A Collection of Alaskan Bush Christmas stories.

An Alaskan Bush Christmas - Bam

Mia couldn't keep her eyes open. Her eyelids were heavy and she knew it was due to the drugs they were giving her to keep the gnawing pain at bay. After six long months, when she was finally diagnosed, it was both a relief and a curse. It was a relief to finally know what was wrong with her. All the waiting and wondering was starting to take its toll on her. But it was a definite curse to know that her illness was terminal.

The thought that her life on earth was rapidly coming to an end should have made her angry or convinced her to stand up, take charge and start living the life she always wanted. But none of that happened. All Mia felt was numb. Her family was too far away and she didn't really want to go home. She had lived in Alaska since she was eighteen and in the last ten years, she had seen her family only three times. Mia loved her family, but over the years it had become harder and harder for her to leave her beloved Alaska and harder for them to leave the lower 48. So the quiet stalemate between them had continued for years.

Mia looked down at her phone and re-read the latest email. Her plane reservation was confirmed and the flight was leaving the next day. After hearing the devastating news, her family had made all the arrangements for her to come home and be with them for however long she had left. But closing her eyes tightly, she finally had to admit that she didn't want to go. It was that simple. Accepting that truth hurt more than the pain from her illness.  The last thing she wanted to do was leave her home in southeast Alaska and travel to a place that always reminded her of confusion and failure.

Shaking her head resolutely, Mia thumbed off the screen on her phone and sighed deeply. Her gaze traveled to the window and she smiled as she caught sight of the five men strutting their way toward the small diner where she sat. As usual, Matt and Bear Brown were in the lead, Gabe and Noah just behind them, and Bam Brown sauntered behind them all. The Brown brothers were nothing if not consistent. Mia had met the family months before and was fascinated by their bush lifestyle. The entire family lived on an island in the Alaskan Bush and came into town just for provisions. Well, to be completely honest, the guys came to town mostly to meet girls.

Mia didn't know them well enough to feel the need to tell them about her diagnosis. Their conversations were always full of jokes and fun and never anything more. She realized with a tug in her heart, that when she stopped showing up at the diner every Saturday morning, people would probably wonder for a week or two what had happened to her but them they would move on with their lives. Sadly, Mia hadn't made any close friends in the ten years she had been in Alaska. That was her choice. She had loved being alone in her small house just outside of town. It was quiet and peaceful and her time was all her own. But now, knowing that she would soon just fade away and become a pale memory to few people, she wished she had tried a little harder to connect with someone. With anyone.

Mia lifted her hand and waved as the brothers walked past the large window to the diner. She grinned as Matt, always the comedian, stopped suddenly and slapped both palms on the glass and stuck his tongue out, pretending to lick the glass. Mia cringed as she laughed and covered her face with both hands, trying to block out the disgusting sight. But when she peeled her fingers away from her face, she grinned as she saw that the five siblings where pressing their way toward the door and into the diner. They were all so friendly and sweet but none had ever made any move on her at all. Mia wasn't the type of girl to chase after a man, so just like her relationship with her family, things were at a stalemate with them, too.

"Hey, Mia!" Matt yelled as soon as he walked in the door. He was wearing a new brown bush hat that looked very attractive with his curly salt and pepper hair.

"Hey, Matt." Mia slid over in the small booth as Matt pushed his way in next to her and pointed at the half-eaten pile of French fries on her plate.