Back Then
Sunday, 24 December 1950
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Four-year-old Darrel Curtis JR stamped his foot in frustration as the gold ball dropped from his hand. "Not again!"
"What's the matter, honey?" Little Darry turned to see his mother standing in the doorway, holding his new little brother Sodapop in her arms.
"Sodapop!" Darry raced to his mother, never missing a chance to play with baby Soda. Mrs Curtis lead Darry to the couch and Darry climbed on.
"Be careful, sweetie. We don't want to hurt Soda. What was all that about earlier?"
Darry looked sheepish. "I was only trying to help, honest. I wanted to put that ball onto the tree - but I'm too small, Mommy."
Mrs Curtis smiled at her eldest son. "Let me see what I can do to help."
She carefully set Sodapop into his playpen, and Soda let out a giggle. Darry laughed. He always laughed when Soda did because Soda had such a cute laugh.
"Do you need help to get the decorations onto the higher branches?" Mrs Curtis asked.
"Yes please. I need some help," Darry admitted. He picked up the ball and screeched playfully as his mother scooped him up.
He placed the gold ball on the branch he wanted. "Come on, let's do the rest of the tree," Mrs Curtis said as she picked up a ravishing angel out of the basket.
"It's so pretty," Darry gasped. Mrs Curtis chuckled.
"This angel used to belong to my mother, did you know that? She made it when she was a little girl."
"Grandma made that?" Darry asked. Mrs Curtis nodded.
"And do you know how old she was?"
Darry shook his head.
"She was four."
Darry gasped. "But Mommy, I'm four!"
Mrs Curtis felt around the basket until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out another angel, similar to the first, except it said "Linda" on the delicate fabric used for the dress.
"Mommy, did you make that? It says your name on it! Were you four?" Darry asked, examing the angel closely as Mrs Curtis handed it to him.
"Yes and yes. And I want you to make one, Darry," Mrs Curtis said, savouring Darry's suprised and happy expression.
"Really? You want me to make a christmas angel? Mom, I would love to!"
Mrs Curtis beamed. "I thought you might. Let me go and fetch the supplies. Keep an eye on Soda for a minute, alright sweetie?"
Darry practically sprinted over to baby Soda while Mrs Curtis left the room.
"Did you hear that, Soda? I get to make a christmas angel! And it's going to go on the tree! Where everyone can see it! This is so exciting!"
Soda burped, and then he giggled. Darry laughed.
"You don't understand how important this is, do you Sodie? Don't worry, when you're older, I'll help you make your own angel. But you have to be four first."
Darry tickled Soda's toes until Mrs Curtis came back with a small box.
"Can you get your little table out all by yourself?" Mrs Curtis asked, and Darry nodded eagerly.
She smiled down at her son as he proudly dragged his little table into the middle of the cosy living-room.
"I'm a big boy!" Darry grinned up at his mother.
"You are so strong!" Mrs Curtis praised her son as she placed the box on the little wooden table. She kneeled down next to it.
"Here is the base for the angel, alright? You have to stick on her pretty dress and her hair and her wings, and you have to draw on her eyes and mouth. Okay?"
"Okay Mommy," Darry nodded as together they pulled out the fabric, paper, glitter, glue and scissors.
"Good boy, you better get going if you want to get it finished by the time we make cookies," Mrs Curtis reminded as she stood back, watching her son get to work.
Ten minutes later, as Mrs Curtis was still standing in the doorway, watching her son proudly, she heard someone come through the door.
"I'm home!" a cheerful Mr Curtis called as he stepped through the door. He slipped off his snow-covered shoes and came into the living room, standing next to his wife and giving her kiss on the cheek.
"Don't I get my usual hug, Junior?" Darry Senior asked as he watched his son.
"Not now Dad! I'm busy," Darry Junior replied, not looking up from his angel.
Mr Curtis eyed his wife up carefully, and grinned when she gave him a look that said 'I'll tell you later.'
"Looks like you're busy there, Squirt," Mr Curtis said as he watched.
"I'm making an angel, just like Mommy's!" Darry finally looked up from his work, smiling at his father.
Mr Curtis grinned, sending another look to his wife. "That sounds like fun. Do you need any help?"
"No thanks, I have to do this by myself. I'm a big boy, you know."
"Of course, Sport." Darrel Senior gave his wife another kiss before he left the room to have a shower. It had been a hard day at the factory.
Mrs Curtis also left the room, for a different reason. She left the room and grabbed the cheap Polaroid camera off of the night stand before heading back into the living room.
"Mommy! I'm done!" Darry held up his angel proudly. 'Darry' stood out clearly, even from where she was standing.
"That looks amazing, Darry! Let me get a photo!" Mrs Curtis beamed proudly, taking the photo as Darry posed with his angel.
The two waited for a minute while the photo developed.
"It looks great, Darry! I'm so proud of you! Why don't we hang it on the tree now?"
"Yes please!" Darry said eagerly, waiting to be scooped up by his mother once again. ed
"Why don't we hang it right near the top, right near the star?" Mrs Curtis asked, and Darry nodded.
Mrs Curtis held Darry tightly as his small arm reached right up and hung his angel. While they were there, Mrs Curtis quickly grabbed the star and he hung that, too.
"Quickly, let's finish decorating the tree while your father is in the shower."
Little Darry and Mrs Curtis worked quickly and soon, their modest-sized tree looked beautiful with decorations hung all over it.
Darry's angel hung proudly near the top.
"Good job, Darry! Your father will be so impressed," Mrs Curtis smiled. Her face hurt from smiling so much today, but she couldn't help it.
Mrs Curtis noticed Soda was sounding grizzly and throwing his blocks everywhere.
"I'm here, Sodiepie. Momma's here," Mrs Curtis cooed, scooping up her baby.
Soda giggled his special giggle again.
Mrs Curtis sat on the couch and played with Soda while Darry took out his crayons and colouring book and began to colour while they waited for Mr Curtis.
"Wow! The tree looks amazing!" they heard, and they looked up to see Mr Curtis standing in the doorway, dressed in a clean t-shirt and jeans.
"Darry did most of it," Mrs Curtis smiled, winking at Darrel Junior.
"Look at my angel, Daddy! It's right at the top!" Darry practically yelled, jumping up and down near the tree.
Darrel scooped up his son as he looked at the tree.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Darry asked as he pointed to his angel.
"Hmm.. are you sure this is your angel? It looks too beautiful to be a four year old's," Darrel Senior said teasingly.
"Daddy, it is mine! It says our name on it!"
Mr Curtis pretended to examine it closely. "Wow, it is your's. It's very beautiful. It lights up the whole tree. Even more than the lights!"
Darry beamed, feeling proud of his work.
With Darry still in his arms, Darry sat down next his wife and his other son.
"Hey there, Soda!" Darrel Senior said, touching Soda's chin.
Soda grinned his chubby little grin.
"Someone's in a good mood," Darrel acknowledged to his wife.
"He must have picked it up from you," Linda replied as she leaned in for a kiss.
"Gross! Cooties!" Darry covered his eyes as his parents kissed.
Linda laughed as she pulled away from her husband.
"Did you just say we have cooties?" she asked, looking down at her son.
"Yes," Darry replied, disgusted.
"Well then, we'll just have to show you that we don't have cooties.." Mrs Curtis began, slipping off her son's shoes.
"Your mother's right son, we need to do this," Darrel replied with fake sterness.
"D-do what?" Darry asked fearfully.
"This!" Linda replied, tickling her son's feet.
"No, no, stop!" Darry giggled, although both of his parents knew he was loving it.
"How about here?" Darrel Senior asked, ticking him stomach.
"No, not my tummy!" Darry yelped, laughing, giggling and yelling all at the same time.
Both of his parents started laughing, enjoying torturing their eldest son.
Soda decided to get in on the act, and try and tickle his older brother, too.
"No, Soda, not you too! Help!" Darry Junior was laughing hard by now, squirming in his father's grasp while being tickled to death by his family.
Soon, his parents knew it was time to stop. Darry's yells had become those of frustration, and Soda had since stopped trying to tickle his older brother and had become grizzly again.
"I think it's time we start the cookies and dinner!" Mrs Curtis announced. Darry Junior squirmed out of his father's lap and Linda handed Soda to her husband.
"It's your turn to feed him," Mrs Curtis smiled as she led Darry out into their small but cosy kitchen.
They all went about their christmas eve business as usual, Mrs Curtis and Darry making the cookies and Mr Curtis feeding Soda and giving him his bath.
Usually, Darry loved to give his baby brother a bath, but tonight he didn't want to. He only got to make those special christmas cookies once a year, and he helped with his brother's bath everynight.
Bedtime came quicker than Darry would have liked, after dinner, getting into his pajamas and his bedtime story in the living room by the tree.
"Come on Darry, it's time for bed. When you wake up in the morning, Santa would have been here!" Mrs Curtis coaxed, but Darry didn't want to.
"Please Mommy? Can't I stay up and wait for Santa? Please?"
Mrs Curtis smiled.
"I'm sorry Darry, maybe next year when you're older."
"Please? Just this once!" Darry pleaded.
His father stepped in. "Now look here, son. If you're in the living room when he comes, Santa won't leave any presents because he will be angry that you've seen him. You don't want no presents for christmas, do you?"
Darry shook his head. Of course he wanted presents!
"Okay, off to bed."
Darry's parents came and tucked him in.
"Good night Darry, we'll see you in the morning. Don't wake up too early!" Mrs Curtis warned, grinning tiredly.
"Yes Mommy!"
"Goodnight, son."
"Goodnight Dad. I love you."
"I love you too."
The Curtis parents left their youngest son's room.
"Do you believe him?" Mrs Curtis smiled.
"Not for a minute," Mr Curtis replied, giving his wife a kiss.
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Darry looked down at the black and white photo, taken so many years ago.
It was of him, proudly holding his christmas angel that he'd made all by himself.
Tears came to his eyes as he looked at the other thing he held. It was angel, but not his own. The name read "Linda".
His tears flowed freely as he remembered that christmas. Of course Soda couldn't have remembered it, he had been barely six months old. But Darry remembered it, even at four years old. He had a pretty good memory.
That had been one of the best christmases of his life, not to mention Soda's first christmas. Now here he was. It was the same day, alright. It was christmas eve: the first christmas without his parents.
Darry tried his hardest to stop his sobs from coming out, but it seemed they had a mind of their own. He had had a fake smile painted on his face all day, and he was growing sick of it fast. But he had to stay positive. For his brothers.
"Darry?" a familiar voice called as he knocked on the door.
Darry quickly stuffed what he was holding under his bed. "Come in."
Soda quickly entered the room.
"Darry, are you okay?"
Darry smiled. That same fake smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. It just seems.. weird, you know?"
Soda nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
The two stayed like that awkwardly for a minute.
"It's time to decorate the tree. The guys are all waiting. You coming?"
Darry nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming."
After Soda had exited the room, Darry pulled the angel out from under his bed and held it to him.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
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A/N: Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms. This is my first story, and I would love to know how to make it better. Please review this.