazel smiled faintly, the weight in her chest easing just a bit. "Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that."

"You've got this, Hazel. Whatever it is, I know you'll find your way."

They continued to talk for a few more minutes, the conversation staying light but with an unspoken understanding between them. Hazel didn't need to explain everything for her mom to know that something was deeply bothering her. And just hearing her mom's voice, reassuring and steady, was enough for now.

"I love you, baby," her mother said softly before they hung up. "And I'm always here when you need me."

"I love you too, Mom," Hazel replied, the words filling her with a warmth she hadn't felt in days. As Hazel hung up and slid her phone back into her bag, she felt a small sense of relief. She still didn't have all the answers, far from it, but talking to her mom reminded her that she didn't have to have everything figured out all at once.

Hazel sat in her car for a few more moments. She still didn't know what her next move was, but she wasn't completely lost. Not with people like her mom and Nathan in her corner. With a deep breath, she started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, driving toward home.

One step at a time.