Its Christmas After All

I slump in the car seat with my arms crossed over my chest, glaring out the window. Familiar houses sped by as we approached Aunt April’s house. Usually, I was always so cheerful this time of year. Christmas is My Time. But, not this year.

When Mommy pulls into the driveway, Daddy turns around and gives me his best smile. I won’t look at him.

“Come on, sweetheart. This is going to be fun!” I clicked the button of my seatbelt and dropped out of the car with Fluffy, my favorite unicorn stuffed animal, tight in my grasp. I head towards the front door. All I want is to go home but Mommy and Daddy insisted that we come. They say that it's Christmas and we should be with our family. But, not everyone is here. Grandma and Grandpa are stuck t home all because of stupid COVID-19. It’s just a cold, that’s what Mommy says. I’ve gone to school with a cold before so why can’t they come to Christmas?

It’s not fair!

I storm into the house, ignoring my Aunts and Uncles and Cousins as I head upstairs and into the spare guest room, where I sleep when I’m spending the night at Aunt April’s. I don’t look at the presents or the tree that I had helped decorate a week ago. One week ago, Grandma and Grandpa said they were coming to Christmas. The guest room is plain, a bed with blue sheets, white walls, and an empty closet. I flop down on the bed, holding Fluffy close to my chest. I had insisted on bringing her so at least I wouldn’t be completely alone in my anger.

I curl up on the bed with Fluffy, thinking about past Christmas’. Every year, Grandma makes her special sugar cookies in the shapes of little snowmen, snowflakes, candy canes, and Santas. I love the little candy buttons on the snowmen. Every year, Grandpa reads The Night Before Christmas. I love his funny voices and how he would let me sit on his lap while he reads.

Christmas isn’t the same unless everyone is here. It’s not the same. I want Grandma and Grandpa. I want them here, but they’re not and I just wanna go home.

I curled up tighter on the bed, clutching Fluffy to my chest. “Why did they have to get sick?” I ask her, sniffling. “I just saw them and they were fine. I want them here!” I started to cry. A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Emma?” I shove my face into Fluffy’s back, refusing to look at Mommy. “Emma, it's okay. There’s no need to cry.”

“They aren’t here!” I sob. “This isn’t Christmas!”

The bed dipped as Mommy sat down behind me. In her soft, soothing voice, she says, “Of course it’s Christmas. I know that you want them here but-”

“It’s not the same!” I scream into Fluffy’s back.

“I know, honey. I know.” Her hand gently began rubbing my back. Fluffy is wet now and I hold her tighter. “I want them here, too. But Grandma is really sick and she didn’t want to get the rest of us sick, too. It’s okay, we can go see them as soon as she’s feeling better.”

“No! I want them here now!” I sit up. “I want Grandma and her cookies! I want Grandpa and his story!”

Mommy’s hazel eyes softened. “I know how much you love that. But Grandma gave Aunt April her recipe and those same cookies are waiting for us downstairs.”

“But it’s not the same! Everyone should be here!’”

“I know, they should be here. But, even though they aren’t, we should still celebrate. It’s a time for happiness. Come on, stop crying.” Her soft hands wrapped around my face as she rubbed away my tears. “Don’t cry. I’m not supposed to tell you this but…” she looks around like someone could hear and lowers her voice to a whisper. “There’s a special surprise from Grandma and Grandpa waiting for us downstairs. And if you don’t stop crying, we’re going to miss it.”

I sniffle. “Really?”

She nods. “Yes. It’s really special. But you can’t go downstairs with a runny nose.” I pulled away from her and furiously scrubbed at my eyes with the back of my hands until my face hurt.

When the tears stopped coming, I asked, “What’s the surprise?”

“Well, I can’t tell you that or it won’t be a surprise,” she teases.

I hug Fluffy to my chest. “Can Fluffy come, too?”

She grins brightly. “Of course, Fluffy needs to be there, too. Now come on or we’ll miss it.” Mommy takes my hand and we walk back down the stairs. I clutched Fluffy to my chest, trying not to cry. Downstairs, everyone was gathered in the living room. Mommy led me up to them and had me sit with my cousins in front of the big TV.

“What’s the surprise?” I ask Danny, who is a year younger than me. He shrugs, his eyes glued to the black screen as we waited.

“Some movie, I guess,” he says.

“I hope it has Snowmen!” Abby exclaimed from my left. 

“Or Unicorns!” Milly squeals beside her. Mommy handed me a cookie and went to sit with Daddy on the couch behind us. I look down at the cookie. It looked just like the ones Grandma makes, right down to the frosting top hat and candy buttons. I take a small bite of the top hat and I’m surprised when it tastes the same, too.

A few seconds later, the black screen turned white and focused on two people acting like they had never used a camera before.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” I shout, getting up on my knees and holding Fluffy in a death grip, the cookie in my other hand.

“Is that little Emma?” Grandpa says cheerfully. “How are you doing sweetie?”

“Good!” I say happily.

This is the surprise.

Grandma and Grandpa are here!

“Now, kids. Since we can’t be there in person we thought that we could at least Skype and read The Night Before Christmas,” Grandpa says, his wrinkly face breaking into a wide grin. All of us kids start screaming in joy as he pulls out the old, familiar book. After the adults finally get us all calmed down, Grandpa begins to read like only he can.

“Twas the night before Christmas…”