They talk, and it's good.

After her song, and the encore, and seeing Kurt shine, and her win – especially her win – well there was only one thing missing, so she calls him. She wonders if he knows she doesn't butt-dial, ever.

She hopes he understands, she's following her dream like he told her to. Like he made her do, and no matter how devastated she was at the train station, she wouldn't be where she is now without it. She wouldn't be where she is now without him. So she didn't call to give him a pep talk about Glee and what really matters, or to tell him about her win, she just wanted to talk to him and hear his voice. The other things, they happened too. The bit about wanting him to promise not to give up on his dream – she'd always meant to say that when she could.

It's a very good night for her, all round.

And yes she kissed Brody, because she wanted to. Not like the other kiss, with her lonely and vulnerable, him as a sort of New York mentor pushing at the boundaries he'd said he would respect – she's in charge. She likes being in charge, it's different. She's done with letting people push her around, or putting up with them running away from her.

She's not looking for a new love of her life. She might be looking to date, see where it goes a little, have someone around. It helps her be alive, like Kurt sang. Who knows, she's been wondering for a while if there's something there so she's going to see if there is. Everyone else, the ones who don't fall deeply in love in high school, they do this, go out with people, spend time together. They have relationships that aren't the end of the world, and maybe it helps them better handle the ones that are. It's nice to have another hand touch hers, another arm around her shoulders, even if they're really too small. And she can't just be waiting, even if part of her is.

It's Christmastime. She didn't grow up with it, only with the music. But she loves a lot of the songs, and the message of love and rebirth. For Hanukkah they light candles, to celebrate the endurance of light and the victory of faith and courage. This time of year, the sky is so dark, but everyone celebrates the light, the hope of light returning.

She hopes. She's even willing to admit that she hopes, at least a little. Hopes that the man who came to her a shell of himself and then ran is finding himself again, and finding his true self, the one that only shone through before when he let it. Finding the music within his heart and soul. He was her match on that Nationals stage, and here she is winning her first showcase at the most prestigious performing arts school there is. That should tell him something. That should tell everyone something about the man that is Finn Hudson, what he can do and who he can be.

One of the things he can do, of course, is save New Directions. He's done it a few times before. And hopefully he will save himself while he's at it. She knows he's proud, he would want to do it himself. He certainly wasn't letting her, though she hopes what she said tonight will help.

He didn't answer her when she asked him to promise not to give up on his dream. She hopes that's a good sign, that it had impact. Maybe even that he understood that she hopes she could still be part of that dream. If she isn't – well, he said he couldn't live with himself if he got in the way of her dream, and that works both ways. He did show her that sometimes love is about letting go.