All I Want For Christmas Is You

I went home feeling down. There was something irritating me all day. I didn’t know what it was. Valerie sensed it.
“Are you okay?” she asked me as I sat on the couch in the den, staring at the screen of an off-powered TV. I shook my head. “Did you hear from mommy yet?” she asked, jumping onto my lap. I felt my eyes water. “No,” I choked out. “Do you think she is okay?” she asked I felt her little puppy eyes looking up to me. I looked down at her and she saw the tears in my eyes. Her grin turned into a frown and she laid her head on my chest. “I hope she is okay,” Val said, snuggling into me. I brushed my fingers through her hair as she snuggled closer.

A little while later, I walked into the main living room, which hadn’t been used since mom was home a week ago. I pulled the chain hanging form the ceiling fan, turning on the lights. I looked around the room and plugged in the cord for the Christmas tree lights. I gazed and stared into the twinkling lights and I felt like the world around me was irrelevant. I felt alone. I felt cold. I felt like I did the Christmas night I found out that my dad was dead. Cold. Alone. Scared. Abandoned.
I shook my head as I removed the memory from my remembrance. It almost felt as if I was there again… Maybe it was just the Christmas lights reminding me of it…
The phone rang and I ran and skidded to go answer it. Val was already standing underneath the receiver as I grabbed and clicked the answer button. “Hello? Hello?” I asked frantically, out of breath. “Oh is this Catherine?” the voice said. I agreed. “I’m afraid to tell you, but your mother is not going to be home for Christmas,” I felt the blood rush from my face. I felt weak and I almost toppled over. This couldn’t be happening. “Who is this? And what happened?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t… what I thought it was. “I am your Aunt Mae sugar. And your mom is in the hospital,” “SHES IN THE HOSPITAL?!?” I screamed into the phone. “Yes, don’t worry, she is just carrying a box of Katie’s toys to bring her in the hospital and she just got there. She isn’t hurt baby,” Aunt Mae finished and I felt the color return to my flesh as I took a big relieved sigh. “How come she wasn’t able to contact me?” I asked Aunt Mae, sitting on my hip with attitude. “She apparently left her phone in one of the gas stations she stopped at. She said it fell out of her pocket, and she hasn’t been able to use our phone since she’s been with me, Katie, and your Uncle Tyler at the hospital,” I felt a big weight lifted off of my back as she spoke. Mom was okay that is all that matters.
“How are Katie and Uncle Tyler?” I asked, hoping for a good answer as well. “They are doing better. Katie had a broken collar bone, and she had to get stitches in her arm, but she’s getting better. Your Uncle Tyler had some bruises, but he got of the hospital pretty fast, but Katie is still there,” Aunt Mae finished. I sighed another sigh of relief and chuckled. “I’m glad no more bad is happening,” I said as I said my “I love you’s” and goodbyes.
“Is mommy okay?” Val asked, wanting to know an answer. I nodded as I picked her up and swung her in a circle before setting her back onto the ground. I heard her cute laughter and I gave her a little kiss on the head and she pushed my face away before kissing my cheek. I loved her so much.

Notes