Coming Home for Christmas

1. The train ride

Hannah found her seats on the train easily. She chose the one on the aisle, allowing her rescue mutt to enjoy the good life and sit at the window. Spot was the happiest dog being able to look at the people milling about the busy station. Hannah rubbed his head, smiling at how excited he was.

Spot was a recent addition to her household. She had saved him from the frigid New York streets the other night. After having him checked by the vet and with no one claiming him, she decided to keep him. Her parents were sure to be surprised and would hopefully be supportive.

Hannah hadn’t told them about bringing him along, but she wasn’t too worried about her family’s reaction to Spot. They used to have a dog who had passed away of old age during her high school years. She was the youngest, and her parents had never got another one after Loopy had died.

“Your dog is adorable,” a young man exclaimed, taking the seat across from her.

Hannah smiled brightly. “Thank you. His name is Spot.”

The man smiled back. “Can I pet him?”

“I’m not really sure how he’ll react to strangers. I just got him the other day.”

Spot woofed loudly, leaning into her shoulder and licking her face. It made both Hannah and the stranger laugh.

“Does this mean you want to be petted?” she asked seriously. “You can try…carefully,” she said to the stranger.

Spot was so happy with the behind-the-ear scratches that he moved to sit next to the stranger.

“I’m Burke, by the way,” he said, rubbing Spot’s belly.

“Hannah. Nice to meet you.” She felt slightly embarrassed by her dog’s behavior.

“Don’t worry, please. I love dogs. I’m a vet.”

“Oh. He must have sensed your kindness. My old dog used to warn us about ill-intended people, even if they were our friends.”

Burke nodded, shifting his attention to her. “Yes, they have this extra sense which comes in handy for us, people too, sometimes.”

They continued to chat all the way to their destinations. It turned out Burke had a rough year personally and professionally, and couldn’t wait for the few days around the holidays to enjoy some freedom near his family.

Hannah was surprised to hear he was from the town closest to her hometown, and they ended up exchanging phone numbers for when they would return to New York.

2. The car ride

<<Jingle bells, jingle bells, HEY>>

Mark exchanged a pained look with his wife, Susan, as they endured the off-key, loud singing from the backseat. Their children were giddy with happiness to visit their grandparents in the countryside. A couple hours in the car with them felt interminable, yet Mark wouldn’t trade the chaos for anything else in the world.

“I’m looking forward to sleeping in,” Susan said softly.

Mark laughed because he agreed wholeheartedly. “Like I told Dad the other day – the grandparents have time to rest the whole year to build up stamina for their energy when they meet the grandkids for Christmas. He didn’t seem impressed by my theory.”

“We deserve a break for a few days,” she agreed.

The children had switched to singing about Frosty, the Snowman.

“I don’t think I ever said it, but I’m really happy you’re so close to your family,” Susan whispered, reaching out to intertwine her fingers with Mark’s.

He shot her a teary look and squeezed her hand. Her family had kicked her out when she was in her last year of high school for ending up pregnant. Makenna, Susan’s eldest daughter, had been the one to play Cupid for them.

Mark was walking in the park, in despair, after attending another interview which ended with the ever-dreaded “We will contact you.” That was when Makenna ran up to him and offered him her bubble blower to cheer him up. Her mother had rushed over, apologizing for her daughter’s behavior. Mark promised Susan that Makenna had managed to brighten his day. After finding out about his failed attempts to get a job, Susan offered him a position helping out at the homeless children’s center where she worked.

That place had been her home since she was seventeen, and when Makenna was old enough to be introduced to other toddlers, Susan started helping with chores and even in the administrative office.

Not long after Susan had met Mark, they started dating and after several years, they had their own children. Mark was the oldest child in his family, yet one of the last to renew his parents’ status as grandparents. Only his little sister had yet to settle down. Mark couldn’t imagine his artist and free-spirited sister ever doing the whole traditional family deal.

“Any idea if Makenna will make it?” he asked, trying to steer the nostalgia from enveloping them.

“Her plane lands in one hour…if there aren’t any delays.”

“I hope you won’t play Mama Bear on that poor lad she’s bringing from England.”

Susan laughed loudly, leaning closer to kiss his cheek. “Just you wait, honey. I have a feeling you’ll be the overprotective one. I know how much you care for her.”

“Of course I do. I consider Makenna my child as much as these two rascals.” He nodded toward the rearview mirror where he could see his youngest clapping from her booster seat and her older brother trying to deepen his voice and sing-along with the classic carols.

3. The plane ride

As Peter and Amber boarded the plane, they had a laugh with the flight attendant who asked jokingly if they had all the kids.

Peter was a funny guy and played along. He tapped each of his children’s heads counting. Becky – one, Chris – two, Viviane – three, and the last tap was on his wife’s stomach.

Amber sketched a smile and felt the need to mention she had been green-lighted by her doctor to fly. She was barely fifteen weeks along and the nausea was still present most mornings.

While Peter helped their kids into the seats across the aisle, Amber took the window seat, ready to snooze for the ride across the country. Her husband sat down, heaving a loud sigh.

“Soon, we’ll need a private plane,” she mumbled sleepily.

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “What can I say? I love you barefoot and pregnant.”

She elbowed him in the stomach. “I’m serious, Pete. This is the last time.”

“I can’t wait for our next appointment. I’m really curious if twins really skip a generation. I mean, none of my siblings are twins, yet my dad has a twin brother.”

“Now you’re telling me?” Amber paled.

“You know Uncle Vic.”

“No…I mean…that you’ve been trying to test that theory?”

“Well, not really. But now I’m curious since it’s also our last shot apparently.”

“Definitely. I’m close to forty,” she reminded him.

Peter kissed her cheek. “This little miracle wasn’t planned, but all the more reason to wonder,” he added softly.

After the complications with Viviane, Peter understood how the few years between him and his wife played a great role, especially during her pregnancy.

When they found out she was expecting again, they had been scared, yet incredibly happy. The family had yet to find out, but they were in for a surprise. Peter had framed the 4D photo of the first ultrasound and that was their present for everyone.

4. The reunion

Hannah was the first to arrive. She had been stubborn about not accepting a ride from her parents from the train station, but she remembered it to be close to her childhood house.

The issue was she hadn’t taken into account the amount of snow on the streets, an overexcited dog, and her luggage. It felt like she had lost several pounds on the walk home, but when she saw the nicely decorated house with the usual reindeer next to the mailbox, she upped her pace.

Spot froze when they neared the wooden reindeer, and even barked at it, cowering into her legs.

“Don’t be silly,” she laughed, pulling him toward the front door.

It opened before she could knock, and her mother crushed her into a big hug. “My little girl.”

Hannah loathed to be called that, but her parents were the only people she tolerated calling her a little girl. Being the youngest was tough, and not as unicorn and rainbows as most people believed.

Spot raised on his back legs, deciding to greet her mother, too.

“What’s this, Hannah?” her mother asked in an exasperated voice.

“It’s a dog,” she fake-gasped.

“And what’s his name?”

“Spot. I have pads for him in my bags. We’re still working on the potty training,” she explained, slightly afraid Spot wouldn’t be allowed inside.

“As long as he doesn’t eat the cat, he’s fine.”

They stepped inside, closing the door. “The cat?” Hannah repeated. As far as she knew, her parents weren’t cat fans.

“The Miltons’ cat had a litter this summer, and they had to give them away once they were old enough. Your father liked Misty, and so we ended up with a cat.”

“Well…I’m not sure how well Spot does around cats. I got him last weekend. I’ll explain later.”

Hannah left her dog with her mom in the hallway and went into the living room. Her father was in his favorite armchair with a white kitten on his lap.

“Hello, sweetie!”

“Hi. Did you hear us in the hallway?”

“Oh, yes, but I couldn’t wake her.” He petted the kitten.

“No! Hannah, he’s coming in there,” her mother’s panicked voice came a moment after Spot came running to her. He glued himself to her side, looking up at her with his tongue lolling out. Then he sniffed the air and padded to the armchair.

“He’s curious,” Hannah told her father, who was about to scoop his cat up and protect her.

Spot sniffed at the cat, which resulted in Misty waking up, spitting and hissing at the potential threat. Spot backed up, alarmed, which made Hannah and her dad laugh. She went to pat the top of his head.

“Good boy. Let’s find some water for you.”

Spot wagged his tail, following her into the kitchen.

Soon, Mark arrived with his family. His children were over the moon at the sight of the animals.

Mark pulled Hannah aside, jokingly threatening her with disowning her if Lily and Jimmy wanted pets after this holiday. She pinched his cheek, reminding him how nice life was with a pet while growing up.

The family was around the fireplace, catching up over hot chocolate when their up-and-coming Hollywood star brother arrived. The whole family loved to tease Peter about becoming a celebrity after his role in a short TV series had caught the critiques attention and it was the talk on the big forums and in the magazines.

With so many young children around, they all turned in early on Christmas Eve.

Mark was the only one still awake after one in the morning, reminiscing over childhood memories and pondering over the idea of getting a dog. Susan might like the idea since she never had a pet, but he knew all the hassle behind the cuteness. There would be walks in weather you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy, emergency vet trips, and damage to your prized possessions, but overall, the joy a dog could bring was priceless.

His phone pinged on the couch next to him, and he expected to find a message from Susan, asking where he’d gone. His insomnia had him up until late at night usually.

It turned out, Makenna had arrived. She knew him too well, for seeking his help and not her mother’s. Susan could sleep like a log, which Mark used to envy until he accepted his inability to sleep at night.

He opened the front door quietly, and Makenna smiled brightly as she ushered her boyfriend inside along with their bags.

“Hi,” she whispered excitedly, hugging him.

“Well hello.” He kissed her cold forehead. “We thought you stopped at a hotel.”

“We wanted to get here for Christmas morning. This is Liam.” She hooked an elbow around the boy next to her. “And this is Mark, the only man I will ever consider a father.”

Mark always felt emotional when Makenna spoke her sentiments regarding his status in her life. He had always sought to be her friend, but she had surprised both Susan and him, several months after they had moved into Mark’s apartment back then. She had approached him after dinner one evening, asking with all the innocence a five-year-old could produce if she could call him ‘dad,’ which had made both Mark and Susan weep for days.

5. Christmas morning

To have their children and grandchildren around for Christmas day was the most wholesome feeling for John and Mary. They were so proud of all their children for succeeding in life and creating their own dream lives and happy families, yet they always came back for Christmas because it was time to celebrate with the ones they loved.