On the drive to church all the decorated houses lit the night with cheer. Some of course were overdone, it was obvious those people were just showing off. Still other houses were beautiful. Ahead the stained glass windows of the church were like huge pillars of multicolored light. The church parking lot was crowded. Grammy drove around for several minutes before she found a spot. The wind hit Abby hard in the face when she got out of the car. Tears came to her eyes. She brushed them away and followed Grammy into the church.

Ryan was waiting for them in the foyer. "Mom saved a place for you guys. It is jam packed."

Suddenly Jaspar rushed at them in his white angel costume. His mother was trying to keep up with him. He hurled himself into Grammy’s arms and shouted, "See Mama she did come to see me sing. Just like she promised."

His mother gave them a weary smile.

Jaspar asked Grammy, "Was you an angel once?"

"No but Abby was."

Jaspar grinned at Abby, then wriggled out of Grammy’s arms . He took off running toward the nursery. His mother shot out after him.

Ryan said, "This way.” At the door one of the ushers extended a basket of candles with little paper skirts. The wax was cool and smooth against Abby's fingers. Ryan led them to to the pew where Lila and Hugh were seated. Within moments, the lights dimmed. The adult choir came in followed by the Angel choir. David was the tallest angel and little Samantha was the smallest. Her long blonde hair was fluffed like a golden cloud around her face.

The music began. David sang "What Child is This". His voice was pure and beautiful. He didn't miss a word or stumble over a note. His face was tilted up and it seemed to be glowing. His voice gave Abby the shivers.

After the singing, Dr. Clayton, their pastor, stood up and went to the pulpit. "Good evening friends. This is my favorite service all year. We come this night to celebrate the birth of a child, God's holy son. I urge to celebrate the gift of children and families this night."

Abby glanced at Grammy. Grammy’s lip trembled. Abby knew she was thinking about Chester.

In the back ground the choir began to softly sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Dr. Clayton picked up his candle and walked to the Advent candles burning beside the altar. The lights went completely down. He touched his candle to the flame and ignited it. Then he walked to the front pew and said, "Pass the light and the love of Christmas to the one beside you." Everyone stood up. Abby watched as the tiny flame traveled through the church. It came to Grammy. Abby held her candle out to her grandmother's. She heard the sizzled as the flame passed from Grammy’s candle to hers. Grammy’s eyes reflected the tiny flame.

*

Christmas morning. Abby and Grammy sat in Chester’s hospital room. It was her first Christmas ever with her father. She looked out the window. The sky was so blue. The sun slanted sideways across the floor. Chester stirred a little. He made a moaning sound, then his eyes opened.

In a raspy voice he asked, “Is it Christmas?”

Grammy said, “Yes son it is.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He smiled. He turned toward Abby and said, “Hey kiddo. It’s good to see you.” His smile beamed out at her and seemed to pull her out of herself. The urge to cry or run grabbed hold of her. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. Then she felt her lips turn into a smile. The light in Chester’s eyes increased. She thought about what the preacher said last night about the light of love. Chester did love her, even if he was never able to tell her so. She could see it. Abby went to him and took his hand. Words she had not expected to say came out of her mouth, “I love you.” Chester's eyes grew very wide. He seemed stunned. Quickly she added, “You don’t have to say it back.”

He squeezed her hand. His eyes were full of tears. He said, “I do love you. I think I always have, I just did it so badly. I am sorry.”

At first Abby wanted to say, “It’s okay.” But it wasn’t. Instead she said, “I forgive you.” It was just the seed of forgiveness, it would take a while for a life time of neglect to be forgiven. Still, in Chester's eyes she saw joy's light leap.

*

Downstairs, Abby heard the crash of the piano and then the loud banging of “Jingle Bells.” David must have arrived for Christmas dinner. Abby got out of the shower. Quickly she dressed and pulled her wet hair into a pony tail. She ran downstairs.

Grammy frowned at her and told her to go dry her hair. Abby rolled her eyes and went back upstairs. When she came down again, Ryan, Hugh and Lila were all gathered around the piano. David and Grammy began to play from Handel’s Messiah. Their hands fluttered like wings over the keys. The music soared when they reached the "Hallelujah Chorus." The power of it was overwhelming. Handel had written this oratorio when he was crippled and bankrupt. He had told his friends that while writing this chorus he had heard the angels singing. Lila had tears in her eyes. Hugh had one arm wrapped around her, and his other was wrapped around Ryan. Lila motioned for Abby to stand beside her. She hugged Abby to her. When they finished David and Grammy stood up and bowed to their audience.

Lila said, "Bravo!"

In one quick move, David opened the piano bench and thrust a a white baseball cap onto his head. Attached to the top of the cap was a wire. At the end of the wire was a big piece of plastic mistletoe. He swung the piece of mistletoe over Abby. "Oops," he said. "Look who's standing under the mistletoe." Before she could stop him he kissed her on the mouth.

She said, “David,” like she was disgusted, only she wasn’t. He was her second best loved and someday his stupid crush would pass. Until then she would just have to endure it. She snatched the cap off his head.

After dinner they gathered in the living room to open presents. There were the usual gifts, and then Grammy brought a box into the room. She said, “These are from Chester. He asked Hugh to video ya’ll opening them so he can see your faces.” Hugh got the camera.

The first gift was for Grammy. She opened it. It was a recording of La triviata by Guiseppe Verdi. It was the story of a woman who went astray. Abby caught the meaning of this gift and so did Grammy. The opera was about presumption, prejudice and the complications of love. To Lila, Chester gave his guitar, to Ryan his first guitar lesson book and to Hugh, he gave a card. Hugh didn't share what was in it. Grammy handed David his gift. It was sheet music. David held up a page and squinted at it. "This is the song he has been working on. He wants me to finish it." He asked Grammy "Do you think I can?"

“Yes, and so does Chester. You have a gift.”

Last of all Grammy handed a flat present to Abby. Puzzled Abby took it. She knew what it was, it was the picture Lila had been painting of Chester. She asked Grammy, “Isn’t this for you?”

Grammy shook her head. "It's got your name on it.”

Confused Abby looked at Lila. Lila nodded and said, "Yes, it's for you."

Abby had seen the picture a dozen times. What was going on? She began to tear the tissue paper off the package. Chester's face became visible through the thin paper. She ripped through the final sheet and was amazed to be looking into her own eyes. "What?" She stared at the portrait. Chester sat in middle, on his left was Grammy and on his right was Abby. They were all three smiling. It was a family portrait. Her family's portrait.

There was a note tucked inside of it. Abby pulled it out and silently read,

Dear Abby,

This is the way it should have always been, but wasn’t. I pray, when I am gone, you will remember me. Please tell your children about me some day. I hope one of them loves music.

Merry Christmas, Chester

*

A young man stood on the stage playing an old guitar. Much to Abby's surprise Grammy was beside her. NEVER in all her born days did she think her Grammy would cross the threshold of a club which served alcoholic beverages for profit, but she was here, now because it was a special night. Abby glanced across the table at Hugh and Lila. Beside them were Ryan and his wife, Karen. They were enjoying a rare night out, without their twin girls. Abby shifted her pregnant body in the booth seat. She had to pee so bad.

The young man on the stage finished his song. He leaned closer to the mic and said, "Once a man wrote a song, he called Lone Gull Crying, he asked me to finish it for him. It took a long time. One day as I was watching the gulls it occurred to me that gulls don't cry just for sadness they also cry for joy. This song is dedicated to my wife."

David's long fingers began to play the melody that still haunted Abby in her dreams. It took her back to those long ago days when hate had turned to love. The music brought Chester close. Inside, she felt the baby kick.