THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

Eight.

16th of December 2013.
11:15pm.

Kate paced the length of the parlour,her eyes darting to the wall clock constantly. Kelsia had gone to bed early,after warming and eating the leftovers of their oats.  Amy hadn't bothered to show up at all,which was just fine with Kate. Given the way she acted around Kelsia, Kate was not sure if she liked the girl.

Her gaze returned to the clock for the fiftieth time that night. He should be back by now. After all,he left since morning and he even asked her to wait so they could discuss more.

Kate rubbed her hand up and down her right arm in attempt to keep warm. The heater in the house kept most of the cold at bay,but wearing a thin white shirt with no sweater was not going to keep her warm either. Yearning for warm covers,Kate decided to go upstairs to sleep and hoped she would catch him in the morning before he left for work.

Just as she got to the landing of the stairs,the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway reached her ears. Kate hurried to the window and pulled the curtain aside to peer out into the snow covered driveway.

A silver coloured Audi sat in the driveway- where snow hasn't covered yet- and Kate could make out his silhouette in the car as he bent to pick something from the backseat. Kate let the curtain drop. She went to stand in the middle of the room.

The key turning in the lock alerted her to his presence. Her pulse quickened the same time he pushed the door open. Kate shivered at the sudden blast of cold that swept into the room,before he stepped in and closed the door.

His scent hit her and her lower region tightened in answer. Appalled at her sudden behavior towards him,Kate shut her eyes and mentally slapped herself.

"Are you in pain?"

Her eyes flew open. He standing fee feet away from her with concern in his eyes. Kate saw how weary he looked and she instantly felt pity for him. Just how much rest does he have each day?

"Are you in pain?" Fredo asked again,not quite sure she heard him the first time.

"No."

Fredo set down his briefcase on the coffee table with a sigh. He sank onto the nearest chair,which happened to be a two-seater sofa. He shut his eyes as the day activities began playing in his mind.  After the test had been done,it turned out that neither of Matthew's parent bone marrow matched their sons.

It was hard comforting Judith and convincing her to go home and see if she could get anyone who was willing to donate. A quick search in the National Marrow Registry aka NMR, showed that there was no donor,at least none that matched Matthew's own, available.

The thought of Matthew dying had been eating away at him ever since that morning. 

"Here,take this."

Fredo cracked one eye open to see Kate thrusting a glass tumbler, filled with water,at him.

He accepted it. "Thanks." He drank half of the cup before putting the cup on the coffee table. "What is it?" He asked when Kate continued to stare at him.

"I want to talk to you about something, that is,if you're not too tired."

Even though he wanted nothing more than to fall in his bed at the moment,Fredo sat up straight. "I'm all ears."

Kate licked her lips nervously. Even though she had practised what she wanted to say to him in her head all afternoon, she suddenly couldn't remember what she wanted to say anymore. Not when he was looking so damned handsome in his suit.