All He Wanted for Christmas
After a holiday tragedy, eight-year-old Brent longed for a family party on Christmas Eve. He hadn’t counted on a blizzard.
Holiday Jamboree Challenge by Real Poetic
The prompt: Write a microfiction story about a holiday party that went either terribly wrong or surprisingly well.
All He Wanted for Christmas
D. A. Ratliff
Eight-year-old Brent Jamison and his dog Shep pressed against the window, staring into the snowy sky. It was nearing six and would soon be dark.
“Mom, they aren’t coming.”
Rena Jamison sighed. “I don’t think so, honey. The roads are closed. I tried your grandparents, but the call won’t go through.”
It wasn’t fair. Brent’s father, a firefighter, died before Christmas two years before, and only this year had he shown any interest in the holidays. He decided he wanted a party on Christmas Eve in his new house with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her heart hurt as she remembered his words. “We have to start over, Mom, so let’s have a party.”
Mother Nature had other ideas, turning a minor snowstorm into a blizzard. Rena worried about her family, who left on the four-hour drive at noon. She started putting away the party food to keep busy when Shep began barking.
“Mom, they’re here.”
Bright red lights reflected off the deep snow as a convoy of fire trucks followed a snowplow and two SUVs—her parents and brothers. Firefighters cleared a path to the door, and within minutes, her family was inside, hugging her son.
Cookies and hot chocolate warmed their rescuers. Rena watched as one dressed as Santa Claus gave presents to the kids.
She approached a firefighter. “How did you find them?”
“We were doing rescue on the interstate. When we realized who they were, we had to help.”
“Thank you, and thanks for bringing Santa.”
“We didn’t. Not your family?”
“No.”
As Rena searched for Santa, Shep raced to the window, barking furiously, Brent following. She joined them in time to see a shadow cross the snow.
“Oh…” Rena muttered. “Reindeer?”
Brent beamed. “It was Santa, Mom. He brought what I wanted for Christmas.”
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(All images are free use—Holiday divider image by GDJ Pixabay.)
About the Creator
D. A. Ratliff
A Southerner with saltwater in her veins, Deborah lives in the Florida sun and writes murder mysteries. She is published in several anthologies and her first novel, Crescent City Lies, is scheduled for release in 2024.
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Comments (4)
Such a heartwarming story. Well done.
Such a sweet story
Beautifully written.
nicely written use some keywords to get more reach