Christmas With You

by Heidi McLaughlin

“I think it was my favorite too.” I helped her get buckled in. “You ready for tomorrow?”

  “Are you kidding me? I could barely keep our secret tonight. I’m so excited to see all these flamingos.”

  “I am, too, kid.”

  We headed home, and Emily was already half asleep by the time we made it there. We were about fifteen minutes away, so I couldn’t blame her. What a big night. I tucked her in and checked my phone. I had a text message from Robin that said she’d secured all the hats I needed for my project. Score.

  The next morning I got up bright and early and woke Emily up for breakfast. Normally, she’s quite the sleepyhead, but she bounced out of bed and got dressed faster than I’d ever seen.

  “Come on, Dad, we gotta get cracking,” she said.

  I laughed out loud. “Where did you hear that?”

  “You say it all the time when you’re in a hurry,” she replied quite matter of factly. I didn’t even realize I said it that much, but it sure was funny coming from an eight-year-old.

  “You’re right, kid. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  We packed up some snacks and headed down to the hangar. When we opened the door, piled next to my plane were at least a hundred pink plastic flamingos. I needed more for what I was doing, but they were going to be delivered later that afternoon, and it was going to take all day to get them set up.

  In retrospect, I probably should have recruited some help, but I didn’t want to put anyone out a few days before Christmas. People were spending time with their families, and I had Emily to help as long as I could keep her attention.

  “That is a lot of birds.” Her little jaw was wide open. “What’s the plan, Dad?”

  “Well, we’re gonna load them up on the trailer over there and take them out to the field next to the runway and set them all upright there.”

  “Won’t she see them right away?” Emily asked. A very good question, but I’d thought this plan through.

  “It’s going to be dark out when she gets here, so she won’t see them until the lights get flipped on, and we’ll already be up in the air by then,” I replied.

  “Who’s going to turn the lights on them?” she asked.

  “Rob—Mrs. Jameson has offered to handle that for us. She’s going to pretend that she can’t go flying, and then it’ll just be me and Samantha up there. Mrs. Jameson is going to turn the lights on, and the whole field will be lit up with flamingos in Santa hats. What do you think?” I asked her.

  “I think this is the best Christmas surprise ever!” she squealed.

  “Well, we don’t have a lot of time, so let’s get to it!” I held up my hand, and Emily gave me a high five.

  It took us hours, but we got the first hundred flamingos set up, and I was able to run some wires for lights as well. We were just waiting on the last batch of birds and the hats to arrive. This would be the Christmas surprise to beat all Christmas surprises.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Samantha

  Robin had to run out to do a few errands, so I was left to hang out in the house for a while. I played with Daisy and Delilah, and we discussed the very important naughty-and-nice list while I assured them that they were obviously on the nice list for being such good little girls. They showed me their dolls and told me all about their personalities and what they like to do for fun. The imagination of children would always amaze me. They were so creative, and my nieces were no exception.

  Truth be told, I spent most of the rest of the day meandering through the house examining all the decorations that I knew belonged to my parents. Robin had made every effort to include our old family heirlooms and decorations throughout the house along with her own. It made me a little teary eyed, but I was determined not to be selfish or to ruin the day for anyone else just because I was feeling somewhat reminiscent and down. It came in waves really, and while I was having fun with my family, and I was looking forward to flying with Jason later that evening, I couldn’t help but to revert back to my old ways when left to my thoughts too much.

  When Robin returned, I asked to borrow her car so I could go for a drive. I wanted to get out of the house for a bit by myself. While it was wonderful to be with family, I was used to living alone and wanted a little time to myself away from my parents’ things. The only place I could think of to go was the coffee shop. I was finished with my shopping, and it was too cold out to walk around, so a fresh cup of coffee and a book was the perfect way to spend a little time. When I arrived there, Gabe was outside.

  Instead of buying him a cup of coffee to warm up outside, I decided that I’d invite him to join me inside. I felt bad that he was always outside and probably down on his luck, and it was the season of giving, after all.

  “Hi, Gabe. How are you doing today?” I asked him as I approached.

  “Well, Samantha, I’m doing great for an old man. How are you today? Are you all ready for Christmas?” he asked me jovially.

  “I guess so,” I replied. “Gabe, I’m going inside to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Would you like to join me?”

  “I’d love to enjoy your company, young lady,” he replied, a cheerful grin spreading across his round face.

  “Shall we?” I motioned to the door, and he gathered his small bag and followed me in.

  I quickly found us a seat in the rear of the coffee shop and then ordered coffees and cake for both of us. It’s the holidays, and calories don’t count. Once I’d received our order at the counter, I placed them in front of us and observed the man sitting across from me. While it was clear that he didn’t have a home in Friendship, it wasn’t clear to me what he was doing there at all.

  “Gabe, what brought you to Friendship?” I asked.

  He rested his hands in his lap and smiled softly at me. “I go where I’m needed, and the people of Friendship seemed to need me.”

  “What do you mean? Do you know people here? Are you from here?” I asked him, confused by his answer.

  “Oh, I’m from all over, really. I know almost everyone here now,” he replied without further explanation.

  “I see. Are you staying through the holidays?”

  “Yes, there are some things I need to do while I’m here. More people that need help.”

  “What kind of help?” I asked.

  “My job is to help people find each other or to rediscover the Christmas magic in their hearts. Much like you, Samantha.”

  “Oh what? Like Santa Claus?” I laughed.

  “Oh no, not like Santa.” He grinned.

  “So, what do you know of Christmas magic?” I asked sarcastically, thinking about my own attitude toward the holiday.

  “Christmas magic never leaves us, even when we think it’s faded away. You remember the way that you felt when your parents decorated your front yard with flamingos in the snow? That joy … it still exists within you. You just have to be willing to let it out.”

  “How did you know about that?” My shoulders stiffened. He’s a stranger. There’s no way that he could know things like that about me.

  “I know all kinds of things, Samantha. I know that you’ve bottled up your feelings and taken your sadness out on Christmas. But that’s not what your parents would have wanted. I think you know that.”

  I was getting upset and almost frightened by his words. “What do you know about my parents?” How could he know any of this?

  “Christmas is a feeling, not a thing. It can’t be hurt the way your heart is. Taking your hurt out on Christmas won’t make you feel better. But the spirit of Christmas can help you heal if you let it.”

  “It’s just a holiday,” I replied.

  “Now, you and I both know that’s not true.” He tilted his head knowingly and raised an eyebrow, as if he were waiting for me to agree.

  “Okay, so what if it is true? That still doesn’t explain how you know so much about me.” He was right. I knew it wasn’t just a holiday, and it didn’t make me feel any better or worse to hate on Christmas. It was just a differe
nt bad feeling replacing my grief temporarily.

  “You’re not hard to read, Samantha. I know you’ve suffered loss. It’s never easy to get beyond that. But what if you took that loss and honored the past by starting a new future?”

  “Starting a new future?” I asked.

  “I understand there’s a handsome pilot in this town?” he said, making me blush.

  “I don’t even live here, Gabe. That’s absurd. It’s nothing,” I lied. It wasn’t nothing. But I didn’t live here, so how could it go anywhere anyway?

  “Geography is nothing. Opportunity is everything. Don’t throw away opportunities over a desire to stay stuck in the past. It doesn’t serve you.”

  “How did you know about the flamingos?” I asked, changing the subject again.

  “Your sister has told that story about the flamingos. Everyone has heard it. And I’m a very good listener.” I didn’t believe him, but I let it go. My thoughts shifted back to Jason and why Gabe would even mention him.

  “The pilot is just a friend. I barely know him.”

  “That’s how the best relationships in the world begin.” He grinned again, and maybe it was the lights in the coffee shop, but I could’ve sworn they twinkled. “I need to be going, Samantha. I have some appointments.”

  “More Christmas magic to spread around Friendship?” I teased.

  “Maybe.” He winked at me.

  “It was nice to talk to you today, Gabe. Please take care of yourself. It’s cold out there.”

  “You’re a kind woman, Samantha. Thank you for the coffee. And tonight, remember what I said.”

  With that, he bundled his coat up, grabbed his bag, and left. I watched for him out the window of the coffee shop, but I must have blinked or zoned out, because, in an instant, he was gone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jason

  It was go time. Everything was in place. An all-day activity but worth every second, two hundred plastic flamingos in the middle of Massachusetts, dressed in Santa hats and lit up with floodlights, were set up in my field. Robin had brought me the hats that had filled her trunk, and Emily went through the field placing a Santa hat on every flamingo in the flock. It was incredible. The sun had just gone down, and after a check of the lights, I was ready.

  The women showed up right on time, and the moment I saw Samantha, my heart raced and the excitement took over. “You ladies ready?” I asked.

  “Well, actually …” Robin began the lie. “I can’t go.”

  “What do you mean you can’t go?” Samantha asked.

  “I’m just dropping you off. Unfortunately, I’m needed down at the church. There’s an angel costume situation for the Christmas service that needs my expertise to be fixed in time for Christmas,” Robin replied.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? We could have canceled,” Samantha said.

  “I’ve gone up before. I didn’t want you to miss out.” Robin shrugged like it was no big deal and turned to me. “You’ll bring her home later?”

  “Absolutely,” I replied.

  Samantha looked confused and kept shifting her glance back and forth between Robin and me. “Something is going on here, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “Whatever do you mean?” Robin asked.

  “You’re up to something. I’m sure there’s someone more qualified than you to fix an angel costume,” Samantha replied, pursing her lips.

  “Listen, I gotta go. I’m sorry about bailing on you at the last minute, but you’ll have a great time. I guarantee it. I’ll see you back at home.” Robin pretended to head back to her car as we’d discussed and left me with Samantha.

  “Well, looks like it’s just the two of us. You ready?” I asked her, barely able to contain my grin.

  “Uh, yeah. I am.” She still seemed skeptical, but she went along with it.

  Emily was hiding out waiting for us to leave, and then she was going to be with Robin to turn all the lights on when they saw our plane coming back toward the field. Robin was going to take her back to her house to have one more sleepover with the girls before Christmas. I took Samantha over to the plane, showed her a few things so she’d know what to expect, and we got buckled in. It was an exceptionally clear night, perfect for seeing holiday lights all over the area. When we got up in the air, I looked over at her to find her smiling broadly as she gazed out the windows.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” I asked into the microphone. We had on headsets so I could communicate with the local airports or other planes if need be. Our altitude was low, so I wasn’t required to file a flight plan. We were able to cruise around at our leisure, which was one of my favorite things to do.

  “It really is breathtaking from up here,” she replied.

  We flew around the county, checking out all of the holiday lights. I showed her all of the notable landmarks that you could see in the dark, and her enthusiasm was exactly what I’d hoped for. When it was time to head back and to show her the big surprise, I reached over and grabbed her hand gently.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  “You do?” she asked.

  “Yep. I want you to look out your window, and we’re going to fly by something really special.” I could already see in the distance that the lights we’d set up were glowing brightly, but if you didn’t know to look for it, you’d have no idea it was there.

  As we approached, I lowered the plane so that she could get a clear view on her side before I flew back around. The moment she realized what was happening, I heard her gasp in my headset. “Oh my God,” she said.

  It was as amazing as I’d thought it would be. Two hundred flamingos in the dead of winter were dressed up for the holidays, just for her.

  “Jason! Did you do this?” she asked, practically breathless.

  “I had some help from some little elves, but yeah. It’s for you. For your parents too.” I squeezed her hand. I glanced over and saw that she was crying. “Are you okay?” I asked. I hadn’t meant to make her cry, and worried that I’d upset her, I started to panic a bit.

  “Oh, Jason, I don’t know what to say,” she replied.

  “But you’re okay?” She hadn’t really answered my question, and the thought that my gesture had backfired was now creeping into my head.

  She was silent for a moment, and then she squeezed my hand and brought it to her chest, clinging to it with both hands. “I’m more than okay.” She started to laugh a little, making me nervous. Maybe I made her snap instead of winning her over. “This is the most beautiful spectacle I’ve seen in my entire life. My parents are laughing and smiling right now. I can feel it. It’s amazing.”

  What a relief. “I wanted to show you that we can make new memories and still honor the old ones. I want Christmas to be special and wonderful for you again, Samantha.”

  “You’ve done just that. I’m speechless. I can’t believe you made this happen.”

  We flew by a few more times, and she took some pictures from the sky before we landed. The girls had left, and I sent a quick text to Robin with a thumbs-up so she’d know the mission was indeed accomplished.

  After we exited the airplane, I took Samantha over to my truck, where I had some hot chocolate in a thermos and poured us both a cup.

  “Cheers,” I said, gently tapping my paper cup to hers.

  “Cheers,” she replied before taking a small sip. “Why did you do all of this for me, Jason? We’ve practically just met.”

  I had an idea this talk was coming, and I’d prepared myself. “Samantha, sometimes you meet someone and just know they’re meant to be with you somehow. Occasionally, it takes some nudging to get out of your box, for all of us. But the risk is worth it.”

  “How can this ever work?” she asked, her eyes turning toward the floor.

  “Take a risk with me, Samantha.” I pulled her chin back up so she’d meet my eyes.

  “But I don’t even live here,” she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

  “I don’t care where you live. I’m not
letting you go. You’re meant to be in my life, Samantha. That’s just all there is to it. I think you know it too. Stay through the New Year, and we’ll figure it out. That’s the magic of Christmas, Sam. Anything is possible.”

  Instead of replying, she kissed me.

  We stood in the hangar like teenagers, sharing a kiss that ended up becoming an annual Christmas tradition for us.

  The next day, I looked for Gabe everywhere so that I could tell him everything that had happened and thank him for pushing me to go after what I wanted. But he was gone. I never saw him again. I think his work in Friendship was done. At least for me it was.

  Christmas Encounter

  R. J. PRESCOTT

  For Mum, who showed me that

  there is always magic in everything

  if only you look for it.

  Chapter One

  Jensen

  Paris, France

  “Why don’t we take the party back to my place?” the woman next to me whispered suggestively. The shade of her lipstick matched perfectly with the color of her short, clingy red dress, and her heavily made-up face was flawless. Six months ago, I would have been flattered by her offer. Now, like everything else, it just seemed fake. I wondered if I’d even recognize her without all the cosmetics. Or if she’d bother to give me the time of day if I wasn’t Formula One’s newest rising star. I doubted it, given that we’d been talking for twenty minutes, and the only thing she seemed interested in was my salary.

  My gaze drifted across the sea of partygoers, where celebrities and movie stars mingled either with the rich and powerful, or with those who wanted to be. I sighed deeply, preparing myself to brush her off and for the inevitable argument that would follow, just as my phone started buzzing.

  “Sorry. I need to take this,” I replied, fishing it out of my pocket. The number was withheld, but I mentally high-fived whoever was calling for giving me an excuse to escape.

  “Hello?” I said as I connected the call. A woman spoke to me, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. The conversation and sound of clinking glasses was loud, so I pushed my way through the throng of people to a set of French doors.