A Christmas Journey

Chapter 1

16-year old Sherri Turner lived with her parents in a red, two-story Tudor-style house in Charleston, South Carolina. Sherri was an attractive girl with shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes, and a vivacious personality. A sophomore in high school, Sherri was very intelligent and especially loved English and history.

One April day, Sherri came home from school, expecting the usual routine: talk to her mother, go do her homework, and come back down for dinner when her dad came back from work. However, today there would be something different.

"Hey, Mom." Sherri announced cheerfully as she came through the door. She walked toward the living room and saw her parents both sitting on the couch.

"Dad, you're home early."

"Sherri, honey, your dad and I need to talk to you." her mother said. Sherri's mother, Elizabeth, had the same brown hair and features of her daughter. Sherri's father, Ben, was a strong, dark-haired man in his early 40s, but looked like he was barely 35. His relaxed appearance concealed a great strength and intellect. Elizabeth's eyes currently revealed that something was wrong.

"Sure, what's up?"

"We've been talking and....-" her voice broke suddenly.

Sherri was puzzled. "Dad, what's wrong with Mom?"

"Well..." he hesitated, a concerned frown coming to his face, "your mother and I have been talking and...we've decided to separate for a while."

Sherri was shocked. "What? Why?" she exclaimed. "You guys have always been the happiest couple in the neighborhood! What happened?" she exclaimed.

Sherri's mother regained her composure and explained, "We've felt like we've been growing apart for a while, now. We barely have time for each other and realized we have separate lives. We just feel that, for both our sake, it would be best to just see what happens."

Sherri had noticed that her parents had been having heated discussions more frequently and that they would also talk softly every so often, stopping when she entered the room. However, she hadn't suspected anything. Now, it all made sense.

"No! You can't do this! Angela's parents went t same thing last year and they just got divorced!" Sherri shouted.

"It doesn't mean we will Sherri, but-" her mother was interrupted when Sherri ran out and up the stairs to her room.

Sherri continued running to her room, threw herself on her bed, and cried. After sobbing for a while, she just stayed in her room not wanting to leave the safety of its walls where she could pretend, just for a while, that everything was fine. The next morning, Sherri dragged herself out of bed, and got ready for school.

When the girl arrived in the kitchen, her mother had prepared breakfast.

"Good morning, dear." she told Sherri, hoping to put the previous night behind them. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, fine, Mom." she mumbled. In truth, after the bombshell of the previous day, she had barely slept at all. "I'm just gonna grab a bagel and walk to school." The school was a good walk away, but a safe one. Sherri chose this option occasionally when she needed time to think.

After Sherri walked out the door, her mother said aloud, "Oh, I hope she comes around. I feel bad enough about this, without her being hurt or angry."

During the walk to school, Sherri wrestled with her feelings about the situation. One moment she was sad, the next minute hurt, the next angry.

When she arrived, her friends noticed that there was something wrong, but no one could get her to talk. Even Sherri's teachers were concerned. As she left her her English class, where she and the teacher were good friends, the teacher asked, "Sherri, are you all right? You look like something's bothering you."