5. Misery Loves Company - A Christmas Story

Chrissy's and Emily's first Christmas together.

Chrissy awoke and blinked a few times before she turned and looked at the alarm clock. It was 8:30. Ian stirred beside her but didn't wake. She carefully and quietly got out of bed. After a stretch and yawn, she grabbed her robe and slipped across the hall to peek into Emily's room, only to find the child's bed empty. She went out to the living room and found her foster daughter sitting on the sofa next to the Christmas tree.

“Hey, Squirt,” she said quietly. Emily was silent. “It's Christmas morning. I figured you'd be waking us up at the crack of dawn.”

Emily only shrugged. Chrissy thought her eyes looked a little red.

“You been crying?” she asked with some concern.

Emily nodded a little sheepishly.

Chrissy sat down next to her. “You miss your folks, huh?”

Another nod.

Chrissy put her arm around her shoulder and the child snuggled up against her. “Yeah. Christmas is supposed to be a time of wonder and joy, but for some of us it's just a swift kick in the midsection.”

Emily finally spoke. “Does Christmas make you sad, too?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Chrissy shook her head. “Maybe someday I'll tell you about it. But not yet.” They sat quietly together for a few minutes. Then Chrissy broke the silence. “Ian keeps saying that Christmas is what you make it.” She sighed. “I don't know. Maybe he has a point. What do you say we go wake him up and start opening presents?”

Emily snuggled a little closer against her. “Can we wait a just little longer?”

“Uh... yeah... sure, Kid,” She was surprised and touched that the little girl would rather snuggle with her than open presents. She hugged her a bit tighter. “We can wait as long as you want.”

Reviews

[Kaya]

This is so touching... There's something about the way you wrote this, I could just picture them, sitting there together in one of those moments that looks so ordinary when its not in a movie, but somehow means more than anything hollywood could put together. Beautiful.

[Craig2591]

Thank you for such a wonderful review.

[John Lauterbach]

I was visiting a friend today and her little girl warmed up to me for the first time. Coincidental, but I felt this chapter for that. Good work capturing that relationship between a parental figure and child.

[Craig2591]

Thank you.

[Tabitha t]

very touching. Short but just the right length. I was moved by this, something about a young child seeing the bigger picture of Christmas. Family.

[Craig2591]

Thank you very much!

[Tina Kline]

A very nice and tender chapter with the two of them bonding even more. Perhaps their pain will be more in the past then the present real soon. Excellent chapter!

[Craig2591]

Thanks, Tina. I'm sure that there will come a day when they both look forward to Christmas.

[Tina Kline]

You're welcome!