Sonia giggled. “Yep. She popped the question.”
“Oh, honey.” Monty pulled her into another hug. “I’m so happy for you both.”
“Thanks.” Sonia’s reply came out muffled as she pulled away from the demon’s chest.
“Have fun, kitten. I need to show Howard the tree. He wants one and can’t decide on colored lights or white.”
Sonia chuckled and turned her gaze onto the room. The party was in full swing. Laughter and holiday music filled the air with joyous frivolity. She fingered the ring and sighed. It was perfect. Jellybean romped from guest to guest, begging tidbits of food, and Fae was in her element. Dressed in her leather pants and a red sparkling tank top, her lover was radiant. She flourished as more and more people showed up.
Sonia drifted toward the hallway, ambling toward the stairs to the roof. It was irrational, but she needed to be by herself for a bit. She’d always been this way, alone in a crowd. It wasn’t that she was unhappy. But she was restless.
She pushed the door open and stepped outside onto Fae’s cultivated rooftop garden. It was a space that Sonia came to whenever she felt like a fish out of water.
The weather had been mild for December, but a storm was brewing in the distance. The scent of snow bit into her skin, and suddenly, the blue sleeveless dress she wore wasn’t enough to keep the chill at bay.
The sigil on her arm sizzled to life, and the door to the roof opened. Magic was in the air, a winter’s kiss on the horizon.
“There you are.” Fae made her way across the garden and smiled. “Too much holiday cheer?”
“No. I just needed a minute. It’s been a pretty intense day.” Sonia sat down on the stone bench and winced. Her bottom was still sore, but it was a pleasant burn.
“Do you want me to sit with you?”
“I don’t want to take you away from your guests.” Sonia smiled. “I just want to watch the stars.”
Fae nodded and bent down to place a kiss on Sonia’s lips. “We’re about to start the white elephant gift exchange. Come down when you’re ready.”
“I will.”
The door closed, and Sonia was once again alone with the elements. A flake of snow drifted down, singular in its majesty. She captured it in her hand, the icy radiance melting upon contact with her skin.
“That’s how I feel.” She whispered her words to the heavens. “Like I’ll burn with the heat and never, ever cool down enough to just be.”
One after another, flakes of snow began to fall. Clouds covered the moon, and the snow began to fall in earnest. Sonia sat, letting the flakes pelt against her body. One after the other they melted. She lifted her hands once again to the gray and tempestuous sky, and one last perfectly crafted flake drifted into her hand.
The sound of sleigh bells echoed through the night, and the merry sound of a deep belly laugh resounded through the sky. Out of the corner of her eye, Sonia thought she saw…no. It couldn’t be. Santa was a myth. Wasn’t he?
Sonia looked down at the flake in her hand. Instead of melting, it began to change. Cold blue fire burst from the crystal of icy radiance and began to twist and shape it into something else. Something…other.
“Goddess.” Sonia laid the throbbing ball of blue fire on the bench and backed away, uncertain what to do. Her sigil flamed on, power itching across her skin.
The ball of fire grew, and suddenly, the light went out, leaving a white furry object still and silent in its wake.
“Oh…” Sonia padded carefully toward the bench and knelt down, gingerly touching the creature and turning it over. A small furry canine face, eyes bright with winter fire, looked back at her. The little dog whined and cuddled against her hand, a tiny mop of white fur that half glittered in the white glare of the security lights.
“Well, I’ll be.” She cradled the little pup against her breast and crooned. Her vision clouded with happy tears as the puppy snuggled into her warmth.
She lifted the tiny snow beast into her arms and brought her inside. Fae was waiting in the hall, watching her come back down the stairs.
“Who’s that?” Her brow arched upward.
“It seems the heavens thought I needed someone else to care for.” Sonia grinned.
Fae laughed. “I thought I heard Santa’s sleigh up there.”
“What are you up to?” Sonia growled, suddenly suspicious.
“Of all the things in heaven and earth, never ask. Just accept the gift of family.” Fae kissed her, drawing an irritated yipe from the puppy in Sonia’s arms.
“It seems like Snowball there doesn’t like getting squished between us,” Fae quipped.
“Snowball…I like it.” Sonia eyed her lover. “You didn’t have anything to do with her, did you?”
“Now, why would you ask that?” A dimple crept into Fae’s mischievous smile.
Sonia shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re always full of the darndest surprises.”
“Merry Christmas, baby.” Fae drew Sonia’s hand to her lips and pressed a kiss against it. “Now, let’s get back to the party. Jellybean will be waiting to meet her baby sister.”
Sonia pressed a kiss to Snowball’s tiny furry head and smiled.
“Oh yeah, Perry’s here,” Fae snarked as she headed back into the fray. “He’s in the front room playing Twister with what’s-her-name, and she’s kicking his vampire ass.”
“Charley! Her name is Charley.” But, nevertheless, a grin settled across her face. The night was somehow fuller, as the furry creature in her arms shifted and got more comfortable, her little puppy mouth opening up in a yawn, only to close again quickly.
“I love you, little one.” Sonia stood in the doorway and watched her friends play in front of the sparkling Christmas tree. “We’re home.”
Home for Christmas
T.M. Croke
Carter’s heart thudded to a stop as the stream of red cascaded down the right hand side of the Departures screen.
This can’t be happening.
A snowstorm had struck with fury, and now every plane east of Ontario was grounded. That included Toronto, where she and her partner Amelia had recently arrived after a five hour flight to make their connections. Amelia was going to see her folks in Halifax, and Carter was on her way to St. John’s. Apparently they were going nowhere tonight. They would be lucky to get another flight by Christmas Day, or even Boxing Day.
Risking a glance to the side, Carter held her breath as she waited for a reaction from Amelia, who was rhythmically tapping on her iPhone, her mouth twisted in concentration. Amelia swiped dark bangs away from her equally dark blue eyes, eyes that Carter found herself lost in on a daily basis.
“Damn.”
Amelia’s exclamation startled Carter from her reverie.
“This website is useless. Guess we should go find out how bad this is.”
Carter gripped the handle of the luggage cart, ready to follow Amelia to the ticket counter. “At least it happened here and not in Halifax.”
Amelia turned to face Carter. “At least if we were in Halifax, we wouldn’t be stuck in the airport.”
“You wouldn’t be stuck in the airport,” Carter retorted.
Amelia was very close to her family, but they had never accepted that she was a lesbian, never acknowledged or accepted her relationship with Carter. At Christmas, that translated into separate holiday celebrations for each of the six years of their relationship.
Amelia’s eyes narrowed as she slapped Carter’s arm. “They wouldn’t leave you stuck in the airport alone.”
“Good to know,” Carter said with an incredulous grin. Amelia might have believed that of her parents, but Carter wasn’t so sure.
Carter had wanted them to stay at home in Vancouver and celebrate Christmas together, but Amelia’s need to please her parents made it unlikely that would ever happen. It was a tired and familiar discussion, but she was glad they had gotten past the argument about the holidays and were able to tease each other about it.
Amel
ia rolled her eyes as she linked her fingers with Carter’s. “Come on, let’s find out what’s going on.”
* * *
Air Canada’s service counter was bombarded with stranded travelers desperate to reschedule their travel plans.
“It’s going to be okay.” Carter rubbed Amelia’s arm. “Hopefully the storm will pass quickly, and we can catch a late evening flight.”
Forty minutes later, they reached the front of the line at the ticket counter, where a harried woman attempted a smile. Carter thought that her expression said she had been yelled at one too many times that day. People lost all their Christmas spirit when it came to travel delays.
“Good afternoon. How can I help you today?”
“Our flights to Halifax and St. John’s have been cancelled.” Amelia handed their boarding passes to the agent. “We need to rebook.”
The agent tapped her computer keys. Her mouth formed a tight, thin line as she reluctantly relayed the results of her search. “It looks like the next available flight to Halifax is tomorrow morning at 10:15, with the connection to St. John’s departing at two.”
“We’ll take it.” Carter turned to Amelia. “One night. We’ll survive, right?”
“Right. When we finish up here, I’ll try some hotels to find a room.”
Her voice cracking with fatigue, the airline agent interjected, “We’ve already contacted a number of hotels in the area, and unfortunately everything in the vicinity is booked through the next few days.” She smiled sympathetically. “We’re offering blankets and small pillows, as well as meal vouchers.”
Carter closed her eyes and counted to ten. She and Amelia only had this one night together for the entire holiday; could they possibly spend it in the airport? She shrugged. People had done it before and apparently survived no worse for the wear.
With their new travel documents in hand, Carter and Amelia tucked their blankets and pillows atop the luggage on their cart and moved out into the crowded airport until they found a spot they could stop and discuss their options.
“Bet you’re wishing we were stuck in Halifax now,” Amelia whispered with a smile.
Carter leaned in, her lips brushing Amelia’s ear, causing her to shudder. “I’ll take my chances with the airport.” She stepped back with a chuckle.
Amelia smiled back. “Say that to me again in the morning, when you’re stiff from lying on a chair all night.”
Carter pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and tapped out a text to her younger brother, notifying him of her change of plans. “Done. I texted David and told him we were delayed. He’ll tell Mom and Dad.”
“If only I could get away with a text.” Amelia blew out a deep breath.
Carter kissed her forehead. “You call your parents. I’m going to scout out the airport.”
* * *
Carter returned to find Amelia leaning against a wall, engaged in an animated phone conversation, their luggage cart propped against her leg. Her body slumped forward as she ended the call, which Carter assumed had been with her mother. She looked tired, Carter thought, and it was only the beginning of a long night.
Carter grasped Amelia’s hands in hers and tugged her forward. “Come on.” She pulled Amelia against her in a warm embrace. “Grab the cart and follow me.”
“Where?” Amelia grabbed her jacket, which she had thrown across the cart. “Most of the chairs are taken.”
“Come on. I’ve found us a prime spot, and I don’t want to lose it,” Carter blurted out in delight.
“You found us a room in a four star hotel?”
Carter rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on.”
She led Amelia down a hallway to an almost secluded alcove, where she took the handle of their luggage cart and tucked it against the wall.
“Here?” Amelia questioned indignantly. “You want me to sleep on the floor?”
Carter stared back at her. “It will be more comfortable here than trying to sleep on chairs. I’ll spread the blanket so we can stretch out, and it doesn’t seem to be that busy down here, so we’ll have some degree of privacy. We can pretend we’re camping.” She grinned.
Carter knew that Amelia hated camping, but she shook out one of the blankets and laid it on the floor in invitation.
Amelia took a moment to size up the small space, then gave in with a loud sigh. “I guess it’s better than nothing.”
Carter was surprised by how easily Amelia had given in. “That’s my girl,” she said in a low voice, rubbing Amelia’s arm in a comforting gesture.
Giving Carter a half-hearted scowl, Amelia grumbled, “You better have cards or something in your bag to entertain me.” She dropped down on the blanket.
“I have my iPad. We can watch a movie later.” Carter knelt down on the blanket in front of Amelia and cradled her face in her palms. “It’ll be Christmas morning before you know it.”
Their eyes locked, and twin smiles appeared on their faces. In the rush of the day, it was only now that Carter realized this would be the first Christmas they would actually be spending together in their six year relationship. For so many years they had made separate plans with their families, but now they would be together on Christmas Day. It didn’t matter that they were spending it on a dirty floor in a crowded airport, just that they would be together when they woke on Christmas morning.
Amelia laughed. “Who thought the first time we would get to spend Christmas holidays together would be in an airport.”
Euphoria poured from those few words, and Carter’s eyes lit up as she kissed Amelia soundly. “You okay here if I go get us something to eat before everything closes?”
Amelia nodded. “Okay, but don’t be long.”
Carter quickly kissed her again. “Back in a flash.” She stood and strode toward the concourse, Amelia’s soft laughter trailing behind her.
The shops were crowded with people picking anything and everything off the shelves. Carter snagged a few packets of almonds and a couple of bottles of water. Snacks in hand, Carter hurried through the airport in search of a sandwich shop to use the food vouchers.
In a way, it was like any other day at the airport and not at all like Christmas Eve. Of course, it was an international airport, and not everyone celebrated the holiday, but then, as she turned a corner, the glow of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree appeared before her.
She stood and stared. A tingle danced down her spine, and Carter’s smile widened. She was determined to make this Christmas an amazing experience for Amelia, starting with the small gift she had slipped into Amelia’s suitcase earlier that morning for her to find when she got to Halifax. Carter would have to distract Amelia when she returned, or wait until she was asleep before taking it out. Seeing Amelia’s face light up when she opened it would be a thousand times better in person than over a choppy ten inch screen on her iPad.
She turned away from the tree towards a small deli, searching her mind for ways to make this a Christmas to remember.
* * *
After a few shopping stops, Carter made her way back to their airport home with food in hand. Stopping about thirty feet away from their campsite, she stood and stared at Amelia, who sat propped against the wall, her legs stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles. Long dark hair tumbled about her shoulders, framing her delicate face. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips slightly parted. Carter’s heart skipped a beat. She was definitely the luckiest woman in the world.
As if Amelia sensed her presence, blue eyes turned in her direction. A slow smile crossed Amelia’s face, and Carter’s knees shook. Despite the many years they had been together, one look from Amelia still made her heart flutter.
Carter bridged the gap between them, and Amelia grabbed for the plastic bags in her hand.
“What did you get?”
“Hey!” Carter held the bags away. “It’s a surprise,” she teased, knowing full well that Amelia hated surprises.
Amelia rolled her eyes. “I am starving. I hope you brou
ght me something good to eat, or your hunter-gatherer status might be called into question.”
Carter laughed as she pulled out a sandwich and handed it over. “Turkey, mustard, no mayo,” she said, listing off the ingredients she knew so well.
“Yum.” Amelia smiled as she accepted the sandwich.
“I did splurge and pick up a pack of chips for us to share.”
Carter had barely held them up when Amelia snatched them from her. Chuckling, Carter took out her own sandwich, casually setting the other bags down behind her carry-on, away from Amelia’s prying eyes.
“So…many people around?” Amelia asked between bites. “It’s so quiet here, it’s as if we’re the only ones around.”
“There’s still a lot of people milling about, killing time. When it gets later, more people will be hunkering down, I suspect. There are all sorts of makeshift sleeping areas popping up.” Carter finished the last of her sandwich. “After dinner, you should take a walk around the airport to stretch your legs and have a look.”
“And find some coffee.”
Carter smiled. “Yes, find some coffee. I forgot. After you finish your dinner, you should see if you can find a Starbucks.
Crumpling her sandwich wrapper, Amelia said, “That hit the spot. Your hunter-gatherer status is still in good standing, but I still need coffee.”
Amelia got to her feet, grabbed her knapsack, pecked Carter on the cheek, and departed. She was gone so long, Carter wondered if she had caught a plane to Colombia to get the beans first hand, but when she returned with small white cup, Carter’s eyebrows raised.
“Starbucks was closed, but I managed to find a vending machine.” Amelia frowned as she pointed at the cup. “They say its coffee, but I think they skimped on the beans.”
“That good, huh?” Carter kidded, enjoying the smile that the warm elixir put on Amelia’s face. Coffee was her one true addiction.
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