COURAGE

LILY

The glow of the laptop screen painted my small living room in soft blue light, contrasting against the crackling fire in the corner. My cabin wasn’t much  just hand-me-down furniture, squeaky floorboards and a heater that coughed more than it warmed but it was home. Usually, I loved that about it. Tonight, though, it felt a little too small.

I pulled the wool blanket tighter around my shoulders and stared at the application form open on my screen.

“Administrative Assistant – Ryland Corporation.”

The words looked almost intimidating in bold black font. I’d stumbled across the listing last week when I was at the town’s little library, scrolling through job boards while the kids I taught skiing  were warming up by the fire. Normally, I wouldn’t have looked twice at something like that. Big company. Big city. Big expectations. Definitely not Aspenridge material. Definitely not me.

But the description had stuck with me: detail-oriented, organized, adaptable. Benefits that sounded like more than just scraping by. A chance for something different.And after tonight, after that conversation with Jake on the steps of the lodge, I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of leaving.

I still  couldn’t imagine not teaching kids to ski, not breathing in the cold mountain air every morning but maybe stretching myself, proving that I could be more than the small-town girl everyone thought I was.

I typed a sentence, deleted it, typed it again. My résumé wasn’t exactly shiny. Ski instructor, summer waitress, part-time cashier at the general store when they were desperate. Not exactly “corporate material.” But I had heart. And I was nothing if not hardworking.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table. For a split second, I thought it might be Jake ridiculous, really, since we’d just said goodnight outside the lodge but my stomach still did a little flip. It wasn’t him. Just my best friend, Sophie, sending me a blurry picture of her cat in a Christmas sweater.

I laughed softly, shaking my head. Sophie had been telling me for years I was wasting my time here. “You could do anything, Lil” she’d say. “But you keep teaching ski bunnies and tourists because it’s safe.” Maybe she was right.

Safe.

That word gnawed at me as I scrolled through the application questions again.

Why do you want to work at Ryland Corporation?

I chewed the inside of my cheek, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Because I need something more. Because I want to prove to myself I can. Because I’m scared if I stay in this bubble forever, I’ll never figure out who I’m supposed to be.

I typed, because I’m ready for a new challenge and I believe I can bring dedication and warmth to your team.

Warmth. That made me smile. It sounded silly, but it was true. If I could wrangle a dozen five-year-olds into ski boots and have them laughing by the end of the lesson, surely I could answer phones and file reports with a smile.

The fire popped, scattering sparks against the screen’s reflection. I sighed, curling deeper into the blanket.

Jake’s words replayed in my head. This isn’t really my world. Aspenridge. Ski lessons. Quiet days.

Something about the way he’d said it made me ache. Like he carried an entire universe on his shoulders. And even though he’d been vague , I believed him.

He wasn’t like most of the tourists who breezed in for a weekend and left bragging about their “authentic mountain experience.” He carried himself differently. Polite but practiced, like he’d learned how to smile and deflect a hundred times before. When he spoke about “expectations” and “noise,” it felt heavier than just a stressful job. But maybe I was reading too much into it.

Either way, his words had stuck.

And maybe that was why I was sitting here, filling out a job application I never would have considered before. Maybe his reminder that there was a bigger world outside this valley had nudged me to stop waiting for something to happen and start making it happen myself.

I glanced at the clock it was almost midnight. My lesson with Jake tomorrow was at nine. He’d probably be bright-eyed and pretending not to be nervous. I’d probably tease him, the way I always did. That thought warmed me, the familiar comfort of routine.

Still, I clicked the button.

Submit Application.

My heart did a little somersault as the confirmation screen popped up. Just like that, I’d tossed a snowball into the wind, not knowing where or if it would land.

I shut the laptop and leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling beams overhead. For the first time in a long while, I felt different. Nervous. Excited. Maybe even a little daring.

Somewhere out there, in some shiny skyscraper office, my application was about to be skimmed, judged, probably tossed aside. But who knew? Maybe not. Maybe, just maybe, it would stick.

I closed my eyes and let the fire’s warmth lull me toward sleep, the snow still whispering outside.

If tomorrow was the same as today, that was okay. But part of me hoped it wouldn’t be. Part of me hoped something bigger was waiting and I couldn’t have known then but that “something bigger” was already standing in Aspenridge, grinning awkwardly at me as he tried not to fall on a beginner slope.

Tomorrow will be another dat to enjoy,teaching Jake brought joy into my world leaving butterflies in my stomach.I knew that was bad especially for  a stranger I had met only weaks ago but as of tonight the '' road'' is what we would be walking on and tomorrow I would tell Jake of the feelings I have for him.

This night,the fireplace felt warmer with the flames dancing on the floor and the glow lulling me to sleep.