7. Six
Six
B eth stared at her phone, thumb hovering over the 'send' button. The message read:
Beth: "So... hypothetically speaking, how would you feel about a surprise visit from a certain American baker? Asking for a friend. The friend is me. I may be losing my mind."
She groaned, deleting the text for the fifth time. What was she thinking? She'd known Yuri for all of two weeks. Flying to Belarus for a week was insane. Right?
A knock on her front door startled her out of her daydream. She opened it to find Mrs. Klaus, her elderly neighbor, holding a plate of cookies.
"Beth, dear! I thought you might need a pick-me-up. You've seemed a bit... distracted lately."
Beth accepted the plate with a weak smile. "Thanks, Mrs. Klaus. That's really thoughtful of you."
Mrs. Klaus peered at her over her glasses. "Boy troubles?"
Beth blinked. "What? No, I—how did you...?"
The older woman chuckled. "Honey, I've been around the block a few times. I know that look. So, who is he? That nice cafe owner? What was his name... Zack?"
"No, it's not Zack," Beth sighed, ushering Mrs. Klaus inside. "It's... complicated."
Mrs. Klaus settled onto the couch, patting the spot next to her. "Well, then. Uncomplicate it for me."
Beth sat, running a hand through her unruly curls. "His name is Yuri. He's from Belarus. We met online and... I think I'm falling for him."
Mrs. Klaus's eyebrows shot up. "Belarus? My, my. That's quite a distance."
"I know," Beth groaned. "It's crazy, right? I mean, I've never even met him in person. But when we talk, it's like... like..."
"Like coming home?" Mrs. Klaus supplied softly.
Beth nodded, surprised at the accuracy of the description.
Mrs. Klaus patted her hand. "Love doesn't always make sense, dear. Sometimes, it's just a feeling. A knowing. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
Before Beth could respond, her phone buzzed. Yuri's face lit up the screen, a video call incoming. Beth's heart did a little flip.
"Speaking of the devil," Mrs. Klaus winked. "Go on, answer it. I'll see myself out. But Beth?" She paused at the door. "Don't let fear stop you from chasing happiness. Even if it's halfway across the world."
With that advice, she left. Beth took a deep breath and answered the call.
"Privet, moye solnyshko!" Yuri's cheerful voice filled the room. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important. Like a top-secret cookie experiment. Or a heated debate about the merits of sprinkles versus chocolate chips."
Beth couldn't help but smile. "Nope, no cookie emergencies at the moment. Although I did just have a rather cryptic conversation with my neighbor about chasing happiness across continents."
Yuri's eyebrows rose. "Oh? And what brought on this intercontinental discussion?"
Beth felt her cheeks warm. "Oh, you know. Just... general life pondering. Nothing specific."
"Uh-huh," Yuri smirked. "And I suppose this pondering has nothing to do with a devilishly handsome Belarusian who's been occupying your thoughts?"
"Devilishly handsome? My, someone's confident," Beth teased, grateful for the shift to lighter territory.
Yuri struck a dramatic pose. "What can I say? It's a curse, really. The burden of being irresistible."
Beth laughed, the tension in her chest easing. This was why she was falling for him. He could make her laugh even when her thoughts were a tangled mess.
"So," Yuri continued, his tone softening. "What's really on your mind, moye solnyshko? You seem... pensive."
Beth sighed, fiddling with a loose thread on her sweater. "I just... I've been thinking about us. About what we're doing here."
Yuri's smile faded slightly. "Having second thoughts?"
"No!" Beth said quickly. "No, not at all. It's just... is this crazy? We've never even met in person. We live on different continents. And yet..."
"And yet?" Yuri prompted gently.
"And yet I've never felt this way about anyone before," Beth admitted softly. "It's scary."
Yuri was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was low and serious. "I know, Beth. I feel it too. The distance, the uncertainty... it's not easy. But when I talk to you, when I see your smile... nothing else matters."
Beth felt tears prick in her eyes. "Yuri..."
"I have an idea," he said suddenly. "Close your eyes."
Beth raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Just trust me. Close your eyes."
Feeling a bit foolish, Beth complied.
"Now," Yuri's voice came through the speaker, warm and close. "Imagine I'm there with you. Imagine I'm holding your hand. Can you feel it?"
To her surprise, Beth could almost sense the warmth of his palm against hers. She nodded, not trusting her voice.
"That feeling? That's real, Beth. It doesn't matter if we're in the same room or on opposite sides of the world. What we have is real."
Beth opened her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. "How do you always know exactly what to say?"
Yuri grinned. "It's a gift. Along with my devilish good looks, of course."
Beth laughed, wiping her eyes. "Of course. How could I forget?"
Just then, Beth's kitchen timer went off. She groaned. "Ugh, I forgot I had a test batch in the oven. Hold that thought?"
As Beth rushed to salvage her experimental gingerbread, her mind was whirling. Mrs. Klaus's words echoed in her head: "Don't let fear stop you from chasing happiness."
Making a split-second decision, she grabbed her phone and typed out a message to Kelly:
Beth: "Hey, what are your thoughts on a spontaneous trip to Belarus?"
Kelly's response was almost immediate:
Kelly: " Girl, YES! When do we leave? Also, where exactly is Belarus?"
Laughing, Beth returned to her video call with Yuri. He was humming what sounded suspiciously like "Jingle Bells" in Russian.
"Sorry about that," she said. "Cookie crisis averted."
"Excellent news," Yuri nodded solemnly. "We wouldn't want any innocent gingerbread men to suffer. So, where were we?"
Beth took a deep breath. "Actually, I was thinking... what if we didn't have to imagine?"
Yuri's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Beth said, her heart racing, "what if I came to visit you? In Belarus for a week. For Christmas."
Yuri's eyes widened. For a moment, he was silent, and Beth felt her stomach drop. But then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.
"Beth Mason," he said, his voice filled with wonder, "you continue to surprise me. Are you serious?"
Beth nodded, a giddy laugh escaping her. "Completely serious. Totally insane, but serious."
Yuri's laugh joined hers, rich and warm. "Then yes. A thousand times, yes. Come to Belarus, moye solnyshko. Let's make this Christmas one to remember."
As they began excitedly planning her trip, Beth felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew one thing for certain: this Christmas would be unlike any other.
And she couldn't wait.