I’ll Be Home for Christmas

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

(A short story)

I ripped open the envelope frantically hoping there was a letter inside from my husband in the navy.  To my great surprise it was. “Mommy! Mommy! Is that from daddy??” My little girl came running into the room and jumping in my arms. My smiled widened and I hugged her to me. “Yes baby girl it is,” I whispered pulling her close to me. She stared at me her patience low. “Well? What are you waiting for?” she said. I laughed lightly opening the letter and starting to read my husband’s sloppy hand writing.

“My dear beautiful baby girls,

I miss you so much. Every time I close my eyes I see you both.  My days have been very hard without you two in my arms. Don’t worry though, guess what? Christmas is in a week. I know you have been probably been dreading this letter because, you were afraid of what I would say about Christmas. Well, I have good news. I will see you two on Christmas. I am making sure of it. You know daddy Tea, I never break my promises. I am making a promise right now that I will be home for Christmas. I love you too very much. Don’t worry, baby girl I will be here. Exactly at 12a.m. No need to wait up, I’ll be there when you wake up.

                Love,

Will (Or daddy)”

My voice lost its strength towards the end. I felt tears enter my eyes but, I blinked them away. “Mommy,” Tea crawled further into my lap and faced me her face bright pink. Her brown curls of her hair hung in her face. She smiled brightly showing her missing baby teeth. “You hear that mommy? He promised! We get to see him for Christmas!!” She exclaimed throwing her arms around me. I hugged her placing my face in her soft hair that smelled of cookies and sugar.  “I love you baby,” I spoke into her thick hair. “I love you too mommy!” She whispered sweetly.

***

The week was almost done as it came to Christmas Eve. Tea ran around the house playing with her old Barbie’s that would be worthless to her in the morning when she gets new ones. I stood in the kitchen making cookies for ‘Santa’. There was a knock on the door and I stood sighing. “Tea, you better come and get this bowl if you wanna eat the do!” I told her as I walked to the front door opening it.

I opened it to a man dressed in uniform.  My smile quickly faded from my face. “Mrs. Black?” The man’s voice was real soft and low. “Uhmm, that would be me,” I whispered closing the door. “I have news about your husband ma’am.” He said. He was standing up straight and his face had no emotion to it. “The boat he was on sank yesterday. They are not sure whether he or if he is alive. They never found his body,” his voice was strong and solid. Everything at that moment froze. My heart stopped beating for about five seconds and I felt nothing. Then it came all crashing down on me like a storm destroying a home.

A sob caught in my throat and came out as a moan. My whole body shook. Pain enveloped its self into my body leaving me helpless. My mind raced for some hope; for some way that he could be alive.

My knees buckled under me as tears found their way out of my dry eyes.  “I’m sorry ma’am,” the man said turning and walking away. “Mommy,” I heard my sweet baby girls’ voice as she raced out of the house. “What’s wrong?” she said taking my hands in hers and looking at my face. My daughters’ sweet face made more tears fall.

I needed to be strong, for my daughter. I wiped the tears away and took her in my arms. I moved hair from her face and looked into her blue eyes. “It looks like that daddy might not be able to come see us tomorrow,” my voice was gentle. She showed no hurt, no signs of tears. “He will mommy because he promised,” she smiled putting her hand on my cheek. “Don’t worry!” she exclaimed pecking me on the cheek and running back into the house.

I sat their frozen. It was funny, how a little girl can be stronger than a grown woman. Maybe, it was because she didn’t understand.

***

I laid in my bed after I put Tea to sleep. I let my tears fall freely cuddling into a ball. The lyrics of an old Christmas song ran through my ear.

                “I’ll be home for Christmas… you can count on me…”

I fell asleep to these words, as I cried myself into a dream.

I woke suddenly from sleep and looked at my clock on the bed stand. It was 12:00 exactly. Fresh tears washed my face as I stood out of my bed. I knew it was a hopeless cause but, I walked to the window and stood their staring out at the snow hitting the ground. My eyes drifted to the ground and my eyes went wide. My heart began to race, as I ran out of my room and down the stairs.

My hands shook as I rushed to unlock my door.  The door finally opened and I dashed outside. I stood there for a few seconds making sure I wasn’t seeing things. Making sure I wasn’t crazy. I broke out into another run towards him throwing my arms around him. “Will,” I gasped through a sob. He circled me in his arms swinging me around.

He took my chin in his hands. My heart felt like it was renewed. The feeling of him here, with me, his arms around me had never felt so right.

                “I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me.”

He sang in my ear gently before kissing my lips tenderly and sweetly. “Mommy,” Tea screamed running out the door but, then stopping when she saw Will. Will and I pulled away from each other and he smiled towards Tea. “Hey baby girl,” He whispered. “Daddy,” she exclaimed as her eyes light up running towards him.  He crouched down catching her in his arms as she jumped into them.  He picked her up swinging her in the air. She giggled brightly looking over at me. “See mommy, I told you! Daddy never breaks a promise,” her voice was soft and child like. I smiled. Tea turned towards Will and he kissed her gently on the forehead. “Now, hurry go see what presents you want to open first! Don’t you wanna see what Santa got you?” He pinched her nose. She giggled as he put her on the ground and she raced in the house.

Will came towards taking me in his arms quickly. I really didn’t realize until then how cold it was and how numb my feet were from the snow. I laughed swinging my feet in the air. He looked down at me his blue eyes gentle. “You can always count on me baby,” he whispered.

“I know that now,”  my voice was low. “I’ll never doubt you again.” He tightened his arms around me walking towards the door. He set me down closing the door. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me again. I let him and my love for him take me in.

Those beautiful words still rung in my mind slowly but, surely. As if he was still singing them to me in that same wonderful gentle voice.

                                “I’ll be home for Christmas; you can count on me…”

 

       THE END

 

 

 

Author's Note

Opinions?

Reviews

[Beverly Jane]

thank you, I'll work harder on that. :)

[Avid_Writer30]

Sweet story. I love how you incorporated the christmas song into it. But you need to watch your grammar and punctuation...I noticed some mistakes. But other than that, I liked it! :)