Shadows & Sunshine
No matter how Dark it is; There is always a Rainbow to be found.
Christmas Joy
Hey, Ya’ll! I’m back with another Monday writing. It’s not quite the right time of year to continue the Haunted College Boys piece so I’ll bring that one back in January. As much as I enjoy darker things, Christmas is the time for lightness and joy. As such, enjoy this short piece.
The young blonde paced the living room, eagerly and impatiently waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. This would be their second Christmas together, first without others around. The last Christmas, they’d only been dating for a couple of months and found it easier to have a larger Christmas with their friends. This year, all of their friends were paired off, some newly married, and with family many miles away, chose to celebrate together. Now, he just needed to get here!
She jumped a foot when the doorbell rang. She’d sunk deep enough in her thoughts as she paced, he’d arrived without her realizing. She rushed to the door, opening it to reveal a tall slender young brunette man, holding a medium sized package. She just knew that was her Christmas gift but refused to appear greedy. After all, Christmas wasn’t entirely about gifts.
She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek, “Robert, you’re here!”
He grinned, “Hello, Denise. Sorry it took so long, despite it being Christmas day, traffic was surprisingly heavy.”
“No worries. It’s still early morning. Come, breakfast awaits with hot coffee.”
He followed her into the kitchen, leaving the package with hers under the small Christmas tree in the living room.
She did her best to distract herself from the knowledge that she had a present waiting for her while Robert simply enjoyed the moment with his girlfriend.
Eventually, after a nice breakfast, a short walk around the block in the cold air that he’d convinced her to take with him, it was time for them to exchange presents.
She started to hand him his presents but he insisted that she sit and open hers first.
It didn’t take much to convince her and she eagerly sat down.
She opened the long-awaited package to find… socks. She glanced at him, back down at the pack, and back up at him. He was grinning as if he’d given her the secret to happiness. She turned the pack over and over, looking for some secret that only he appeared to know. But there was nothing.
“Seriously? You gave me socks?”
His grin faded slightly, as if she hadn’t found whatever more there was to them.
Growing irritated with the sour end to what was a perfect Christmas, she stood. She tossed the socks at him, too exasperated to bother with whatever secret there was.
He fumbled to catch the bag as she stalked from the living room, scowling, “Keep them. I have plenty.”
He frowned, turning the bag over, disappointed she hadn’t figured it out. He pulled the top up where it was taped down to form a perfect square, revealing a small slit with a small jewelry box. He’d believed she enjoyed puzzles and thought he’d made this one simple enough.
He sighed, pulling the ring box out and slipping it into his pocket. Perhaps it was for the best, she clearly wasn’t who he’d thought she was.
He left the package behind, having no need for women socks, size 7-10, and left the house for the last time.
Not quite the Christmas Gift any of us want to receive, is it?
©Paula Crofoot
Well, that was a disappointing Christmas for them, wasn’t it? How could it have been made better? Could she have been more patient? Perhaps he needed to do more? What are your thoughts? Comment below with a short piece on a different reaction on either of their behalf.
And perhaps not everything at Christmas is full of joy?? Despite her careful charade, Denise really did only care about gifts on Christmas, didn’t she? Poor Robert.
What do you think truly creates Joy at Christmas time?
That’s all for this time! I’ll see ya’ll Wednesday!
p.s. Yes I drew that broken Christmas gift.
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