Hope Delivered By Christmas

Intertwined

Chapter 1: Intertwined

Christmas should be a time of hope and miracles.

At least, that is what ten year old Dylan had always been taught.

If only he wasn't an orphan without a proper home and family.

Losing his parents at six years old made him wonder at times, but no matter how long the time passed, no matter the places and people he saw and met, he never lost sight of that hope or the possibility that a miracle could happen at any time.

It's what his mother taught him...

Hope can get you through anything!

As Dylan lied awake staring at the ceiling from his bunk bed, while his other roommates were sleeping, he watched as the shadows from the trees and falling snow outside the window created shapes that made his mind drift to far off places, reminding him of the days he would read and read and see the stories come to life, hoping someday his biggest wish would come true, that he would have a real family again, and not have to be in a group home anymore.

He drifted off dreaming of what Christmas would be like with a family again.

The next morning, Dylan was having breakfast at a table by himself as he did every morning. Even though he had made a few friends, he tended to keep to himself and preferred reading over playing with everyone outside.

At least, that is what he convinced himself.

On the way back from school, he watched a couple of kids toss their basketball back and forth and was surprised when they decided to throw it to him, too. Unfortunately this huge gust of wind caused the ball to fly past him, bouncing rather high and far until it knocked into a mailman who was retrieving letters from the mailbox in the corner; some of the letters fell. He quickly rushed over to not only get the ball back but also help him gather his letters before they flew away.

He helped him grab some letters, and when he finished, he took the ball back over to join the other two boys. He played with them until he had to go in a different direction.

That night, he couldn't seem to sleep. He tried to think of something relaxing. His mind went to that afternoon when he got to play with those boys. It was fun for a bit.

Suddenly, he sat up, an idea crossing his mind as he remembered helping the mailman with his letters.

He got up from bed and, as quietly as he could, got down his bunk not to wake any of the other kids sleeping. He was sure it was past midnight and knew no one would still be up... hopefully.

He snuck out of the room and found the library - if you could even call it that - it was more just a few shelves with some random books, a handful of chairs, a table and a desk that the leader would often sit at. He lifted the drawer so it wouldn't make any sound as he opened it and took out a sheet of paper and a pen.

He sat down and started to write his letter.

                             Dear whoever reads this,
Instead of gifts this Christmas, my wish is for a family. One that I can call my own, so please forgo all the toys and books and instead I want the gifts that last a lifetime. A real family.
            Dylan

He finished the letter when he heard footsteps. He hurried, placing his letter in his pocket and snuck back to his room, closing the door just before the group leader walked past. He leaned against the door and got in his bunk again, smiling as he patted his pocket. He would put his letter in the red mailbox in Town Square on his way to school.