To the Moon and Back {Chandler Riggs}

T w e n t y

I stare out the foggy window as Christmas music plays in the other room. Colorful lights reflect off the glass. I press my hand to the window and the cold soothes it.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas isn't the same this year. Usually I'm with my mom, and Jackson, Brenda, and Sofia. It's not fair.

Jackson told me that mom's cancer could be worse and that she probably won't die, but I can't visit her until spring break. I can't see my mom, or my brother, or my sister-in-law, or my nieces until spring break. That's three months away.

I remove my hand from the window where I've left a handprint. There's a man walking his dog across the street and the house next door is no longer for sale. In place of the real estate sign is a sold plaque.

With our luck, our new neighbors are probably devil worshippers or Ku Klux Klan members.

"Savanna?" Someone calls. I recognize the voice as Chandler.

"Yeah?"

"We're opening gifts, so if you wanna join, we'll be in the living room," Chandler offers.

I follow Chandler downstairs and into the living room where the gifts have been arranged into piles. I sit near the unattended pile, noticing that all the boxes say: Savanna.

"The house next door was sold," I mutter, attempting to make conversation.

"Yes, I know," GinaAnn beams. "I met the couple. Such nice ladies."

I sigh in relief at the fact that we seem to be getting some normal neighbors.

"They've got two kids. A boy about Chandler's age and a girl in tenth grade. They start school with y'all when we go back after the break."

I nod absentmindedly and pick at the wrapping paper on one of the larger gift boxes. GinaAnn is is trying to be strong for me, but I know she's hurting, too. She and my mom were best friends in college and they're very close.

"Who cares about our lame neighbors?" Grayson groans. "Let's just get on with the presents."

~

William walks around with a garbage sack, collecting all the tissue paper and ribbons from the floor. I separate my gifts from the trash pile to avoid confusion. We all ended up getting some pretty nice Christmas presents.

From GinaAnn and William, I got black Timberlands. From Grayson, I got some new headphones for my laptop. From my mom, I got a gray cardigan. From Jackson, Brenda, Sofia, and Lily, I got a set of gel pens and a journal. From Chandler, I got the eyeliner I've been wanting from Urban Outfitters and some Adidas.

I collect all my gifts and carry them up to my room. There's an empty laundry basket in the corner by my bed, and I set all my stuff in there.

The door to my room creeks open and Chandler stands in the doorway.

"Hi," I mutter, and sit on my bed.

"Wanna go get some ice cream or something? You look like you need to get out," he suggests.

I shrug and follow him out to his car.

~

Since most of the ice cream places are closed due to the fact that it's Christmas, we decide to go to Starbucks to get hot chocolate. It's too cold out for ice cream anyway.

Chandler sits across from me at the table, and we sip our cocoa in silence.

"Do you wanna talk about your mom?" He asks, breaking the silence.

I rub my hands against my warm cup and sigh. "Not really. I know she's gonna be just fine."

"I'm sure she will."

"My mom is the strongest woman I've ever met," I smile, thinking about all she's been through.

"You can tell me things about her without bringing up the elephant in the room," Chandler shrugs.

"Where do I start?" I sigh and shake my head. "She ran cross country in college until she got a severe concussion in a car accident. Shortly after that, she got pregnant with my brother, Jackson. But she pushed on and graduated at the top of her class. After college, she married our dad. Few years later, I was born. I was a c-section. She made it through that. When I was five, she had her appendix removed and she was fine. When I was nine, she and my dad got divorced. She's always been there for us. No matter what."

"Your mom sounds amazing," Chandler says, placing his hand on top of mine.

"She really is," I beam.

"I'd love to meet her one day. Well again, I mean. I met her once when I was two or three."

"I think she'd like that," I giggle and take a sip of my cocoa.

We return to sitting in silence until Chandler speaks up.

"I just wanted to let you know that this is our first official date," Chandler announces.

"Will you keep your voice down?" I snap, playfully.

"Couple more of these and I can start calling you my girlfriend for real."

"You're an idiot," I sigh, rolling my eyes.

I feel sudden tears sting in my eyes as I think about my mom and Chandler and what the future holds for us. I try to blink them away, but Chandler notices.

"You okay?" He asks.

"I'm fine," I whisper. "Just fine."

Chandler sets his drink down and leans across the table. He wraps his arms around me as I sit in my seat, awkwardly. I take a deep breath to make my tears go away.

"Merry Christmas, Savanna," he says, softly, moving a stray braid from my face behind my ear.

"Merry Christmas."