A Fight to Remember

In the Woods Pt. 1

A/N: Here we go! Note, another year gone by.

Enjoy!

December 24, 2036 Seattle.

Bailey.

"How about this one?" Owen pointed at the tree.

"Hmmm," I hummed, giving the tree a once over. Nope, it was too old. "Eh." I shrugged, wiggling my hand in a so-so gesture.

"Really? You realize this is like the fifteenth tree we've looked at..."

"I know..." I said. "It has to be just right."

Owen trudged a little further into the woods, "Alright, um..."

I followed him, my boots leaving light footprints in the newly fallen fresh snow. I scanned the forest for the right shade of green. Every summer since I was five or so, we planted a few saplings on this land, and every once in a while it meant a beautiful fresh Christmas tree. But it had to be just right. That's when I saw it, at the top of a small mound. Perfect. It was about six feet high, a gorgeous Douglas Fir. Its branches were full, thick, and beautifully green. The needles lightly frosted with a dash of snow. "This one." I called to Owen.

He smiled and nodded when he saw it, and handed me the axe. "You wanna do the honors?" He asked.

"Awesome." I said, taking the axe. I hefted it in my hands and swung low, catching it just below the branches. One more hard swing, and it fell, Owen catching it in his arms. We wrapped it, careful to not break the branches.

Daddy! Dis one! I pointed at the tiny tree in the snow. "Dis one!" I crouched down to look at it, admiring the way the light reflected off the frosted branches.

Dad laughed. "That one? Bailey, it's barely as big as you are!"

"I know! It's perfect!"

"We need a big one..."

"Can't we just get dis one instead?"

"No Bailey, we leave the little trees here to grow, we only take the big ones, all right?"

"Fine." I huffed.

"Bailey," Dad pointed, "How about that one?"

"Oooh that's a nice one Daddy."

"Okay, c'mon, I'll chop it down."

I watched as he chopped it down in two quick strokes of the axe, and picked up the bottom. "Okay, grab the end Bailey, let's get this home."

"Okay Daddy."

"Let's get this home," I said to Owen.

It was a twenty minute walk back to the house as we followed the old worn trail in the woods that I used to jog through for fun as a kid. Finally the house was in sight, large and warm and well lit. Mom's Lexus SUV was parked by the front door, the back open as Ellis and Amelia loaded a few boxes in.

"Hey!" Amelia called as she saw us. "I'll go get the ropes." She disappeared into the garage. Owen and I gathered the tree and lifted it to the top of the SUV.

As I waited, the front door opened, revealing mom and a box full of wrapped presents. "But I don't feel cold," she was saying as Zola wrapped a scarf around her shoulders.

"It's fine." Zola said. "Just wear it."

"Where are we going again?" Mom asked as Ellis liberated the box from her hands. But Zola disappeared back into the house again.