A Christmas Wish

A Christmas Wish

I looked at the snowy winter scene before me. A half-built snowman sat on a small hill as children ran around with armfuls of snowballs. A gentle snow was falling, a few flakes sticking to the window panes. Two young lovers stood below a large pine, apparently trying to warm each other’s lips. I took a slow sip of my coffee. What a beautiful way to spend Christmas.

“Hello? Kaylie? Are you there? Earth to Kaylie!” The sound of my sister’s voice broke my quiet reverie. “Why are you staring at that thing? You’ve been holding it up for almost 10 minutes.”

I looked at the Christmas card with the beautiful winter setting on the front that I was holding. Sighing, I set the card down with the others on the table and looked out the real kitchen window. The sun was shining bright, reflecting off of the layer of sand and dirt that covered everything. A bright red Christmas bow was tied to the cactus in the front yard. So much for dreaming of a white Christmas.

“So Kaylie, how was the drive up here?” My mom sat in her usual spot on the couch, closest to my dad’s recliner. She was tired. You could tell it in her eyes. But she didn’t show any other outward signs of the fact that her husband was getting sicker. No one needed telling that this very well may be the last Christmas we may have with him.

I sat down next to Mike and snuggled into his shoulder. “It was okay. It’s the same drive we’ve made a hundred times. Hell, even the car probably has the drive memorized by now.” I looked around the living room. All of the family pictures so proudly displayed on the mantle had been replaced by garland, candles, and stockings. And the usually cluttered coffee table, always covered in magazines, empty soda cans, and cat toys, was now completely cleared except for a small clustering of prescription bottles, and a pill-minder filled with all shapes and sizes of tablets, gel-caps, and whatever else they’ve invented to be consumed by the human body as a cure or cover-up for a sickness or symptom.

Too bad they’re not working...

I kept thinking to myself that either this was just a bad dream, and I’d eventually wake up, or that it really wasn’t as serious as the doctors were making it out to be. I’d contemplated not even making the drive, but Mike had convinced me by throwing everything into the Jeep and threatening to throw me in too unless I got in on my own. I was glad he did.

“Kaylie? You still with us? You keep zoning off like that... You okay?” My sister gave me a puzzled, concerned look as I just nodded and laid my head against Mike’s shoulder. We’d been official only two weeks before he had to drive me up to Las Vegas as fast as he possibly could so as I could say goodbye to my grandmother. And now this, not even a year later. I smiled as he kissed my forehead.

But we all looked up as my dad cleared his throat from the bottom of the stairs. “Will you two get a room already?” His voice was harsh, but there was a light in his eye and I grinned from ear to ear as I got up to give him a hug. “Yes, Daddy.” He laughed, as he always did when I said it that way, and walked over to shake Mike’s hand. Dad was tall, and even gave Mike a run for his money. But now, his height didn’t seem to matter much. He had always been thin, but now his clothes fit looser, and his hands seemed smaller somehow.

But it gave me a tingle inside to see Mike and my dad shake hands like that. I knew there was something being silently said between them as they looked each other in the eye and nodded. They both looked at me before we all made our way into the sitting room.

“The tree looks beautiful, Mom.” I gazed up at the fourteen foot tall fir tree sitting in the corner, all decorated in gold and burgundy.

“It had to be.” She said quietly and sat on the floor next to the fireplace. I knew what she meant by that, although I wish I didn’t.

The sound of a log cracking startled me and Mike laughed. The door opened quickly and my brother flew in, slamming the door behind him. Quick hugs were passed around and he sat next to us on the marble coffee table. It was tradition that we all make a Christmas wish on Christmas Eve, and as it was beginning to darken outside, it was just about time. Our wishes were never spoken aloud, but each person was given their time, as much as they needed, to make a wish.

My mom lit the tall white candle and passed it to my sister, sitting in front of the fireplace. She bent her head and softly whispered. It wasn’t long before we noticed the tear at the corner of her eye. She swiped it away with the back of her hand and passed the candle to my brother.

My brother held the candle gently, closed his eyes, and said a short wish. When he opened his eyes, he passed the candle to Mike.

I watched the man I’d fallen in love with as he looked around curiously, not really familiar with our tradition, but I smiled and he closed his eyes, made a wish, and passed the candle to me.

I watched the flame as I held the candle. It danced with my breath, and I closed my eyes. My wish was said quickly and I passed the candle on.

My father now held the candle, and we all watched him as he stared so intently at the candle he held. It reflected a golden glimmer in his eyes. I wondered what he was thinking, what he was wishing. Unknowingly, I squeezed Mike’s hand and it startled me as he squeezed back.

After a long moment, he passed the candle to my mom. She was crying, or trying not to at least, and the candle trembled in her hands. She didn’t linger after she made her wish, and she set it back in the candleholder on the mantle. The goodnights were quick, and we all settled into our rooms for the night.

As I lay on the uncomfortable sofa-bed, I watched the fabric curtains billow in the soft breeze coming in through the slightly open window. I listen to the deep and rhythmic breathing coming from the warm body snuggled up behind me. And I made one final wish before slipping slowly to sleep.

“Kaylie! Mike! Get UP! Get up NOW!” The knocking on the door had us both jumping out of bed, looking at each other in worry and confusion. We dressed quickly, the chill in the room cutting straight to our bones, and ran down the hall and into the living room.

“What is it? What’s wrong? Where’s Dad?” I looked around nervously, wrapping my sweater tighter around me.

“Wait a minute...” Mike whispered from behind me before rushing past and through the open front door. I watched after him in confusion, but my sister’s grin lessened my fears about Dad.

We all followed Mike outside and onto a driveway now covered in snow. I looked back at my mom, who nodded and grinned, then stepped aside as Dad walked onto the front step.

With wonder and amazement he took another step, his foot sinking a few inches before finding a solid surface to land on. We all stopped to watch as he leaned down to touch the fluffy white covering. A slow smile appeared and he looked back at Mom who put her hand on his shoulder. Looking from my brother, to me, to my sister, to Mike he slowly stood up.

Cares and responsibilities... The meaning of life and death... They no longer mattered or weighed heavy on our minds. And in the blink of an eye, my brother had a firmly packed snowball planted right into his forehead. In a rush, we all gathered snow, flinging it across the driveway at each other while giggles and laughs echoed long into the morning.

For a Christmas wish, when wished by all, and never for the benefit of yourself, is a wish come true on Christmas Day.



Word Count: 1425

Prompt: A memorable moment, be it happy or sad that revolves around winter.

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