Child Like Wonder

      “Yes,” she stated. “Yes, I’ll make sure the product launches within the given time frame. Thank you. Happy holidays.”

           Lisa waited for a response, but all she got was a busy dial tone. Sighing, she hooked the phone on its stand and stood up from the chair. Removing her glasses, she rubbed her temples, hoping the migraine would dwindle. When it did not, she quickly grabbed the nearest bottle of Tylenol that wasn’t empty and gulped down two pills, swigging the last drop of water in her water bottle.

           From outside her enormous office, she heard the small tinkle of Christmas music. She smiled briefly and fought against stepping out and joining in the revelry of her employees since she needed to get things done today before she would be able to travel home. She had spoken with her mother a few days ago, and they exchanged ecstatic greetings and conversation. Her mother was the only one who was able to bring that out of her. She had promised she would be there at the latest on Christmas Eve, so she had taken on most of her work that she had planned around that time for this current week.

           A knock on the door snatched her out of her thoughts.

           “Come in.”

           Her secretary, a lovely young man whose partner had bought him the biggest ring to propose and which twinkled brightly against the colorful paper he held, walked in with a tremendously genuine smile.

           “Why are you still here?”

           “Excuse me?”

           “Don’t you remember? You told me to let you know when you were overworking yourself and to remind you to get ready for your trip.”

           “Oh,” Lisa groaned. “I have too much to finish today, but I’m hoping to leave by Saturday.”

           He raised his eyebrows. “Boss, you need to relax. Isn’t Christopher available to take over?”

           At the mention of her partner’s name, she sighed deeply, resigning herself to the possibility. “You’re right. How do you do that?”

           “Do what?” Gregory asked innocently, batting his long eyelashes. Lisa couldn’t help but laugh.

           “Can you have Christopher come in then?”

           With a wide smile, Gregory nodded ecstatically and went out the way he went in. A few moments later Christopher’s lithe and powerful figure towered over her, Gregory shrunken with his low stature next to him.

           “Go home, Lisa,” Christopher said gently. “You need to get ready. Gregory booked a flight for tonight.”

           “Tonight?” she asked, surprised. “That’s too short notice, how will I—”

           “Leave now, then” Gregory breathed exasperatedly. “Bye,” he announced with mock rudeness.

           Lisa sighed deeply and stood up. “I really appreciate you guys. I hope you know that.”

           The two men smiled widely and nodded. “We know,” they chorused.

***

           At the airport, the hustle and bustle brought back a sense of childlike wonder in her. Although the stress was eating at her, she couldn’t help but remember the first time she had been in an airport with her parents as they were rushing towards their gate to get on their plane taking them to Los Angeles. She was about 12 or 13, and although she didn’t show it overtly, she was extremely excited to travel somewhere new, and the stay in Los Angeles itself was wonderfully necessary.

           Fortunately, she had not experienced any hassle at the front checking her bags and was now relaxing at a café, drinking their overpriced coffee. Her flight was not for another four hours, so she took that time to call the office. Christopher had answered in his usual accusatory voice, asking why she was not relaxing before her flight.

           “All I want is to make sure everyone’s okay and are themselves getting ready to enjoy the holidays. How is the project coming along?”

           “Almost done, actually,” Christopher announced proudly. “Your beginning was on point, as usual, so all I had to do was tweak some things and add other things. You know how it goes.”

           She laughed. “I know.”

           As time passed, she enjoyed watching the many families that passed by her, reminding her of her own childhood. She was so entranced in her own memory that the announcement of her flight being soon caused her to frantically run the short trek to her gate. She got there in time and was boarded onto the plane. She looked out the window, her preferred seat, and smiled genuinely for the first time. Her childhood was getting nearer and nearer.

***

           Checking out of the airport in her hometown was more stressful than she remembered, but she did not care. Eventually, she grabbed her things and walked towards the exit, looking around. Immediately she spotted one of the most familiar hairstyles: up like a small beehive, eccentric, warm, and welcoming.

           She met her mother’s warm smile immediately, and rushed over to her, like a small child seeing their parent for the first time after school. They embraced each other, tears flowing from them both. Although they see each other frequently, this year had been different. Lisa had become too busy to travel, but the holidays were sacred.

           “You look thin!” her mother stated factually, her southern drawl pronounced. “Come on, your father’s in the car. We need to get some meat on your bones!”

           She burst into the car with a huge smile, her father’s kind face reciprocating. She gave him a quick hug from behind and whispered “I love you” into his ear. She was, of course, daddy’s little girl, and her mother knew it.

           The car ride home was filled with laughter, conversation, and catching up. Although most of their conversation was happy, Lisa learned that their long time neighbor, who had taught her to play piano and babysat her during her childhood, had passed away from aggressive cancer she had been fighting for years. Lisa could not help but release some tears, remembering the good times she had with her.

           “It was a shock, definitely,” her mother somberly nodded. “But remember, honey, she led a great life. She was one of the best, most faithful people we could have ever known. Every time I would speak with her, she would ask about you, how you were doing in your fancy city job, always happy to hear about your success.”

           Lisa nodded, wiping away her tears. “Yes. She’s in a better place now.”

           Her mother nodded and smiled. “Well, we’re here!”

           Her childhood home was just as she remembered, down to the swing peeking through the fence to the backyard. She saw already several cars parked in the driveway, one of which really spurred her excitement.

           “Is Rob here?” she asked excitedly.

           “Yep! He is just as excited about seeing you again.”

           She gaily walked up the pathway towards the door. On the porch swing sat her nieces and nephews, whom she hugged tightly, taking in their childlike innocence. “You guys are so big!”

           “We love you, aunty!” they said in unison.

           She walked into the door, the smell of baked cookies transporting her once again. Her mother would bake cookies every chance she got, but especially during the holidays. Rob, her older brother, and his wife stood up from the couch. Lisa melted in her brother’s arms, weeping. He had come back for good from the war and was now a family man working for the government. Jenny, his wife, embraced both together, causing guffaws from them.

           The evening dawned on them quickly, but they had all gathered around the dinner table, even the kids. Lisa laughed out loud—louder than she ever had—at every joke her brother cracked, smiled widely at every glance from her nieces and nephews, and clinked every glass of champagne she was given. Christmas was in a couple of days; her younger felt watched from beside her, happy she was giving herself this chance to relax.

***

           “Aunt Lisa, Aunt Lisa!”

           She felt the weight of the excited children on her bed as they pounced on her like cats, drawing a genuine laugh deep from her belly.

           “Good morning!”

           “Aunt Lisa!” they squealed. “It’s snowing!”

           Lisa got out of bed and threw on a robe. She galloped down the stairs, watching as her family gathered around the cozy nook near the kitchen, their eyes plastered against the window. Her mother saw her coming and drew her into a tight hug. She insisted that she sit in her chair, then quickly handed her a hot chocolate beverage. Lisa looked as the generous marshmallows formed a fluffy pillow on top of her hot chocolate. She smiled warmly just as her hands warmed up themselves, and she looked out of the window, watching as the fluffy snow fell from the sky.

           Her younger self watched beside her, as her worries melted away, and even though she was only there for a couple of more days and would be returning to a more stressful life soon, she reveled in this beautiful time, surrounded by family, and remembering her own happy childhood growing up. Rob squeezed her shoulders as he sat beside her, and it was like being transported to when she wouldn’t go to sleep waiting for Santa, and when she sprinkled the living room with bits and pieces of gift wrapping paper.

           It was as if time had stopped, and she was able to revel in the familial love she missed so much in her successful life. This was what life was about, she thought.

           And she would not change it for the world.