The Kriss family suffered a huge loss on Christmas Eve, but now, eight years later, the times are changing. Molly's kids are getting older, and they are ready for their mom to be happy. They tell Santa to bring their mom a love for Christmas.
Lit...
Christmas in Wisconsin seems scintillating at times. The way the snow falls in monstrous clumps can mesmerize some. Especially those who choose to drive in such catastrophic weather. When one looks at the snow as they would a pendant dangling from a hypnotist, things can be fatal. The Kriss family struck many losses throughout the years, but only once on Christmas Eve.
Spending Christmas in a hospital is gruesome, the way a mother watches over her children drinking hot chocolate while she hold back tears. Waiting for the doctors to bring her a Christmas Miracle, and hoping that the baby she carries inside her doesn't grow up without a father.
Cameron drinks slowly from her cup with her brother sleeping softly on her arm. Charlie Brown Christmas plays on the waiting room television, yet all Molly can do is pray while she paces back and forth. The way the waiting room teases her seems haunting.
"Mommy, when is daddy going to be fixed? We don't want to miss Santa. I didn't even get to set out the milk and cookies." Cami asks quietly from her seat.
Molly smiles as a tear slips from her, "soon honey, hopefully really soon."
Moments later their doctor appears, "Mrs. Kriss?"
She walks to him quickly, hoping for news that will make Christmas okay for her. She peers up at him with hope and faith in her eyes. "How's Owen? Is he okay? Please tell me that I will not have to tell my children this news tonight. Please."
The doctor looks at her with sadness written on his face, "Ma'am, I'm sorry. We did everything we could. But by the time we got him into surgery, he'd lost too much blood. His body wasn't strong enough to fight the infection he'd gotten after flying through his windshield. I'm very sorry. We are taking him to a room now, if you'd like for your family to tell him goodbye first."
Molly started to sob, she couldn't imagine a life without Owen. A family without him. She was supposed to spend forever with him. He wasn't supposed to leave her. Not this soon.
The doors opened, "Molly! Molly, we came as soon as we could. The roads are horrible. What happened, what the doctor's --" Leslie walked in to see Molly bawling. She knew from the look in her eyes. "No, no, no! No!"
"What? What's going on?" Carson reached the door after parking, to see everyone crying.
"He didn't make it. He's gone. No, no no, he's gone." Molly sobbed.
"Mommy, what's going on? Uncle Carson? Why are you here?" Cameron ran to her mother and threw her arms around her.
"Sweetie, come here." Carson requested. "Your daddy, he had to go somewhere. God, he needed him, so he had to come get him from us. So what we're going to do, is say goodbye. We are going to tell him we love him and that we miss him, and that we will see him again sometime. Okay honey?"
Cameron nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around Carson and he carried her to the room where his brother laid broken and bruised.
That Christmas was full of loss and tears, but still a strong sense of faith and love.
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____________ Thank you to imsoextra- for the beautiful cover! And thank you to @westfall- for the picspam! It's perfect!
