The ten Hearts Wish

“What are you doing?" Clay asked Susan as he walked into the room.

“Oh thought I’d try a writing prompt and see where it takes me.” Susan smiled at the man as he sat next to her.

“What’s the prompt?” He asked leaning over to look at the piece of paper. And steal a kiss.

“I can’t decide between these five.” She said now handing him the piece of paper as he stood back up.

“Why not try the list one, your good at making those.”

“Making them yes, linking a story using them noo…” she said shaking her head drawing out the o.

“Ohh why not just try, if nothing else you will have warmed up your writers brain.”

1. True and once I have made a sentence,
2. I can link them together like they were linking arms
3. and they can stroll off into the sunset sis by side.”

“Oh I see what you did there, very good.”

“You like that?”‘Yea, let me see what I can do with the list.”

“Sure.” She said and slid him a few sheets.

He grabbed a pen and began to write. “Now let me show you how to make a list.” he joked.

1 “There is a road crew outside my window.

2 “It makes one take a left instead of a right.

3 “Leading to alternate routes that often makes for pouts.”

4 instead of making a choice I decided to stay home because it is my day off.

And on and on he wrote.

“Well that pretty good lets see what I can come up with.” Susan said taking the paper and looking over the list once again. Sitting a few minutes looking at each one. I’m going to try the tally one.” she finally said.

“Well while you do that I’m going to go spend time with the kiddo.” Clay said tapping the table as he stood and kissed her before walking away.

After he left the room she got out a fresh sheet of paper and began writing.

***

Joey was 7 years old, and for as long as he could remember his daddy had been gone. But he hadn’t been gone long and he wasn’t going to be gone forever, this his daddy promised him. Each day his daddy was gone just seemed forever.

One day Joey's mom told him that in ten days they would be getting a surprise. But Joey couldn't count very well so every time he asked his mommy, she would always answer “soon baby soon.”

“When is soon mommy?” She tried to explain but she knew he didn’t understand and she had to figure out how to help him understand. Then it hit her. And she began devising a plan, so the next time he asked she would be ready.

“Is it soon yet mommy?” Joey asked the next day like clockwork.

“Not yet sweetheart,” She began as she saw his lower lips puckered as he turned and went back to his room. Every time she had to say not yet it broke her heart as well. Then she called after him, ‘hey, come here.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh no honey, I’m gong to give you something. That will help you keep track of when 10 days is up.”

“Oh okay”

“Come with me, she said as she took his hand and they walked over to her desk. She sat down and opened her desk drawer. She then pulled out two calendars. She set one aside and opened the other to Dec. “Okay here we are December 21, when is Santa coming?”

He stared on the 21 and pointing to each day…. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4, 5 Right here”Joey said pointing to the the day that had the Christmas Tree and Santa sticker on it.

“And how many days is that?”

“5 days. counting today.”

“Very good. And how many days from Santa to fireworks? “ And he counted to 5 more and pointed to the day with the fireworks sticker.

“Right here.”

“That’s right and that’s when our surprise gets here,” She said smiling. “Now let’s go hang it on your wall.”And with that they headed to his room where she tacked it next to his desk.

“Can I put a gold star on that day mommy?”

“Absolutely,” she said as he went to get his colored pencils and drew a gold star on the day he was waiting for. Then he grabbed a red pencil and drew 1 red heart on the 22. Then each day he drew another red heart. And he did that every day before he left his room for breakfast.

Unknown to Joey Susan also kept track of each day with red heart because she knew that when 10 days were up she would also get a surprise.

Each morning Joey’s mom came in to wake him and they would pass the calendar each time and she asked him how many days left. “How many days til the 10 days?” And he counted its 3 days.. okay and how many days total were there?

“10.”

“Good and 10 -3 is what?? She asked.” And he held up 10 fingers and counted backwards 9 , 8, 7.”

“7”

“Good, so there are 7 days left…”

“Can I write a letter to Santa Mommy?’

“That would be a great idea,” She told her son. “ We can do that right after we eat. Okay?”

“Yay.”

Susan got out some paper and pencil for Joey and she got a pen for herself.

“Your writing Santa?”

“Of course, I want daddy home just as much as you do. And two letters are better than one right?”

“Right.” He said with a nod of his head.

“Well then lets write and get daddy home.” With that they both began writing their letters.

“Dear Santa. I miss my daddy. Please bring him home safe to me and mommy.”

AS Susan looked over and didn’t see the list of toys as most of letters to Santa were filled with.

“You don’t want any toys?”

“I just want my daddy,” He said.

“I know you do honey. I want daddy home too,”

Soon both letters were written put in envelops and sealed with stamps and set by the door to be mailed the next morning.

“Well Santa get it in time?”

“Of course he will.”

“Can I write another?

“To who?”

“Daddy.”

“Sure, daddy would love to get a letter from you.”

And he took his pencil and started again. “Dear daddy I miss you. Please come home safely.”

That night after tucking Joey in Susan wrote another letter. This one to her husband.

“My Dearest darling. I miss you so much it hurts. To feel your arms wrapped around me again will be the best thing in the world. Each morning when I look at our son I see you in his brown eyes. He has the same puppy dog eyes you do and can get me to do just about anything. Every time I look at him- and I look at him a lot - I think of you. I am counting the days that I can feel your arms around me again and mine around you. I love you so much.” Love S.”

After she finished the letter she placed it in her journal and shut the light off snuggling with his pillow once again.

Unseen by the humans below, thousands and thousands of wishes were drifting upward as countless family members were making wishes and saying prayers that their loved ones would return home safely.

Also miles away there was another place unseen by humans known as 'Santa's Mail room,' all with letters from children and spouses all over the world hoping and praying that their loved one would come home.

Hope had not been lost. Everyone had believed their loved ones would come home and they would be together again. And Christmas and New Years Eve was the perfect time for bringing families together again.

Just then the courier came in with another bag of letters. It was quickly dumped and Santa’s Elves went to work to quickly separate them into piles. Then another group of elves busied themselves sorted these into piles. A pile for families and non families.

Before long the envelopes were sorted by families and non families. And now they were working on separating them even farther by family name. Before long they came to the letters from Joey and Susan Marx.

****

Days passed quickly as Joey counted the hearts on his calendar. As he counted he grew excited because there was 1 more day. before the day with the gold star. And the day their surprise was coming. He woke up and headed straight for his calendar. And drew the 10^th heart. Then headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

After breakfast he hurried back to his room and got dressed. He wanted to look his best. As he walked back out, he looked at his calendar once again.

“Mommy! My hearts are gone. My hearts are gone.” He cried as she came into the room with a towel in her hand.

“What’s wrong?

“My hearts are gone,” he said pointing to the calendar. Then suddenly he began to cry. “Now my wish wont come true.” He said looking down at the ground.

“Tell ya what, lets draw one great big heart and put it in the middle and make a wish saying“ Come home daddy.”

“Okay” And with that he drew one big heart covering the squares above and the space below. Then he wrote come home daddy in he center….

“ Good Job, now lets say it three times together. Ready?”

“Yea”

“Okay 1 2 3 ,, Come home daddy ….come home daddy…. come home daddy.”

Without another word here came a man in uniform ‘Did somebody call for their daddy?”

“Daddy!” Came the squeals from the little boy as he hoped off the chair and ran to the man in the hallway.

As they hugged Susan stood and walked over to the two most important people in her life. Hugging them both.

“As Susan finished her story and was putting her things away Clay walked back in.

“Done already?

“This was a very easy one to write. Now all I need to do is edit it and send it.” She said.

“Well cool. Joey and I were talking about going to the park wanna come?”

“There’s no better place I’d rather be then with my two favorite people.” She said walking up to him and kissing him as Joey walked in…

“Ewwww” He said covering his eyes with both hands as both Susan and Clay briefly parted laughing. Clay then picked Joey up in his arms and they all walked out he door locking it behind them.

The end