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Mom had more apple cider heating on the stove by the time the cinnamon buns had been eaten. We were all in the living room starting to decorate the tree. The lights had already been put on the tree and were now twinkling away. I pulled the next ornament from the box and unwrapped it from its tissue. I inhaled when I saw the ornament I had in my hand and tears filled my eyes.
I held the ornament in my hands, turning it over and over. Two red rubies formed the head and dress of the angel, secured together by a set of sterling silver wings. "This was grandma's angel. I remember she told me that grandpa gave it to her when he returned home from the war. I remember her always telling me it had such a special meaning behind it, but she never got the chance to tell me what it was."
Mom sat down beside me and took the ornament in her hand. "I haven't seen this in years." She sniffled. "What box did you find it in?"
"This one right here," I said, pointing to it.
"Funny, I’m sure I had that box down last year. I don't remember seeing it," she said, looking it over, a soft smile coming to her lips.
"Do you know what the story or special meaning is behind it is, Mom?" I asked, folding the tissue paper that it had been wrapped in and placing it back in the box.
"I do. You see, grandpa was never supposed to return from the war the Christmas he gave her this. He was supposed to go on another two tours before he was discharged from the Army. He was sent home on a two-day relief just before Christmas and he surprised her with this ornament. He said he always wanted to be with her, even though he was far away, and that this angel would watch over her while he was gone. He was deployed two days later as scheduled, and grandma was beside herself. She was convinced he wasn't going to be coming home to her.
“Anyways, she prayed every night to that angel to send him back to her, and two weeks later, on Christmas Eve, grandpa showed up on the doorstep, surprising her. When she asked him what he was doing back, he explained that two days after he had been deployed, he got a strange feeling in his gut, one that wouldn't leave. Apparently, he requested to be discharged and pulled out of the deployment. Since the deployment was voluntary, they granted him that and sent him home. He got word two days after Christmas that on Christmas day, the troops he had been with had stumbled into a war zone and were caught in gunfire. Every one of the soldiers he had been with were killed."
I wiped the tears that fell from my eyes and looked over to where Zack and Drew sat. Both had tears in their eyes as well.
"This," my mother said, picking up the angel that sat on the chain around my neck, “is an exact replica of this one. Grandpa had it made for grandma the month before he died. It had special instructions to be passed down to the first girl born in the family, which is you, Lexi."
I smiled and held the angel pendant tight in my hand.
"Why don't you put the ornament on the tree, Lexi," Mom sniffled, handing it over to me.
I took the angel from her and walked over to the tree, placing it right near the top. I stood looking at it for a minute, grasping the angel charm around my neck, thinking back to the last Christmas grandma had with us.
* * *
I satin the dimly lit kitchen, everything now cleaned and put away from dinner, staring down into the cup of hot peppermint tea that sat in front of me. Mom and Dad had gone off to a banquet on the other end of town. Zach and Drew had gone to the store for some snack food. I was glad to have this time alone after what Mom and Dad had told us at dinner. It wasn't something that I was expecting, and it had completely thrown me for a loop. They announced that they were getting rid of my childhood home, the only place I knew to come for comfort when I needed it. They wanted to downsize and move somewhere warmer, sunnier, and smaller.
I looked over to the pantry door and saw the familiar black marks on the doorframe that told us how much we had grown over the years. There were even marks there for Drew, because they always wanted to make sure that he felt a part of the family.
I breathed in deeply, trying to figure out what I would do when I no longer had this home to come to, but nothing was coming to mind. A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away when I heard the front door open and close. I stayed where I was, hoping that no one saw me sitting alone in the dark. I really didn't want to be bothered with anyone or anything.
I kept my head down, looking into that steaming cup of tea, when I felt two strong hands grip my shoulders. "What do you say, Lex, want some cake?" Drew asked, walking around the island and pulling out the coconut cream cake from the fridge.
"Please," I whispered.
He cut two rather large pieces, plated them, and slid one in front of me, holding out a fork for me to take. As I reached for it, he pulled it away, a gorgeous smile plastered on his face. I looked up at him but couldn’t help the tears in my eyes. The thought of this being our last Christmas in this house was almost too much to bear.
"Lex, what's wrong?"
"Where's Zach?" I asked, trying my best to avoid the inevitable.
"I dropped him off at Ann Marie's." He pulled the chair out beside me and sat down. "So spill it. What’s got that pretty head of yours in such a mess?"
I took a forkful of cake and put it in my mouth, trying to figure out how to share with him. "I guess it was the shock of the news that they want to sell the house. I always thought I would spend every Christmas here forever, you know, with my kids. I imagined all of us in that living room drinking apple cider and eating cinnamon buns while decorating the tree, forever."
Drew was quiet and shook his head. "I get it."
"You do?"
"Of course, this is the only home you've known. It's natural for you to feel this way, but honestly, Lex, they are getting older. This place is huge, and I can't even begin to imagine the cost or the work of the upkeep. You aren't here to help, and Zach is in New York. I mean, it’s only them, all alone."
"I know, it's just this place holds so many memories."
"I know. It does for me too. You guys were all a big part of my childhood. After all, this is the only real feeling of home and family that I have."
"It just comes as a shock, I guess. I certainly wasn't expecting them to say they were planning on selling." We both took a bite of cake at the same time, chewing in silence. "I wish there was something I could do."
