Bad Boy's Broken Cinderella

Christmas Time is Here, Happiness and Cheer

Kaylee's P.O.V.

Not a day passed where I didn't think of Savannah, and soon enough it was Christmas. 

I stared out the window at the thickly falling snow, sipping at a cup of coffee and missing the past memories of warm Christmases with Savannah.

The feeling I felt was one you would get as if someone died. As if your guts had been ripped out, or the place where that person belonged in your heart had been removed. There was a dead weight in me, and everything reminded me of her. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

I felt something touch my knee and I momentarily thought that the blue eyes looking at me were Savannah's. Seconds later I recognized the short luminescent blond hair belonging to Johnny. I smiled weakly at him and said, "Hi bud." He looked at me, his head tilted and asked, "May I talk with you?"

I nodded and said gently, "Of course." I crawled onto the floor and he sat down next to me in front of the fire. 

"Santa isn't real is he?" Johnny asked, surprising me. I looked over and said uncomfortably, "Well, no. No, bud, he isn't." He nodded and said, "I didn't think so. Last Christmas I didn't get anything. That's when I figured it out."

I rubbed his head and said, "I'm sorry bud. Don't worry, you'll get something this year." He looked at me and gave me a gap-toothed smile, "I'm not sad I didn't get anything."

"You're not?" I asked surprised. He shook his head and said, "Last Christmas, my parents were actually home. We had a turkey and I had grape juice. It was the best Christmas I ever had. Besides this one of course."

I looked at him as I slowly smiled. Then he said seriously, "You really miss Savannah, don't you." I nodded as I said honestly, "More than I've ever missed anything in my life before." He nodded and then said, "Have you thought that maybe, just like me finding out that Santa isn't real and not getting presents, that this is a good thing. It's just hidden for the moment."

I looked at his astonishing blue eyes and realized that children often had wisdom beyond the years of many of us older than them. I smiled slowly and said, "I think you might be right Johnny." He smiled back at me and said, "Then don't miss Savvy so much. She would want you to be happy and having fun, just like you want her too. Anyways, she'll come home eventually."

I grinned as I pulled him into a hug, "Thanks Johnny. Don't you ever grow up, you hear me?" He hugged me back and giggled. 

As we broke apart he asked, "Can we make cookies?" 

"Of course. We'll have to be quick though if you want your presents under the tree before you wake up in the morning."

Johnny smiled at me, and took my hand as we walked downstairs to make Christmas cookies.

Jessie's P.O.V.

"I really can't stay. I've got to go away. This evening has been so very nice. My mother will start to worry, my father will pace the floor, and really I'd better scurry. Well, maybe just a half a drink more-" I sang with the CD on my old boom box as I hung the last ornament on my small Christmas tree.

I stepped away and looked over what I had done. I had been working for the last couple of weeks on slowly putting up all of my Christmas decorations. My small, dark apartment had transformed into what looked like a comfy, Christmas invested broom cupboard. I preferred this. I had gotten home from Christmas Vigil and had immediately set to work setting up my tree, and it looked lovely.

I smiled to myself as I poured a cup of eggnog and curled up on my couch. The space heater heated up the room and It's a Wonderful Life played on the old TV in the corner. I was curled up in my favorite red and white striped Christmas sweater with little elf hats knitted on it, and black leggings.