Celebrating - Sărbătorind

A family Christmas

Pain, silence, loneliness...and was still Christmas night, but there was a little content in her heart.

One month... the hectic month, the celebrations and presents month... this month was decisive in her short life. Two big events... sad events ruined her life!

        NO! STOP IT! She was not going to use such big words.. there are people who suffered worst and for a longer period of time. The accident was just a sad event... they loved her, she loved them, especially her awesome and crazy younger sister. The kids from the orphanage where she spent the last week, helping with renovations and preparations for Christmas reminded her so much of their sister bonding time. That place in her heart wasn't empty like she thought it will be, no, it was full of happy and sad memories of her dad and younger sister. They were with her, in her heart. Thinking of the orphanage, she thought at the twins, Sean and Sarah... she knew that tommorow will be one of the happiest day for them, not only that it was their birthday, but they will be surprised by her present. Thinking of them she smiled while looking at the Christmas tree... and then sadness conquered her heart again. So she sat on the carpet with a glass of red wine in her hand, alone, in the living room, in the empty mansion.

        At 13 years old she made her last Christmas tree with her mother, who died next spring because of cancer... that infamous disease... the kids from hospital were so happy when she came with a big tree at the Pediatric Oncology section. She ornated it with them, laughing and offering presents, while the parents cried when they saw their kids so charmed by "the generous and beautiful young lady" how they called her.

        Now, after 10 years, she lost her dad and her 13 years old sister... and she made the Christmas tree alone, not for her, with everyone's favourite decorations, but she did not buy presents... except for her loyal two maids and her driver, and all the children from five orphanages and three hospitals.

        Yes, she has money, but she could not call that being rich... at the moment some of the kids from the orphanage were richer than her, because they have a family.

        At a week after the accident, her fiance broke up with her, because "he fall in love with some one else and she is too boring for him". The first day she was even sadder, but when her best friend from highschool, Hannah, came to see her she realised  that she felt more free without him, even if two boxes with ice cream when outside was snowing make her see that they were a couple only for people eyes.

        Now, alone, drinking wine she made a toast for the persons that she loved and weren't with her anymore:

        -Merry Christmas mom! Merry Christmas dad! A very merry Christmas Audrey, honey!

Saying her sister's name, brought tears in her eyes, but she was aloud to cry, because she was human. And then she thought: why was she alone? She was invited at around 20 Christmas parties... but except one, all were out of pity, and the exception, was the annual party organized by her best friends, but she didn't have the energy to party, but then remembered a most tempting invitation.

She took her black coat, locked the dark house, the only one on the street without Christmas lights, and started walking downstreet until she got in front of the church, from where singing voices could be heard, and that made her a little happy so, she entered and sit at the entire carol concert.

                                                                                        *

The Christmas morning found her alone in her big marble kitchen doing a chamomile tea. The bell startled her, so with her cup of tea went towards the door. It was too early for the kids, Brandon announced himself at 11... so the person on the other side, surprised her: