Christmas Sisters

by Tess Thompson

  Hailey squeezed her hand back and they exchanged a smile.

  Maddie set a pile of blank paper on the table. “Since we’re so close to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to write Santa a letter.”

  Alissa glanced around the table. The two older girls looked down at their laps. A tear caught in Hailey’s lower lashes.

  Alissa had planned to ask for the Barbie camper. Now everything was different. All she wanted was her mother and father to come get her. She’d give up Christmas presents for the rest of her life if that could happen. But even Santa couldn’t deliver that wish.

  Maddie smiled at her. “He knows you’ve been through a lot and that you’ve been a good girl.”

  “Okay,” Alissa said. “I’ll write one.”

  Maddie passed around paper and pencils for everyone. The girls dispersed from the table, wandering to other places in the house. Alissa chewed on the end of her pencil, debating about what to write. Last month, she and Mommy had kept gratitude journals. Every day they wrote something they were thankful for and then shared it on the way to school. “No matter how bad things are,” Mommy’s voice echoed through her mind. “There is always something to be thankful for.”

  Alissa didn’t want to be thankful just at the moment. She wanted to scream and cry and break things. Yet, Mommy was right. She was here with Maddie and the other girls. The house was warm and pretty with two enormous sparkly trees. The room smelled of cookies and hot cocoa. Maddie had managed to bring her clothes, books and dolls from home. They were already arranged in the upstairs bedroom she would share with Hailey.

  Dear Santa,

  I’m thankful for my new home even though I miss Mommy and Daddy. I’d still like the Barbie camper even though it seems stupid now. I wonder if Barbie’s parents are alive? I’ve never seen them so maybe they’re dead too. If that’s true, does she have a foster mom like me? I’d also like you to bring something for each of my new sisters that will make them smile and take away their sad eyes.

  Yours truly,

  Alissa Mann

  That night, after they were allowed to eat a sugar cookie and drink a glass of milk, Alissa brushed her teeth. She stared back at her reflection, feeling almost as if her body and face belonged to someone else. Would she ever feel normal again?

  She slipped between the covers in her new twin bed. Across from her, Hailey did the same. Maddie tucked the covers up around her shoulders, and kissed her forehead, just like Mommy did. Then, she did the same for Hailey.

  “Will you be all right with just the night light?” Maddie asked.

  Alissa nodded.

  Hailey said, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “My daughter was afraid of the dark,” Maddie said, as she perched on the end of Alissa’s bed. “I bought the brightest light I could find. In the morning, I would come in and she’d have turned on the lamp anyway.”

  “Did she get in trouble?” Hailey asked.

  “No. I always figured there were more things to worry about than whether or not she needed the lights on,” Maddie said. “Anyway, you girls sleep well. In the morning, we’ll do a little Christmas shopping, and go to the holiday festival at the town center.”

  “Really?” Hailey asked. “I’ve never been before.”

  “It’s one of the best parts of Christmas,” Maddie said.

  Alissa squeezed her eyes shut to keep from crying. She and her parents had gone there every holiday season. They’d bought a new ornament each year for their tree. What would happen to all those ornaments now?

  “What is it, sweetie?” Maddie asked.

  “What happened to all the ornaments at my house?” Alissa asked.

  Maddie swept a hand through her silky brown hair. “Your mommy’s best friend is taking care of putting away your parents’ things for you to have when you’re older. I’ll make sure she puts those in a safe place, okay?”

  Alissa’s body flooded with relief. “Thank you, Maddie.”

  “You’re welcome. Good night, loves.”

  Maddie went to the doorway and turned off the overhead light. “Door open or closed?” she asked.

  “Open,” Hailey and Alissa said at the same time.

  “Open, it is then,” Maddie said. With one last smile, she disappeared from the doorway.

  Alissa heard her footsteps down the hall, and then a murmuring of voices as she stopped in Jo’s room. She lay on her back looking up at the ceiling. At home, her mother had placed glowing stars on the ceiling. Here, there was nothing but black. After a few minutes, the sound of Hailey crying startled her from her thoughts.

  “Hailey,” she whispered. “Are you all right?”

  “No,” Hailey said in a shaky voice. “I’m scared.”

  “It’s all right,” Alissa said. “I’m here.”

  “Would you sleep next to me?” she asked. “Just for a few minutes.”

  “Sure.” Alissa scooted out of the covers and crossed the few feet to the other bed. They were both small enough to fit nicely in the bed, laying on their backs and holding hands.

  “Sometimes when I can’t sleep, I tell myself stories,” Hailey said. “I have one about a Dachshund puppy. Would you like to hear it?”

  “Sure. I love dogs,” Alissa said. A feeling she’d never had before washed over her. She wanted to protect her little friend, her new sister, from harm and further pain. Not that she had any idea how. Maybe listening to her story was a good start.

  “Once upon a time, there was a dog named Zeke,” Hailey said.

  Her new sister only got out two more sentences before she drifted off to sleep. Alissa slipped back to her own bed, and curled on her side. The house creaked. Maddie’s footsteps, as she prepared for Christmas downstairs, soothed Alissa. She heard Mommy’s voice in her head. Everything will be all right, my darling. One day at a time.

  Eventually, she fell asleep and dreamed of angels singing “Silent Night.”

  Hailey Kirby

  Author Judith Keim

  Hailey Bennett sat in the cozy kitchen wondering how to begin. Mrs. Kirby, her new foster mother, had asked her and the other three girls in the house to write a letter to Santa. She tapped the pencil against the wooden tabletop, trying to form the words in her head.

  She’d learned at school that writing words was easier for her than talking. Talking sometimes got her into big trouble. Besides, she liked the words and people she made up and kept inside her head. These characters all lived in fancy big houses with a Mom and a Dad who loved them. Not in houses where yelling and hitting took place. Her teacher told her she had a great imagination and that someday she could become an excellent storyteller. Maybe. Now, she’d better pretend she believed in Santa. She looked around. The other girls were busy writing to him. She wondered if she could make the words come out right.

  She began to form the printed letters on paper as carefully as she could.

  “Dear Santa, I want a pupy for Xmas with lots of kisses.

  Your frind,

  Hailey Bennett.”

  “How are you doing, sweetheart? Need any help?” Mrs. Kirby asked, coming into the kitchen and giving her a friendly smile.

  Hailey shook her head. She knew better than to bring attention to herself. That had only caused a slap or a nasty remark in the foster home she’d just left. Those people were called out of town for the holidays to take care of a sick relative. Or so the person from Foster Care Services told her. They’d left without even saying goodbye to her. Another house that didn’t work for her.

  At the memory of finding herself alone again, tears escaped her eyes and dropped onto the lenses of her eyeglasses. She quickly took them off and rubbed them dry. She didn’t want the other girls to see. They might call her a crybaby, like the kids at school sometimes did. Or “four-eyes,” which was almost as bad.

  Hailey left the kitchen and joined the older girls in the family room. Carefully, so as not to draw attention to herself, she sat on the floor by the doorway. From here, she wouldn’t bother anyone
. It was a good place to make up some of her favorite stories. At eight, she’d lived through a lot of disappointments, and these stories brought her comfort.

  Hailey studied the lights on the Christmas tree and listened to the holiday music. Soon she became lost in a memory of colorful lights, a soft voice, and blue eyes. She’d been told her mother had died when she was four, and they didn’t know how to find her father. She thought it must be a mistake. Somewhere her mother was looking for her. She was sure of it. When she got old enough, she’d go find her.

  Mrs. Kirby came and sat down beside her. She had long brown hair and dark-brown eyes. Kind eyes. “Pretty Christmas lights, huh?”

  Hailey nodded.

  “I hope you’ll be comfortable here with me and the other girls. Anytime you need to talk to me about something, feel free to do it. Okay?”

  Hailey studied her and then nodded. This new foster mother seemed really nice, but only time would tell if this house would be the right one.

  “I have something for you,” Mrs. Kirby said. “Something to welcome you.”

  Hailey felt her eyes widen. This was something new.

  “Would you like to open it now?” Mrs. Kirby’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

  Her pulse speeding up with excitement she didn’t dare show, Hailey bobbed her head up and down.

  Mrs. Kirby got to her feet, went into her downstairs bedroom, and returned with a gaily-wrapped package. “Here. This is for you.”

  Hailey accepted the gift and held it to her chest. “Mine?”

  “Yes, yours,” Mrs. Kirby said, patting her shoulder. “Go ahead and open it.”

  Hailey carefully unwrapped the package, slowly lifted the paper off, and stared with disbelief at the stuffed puppy dog. The brown fur felt soft as she lifted it into her arms. Dark- brown, button eyes stared deep inside her to where she hid her feelings. The pink-felt tongue sewn into the mouth looked as if it wanted to kiss her.

  “Mine?” Hailey said again, needing to be sure. It was the closest she’d ever come to having something like this of her own.

  “Yes, sweetie, it’s yours. Later, after the holidays, we’ll get a real dog in the house. But all of us will have to decide together on what kind it’ll be.”

  Hailey buried her face into the puppy’s soft fur and felt her eyes fill. This time, words inside her head weren’t enough. “I … I love it,” she managed to say. Her lips trembled with emotion.

  Hailey noticed Mrs. Kirby’s eyes grow as watery as her own. “This dog will help you. Any time you feel uncomfortable, Hailey, bring him to me, and we’ll talk to him and you about it. Okay?”

  Hailey thought for a moment, and nodded, trying not to be a big crybaby.

  Throughout the rest of the evening, Hailey held the dog close to her.

  One of the girls saw her and asked, “What’s your puppy’s name?”

  Hailey shrugged, too shy to answer.

  “How about Charlie, for Charlie Brown?”

  Hailey giggled and nodded. “Okay.”

  She hugged the dog. Hi, Charlie.

  Hailey spent the next few days taking in every detail of her new surroundings and studying the other girls, Charlie constantly in tow. By now, Hailey knew the oldest girl was a dark-haired girl named Jo. The other two were Alissa, a girl not much bigger than she who had big brown eyes, and red-haired Stevie. As Mrs. Kirby explained, they’d all been in need of a new home too. Hailey studied them and held onto her dog, wondering what life would be like here. Already, it might be the best ever.

  Some things might take her a while to get used to though. Like how tonight Mrs. Kirby took her hand after dinner and cheerily announced, “Time for a bath and to get ready for bed.”

  Hailey wasn’t used to someone holding her hand. Not in a nice way.

  Mrs. Kirby led her upstairs, chatting quietly about the good day they’d had. Hailey was sharing a room with Alissa. Mrs. Kirby, or Maddie as one of the big girls called her, had figured the two of them, as the youngest, wouldn’t mind sharing, that it would be nice for them to know they weren’t alone. Hailey was glad. She clutched Charlie to her chest, glad, too, she had Charlie to make her feel safe.

  Okay, Charlie, bath time.

  Upstairs, Mrs. Kirby led her into a big room at the front of the house. Though it was getting dark outside, Hailey could see the soft glow of street lights through the large window that gave a nice view of the pretty neighborhood.

  Hailey noticed Mrs. Kirby looking around the room sadly, and reached out and touched her hand.

  Mrs. Kirby’s eyes widened and then filled with tears. She knelt on the floor and wrapped her arms around Hailey, filling her with a warm feeling. “Ah, Hailey, you’re such a sweetie. I hope you’re going to be happy here.”

  Wanting to please Mrs. Kirby, Hailey nodded, though she was waiting to be told she’d have to move. Again.

  Mrs. Kirby rose and patted her on the head. “I have another surprise. Here is your new Christmas nightgown. All the girls got them.”

  Hailey stared at the red flannel nightgown whose collar and cuffs were edged in lace. It was beautiful. “Mine?” she asked, touching the soft, warm fabric.

  “Yes, yours, Hailey. After your bath, we’ll put it on and hopefully I’ll have time for a short story with you and Alissa before I need to get the other girls settled.”

  In a daze of disbelief, Hailey took her bath, put on her new nightgown, and climbed into her soft, clean bed, the one closest to the window. Alissa, a nice girl who sometimes let her hold her unicorn pillow, slept in the other bed. She liked having Alissa in the same room.

  After both girls were tucked in, Mrs. Kirby sat down on the edge of Hailey’s bed with a couple of books. Hailey grinned at Alissa. Of all the things that would make this day even more magical it was having a story read to them.

  As Mrs. Kirby read aloud a book about a moon and another story about a girl moving to a new home, a peace settled inside Hailey. She had a new home too.

  The next day, Mrs. Kirby surprised her by saying, “We’re going shopping so you can get gifts for the other girls in the house. It’s Christmas Eve, and we don’t have much time for you to choose something for them and get it wrapped.”

  Hailey simply stared at her. She’d never bought a gift or wrapped a gift or even thought of Christmas this way.

  “If you’ve never done this before, that’s okay!” said Mrs. Kirby. “I’ll help you decide what to get if you need me to. Don’t worry, it’s going to be fun. This is what Christmas is all about—thinking of others, having fun, and remembering to be grateful for all you have.”

  Hailey forced words out of her head into her mouth. “Thank you. That will be fun.”

  Mrs. Kirby smiled. “I think so too.”

  Later, at the store, Hailey squeezed a five-dollar bill in her hand and hugged Charlie closer to her. The store was alive with activity as people strolled the aisles, and Christmas music played through loudspeakers. Nearby, Mrs. Kirby said, “Remember, choose something you think each of the girls would like. Something you might like yourself, perhaps. I know you’ve just met them, but knowing you, I’m sure you’ll come up with something special for each of them.”

  Hailey had studied each of the girls in the house. Some choices would be easy. Some not. Charlie would help her.

  It took her no time to choose a book for Alissa. She’d loved their story time as much as Hailey. For Stevie, she finally chose a notebook with a picture of a fox on it. Stevie seemed to have words in her head too. Jo was the hardest choice of all. She seemed tough, but Hailey knew better. She walked slowly up one aisle of the store and down another and then stopped in front of the hair ribbons and bows. Even though she knew Jo might be surprised, Hailey picked out a bright red bow with sparkly fake diamonds on it. It was the most beautiful bow in the store.

  Satisfied, she showed Mrs. Kirby her selections.

  “Perfect,” she said to her. “Lovely ideas.”

  Brimming with pleasure, Hailey handed
the lady at checkout her money and put the gifts down.

  “Somebody is going to have a nice Christmas,” the lady said, smiling at her.

  Hailey nodded. My sisters. Even thinking the word sister made Hailey’s heart pound with excitement, and nervousness too. It was all so new.

  At home, Hailey and Mrs. Kirby worked together wrapping the gifts in Mrs. Kirby’s bedroom where they had privacy. The pretty green paper and shiny silver bows seemed like gifts of their own. Hailey did her best to make the paper not so crinkly and to stick the bow in exactly the right place.

  Mrs. Kirby handed her the name tags. “Okay, now you need to add these. One for each of the girls. I’ve printed them carefully so you can read them.”

  Hailey proudly attached the name tags to the right gifts. She couldn’t wait to see if the girls liked them.

  She carefully carried them into the living room and placed them under the tree.

  “Don’t look, Charlie!” She hid the stuffed dog behind her back.

  Mrs. Kirby smiled at her. “Tomorrow is going to be so much fun. Now let’s see how the other girls are doing with icing the cookies they made earlier.”

  When they walked into the large kitchen, Alissa, Stevie, and Jo were standing around the kitchen island exclaiming over the cookies.

  “Stevie’s are the best,” Jo said, and nobody disagreed. Hers were gorgeous, with a few extra touches on the Christmas trees and on Santa’s face.

  “Did you save a couple of cookies for Hailey to ice, like I asked?” Mrs. Kirby said.