By Hope


This is a finished story.

Charity looked out the window of her lonely, little home. She put her hand against the window, watching the snow fall from the sky to the ground, covering it in a luminous white. Everything, she realized, was now white. The ground was white, her home was white, her face was white.

A Christmas melody played in the background, giving a hint of music to the moderately silent room. In the distance, she saw a group of carolers going from house to house, providing cheer for the family inside. Eventually they�d make it to her house. Hopefully, the cold would get to them and they would just go home. But carolers always seemed to be warm and happy, no matter what the temperature it was outside.

She took a sip of her tea, which was growing cooler with every passing moment, and turned away from the window. She didn�t understand how people could be so happy and cheerful while their husbands and their sons, maybe even their wives and daughters, were off in a foreign land, fighting in a war over two countries that just couldn�t get along.

Her husband was one of them.

She sat down on the couch and set her tea on the table. She grabbed the down blanket from the floor and placed it over her chilled self. No matter what happy rhythm her old Christmas Melodies record was playing, she couldn�t bring herself to think of Christmas in the same way. Not without Isaac there. They hadn�t been married a month when he was drafted and sent to South Korea in order to protect that country from the once again invading North.

The record skipped, again and again, but she ignored it. Eventually it�d stop skipping, it always did. Eventually it�d go on to the next song. She�d forgotten what came next, then again she had a reason. She only listened to the damned thing once a year, and every year she fell asleep while Bing Crosby crooned away to White Christmas. Was that next? The record stopped skipping and moved on.

I�ll be home for Christmas�Immediately Charity teared up. It was nearing nine on Christmas Eve and he wasn�t home. He wouldn�t be there to let her sit on his lap for their dinner, he wouldn�t be there to help her decorate the tree�she�d already done that. Her eyes gazed to the tiny tree in the tiny corner of the tiny house. It was just a rental home, they were waiting for their dream house to be built not far away from where they were. But, for all she knew, she would be living in that home alone.

You can count on me�The tree had been lit up already, shining brilliantly for her to admire. Christmas trees were always so beautiful, no matter what shape, size, or decor. No matter how horrible the job was decorating them, whenever the tiny string of lights were lit, the tree always made her take a step back and appreciate what multi-colored lights, small ornaments, tinsel and a glowing angel could do to a person.

Please have snow and mistletoe�But Charity couldn�t appreciate that beauty this Christmas. Her husband, who she loved more than anything in the world, wasn�t there to admire it with her. She began to wonder what he was feeling at that point, knowing it was Christmas Eve and he couldn�t be with her. She wished she could speak to him, not just the letters, but actually speak to him. She couldn�t respond to him because she didn�t know where he was stationed, or even if she was allowed to send letters to him. But he sent a letter to her every week since he�d been there, sending love and kisses and such, promising to be home soon.

And presents on the tree�His letter didn�t come that week. It was a great possibility that it was delayed due to the Christmas Holiday, maybe he couldn�t get it to mail out, maybe he couldn�t find any paper, a pen, anything but the one thought that raced through her mind. They�d let her know, though. They�d let her know if he was�she didn�t want to think about it. Not now. Not on Christmas.

Christmas Eve will find me�The sound of carolers were growing more prominent. They�d gotten more and more people to join them as they passed by each house. Charity looked out the window, as much as she could without getting up, and saw them a few houses down. They�d be by her house quite soon. She had to debate whether or not she would join them. She really didn�t have any warm enough clothes to go out in that weather.

Where the love-light gleams� She didn�t want Christmas to come. Not without him. Not without her husband. Everyone was happy but her. They sung and smiled, tucking their children away in bed, promising them joy and happiness for the next morning once Santa came with presents and gifts galore. Charity looked at her tree again. No presents this year. There was no one to get them for, and no one to give them to her. She was alone.

I�ll be home for Christmas�She heard footsteps shuffling through snow, to her door. The carolers were still down the street. She wondered who would be there to bother her on Christmas Eve. Her first thought went to Isaac. If he had died, someone would come to her door to tell her. She grew worried instantly. She took off the blanket and stood, as she did so a knock came at her door. She slipped across the floor in her wool socks to the door, afraid to open it. But she did.

If only in my dreams�A man, in full military uniform, stood at the door. Charity�s heart leapt into her throat, then crashed to the pit of her stomach. Tears slipped from her eyes, and a shaky hand went to her mouth. �Oh my God,� she whispered.

�Baby, I�m home.�


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