The Christmas Chalet | ✓

Chapter 23 ❄️ Sophia

Sophia lifted her head, feeling groggy.

She looked around her new surroundings, searching for familiarity. For the second time since arriving in Stratton, she found herself taking shelter in a stranger's home.

She had fallen asleep on the couch, giving her a neck a soreness when she lifted her head. She braced for the pain and stretched before she stood up. She looked around, but it didn't seem like anyone was there.

She looked out of the large windows in front of her and saw a quiet farm but significant snowfall. There were bits and pieces the wind had blown about, into the snow. They looked like pieces of wood but it was hard to tell from a distance.

Sophia hugged her sweater securely around her when she heard laughing coming from the other side of the hallway. Curious, she followed the sound and passed a hallway of pictures. Slowly, the memory of the previous days' events came tumbling back to her as she spotted Nina in a picture with her family.

She walked into the kitchen with tired eyes, as two figures chatted at the table, with their backs toward her. As if they heard her come in, Nina and Alex turned their heads at the same time.

"Welcome, dear," Nina said. "I'm sorry I couldn't offer more comfortable lodgings but you were sleeping so peacefully I didn't have the heart to wake you up."

Sophia shook her head.

"I was more tired than I thought," Sophia replied. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

"I have some things in the washroom," Nina pointed along the same way Sophia had just walked through. "You're welcome to what you need. Breakfast is on the table."

"Thank you, Nina." Sophia said. 

In the washroom, she reached for the packaged toothbrush. She rinsed off her face first, in an effort to wake up. It almost felt like she had been sleeping for days instead of one night. Back at the chalet, she hadn't been getting the rest she needed and she knew that it would eventually catch up to her. She just thought it would have to wait until after the reopening.

She brushed her teeth and pulled back her hair, before facing Alex and Nina again. For a fleeting moment, she felt self-conscious when Alex looked at her but the nervousness eased when he gave her a glowing smile. She took the place next to him which already had a plate filled with a full breakfast.

"How did you sleep?" Alex asked, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Well enough," she replied. "I didn't realize how tired I was."

"Neither did I," Alex admitted. "I only got up an hour or two ago, helped Nina with breakfast."

"Only the prep?" Sophia teased him, remembering their dinner with Peter and Tristan.

"Not this time," Alex said, proudly. "Nina taught me how to flip a crepe. After a few failed attempts."

Sophia giggled as she ate her food. Alex seemed to bond with every single person that he met. It was a trait that she admired in him. 

With Alex already finished his breakfast, he let Sophia eat in peace. She watched him pace towards the back window, which was as large as the one in the living area where she'd fallen asleep. He looked out of the window with a curious expression on his face.

"The storm certainly did it's damage last night," Alex said to Nina.

"It was the biggest one we've had in years," Nina agreed.

"Did something break?" Alex asked.

"Nothing major," Nina replied. "There was an old shed to the side of the house. The roofing fell in and got torn about in the wind."