“Come on, come on. I have to show you the tree. I’m dying for you to see what I did with it this year.” My mother slid out of the passenger side and jogged up the steps.
My father gave me a knowing look. “You better go. I’ll get your bags.”
I walked in the house. All the things I had missed about home hit me as I walked through the door. It was as if all the Christmases in my memory were bundled together and unwrapped in this one instant. Everything was festive and perfect, just like Christmas was supposed to be.
“In here, Eden. Come see,” Mom called from the living room.
“Ok, ok. What’s different with the tree this year?” I stopped in the doorway. “Wow, Mom. It’s amazing.” I stepped closer to examine her latest work of art.
The twinkle lights sparkled all over the tree. All of our family ornaments were on display, but there were new ones. It sparkled from the inside out. There had to be at least fifty glitter snowflakes. Some made from mirror, others coated in a white shimmer.
“I can’t believe you added all of this. Where did you get the idea?” I circled to the other side, not wanting to miss a single decoration.
“Oh, it just hit me one morning when I was doing child’s pose. It threw off the rest of my class, because I wanted to get out of the studio and start on the ornaments.” She laughed. “I used crushed glass on most of the snowflakes. I’m hoping we’ll have a white Christmas this year. The tree should get us started.”
My mother had always been crafty, but this looked like the work of a professional.
“I think it’s the prettiest tree we’ve had.” I reached for my phone in my back pocket.
“What are you doing?”
I stepped back and snapped a photo. “Taking a picture to send to Grey. He has to see this.” I forwarded the picture along with a message.
Wish you were here to see this in person.
Seconds later, he wrote back.
Me too, baby.
Why don’t you change your mind? Promise you’ll love it.
I bet I would.
I sighed. There was no changing his mind once it was made up. That determination could be an amazing characteristic, but right now, it made me sad that we were in different states.
“How about we get you settled in your room, and I’ll have dinner ready in a few minutes? I bet you’re tired from the trip.”
“A little.” I shuffled down the hall in search of my old bedroom.
Other than summer and holiday breaks, I hadn’t spent much time here since I graduated from high school. Pictures from school were on the walls—all the things that I didn’t pack for the Texas move. My mother had even unpacked my childhood tree and placed it on the dresser. It made me think about the tree Grey probably had with Pops. It was good to be home, but my heart hurt more now than when I got on the plane in Brownsville.
It was only a week. I could do this for a week, right? I watched the lights on my tree change from blue to red to green. Who was I kidding? I was going to be completely miserable as long as Grey and I were apart.
“Dinner was delicious, Mom. I’ll have to get that recipe from you. Maybe make that casserole for Grey.”
“Ok. I’ll copy it for you.”
I watched as she scurried around the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. My father placed a glass of wine in front of me.
“Here you go. I’m going to catch the end of the game. Glad you’re here, pumpkin.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
I took a sip and settled into the chair. There was only one week until Christmas, and my parents usually packed every night leading up to the holiday with some kind of craft, trip, or activity.
“So, what are the plans this week?” I asked my mother.
She slid the casserole dish with leftovers onto the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. “Oh, I thought we could carol with the neighbors tomorrow night. Then Sunday night is the pageant at church. Monday we need to get the ornaments to the hospital.” She paused and pulled a calendar off the wall. “Ok, then that means Tuesday we do cookies so we can deliver them on Wednesday. Thursday is wrapping, and then Friday is Christmas Eve and we’ll get the luminaries ready.”
“Wow, did you leave us anytime to sleep?” I joked as I sipped on the wine.
“You know how Christmas is here. Busy, busy. I’ve got three classes this week at the studio, but they are in the morning. You should come with me.”
I hadn’t done yoga in at least a month. I missed it. “I think I will, but don’t criticize my tree pose.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She smiled as she returned the calendar to the wall. “Let’s go see what your father’s team is doing. Playoff season around the holidays always confused me. It’s not really fitting with the holiday spirit, all that extra competition.”
I giggled and carried my wine into the next room. Some things never change.