December 25
Mick St. John sat on the couch in his apartment, staring at the small box covered in wrapping paper that he held in his hand. A small tag attached to the corner read 'Beth'. He'd been debating for the past week whether or not he would give it to her. It had taken most of his creativity to come up with a gift she would appreciate, but now he was nervous as he wondered if she'd like it.
With a sigh, he placed the box on the table and stood up from his seat. He paced the room, hoping that it would push the decision from his mind, but it was no use. That little box wouldn't leave his mind alone. He hadn't felt like this in a long time, as he hadn't had anyone to give a gift to in the past few years. Since he was turned, Christmas had been a lonely day for him, spent locked away in his apartment as he imagined what it'd been like in his past.
A small smile flitted across his lips as he remembered Christmastime with his family as he was growing up. A tiny tree always stood in the corner of the room, covered in lights and too many ornaments to count. He remembered Christmas morning, when he would wake up extra early to see if Santa had come. Every year the room overflowed with presents surrounding the tree, with everything from sweaters made by Grandma to the toy airplanes he asked for every year. He remembered the meal his family had for Christmas dinner. The table was always piled with mountains of food: sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, carrots, and, of course, the customary Christmas turkey. He longed to taste those things once again. The memories hadn't faded yet, but it would only be a matter of time when they did.
Mick was gently shaken out of his reverie as his cell phone rang. His stomach filled with butterflies as he read the caller ID: 'Beth'. He tapped the 'Take Call' button and brought the device to his ear. "Merry Christmas Beth."
He heard a small giggle from the other end of the phone, and a smile filled his lips once again without him even realizing it. "Merry Christmas Mick." He could hear her smile through her voice. "I was just thinking that you might be a little lonely today, so I wanted to invite you over to my place if you wanted some company."
Mick glanced around his apartment. It didn't feel like Christmas here. The walls were bare of any decorations. No wreaths, no tinsel, not even a tree were in the room. He sighed to himself and turned his attention back to the phone. "I'd love to come over, as long as it's not any trouble for you."
"No, no, of course not."
"All right, then I'll see you in a few minutes."
"I'll be waiting." He could hear her smile again before they both hung up their phones. Mick walked over to his closet and retrieved his coat. After putting it on, he made his way to the front door, but that little box caught his attention once again. After looking at it for a few seconds, he sighed in defeat and placed it in his coat pocket before leaving his apartment.