Good evening! Happy 3rd December! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, I'm very grateful. Review replies have been sent :D Here's the next instalment!
Snow on Christmas Eve. As there had been a year ago, although Stella hadn't seen it herself. A whole year since she had woken in the hospital on Christmas morning. How very different this Christmas was and what changes the year had brought. Marvelling at it all, Stella lay awake in the pale snow-light, listening to Mac's faint snoring and (which made her grin) baby Holly's tiny snuffling snores from the crib next to the bed.
The snow had begun to fall several hours ago, when the sky had grown heavy and a soft, tingling-cold powder began to drift around the buildings. Counting herself fortunate, Stella had made it home before the streets became too treacherous. At home, she had found Holly and Mac in the kitchen – Holly supervising from her baby bouncer, while Mac cut cookie dough into stars, hearts and candy cane shapes. The whole apartment smelled of Christmas, of cinnamon, orange, spices and the faint warm scent of their tree.
After the traumatic Christmas she and Mac had had last year before Holly's birth, they were both determined that this year would be a special celebration. Mac's biggest contribution, in every sense, had been the tree. By means known only to himself, he had acquired and set up the tallest tree he had ever found. At the memory of Mac's pride when he showed it to her, Stella smiled. Holly had been enchanted by it, immediately lunging towards the twinkling lights, and Stella's precious fairy and soldier doll. But Stella had held the baby back, keeping the dolls safe.
Now, as she lay in bed, the only one in the household awake, an impulse seized her. After checking that both Mac and Holly were sound asleep, Stella slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
A glow of limpid light shone through the living room windows, just enough to see by. Stella lifted up the blind and peeked out. The city had transformed itself, changed out of its grey winter garb into a dazzling, sparkling Christmas extravaganza. Everything glistened, decked out with tiny diamonds. Gazing at it, Stella sighed in deep contentment, never tired of seeing the city in its snowy finery.
Only when a shiver overtook her did she think about returning to bed. As she turned from the window, through some quirk of light – probably a street light at just the right angle – she saw her soldier and fairy doll illuminated. Feeling the expectancy in the air and a little glimmer of magic, Stella stepped towards the tree, holding her breath. But the dolls were unmoving – simply ornaments on a Christmas tree. Sighing, Stella rubbed her arms before wrapping them around herself. Maybe there was the hint of merriment in their painted eyes, more likely it was her imagination. Even so, she whispered a 'Merry Christmas' to them and hurried back to bed.
Perhaps if she'd stayed a moment or two longer, she would have heard the tiny whisper of their 'Merry Christmas' to her.
Many thanks for reading, please leave me the gift of a review, it makes my day :D Lily x